Month: October 2018

The Athletic’s Custance weighs in on Jeff Blashill in his contract year

The Athletic’s Craig Custance discusses Jeff Blashill’s need to impress during the final year of his contract with the Red Wings:

In Detroit, Blashill runs a program that was once great and is now going through the long and painful process of trying to reclaim its place as one of the best organizations in the NHL. And heading into this NHL season, one that begins for the Red Wings tonight against the Blue Jackets, he’s facing a crucial point in the process for himself personally.

This season marks the last of the four-year contract he signed to replace Mike Babcock when Babcock left for the Maple Leafs. Blashill, to put it in the parlance of the players, is in a contract year.

He has to earn his extension by succeeding with a roster that has all the makings of one that should end up close to the basement. By any reasonable calculation, it’s not a playoff roster. It’s also not an ideal spot for a coach being evaluated in a league measured by wins and losses.

“My focus as a coach is no different regardless of my contractual situation. It’s everything possible we can do to help these guys continue to take steps so our team ceiling gets higher and higher and higher and higher,” Blashill said. “The question is, ‘How quick will that happen?’ I can’t answer that. That’s the goal regardless of my contract.”

Custance continues…

Red Wings-Blue Jackets morning skate Tweets: Looks like the Wings will be going with a youthful defense tonight

The Detroit Red Wings took to the ice at Little Caesars Arena this morning, ahead of tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets (7:30 PM on FSD/FS Ohio/97.1 FM).

The Red Wings said, “Hello” early…


As did DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji…

Continue reading Red Wings-Blue Jackets morning skate Tweets: Looks like the Wings will be going with a youthful defense tonight

Three things: On the Wings’ youth movement, its limitations, and a no-more-paper-tickets reminder

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an article discussing the team’s potential as it relates to the young players on the roster:

There is a sense of optimism — or confidence — among players that this season won’t be another losing one for the Detroit Red Wings.

A more realistic outlook is that the growing pains associated with a youth movement will continue in the short-term, but they could lead to a growth spurt within a couple seasons. Two solid draft classes have added high-end talent to a rebuilding project headlined by Dylan Larkin. Henrik Zetterberg’s retirement last month because of a bad back has created an opportunity for the franchise’s next leader to emerge, and if the rest of the nucleus responds, the long-term outlook looks promising for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season.

“For us to be good, the young guys have to carry the team and be our best players,” veteran center Frans Nielsen said. “From what they have shown so far, you get a feeling they are ready to take the responsibility and be leaders. Hank is not here so there is going to be a lot of ice time and it really looks like they are going to thrive with that ice time. I for sure see light at the end of the tunnel. The way the young guys have been playing, especially Larkin, you see they support each other.”

Larkin, the Wings’ first-round selection from 2014, is the face of the rebuild because of his inner drive. He’s had one taste of the NHL playoffs, in his rookie season, and hungers to return.

“We have this chip on our shoulder,” Larkin said. “Everyone went home this summer and had a really good offseason, everyone looks really good, and that is giving me confidence. There are fresh faces and a new energy.”

St. James continues;

2. MLive’s Ansar Khan also weighs in regarding the team’s potential vs. the reality of the team’s personnel limitations:

Continue reading Three things: On the Wings’ youth movement, its limitations, and a no-more-paper-tickets reminder

Red Wings-Blue Jackets set-up: Korpisalo in goal for CBJ as teams with banged-up bluelines meet

The Detroit Red Wings will open their 2018-19 season by battling the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight (7:30 PM on FSD/FS Ohio/97.1 FM).

Both teams are a little banged-up heading into tonight’s game, with the Red Wings having to recall Filip Hronek, Joe Hicketts and Luke Witkowski on Wednesday night to replace Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall (who were placed on the IR);

The Blue Jackets are without Seth Jones and Scott Harrington on defense, and they’re starting Joonas Korpisalo instead of Sergei Bobrovsky tonight. The logic behind that move was made plain during a radio appearance by coach John Tortorella–a rare move, as noted by the Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Jardy:

Continue reading Red Wings-Blue Jackets set-up: Korpisalo in goal for CBJ as teams with banged-up bluelines meet

Prospect round-up: Veleno scores in the Q

Of prospect-related note:

In the QMJHL, Joe Veleno scored a goal in the Drummondville Voltigeurs’ 3-1 win over the Victoriaville Tigres;

In the OHL, Brady Gilmour had an assist and went 5-for-9 on faceoffs and Reilly Webb finished at +1 in the Saginaw Spirit’s 6-2 win over Flint;

And in the WHL, Lane Zablocki was sidelined from his Kelowna Rockets’ 5-0 loss to Vancouver.

 

Niyo on Blash’s big year

The Detroit News’s John Niyo discusses the pressures that Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill faces going into the 2018-19 season, wondering whether Blashill can do enough in the final year of his contract to “stick around”:

So how good do they have to be for Blashill to stick around? How many games do they need to win? Those are loaded questions without answers as the puck drops Thursday. (Henrik Zetterberg, the captain who just retired, will do the ceremonial honors, in case we needed another reminder of the challenge ahead.) And Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, who signed a two-year contract extension in April, confirmed Wednesday that there have been no discussions yet about re-upping with Blashill.

“I want to get out of the gate and let’s get going,” Holland said.

So does Blashill, for that matter. And if you ask him about expectations, or how he’ll be fairly critiqued this season given the Red Wings’ new reality, he’ll look to pass instead of shoot.

 “To be honest with you, it doesn’t matter how I’m judged externally,” said Blashill, who owns a sub-.500 career record (104-105-37) entering his fourth season in Detroit. “I can tell you from my own perspective, I’ll judge myself on, ‘Are we getting better?’ Are individuals getting better? Is the team getting better? Did we work and compete every day? And are we on the same page?”

Niyo continues…

Fox Sports Detroit’s 30-second Wings teaser is here, includes many ‘youths’

Fox Sports Detroit has revealed its Red Wings “teaser” ad, and it’s pretty cool–and features quite a bit of the team’s youth movement:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It all starts tomorrow. #LGRW #RedWings

A post shared by FOX Sports Detroit (@foxsportsdetroit) on

Wallner: Griffins’ defense will look a little green after Wings’ recalls (and the Griffins just signed Matt Finn to a PTO)

The Grand Rapids Press’s Peter J. Wallner notes that the Grand Rapids Griffins are without four potential defenders in Dennis Cholowski, Joe Hicketts, Filip Hronek and Libor Sulak, giving the Griffins some challenges as they open their season on the road this weekend:

“We knew there were going to opportunities for young defenseman on the back end, for sure, but for four guys to make the team out of camp, we weren’t expecting that by any means,” Griffins coach Ben Simon said. “But that means there’s more opportunities down here and probably even more teaching down here to begin the year.”

The Griffins don’t have to submit their roster for the opener until Thursday, but they left for Texas Wednesday with just two holdovers from last season in Dylan McIlrath and Vili Saarijarvi. Veteran Brian Lashoff skated at practice Tuesday but he’s out another two or three weeks with an injury.

Jake Chelios, a non-veteran who was with Charlotte the past three seasons, should be a nice addition defensively for the Griffins, but three others who could be in the lineup are unproven. Trevor Hamilton, Marcus Crawford and Mackenzie Stewart have six career AHL games combined, all by Stewart.

“Right now, we’re are a little thin there but, again, it’s an opportunity for guys to play a little bit and see what they can do,” Simon said.

Continued, and as such:


Finn, a 6’1,” 205-pound defenseman, split last season between the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers and the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. He’s 24 and was drafted by Toronto in 2011.

Evening news: On Larkin’s leadership, the Wings’ goalies, Twitter videos and a get-to-know-you roster

Updated 2x at 6:50 PM: Of Red Wings-related note this evening:

1. MLive’s Ansar Khan wrote an article discussing Dylan Larkin’s desire to aid in the leadership department for the Red Wings this season…

“We all know the reality of Z not coming back and the hole that he leaves,” Larkin said. “We all know we have to chip in and be better and contribute what he meant to this team and the offense he produced. And more what he did off the ice as well, just being around and his presence. I think our veteran guys are doing a great job of that.

“But for me, it comes from within. I think that pressure is always something that, since my draft year, I’ve always wanted to be better and always wanted more for myself and for our team.”

That self-accountability is one of the reasons the Red Wings made him an alternate captain.

“If you’re a person that looks inward and holds yourself accountable first, you’re going to garner tons more respect than someone who can’t accept that type of responsibility,” Blashill said. “I think he’s a guy who cares about winning first, second and last.”

Said Nielsen: “I think his basic leadership skills are on the ice, the way he brings it and the way he competes every night. A little bit like Hank did. He was a hard-working guy every day on the ice, and when your leader does that usually everyone follows. I think (Larkin) is going to be that same kind of leader.”

2. As did 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burtchfield, who noted that Larkin is leading the Wings’ youth movement:

Continue reading Evening news: On Larkin’s leadership, the Wings’ goalies, Twitter videos and a get-to-know-you roster