Month: September 2019

Red Wings post training camp preview on YouTube; Ben Simon appears on the ‘Red and White Authority’

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner, Wings play-by-play announcer Ken Kal, Carley Johnston and Daniela Bruce reviewed the Red Wings’ prospect tournament and set up training camp in a YouTube broadcast…

And Regner spoke with Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon for the latest “Red and White Authority” podcast:

Khan: Wings won’t have a captain this season, team to go with four alternates

Catching up on a busy day’s worth of news…

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told the media today that the team will not name a captain this season, going with four alternate captains instead. MLive’s Ansar Khan reports on the story…

The Detroit Red Wings are not prepared to name Dylan Larkin their next captain, not yet, at least.

Coach Jeff Blashill said Thursday the team will start the season with four alternates – Larkin, Justin Abdelkader, Frans Nielsen and Luke Glendening.

“I talked extensively with (new general manager) Steve Yzerman during the course of the summer and with respect to the fact Steve is just getting to know our players, it made sense to go with four alternates,” Blashill said. “We reserve the right to change our mind.”

Larkin was named an alternate captain last season after Henrik Zetterberg announced his retirement, as the team opted not to have a captain. Larkin and Nielsen rotated wearing the ‘A’ – Larkin at home and Nielsen on the road, when Abdelkader and Niklas Kronwall were in the lineup (only three players are permitted to wear a letter in a game).

The Free Press’s Helene St. James confirms…

“Steve and I discussed through it through the course of the summer and with Steve being new to the organization regarding the current players, it gives him a chance to get to know everybody involved,” Wings coach Jeff Blashill told the Free Press. “We feel with adding Luke it gives us four really strong voices and a good group of leaders.”

Under previous GM Ken Holland, it was expected that Larkin would be crowned captain after a season as an alternate. Larkin and Nielsen rotated wearing an ‘A,’ when Kronwall and Abdelkader both were in the lineup, as only three players are permitted to wear a letter per game. 

Larkin, 23, is the face of the rebuild, and likely to follow previous captains Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom and Yzerman as a career-long Wing. Yzerman was 21 when he was named captain, but that was back in 1986, before social media added to the scrutiny players undergo. 

Blashill said the team “we reserve the right to change our mind” and might name Larkin captain at some point this season, but “right now, that’s not our focus. Our focus is on how we’re going to attack the year.”

Update: WXYZ’s Brad Galli weighed in:

‘Pro Hockey Talk’ posts Q and A with Dylan Larkin

Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin engaged in a Q and A session with Pro Hockey Talk’s Sean Leahy while attending the NHL Media Tour in Chicago recently. Among Larkin’s remarks:

Q. What’s it going to take to get the Red Wings back to the playoffs?

LARKIN: “Our young core taking the next step and taking over the team, I guess. We have the guys to do it, we all believe in each other, and as we all want to produce and build our careers, it’s going to help our team. There’s four guys: myself, Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi, Andreas Athanasiou, if we can take that next step, become dominant players every night, it’s going to really help our team. I think it’s going to fast-track us to where we want to be.”

Q. How excited are you to be working with Steve Yzerman now that he’s general manager?

LARKIN: “The fan base is excited, the people in Detroit are excited to have him back. To look at what he did in Tampa Bay with the team they had, obviously there’s no guarantees, but he’s been through it, he’s had success at the position he’s at. We all have trust and faith in him. We understand that we have to produce on the ice right now and maybe there’s a little more pressure with having him back. I think it’s good for our team to push guys. For myself, I hope that we build a relationship where we can have conversations and relate to what’s going on in my life and he can help guide me through some things that occur to a young guy playing in the NHL.”

Q. Are you ready to assume a bigger leadership role on the team if Jeff [Blashill] and Steve come to you?

LARKIN: “Yes, but ultimately it’s their decision. Wearing a letter, mentally, I’ve already taken on a bigger role as a leader on the team [as an alternate captain]. I think guys look up to me and I look up to other guys in the locker room, so we have a great core of guys that are leaders and we all rely on each other. It makes it easy for myself when everyone’s doing the right thing and everyone’s leading by example.”

Continued

Tweets from Blashill’s morning presser: Wings healthy,’ice time up for grabs’

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill meets with the media prior to the Red Wings’ golf tournament at Traverse City’s Grand Traverse Resort, and here are the Tweets as they roll in, starting with the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:

Blashill said everyone is expected to be healthy and ready to compete for first day of practice tomorrow. Only draft pick Alec Regula (concussion) is out right now. #RedWings— Ted Kulfan (@tkulfan) September 12, 2019

Blashill said a lot of ice time is up for grabs. Talked about how Bertuzzi/Larkin/Mantha is set line, and AA set on 2nd line, but no other roles/positions are set in stone up front. Same with defense. #RedWings— Ted Kulfan (@tkulfan) September 12, 2019

#RedWings training camp teams: Team Delvecchio -Bertuzzi, de la Rose, DeKeyser, Elson, Ericsson, Erne, Hicketts, Howard, Hronek, Kaski, Kuffner,Larkin, Lashoff, Mantha, McIlrath, Nielsen, Pickard, Puempel Saarijarvi, Smith, Veleno, Zadina— Ted Kulfan (@tkulfan) September 12, 2019

Team Howe: Abdelkader, Athanasiou, Bernier, Bowey
Cholowski, Daley, Ehn, Filppula, Fulcher, Glendening
Green, Helm, Hirose, Larsson, Lindstrom, McIssac, Nemeth
Pearson, Pope, Rasmussen, Seider, Svechnikov, Terry,
Turgeon. #RedWings— Ted Kulfan (@tkulfan) September 12, 2019

Team Lindsay – Bizier, Casey, Crawford, D’Astous, Duquette
Ford, Kestner, Lalonde, Loggins, Lukosevicius, MacLeod
McCrea, Morgan, Nagle, Regula (out with concussion), Robinson, Romeo, Shine, Spezia, Yetman. #RedWings— Ted Kulfan (@tkulfan) September 12, 2019

Frans Nielsen joined the fray, and the Wings posted a video of coach Blashill’s remarks:

Continue reading Tweets from Blashill’s morning presser: Wings healthy,’ice time up for grabs’

Via Krupa: Wings sign Duquette, Bizier, D’Astous to PTO’s

The Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa found out that the Red Wings have signed three QMJHL players to pro try-outs, per 92.9 FM’s Jean Deschesnes. One, Charle-Edouard D’Astous, is an AHL-contracted player. The other two are free agent invites:

DET Marc-Olivier Duquette (D)Signed by the Detroit Red Wings to a professional try-out contract.— Jean Deschesnes (@JeanDeschesnes1) September 12, 2019

DET Charle-Edouard D’Astous (D)Signed by the Detroit Red Wings to a professional try-out contrac— Jean Deschesnes (@JeanDeschesnes1) September 12, 2019

DET Mathieu Bizier (C)Signed by the Detroit Red Wings to a professional try-out contract.— Jean Deschesnes (@JeanDeschesnes1) September 12, 2019

Tweet of note: Wings getting measured, photographed and tested at Centre ICE Arena

It’s the day of the season that the Red Wings’ players are measured, photographed and engage in fitness testing at Centre ICE Arena:

Gettin’ Training Camp ready. #DRWTC | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/EOOR6QGCS6— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 12, 2019

? Fil. pic.twitter.com/ZiViyAwzPV— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 12, 2019

Filip Zadina leads off The Athletic’s Pronman’s list of top prospects at #23 overall

The Athletic’s Corey Pronnman listed his top 123 prospects for the 2019-2020 season, and Filip Zadina leads off the Red Wings’ representatives at #23 overall:

23. Filip Zadina, RW, Detroit

Nov. 27, 1999 | six-foot | 196 pounds

Drafted: Sixth-overall (2018)
Previous ranking: 6

Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 65
Physical Game: 40
Hockey sense: 60
Shot Grade: 60

Zadina had an up and down first North American pro season in the AHL with impressive stretches. He has so much talent. His hands are near elite level, and he’s an excellent playmaker. Inside the offensive zone, he’s very dangerous because he makes defenders miss, finds options through a seam and if that fails, he has his shot. He’s a shooter more than a passer even if he’s a very good passer. His shot can beat goalies from a distance consistently. His speed isn’t as dangerous as his skill, but he’s a good skater who will be able to put pressure on NHL defenders. When Zadina decides to lower his shoulder and drive, he’s very dangerous. But often I find he tries to shoot too much from the outside and not attack. Improving that aspect and his defensive play will be important for him going forward. He remains an excellent prospect and a potential top-line forward.

Pronman continues, listing Moritz Seider 30th, Joe Veleno 66th, Jonatan Berggren 80th, Oliwer Kaski 95th, Robert Mastrosimone 110th and Jared McIsaac 123rd.