Month: July 2019

Of Red Wings-related note on a Canada Day evening:

1. Valtteri Filppula had some things to say about joining a rebuilding Red Wings team as a 35-year-old center, as noted by 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burtchfield:

“I think pretty quickly it came between the Islanders or coming back to Detroit,” he said. “But I’m definitely happy about this decision.”

Though the rebuilding Wings have spent the last three seasons in the basement of the Eastern Conference, Filppula believes they’re close to getting back to the playoffs. He could sense it from playing against them in recent seasons.

That was another reason he opted for a reunion. 

“The league is really even now,” he said. “Every team can play well, you’re going to have a good chance against anybody. Obviously I’ve played against these guys for a while now, and I feel like it’s been a tough team to play against. To have some familiar faces as well, that’s always a nice thing. I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for us to play well and fight for a playoff spot, like everybody else.”

2. And the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan took note of what GM Steve Yzerman believes that Filppula’s addition means for one Andreas Athanasiou:

“We had a hole in the middle, we felt, on our roster,” said Yzerman, naming Dylan Larkin, Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening down the middle, and possibly Jacob de la Rose and Justin Abdelkader, if needed. “We have options but we were looking for someone that can (play center).

“We know he (Athanasiou) played at the end of the season at center, but his natural position is on the wing and it allows us to put him back on the wing. Fil is a good two-way centerman, he can win faceoffs, he can play in all situations.

“We thought we would plug a hole by bringing him in.”

I have to exit the Blog Cave for a little while, so, assuming that the Wings don’t sign someone while I’m gone, I’ll leave you with this “evening line”:

Back in the Red and White. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/heKKP4caXT— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 1, 2019

Yeah, and Valtteri hasn’t aged a frickin’ day, either. I’m jealous.

Updated at 6:12 PM: Of Red Wings-related note this evening:

1. The Free Press’s Helene St. James has filed her UFA Day story regarding the Red Wings’ signings of Valtteri Filppula, Patrik Nemeth and Calvin Pickard. St. James leads off by discussing Steve Yzerman’s motivation for making the moves that he made today:

Free agency is Yzerman’s second big assignment since taking control of the Wings on April 19, and he spent the week after his first big task – the 2019 draft – laying groundwork for Monday’s decisions.

He made safe choices that should improve the Wings defensively: two-way forward Valtteri Filppula, defenseman Patrik Nemeth, and depth goaltender Calvin Pickard, each signed for two years. The Wings were not in play for any big nam

“We were looking at doing shorter term deals with everyone we spoke with,” Yzerman said. “Being new to the organization, I wanted to proceed somewhat slowly and kind of get to know what we have within the organization. I think I have a good handle on the NHL team, but the kids, the prospects we have coming, the players we have in Grand Rapids, I want to balance the flexibility of providing opportunity for our young players, but also try to help the Detroit Red Wings immediately as much as possible. 

“The shorter term deals made the most sense for us at this stage, hence we signed three players on two-year contracts. They are all designed to help us immediately, but our hands aren’t necessarily tied to long-term contracts.”

Continued with comments from Filppula and signing grades…

2. MLive’s Ansar Khan has also weighed in with his take on Yzerman and Filppula’s comments. Khan notes that Filppula’s signing means that Andreas Athanasiou is penciled in as a winger to start the 2019-2020 season…

“We had a hole in the middle; (we have) Dylan Larkin, Frans Nielsen, Luke Glendening down the middle, potentially (Jacob) de la Rose can play there, Abby (Justin Abdelkader) can even play there, Darren Helm could play there,” Yzerman said. “We have options, but we’re looking for someone that can play on the power play. It allows (coach Jeff Blashill) to put Andreas Athanasiou back to the wing. He played some center at the end of the season and looked good there, but his natural position is on the wing. Fil’s a very good two-way centerman. He can win faceoffs; he can play in all situations.”

And Khan continues by noting that Yzerman is not necessarily done adding players, with a right winger and a defenseman possibly still on tap as UFA additions…

Continue reading Evening news: Wings’ beat writers weigh in on the team’s UFA signings

The Red Wings held a conference call in which GM Steve Yzerman and UFA signing Valtteri Filppula spoke with the media today. I posted the Tweets from said presser, and Fox 2 Detroit posted the audio from the 14-minute call:

Added to the bottom of MLive’s Ansar Khan’s story about the Wings’ signing of Valtteri Filppula:

The Red Wings were interested in Corey Perry on a one-year deal but he signed with Dallas. They kicked the tires on former Red Wing Gustav Nyquist but weren’t even in the ballpark with their offer of two years at $4.5 million per season. He signed a four-year deal with Columbus for $5.5 million per season.

Via the Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa on Twitter:

#LAKings have agreed to terms with D Joakim Ryan and F Martin Frk.— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) July 1, 2019

Frk, who turns 26 the night of the season opener, was selected in the second round in 2012. 6’1, 205, right-shot. 227 career AHL games; 12-19=31 in 100 career NHL games. Career-high 25 points in 2017-18. Former Moosehead had a big 2011 WJC with the Czech Republic.— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) July 1, 2019

Martin Frk has agreed to terms on a 1 year deal with the @LAKings. Martin had 11 goals with Detroit in 2017-18. He has a lethal weapon of a shot and is tenacious, hard working forward. #FrkNGood— Allan Walsh (@walsha) July 1, 2019

The Detroit Red Wings held a conference call in which GM Steve Yzerman spoke with the Wings’ media corps regarding the team’s free agent signings. Valtteri Filppula joined the call as well.

Here are some highlights of the conference call, per the Red Wings’ media members:

Continue reading Conference call Tweets: On the Filppula/Nemeth/Pickard signings; AA heading to wing again, more UFA signings might happen, no front office moves to announce

FYI From RWHockeyJohn on Twitter: Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell let this slip at the end of his press conference discussing the Sebastian Aho offer sheet:

According to Hurricanes GM Don Waddell, the #RedWings have hired Hurricanes video coach LJ Scarpace.— John (@RWHockeyJohn) July 1, 2019

Welcome to Detroit, @ljscarpace!

Via DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji on Twitter:

The @TBLightning have signed defenseman Luke Witkowski to a two-year, two-way contract.https://t.co/IG0zGAxIpY— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) July 1, 2019

Welcome back, Luke!! ?

We have signed Luke Witkowski to a two-year, two-way contract.

?: https://t.co/ItjKOVKDtP pic.twitter.com/GFIrO4JhBv— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 1, 2019

For reasons beyond our knowledge, Olympia Development of Michigan has yet to develop the parcel of land immediately adjacent to the south side of Little Caesars Arena, leaving construction fencing and an empty lot sitting between LCA, Woodward Avenue and I-75. According to Crain’s Detroit Business’s Kirk Pinho, no news as to whether or if that parcel of land is developed is not good news:

The Ilitch family may have missed another deadline as part of its District Detroit project.

However, neither the family’s real estate company nor the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., the taxpayer-funded quasi-governmental city development agency, will say whether Olympia Development of Michigan has submitted a plan for the northwest corner of Woodward Avenue and I-75 as required.

“We are continuing to work with ODM to identify the next steps in the development of this parcel,” said Charlotte Fisher, spokeswoman for the DEGC, which staffs city economic development agencies like the Downtown Development Authority, Economic Development Corp., Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and others. The DEGC is taxpayer funded in part through a contract with the city.

Similarly, Olympia Development wouldn’t say whether a plan was submitted.

“We continue to be in discussions with the city on this matter,” the company said in an emailed statement.

Subsequent questions to both Olympia and the DEGC were not answered Friday and Monday.

A development plan was due on Friday. It’s not known what, if any, consequences there would be be for Olympia if it wasn’t submitted, but the company has been granted extensions to submit it in the past.

Continued