Month: September 2020

Wakiji on Erne’s significant digits

DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji examines significant figures in restricted free agent forward Adam Erne’s 2019-2020 season via a “By the Numbers” article this morning. Wakiji notes that Erne is a restricted free agent this fall, and he posted solid numbers in a grinder’s role this past season…

142 – With 142 hits in just 56 games, Erne ranked second on the team behind Glendening, who led the way with 147.

63 – Erne had 63 shots during the season, tied with Valtteri Filppula. Dylan Larkin led the team with 223 shots. He had 70 shots during the 2018-19 season.

60.6 – Although Erne did not take very many face-offs, 33 total, he was successful when he did as he had a 60.6 face-off win percentage.

11:49 – Erne averaged 11:49 of ice time, which was a new career high. His previous high was 11:48, which came in the 2016-17 season with the Lightning.

Continued; as I’ve said previously, if I were the GM (and I’m not), I’m not sure that I would submit a qualifying offer to keep Erne’s rights given the Wings’ glut of young forwards.

Steve Yzerman’s ‘Word on Woodward’ appearance, annotated

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman appeared on yesterday’s episode of “The Word on Woodward,” engaging in a short Q and A session…

And Yzerman’s comments were annotated by MLive’s Ansar Khan…

Continue reading Steve Yzerman’s ‘Word on Woodward’ appearance, annotated

Another vote for Perfetti via Pronman’s latest mock draft

The Athletic’s Corey Pronman posted his latest mock draft this morning, and he’s named a familiar name as the Wings’ most likely pick at 4th overall:

4. Detroit Red Wings: Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw-OHL

The draft starts to get interesting and more wide-open starting with Detroit’s pick. I’ve heard Lucas Raymond mentioned with the Red Wings, but a fair amount of sources seem to think the team likes Cole Perfetti a lot. His elite skill and hockey IQ with average feet and size has a lot of resemblance to Brayden Point, who Detroit GM Steve Yzerman picked during his tenure in Tampa Bay.

Continued (paywall); the more and more mock drafts I read, the more and more likely it appears that the Wings are going to bring Perfetti into the fold.

Filip Zadina scores another goal in preseason play with Ocelari Trinec

Red Wings forward Filip Zadina scored the game-opening goal as Ocelari Trinec defeated Dynamo Pardubice 3-0 in the Czech General Cup on Wednesday…

And Zadina spoke with both iSport.cz’s Kvetoslav Simek and Ocelari Trinec’s website after the game. Here’s a very rough translation of what Zadina had to say to Simek:

Continue reading Filip Zadina scores another goal in preseason play with Ocelari Trinec

‘The Word on Woodward’ will hold a Q and A with Wings GM Steve Yzerman

The Red Wings are airing a Q and A with GM Steve Yzerman today at 11 AM, as part of their “The Word on Woodward” program:

Two items of Wings-related note: On a condensed ECHL season, and a rumor about Frans Nielsen ‘going home’ at some point

Of brief Red Wings-related note this morning:

  1. New Toledo Walleye signing Gordi Myer spoke with Ohio State University’s student newspaper, The Lantern, regarding the possibility of a condensed ECHL season for the 2020-2021 campaign. Myer told Colin Ginnan that he spent most of his offseason studying for his LSAT’s, and now he’s gearing up for hockey again:

In the meantime, ECHL teams have yet to resume official practices. In the absence of training camp, Myer began skating with a handful of his Walleye teammates who remained in the Toledo area.

“They just said it’s going to be crazy playing so many games in a short period,” Myer said. “I’m kind of looking forward to it, though, because that means you don’t practice as much and you just get to play a lot of games, which is more fun in my opinion.”

2. Elsewhere, the homepage of the Dansk Metal Ligaen, the Danish pro hockey league, reports that Frans Nielsen told his hometown newspaper, Herning Folkeblad, that he may want to finish his professional career playing for his hometown team, the Herning Blue Fox. There’s no specific date involved in Nielsen’s plan to head home, and I was unable to find the article on Herning Folkeblad’s website, but this is something worth watching.

HSJ checks in with Red Wings assistant GM Ryan Martin regarding the Wings’ prospect pool

The Detroit Free Press’s Helene St. James checked in with Red Wings assistant GM Ryan Martin recently, discussing the state of the Red Wings’ prospect pool. According to Martin, the Red Wings are still in offseason mode, which means that their contact with their prospects remains limited…

Teams are subject to offseason rules and can’t monitor players, but some staff can have contact with them. 

“You can’t tell them what to do, but our development people have been in touch with our players and they’re in good spots training,” Martin said. “If they don’t have access to something they need, we help them, at their expense.”

And St. James reports that the Red Wings’ current crop of overseas-loaned prospects will likely remain capped at six (Filip Hronek, Filip Zadina, Moritz Seider, Gustav Lindstrom, Filip Larsson and Mattias Brome):

Martin did not anticipate any more Wings players being loaned overseas. There had been talk of Joe Veleno joining fellow 2018 first-round pick Zadina in the Czech Republic, but Veleno is enjoying his training in the Montreal area. 

“I think Joe is having a phenomenal offseason,” Martin said. “He likes where he is and he sees the advances he is making, so I don’t think he wants to go anywhere else.”

St. James continues (paywall); she also speaks with Martin regarding the possibility that NHL, AHL and ECHL teams might return to play with a reduced capacity format:

“Certainly the NHL has the financial means to sustain itself on less of a fan base. Minor leagues do not. That’s another piece of the puzzle. We’re going to have to work through that.”

Boylen: 2008 Red Wings stand as the class of puck possession playoff teams

Sportsnet’s Rory Boylen posted a column which discusses the top puck-possession teams in the playoffs since 2008, and the Red Wings’ last Stanley Cup-winning team earns a significant nod in terms of “Corsi for” percentage, “Expected goals for,” “high-danger chances for percentage” and “shots percentage” from Natural Stat Trick:

2008, Detroit: 60.38 CF% (1), 58.26 xGF% (1), 56.75 HDCF% (1), 60.26 SF% (1) (won the Cup)

The 2008 Detroit Red Wings remain the gold standard of puck possession playoff teams with a lineup that was loaded with Hall of Fame talent and they finished with a Stanley Cup win. Since 2008, no other team has reached at least the conference final and finished first overall in each of these statistical categories. The closest to repeating this feat may have been the 2015 Anaheim Ducks, who finished first in three of these categories, but were fourth-best when measuring Corsi. But that team also fell one win short of reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

Continued; Boylen notes that the Vegas Golden Knights of all teams are hot on the 2008 Wings’ heels.