Month: October 2020

DobberProspects’ Tomas Zahorak posted a Swedish Hockey League report, and said report includes discussions regarding four Red Wings prospects:

Jonatan Berggren, LW, Skellefteå AIK (Detroit Red Wings): Imagine a missile flying full speed right through your defense. That is the perfect description of  Jonatan Berggren’s game during this season. Right from the start, it seemed like he already forgot about a little underwhelming preseason and started producing on a whole new level. But do not get me wrong, I have been high on him since the beginning of September, but the production just did not come until the serious games started. Then he exploded just like the missile, hitting the back of the net twice and setting up teammates for 11 goals in nine games. 

Berggren plays all-around the ice. He is just everywhere. Focused, more mature, and in the best shape, I have seen him in a while. He is still very fast, very skilled, but now also more physical, confident, and just better overall. I, personally, have loved him since game one. If he can stay healthy, I am pretty sure that he is going to have a huge season.

…

Lucas Raymond, LW, Frölunda HC (Detroit Red Wings): Raymond’s game has been steadily progressing and evolving very well. It is not a secret that he is an excellent overall player with a tremendous skill set and a very accurate wrist shot. He has been using all these tools to its full potential while adding physicality, which is paying off perfectly. The fourth selection in the 2020 NHL Draft has already scored three goals and recorded 5 points in nine games. He has been averaging slightly over 15 minutes of ice time per game and collecting seven hits, which ties him for the sixth place on the team. 

Continued, with scouting reports of Albert Johansson and Matias Brome…

Red Wings prospect Filip Zadina shared his Instagram, Facebook and Twitch pages this morning:

Follow me ?
Instagram: https://t.co/yPlFoJAm3e
Facebook: https://t.co/wOHL5wtzlA
Twitch: https://t.co/qA6coj4sBk
?e-mail: zadinafilip11@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/2WIbJAw5sW— Filip Zadina (@zadina_filip) October 23, 2020

The Athletic’s Max Bultman and Prashanth Iyer spoke with Red Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff in their latest “Wings For Breakfast” podcast, and this morning, Bultman posted part of his Q and A with Horcoff in article form:

You mentioned Nik [Kronwall], his first year with the player development department last year. What did you notice as the early advantages of that? What have been the impacts of Nik joining?

First off, we needed a defenseman. … Danny (Cleary, the Red Wings’ assistant director of player development) was a winger, I played center, we talked a little bit about trying to add a defenseman to the group, especially someone that played. And then when Nik came by, that’s hitting a home run, to be able to get one of the better Red Wing defensemen of all time. Obviously someone that played his position at an elite level for many years, but also just the road he took to get there.

We didn’t have anyone on the development staff that had played in Europe; obviously Nik grew up there and played there. He took his time coming over, he played in Grand Rapids. His development curve was a little bit longer, so that really also helped really round out our experience as a development staff.

We feel like there’s over 3,000 games or close to it between the three of us, and really there’s not a situation that we haven’t been in before, whether it’s a scoring winger to a grinding centerman to a defenseman (that) played all special teams out there, in the important times of the games, out there in the last minute, and obviously leadership as well. We’ve all held leadership positions on our team before. So I think we feel like we’re in a great position in terms of what we can offer these kids as a staff.

Continued (paywall)

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun posted an article which discusses whether certain coaches are close to contract extensions, and LeBrun included Jeff Blashill on his list:

Jeff Blashill, Detroit Red Wings: Blashill had his one-year option picked up by the rebuilding Red Wings after last season. I don’t have any hard intel on this situation but my gut tells me not to expect anything on this front, either way, anytime soon.

2. Also, NBC Washington’s J.J. Regan compiled a list of “Too Early 2020 NHL Power Rankings,” and the Red Wings are mentioned first…as the last-place team:

31. Detroit Red Wings: The offseason was a nice change of pace for Detroit as the team picked up some actual NHL players. In all seriousness, GM Steve Yzerman did some good work in picking up cheap, experienced players who can make the team better right away while also not mortgaging the team’s future. They are still not great, but they won’t be the embarrassment they were in 2019-20.

Of prospect-related note this morning: a couple of days ago, the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation released a roster of World Junior Championship-eligible players who will play a series of exhibition games against Finland this November.

This morning, Hockeysverige.se’s Rasmus Kagstrom confirms the roster per Swedish coach Tomas Monten, and the roster includes Red Wings prospects Albert Johansson (Farjestads BK), Gustav Berglund (Vasteras), William Wallinder (MODO), Lucas Raymond (Frolunda) and Elmer Soderblom (Frolunda).

Grand Rapids Griffins play-by-play announcer Bob Kaser speaks with long-time AHL’er and Hershey Bears vice-president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer, who possessed quite the cannon from the point during his time with the Griffins:

After Rogle BK defeated the Frolunda Indians 5-4 today, Moritz Seider spoke with Roger Bengtsson on Rogle’s website’s post-game show (in English).

You can watch the interview from the 6:30 mark to the 10:30 mark of the 17-minute-long video; if you want to watch Roger Bengtsson and Andree Brendheden chat about the game and chat with Rogle’s coach, that’s what the rest of the video is about.

The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson wrote an article discussing the fact that Oilers GM Ken Holland and alumnus Kevin Lowe won’t be preparing for the Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2020 induction speeches as the induction ceremony has been delayed to 2021.

That’s disappointing, but the worrisome part of Matheson’s article comes in the form of an update from the KHL regarding another former Red Wing:

KHL coach Bob Hartley, who has Nail Yakupov on his [Avangard Omsk] team, has managed to avoid COVID but his Omsk team has been hit hard, including his assistant coach Slava Kozlov, the former terrific Detroit Red Wings/Atlanta Thrashers forward who played almost 1,200 NHL games.

“Touch on wood, I’ve been very lucky but Slava spent the last three weeks in hospital on oxygen. He got it really, really bad,” said Hartley. “Last year he was skating with my players and was in NHL shape. I told him I would put him in a game.”

Kozlov is 48 years old.

“We have three coaches who didn’t get hit and maybe three players. One of our masseuses got it pretty good in training camp and spent a week in hospital and the players were sick for two or three days but couldn’t come back for two weeks (quarantine). For three weeks, I was going on the ice with eight players.

“We were supposed to play against Dynamo Riga (Wednesday) but it was postponed. Their junior team was been affected, their KHL team, too. We have a rink that holds 5,500 and they’ve been allowing 1,200 in for games but the Ministry of Health says we can’t have any fans until further notice.”

Continued; that’s scary, plain old scary.

Update: From the Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa:

GOOD NEWS!

a source close to slava kozlov’s family tells me he is out of the hospital and did have a difficult case of COVID-19.#RedWings @georgemalik— gregg krupa (@greggkrupa) October 23, 2020

MLive’s Ansar Khan profiles Wings second-round draft pick Cross Hanas this evening:

While football dominates the sports scene in Texas, kids play hockey there, too. Some have reached the NHL. That is where Cross Hanas hopes to be in a few years after being drafted in the second round (55th overall) this year by the Detroit Red Wings.

“What people really don’t know is in the Dallas area hockey is really growing and people have a real strong passion for the game,” Hanas said. “I have some Canadian roots and a lot of people who played hockey in my family, so it’s always been in my blood.”

Hanas had 22 goals and 27 assists in 60 games for the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winter Hawks. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman called him a “smooth skating, skilled left winger” who has “a good nose around the net.”

“He’s a very skilled, smart player, great vision, really good hands, makes plays,” Portland coach Mike Johnston said. “Probably more of a passer than a shooter, but we’re trying to get more shot volume from him. The biggest area I think he’s improved in is his compete in those key areas, along the boards for a winger or in the offensive zone corners or at the net.

“As most young players who were really talented as kids, they rely on their offensive game. He’s learned the importance of being a more well-rounded player, paying attention to the defensive part of the game, killing penalties. Still, his strengths lean toward the skill, vision, playmaking side of things.”

Continued

Of prospect-related note on a busy day:

In the Finnish Liiga, Otto Kivenmaki scored a goal on 2 shots, finishing at +1 in 19:35 played as Assat Pori lost 5-3 to Tappara. Kasper Kotkansalo took 1 shot and finished at -1 in 14:54 played for Assat;

Red Wings prospects on Twitter posted a clip of Kivenmaki’s goal:

Otto Kivenmäki goal today. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/3NfQhszIZo— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) October 22, 2020

In the SHL,

In one battle of Wings prospects, Albert Johansson and Farjestads BK won 7-3 over Matias Brome and Orebro.

Albert Johansson had 4 shots on goal and finished at -1 in 16:52 of ice time, and he deked and dangled here:

Albert Johansson i PP för Färjestad. #SHL #FBKse #LGRW #DRW #RedWings pic.twitter.com/Jdpbk8QL6A— Anton (@antonj85) October 22, 2020

Brome’s linemate, Borna Rendulic, got 25 minutes in penalties for a check to the head, so Brome finished even in 21:02 played;

Moritz Seider and Rogle BK won 5-4 over a gaggle of Wings prospects on the Frolunda Indians.

Seider had an assist, took a penalty, finished even and played 20:14…

Here’s Seider’s assist on Rogle’s 4-3 goal…

? Simon Ryfors PP
4-3 Rogle pic.twitter.com/x1Ipd21ZQf— Here’s Your Replay ⬇️ (@TheReplayGuy) October 22, 2020

But Seider was on the ice in “no man’s land” for Frolunda’s 4-4 goal:

? Theodor Lennström
4-4 pic.twitter.com/YI946ssUGn— Here’s Your Replay ⬇️ (@TheReplayGuy) October 22, 2020

For Frolunda, Lucas Raymond had 4 shots but finished at -1 in 16:18 played; Elmer Soderblom took 1 shot in 9:40 played; and 13th forward Theodor Niederbach didn’t see any ice time;

Malte Setkov made his return to the Malmo Redhawks’ lineup in Malmo’s 4-3 loss to the Vaxjo Lakers.

Setkov took a penalty and played 15:51 for Malmo; Joe Veleno took 3 shots, had a penalty, finished at +1 and won 42% of his faceoffs in 15:14 played;

And Saturday’s game between Albin Grewe and Djurgardens IF vs. Brynas has been rescheduled due to coronavirus concerns:

Matchen mot Brynäs som skulle spelats på lördag är uppskjuten på grund av sjukdom. Joakim Eriksson kommenterar nuläget härhttps://t.co/fKybEyzJkf— Djurgården Hockey (@DIFHockeyse) October 22, 2020

Finally, in Belarus, via Red Wings prospects:

#Belarus:
– Tyutyayev 0+1, +1 in a 6-3 win
#LGRW— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) October 22, 2020

Kirill Tyutyayev posted an assist and a +1 in Yunost Minsk’s 6-3 win over Dynamo-Molodenko.