Month: June 2018

Krupa: No-valchuk on Kovalchuk

Many Red Wings fans find the fact that the Wings are among the teams pursuing Ilya Kovalchuk to be a puzzling situation, and at best, a bad fit.

The Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa would also prefer if the Wings and Kovalchuk steered clear of each other:

As of last season, the [Wings’ rebuilding] process, a generational transformation from a perennial Stanley Cup contender to the next contender, still required some acceleration and upshifting, despite collecting draft choices.

The Red Wings’ decisions to retain some of their support players, at considerable cost and for considerable duration, and the acquisition of more veteran help, in support roles, resulted last season in a team of no stars and, arguably, inadequate support.

Tomas Nosek, who performed well in the Golden Knights’ playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals, looked good in stints with the Red Wings. But the Wings never made him the $800,000 replacement for some guys now signed for a few to several millions more, who provide about the same performance.

Svechnikov, Dominic Turgeon, Joe Hicketts and Filip Hronek all played too much in Grand Rapids last season and not enough in Detroit.

Faced with a generational challenge, management and coaches are still not churning the roster to the point that younger players either prove their worth or signal they never will, and any reduced performance is accepted as a natural result of rebuilding.

And, its byproduct is better draft position.

The Red Wings are not there, yet. In some ways, the pursuit of Kovalchuk is more evidence.

Krupa continues, and “rebuild on the fly” or no “rebuild on the fly,” I simply do not see a “fit” in Detroit for Kovalchuk.

Khan: If Green leaves, Wings will get into the Carlson sweepstakes

MLive’s Ansar Khan penned an article about Mike Green’s future, both verifying the Athletic’s Craig Custance’s report that the Wings have offered Green 1 and 2-year contracts, and weighing in regarding the Wings’ other free agent options:

If Green doesn’t re-sign, the Red Wings could look to free agency. They’re interested in John Carlson, who is by far the top defenseman expected to hit the market. He’s 28, shoots right and collected 15 goals and 53 assists for the Washington Capitals. But it’s hard to imagine he would go from a Stanley Cup champion to a team that hasn’t made the playoffs the past two seasons.

If Carlson leaves Washington, Green would be a natural fit to return to the franchise where he flourished his first 10 seasons. Green is the second-highest scoring defenseman among pending UFAs. After that, there is a significant dip in quality.

The Red Wings plan on moving in at least one defense prospect from the Grand Rapids Griffins. Filip Hronek, a skilled righthanded shooter who flourished during his first pro season, is the leading candidate. Joe Hicketts is another possibility. Dennis Cholowski, their top pick in 2016, also will compete for a job but probably needs some time in the AHL since he’s just turning pro.

After Green, the Red Wings’ second-highest scoring defenseman was Niklas Kronwall (27 points), followed by Trevor Daley (16 points) and Nick Jensen (15 points).

Khan continues, and unless the Wings offer Carlson an $8-million-plus deal, I don’t see him coming to Detroit.

 

Three things: On Cup anniversaries, Yzerman and the Bolts and a trade rumor

Of Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins-related note this afternoon:

  1. Several Wings and Griffins media folks noted that today is a momentous anniversary for both the Red Wings and their AHL affiliate:

2. In the alumni department (of sorts), The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that the Tampa Bay Lightning expect to extend GM Steve Yzerman’s contract at some point this summer:

[Lightning owner Jeff] Vinik is also believed to have given Yzerman an ownership stake in the team — like he did with former CEO Tod Leiweke — though he wouldn’t confirm that. “Both Steve and Tod were not employees,” Vinik said. “They were partners.”

The popular hope — at least, among some Red Wings fans — is that Yzerman will eventually come back to Detroit. But Red Wings GM Ken Holland, a good friend and mentor to Yzerman, signed a two-year extension this spring.

And those who know Yzerman well believe he takes pride in taking his own path, and seeing it through.

“He’s the kind of guy that when he starts something, he likes to finish something,” said Darren Pang, a long-time friend of Yzerman. “And the mark he wants to leave is he is a Stanley Cup champion with Vinik and the great people of Tampa Bay. He’s never been a guy to look ahead. He’s not a floater.”

Vinik said during the playoffs that he and Yzerman had informal talks about extending his deal. “I want Steve here as long as he wants to be here,” Vinik said. “We have one of the very best in hockey and we’re fortunate to have him.”

Smith continues (paywall), quoting Jimmy Devellano, who believes that the Lightning will be able to retain Yzerman’s services…

3. And USA Today’s Kevin Allen suggests that the Red Wings will be among the bidders for defenseman Justin Faulk, should the Carolina Hurricanes wish to peddle him:

Defenseman Justin Faulk, Hurricanes: At 27, Faulk is a big shot-defenseman in the prime of his career. He has scored 56 goals over the past four seasons. The Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Canadiens are among the teams that should be interested. The right-handed shooter has two years remaining on his contract ($4.83 cap hit).

 

Custance on Mike Green’s future

According to The Athletic’s Craig Custance, defenseman Mike Green is weighing whether to remain with the Detroit Red Wings via a short-term contract, or whether he should test the unrestricted free agent marketplace on July 1st:

Green is the second-best defenseman in the free agent Class of 2018. At least if you’re looking for offense. Whether you like his overall game or not, that’s just the reality.

“He had a good season. Teams are always looking for right-shot defensemen. And he’s not 40 years old,” said one NHL source. “If teams are looking to improve themselves on defense this summer through free agency, there’s not much out there.”

And right now, Green is facing a decision. The Red Wings have made him both a one- and a two-year offer to stay in Detroit. For a team in the middle of a rebuild, it doesn’t make much sense to go any longer than that. For a player who could have his choice of better deals on the open market, it might not make sense to accept.

So, here we are. The two sides are close on salary. If this deal doesn’t get done, it’s going to be because of term since it’s realistic that the second-best defenseman in free agency could get at least three years on the open market.

“He might even get four,” said an NHL source.

Custance continues (paywall), quoting Red Wings GM Ken Holland…

Regner speaks with Nick Jensen on ‘Red and White Authority’ podcast

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner interviews Wings defenseman Nick Jensen in the latest “Red and White Authority” podcast:

Wakiji discusses Zach Nastasiuk’s 17-18 campaign

DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji profiles Red Wings prospect Zach Nastasiuk today, and Nastasiuk is the poster boy for a near-legion’s worth of solid grinding forwards who may or may not make the NHL.

In Nastasiuk’s case, the son of a CFL football player has struggled to gain traction in the AHL, but the affable 23-year-old has played quite well for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, and Nastasiuk appears ready to “stick” in the AHL:

Quotable: “He went to Toledo and when we called him up, he played himself into our lineup. He knows how to do everything right out there, he’s dependable and a heavy body. He played very well for us. This was a very important year for him. Seeing him at the end of the year, he was playing with more confidence, holding onto the puck. He knows how to play the right way, play on the right side of the puck. You only have to tell him something one time and he does it right. He’s a pretty smart player. When he first got here, he could keep his speed for about 25 seconds and after that, he would get fatigued and slow down. I didn’t see that at all this year.” — Todd Nelson, former Grand Rapids Griffins head coach

Wakiji continues, examining Nastasiuk’s “numbers” from the 2017-18 season. I’m a fan of Nastasiuk’s work ethic, but I’m not sure whether his skating will improve enough to earn him an NHL spot.

Freep excerpt from “The Russian Five”: June 13, 1997

June 13th, 1997. I still remember standing in line at the Meijer in Canton when I first heard that several Red Wings players were involved in a car accident, and things went downhill from there as we found out that Vladimir Konstantinov, Sergei Mnatsakanov and Slava Fetisov were all injured in the accident…

Seven days after the Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 42 years, the celebration was over, and a summer of prayer and hoping against hope began. This morning, the Free Press published part of Keith Gave’s The Russian Five novel, and today’s excerpt discusses the crash that paralyzed Mnatsakanov and ended Konstantinov’s playing career:

The last of the golfers had come off the course at about 8:30 p.m., including athletic therapist John Wharton, who with assistant trainer Tim Abbott had spent the day escorting the Stanley Cup around the course. Stanley was the hit of the party. At some holes, players poured cold beer into the bowl and quenched their thirst. At others, the trophy was laid gently on the green, giving putters a much-needed bigger target.

Inside the club, dinner dishes were being cleared and plans made for the rest of the evening. Darren McCarty made a phone call to a tattoo artist. He was leading a group that included teammate Aaron Ward, Wharton, Abbott and a few others. They were all going to get their flesh decorated with the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings logo. Some players were staying behind to play cards and catch up with the group later. For these newly minted Stanley Cup champions, the hours in one last memorable night together celebrating a lifelong brotherhood etched in silver were just beginning. They were relaxed, relieved, radiant.

Then Sergei Fedorov’s cell phone rang. It was shortly before 10 p.m.

“All of a sudden, Sergei handed his phone to Steve (Yzerman),” Shanahan said. “Sergei looked like a ghost.”

The others grew quiet, their faces a mixture of confusion and anguish. Several teammates asked Fedorov at the same time: “What’s going on?”

The excerpt continues at length…

 

Custance discusses Kovalchuk and the Wings

The Athletic’s Craig Custance penned a lengthy article about Ilya Kovalchuk’s attempt to find the right fit as he returns to the NHL at 35, and Custance addressed the Red Wings’ interest in Kovalchuk:

The Red Wings are rebuilding but management wants to do it in a way where the young players feel like they have a shot to win on any given night. The organization still wants Detroit to be a place where players still enjoy coming to the rink on a daily basis. Bottoming out completely typically doesn’t create that kind of environment. There’s also a new building in Detroit that was half empty at times in year one and would get some needed juice with a player like Kovalchuk.

But really, it only makes sense on a one-year deal that can be spun at the trade deadline. In fact, that’s a great idea if you’re Detroit. It’s almost like buying draft picks and prospects in free agency. But if that’s the case, why would Kovalchuk do it?

It’s a longshot but the best pitch would have to be a one-year deal on a huge salary that also gives Kovalchuk complete control of where he goes at the trade deadline, with Detroit retaining some of the cost. Going that route would, in theory, buy Kovalchuk time to see which of the contending teams offer him the best chance to win. Again, that’s just a working theory.

Custance continues at length (paywall), suggesting that Kovalchuk would rather be on a team with more stable playoff footing.

Update: The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan mentioned the Wings’ interest in Kovalchuk as well:

The Wings’ interest in Kovalchuk is understandable in the fact the team lost a staggering 27 one-goal games last season, and ranked 24th on the power play (17.5 percent).

Adding a goal-scorer such as Kovalchuk, who still possesses one of the hardest and most accurate shots in the world, would likely help the Wings offensively.

But the Wings are admittedly in a rebuild, and are trying to add young players into the lineup.

Signing a player such as Kovalchuk could take ice time away from prospects such as Michael Rasmussen, Evgeny Svechnikov or Tyler Bertuzzi.

Kovalchuk has yet to win a Stanley Cup, and is reportedly looking for a team close to winning, as well as a two- or three-year contract at around $6 million per season.

The Wings would likely be more interested in a one- or two-year deal, which might not interest Kovalchuk, who can’t officially sign a contract until July 1.

HSJ weighs in regarding her all-time greatest Wings

As the Free Press holds its fan vote for the greatest Red Wings of all time, the Free Press’s Helene St. James offers her list:

That Gordie Howe is the No. 1 seed is a no-brainer: he is synonymous with the franchise. He is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Among his myriad of accomplishments, he won four Stanley Cups with the Wings.

The next two names were going to be Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom – but in which order? I know that if I asked either of them, they would put one another in the No. 2 spot. I ultimately went with Yzerman – like Howe, he came to be the face of the franchise. He was the quiet, unassuming teenager who led the team out of the “Dead Wings” era and onto glory. He was named captain at 21 and served in that role for two decades. He became known simply as “the Captain.”

It speaks to the significance of Howe and Yzerman that Lidstrom, the best defenseman of his generation and one of the all-time greatest players, sits at No. 3 on my list. He embodied perfection – on the ice, off. In all my years of covering him, not once did I see him lose his temper. I remember during the playoffs one year, a reporter asked him why the Wings had trouble converting on 5-on-3s. Lidstrom, the most polite person I’ve ever met, pointed out their two-man power play had only lasted 2 seconds.

St. James continues…

Kulfan compiles a “Top 20” Wings prospect list

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan has compiled a list of the Red Wings’ top 20 prospects.

It’s probably never been a better time to be a prospect in the Wings’ organization over the past two decades.

If a young player shows the ability, work ethic and determination, he’s likely to find his way onto the Wings’ roster.

More roster spots will be available, as the Wings’ watch contracts on established veterans expire over the next few seasons — meaning more spots for draft picks.

“I’m hoping and expecting that two, maybe four or five kids, between the ages of 19 and 22 are on the roster next year that weren’t won the team (this season),” Holland said. “I want to get those young people onto the roster when they can help us be competitive.”

With the organization’s young players never more important, here’s a look at the the Red Wings’ top 20 prospects.

Among Kulfan’s comments via photo gallery:

4. Filip Hronek, defenseman. Age: 20. Height/weight: 6-0/178. 2017-18 stats: Grand Rapids (AHL) – 67 games, 11 goals, 28 assists, 39 points. Acquired: Drafted, 2016, second round (No. 53 overall). Skinny: He was one of the most improved players on the Griffins’ roster over the course of the season. Hronek isn’t the biggest guy around, but plays with a lot of heart and isn’t afraid to mix it up physically. He’s further along offensively, including showing a real awareness on the power play.