Month: November 2020

Examining Dylan Larkin’s 2019-2020 season ‘numbers’

DetroitRedWings.com’s Josh Berenter examines Dylan Larkin’s 2019-2020 season “By the Numbers” this morning, and the most significant feature has little to do with Larkin’s on-ice performance:

50,000 – In April, Larkin and his father, Kevin, donated 50,000 vinyl powder-free and nitrile gloves to assist medical professionals at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 25,000 gloves went to the Detroit Medical Center and the other half went to St. Joseph Mercy Health System.

350 – On December 10, Larkin played his 350th NHL game as the Red Wings faced the Winnipeg Jets on the road. Larkin finished the 2019-20 campaign with 389 games under his belt.

53 – Larkin’s 53 points led the club. It’s the third consecutive season that Larkin has led the Wings in points.

52.5 – Larkin has continued working to improve his percentage in the face-off circle. His 52.5 face-off percentage last season was the second-best of his career, just shy of the 54.5 percent he earned in 2018-19.

Continued

Adidas unveils ‘Reverse Retro’ jerseys, and the Wings’ jersey is…bland

Bleh:

Your Colors. Your Retros. Remixed.

The adidas #ReverseRetro jersey available 12/1. pic.twitter.com/3M2c1u2fjQ— adidas Hockey (@adidashockey) November 16, 2020

Woven from Hockeytown’s DNA. ✨

Introducing the #RedWings adidas #ReverseRetro jersey. Hitting the ice in 2021. pic.twitter.com/OglRxUUa3z— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 16, 2020

Here’s the #RedWings‘ #ReverseRetro jersey. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/MCCVvTeQLM— Stefan Kubus (@StefanKubus) November 16, 2020

pic.twitter.com/2pb23Eb1ta— NHL (@NHL) November 16, 2020

#ReverseRetro x #LGRW pic.twitter.com/jEUDjqbSsP— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 16, 2020

Per The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, and adidas’ Dan Near:

Detroit Red Wings

This jersey is a spin on the one worn by 1998 team captain and current general manager Steve Yzerman. According to Adidas, the gray on this jersey is inspired by the silver from the Red Wings’ NHL Centennial Classic jersey.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski also weighs in:

“It looks like a practice jersey” is one of the harshest insults one can levy against a new sweater design but … this looks like a practice jersey. The gray stripes were “inspired by the silver from the Red Wings’ NHL Centennial Classic jersey.”

Near said the Red Wings were a difficult team to crack for a reverse retro jersey, as they’re both a “two-color” Original Six team, and one that hasn’t had much variation to their looks over the years. “In reverse retro, there’s only so much you can do with striping and marks that haven’t changed that much,” he said.

Here’s the NHL’s press release:

Continue reading Adidas unveils ‘Reverse Retro’ jerseys, and the Wings’ jersey is…bland

Tweet of note: Filip Hronek, Czech national team donate Karjala Cup winnings to Czech Nurses’ Association

Via the Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa, Filip Hronek posted this Tweet about half-an-hour ago…

#PomahameSestrickam https://t.co/3Drb2qocKn— Filip Hronek (@hronek_filip) November 16, 2020

And the long story long is that Filip Hronek represented the Czech National Team as they donated their winnings of approximately 200,000 Czech Koruna to the Czech Nurses’ Association. That’s about $8,692.00:

Khan estimates the Red Wings’ starting lines for the 2020-2021 season

MLive’s Ansar Khan has posted an estimated set of lines for the Red Wings’ 2020-2021 season roster:

First line

LW: Tyler Bertuzzi, C: Dylan Larkin, RW: Anthony Mantha

Blashill hasn’t played the team’s top three forwards together often, wanting to spread the wealth over the top two lines, but the Red Wings might have more depth now to keep the trio together for longer stretches. They have finished with a flurry in each of the past two seasons. In the final 10 games of 2019-20, the three combined for 11 goals and 22 assists.

Second line

LW: Robby Fabbri, C: Vladislav Namestnikov, RW: Bobby Ryan

The additions of Namestnikov (two years/$4 million) and Ryan (one year/$1 million) gives the Red Wings more skilled options for their top six. Namestnikov can play all three forward positions but will fill an important void as the second-line center. Ryan provides a much-needed right-handed shot up front, someone with a shooting mentality, another need for this team. Fabbri was rejuvenated last season and saw some time at center late in the year, so that remains an option.

Continued

Wings remain at the bottom of ESPN’s ‘offseason power rankings’

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan posted a set of “offseason power rankings” for each and every one of the NHL’s 31 teams, and the Red Wings haven’t budged from the #31 spot as of yet:

31. Detroit Red Wings

Detroit GM Steve Yzerman knows his team is still a few years away, but he made several moves — especially on defense — to make the Red Wings more competitive than last season, when they finished with 23 points fewer than any other team. Troy Stecher and Jon Merrill were both shrewd signings, while Marc Staal replaces Mike Green for veteran leadership in the locker room.

Continued

Prospect round-up: Zadina scores again in Extraliga action

Of prospect-related note so far today:

In the Czech Extraliga, Jan Bednar didn’t fall into the back-up rotation as HC Energie Karlovy Vary won 2-1 over Litvinov;

Filip Hronek had an assist and 3 shots, finishing at +2 in 19:45 played as HK Mountfield won 4-0 over HC Olomouc;

Filip Zadina scored the 5-2 goal in HC Ocelari Trinec’s 5-2 win over Zlin. Zadina played 16:36, finishing at +1 with 8 shots:

In the ICE Hockey League, Michael Rasmussen finished at -2 and took a penalty during the Graz99ers’ 5-2 loss to Fehervar AV 19;

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, William Wallinder had 3 shots, finishing even in 14:43 played during MODO Hockey’s 3-2 win over Vasterviks IK;

Later today, in the USHL, Kyle Aucoin’s Tri-City Storm will battle the Waterloo Black Hawks;

And in NCAA Hockey, Ryan O’Reilly and Arizona State will tangle with Michigan at 7 PM EST on the Big Ten Network.

Update: The USHL game between the Tri-City Storm and Waterloo Black Hawks was postponed;

Ryan O’Reilly finished at -1 in Arizona State University’s 3-0 loss to the University of Michigan.

Red Wings tease ‘Reverse Retro’ jersey on Twitter, part 2

So we brace for change, coming on Monday, November 16th (projected):

Details from the past.
Remixed for the future.

adidas #ReverseRetro coming soon. pic.twitter.com/qgCu1tcZw0— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 15, 2020

Here was the team’s Tuesday, November 10th teaser:

#ReverseRetro @adidashockey pic.twitter.com/vp5JXJKy8k— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 10, 2020

HSJ addresses the Wings’ need(?) for an enforcer

In her latest mailbag feature, the Free Press’s Helene St. James discusses the possibility of the Red Wings adding a player with dedicated fighting skills to the lineup in the light of Anthony Mantha’s injuries suffered due to skirmishes:

[Dylan] McIlrath, 28, came into the NHL with high expectations, drafted 10th by the New York Rangers in 2010, but the 6-foot-5, 236-pound defenseman has not been able to establish himself as an NHL regular, logging just 66 career games. He’s a good minor leaguer, someone the Wings value having in Grand Rapids because he helps prospects adjust to professional hockey and opens up space for them.

[Givani] Smith, 22, was drafted in the second round in 2016, billed as a high-energy, physical forward with a respectable scoring touch. He made his NHL debut last season, appearing in 21 games (two goals, one assist) over three stints before being returned to the Griffins in February. Smith (6-feet-2, around 205 pounds) has fought multiple times at the American Hockey League level, twice during NHL preseason games, and once — Nov. 12, 2019, at Anaheim — in a regular-season game.

The key for Smith will be demonstrating he can be physical — such as delivering big hits — without taking penalties for the Wings. He must show he belongs in the bottom-six mix amid competition that includes Adam Erne and Evgeni Svechnikov. The Wings certainly could stand to be more physical, beyond just having a capable fighter whose absence would not be as devastating as losing a scorer such as Mantha, and that’s where Smith has to establish his value in the lineup.

Continued

Prospect round-up: Berggren, Veleno, Seider score goals in SHL

Of prospect-related note:

In the Finnish Liiga, Victor Brattstrom stopped 15 of 17 shots as KooKoo won 3-2 in a shootout over HPK;

Eemil Viro had 2 shots and finished even in 14:52 played as TPS Turku won 2-1 over SaiPa;

In a difficult outing, Otto Kivenmaki finished even in 11:48 played and Kasper Kotkansalo finished at -2 in 19:09 played as Assat Pori lost 9-1 to Lukko Rauma.

In the SHL, Jonatan Berggren scored a goal on 2 shots, finishing at +1 in 17:42 played as Skelleftea AIK won 3-2 in overtime over IK Oskarshamn:

Joe Veleno scored his first SHL goal on 1 shot, finishing at +1 and winning 46% of his faceoff in 15:14 of ice time as the Malmo Redhawks won 7-2 over Brynas:

Moritz Seider had an up-and-down game, scoring a goal, taking 4 shots and finishing even in 22:39 played as Rogle BK lost 6-5 in overtime to Orebro Hockey. Matias Brome had an assist, 1 shot, and finished at -1 in 18:58 played.

Albert Johansson had 2 shots and finished at +1 in 14:06 played as Farjestads BK won 5-0 over Djurgardens IF. Albin Grewe had 1 shot in 9:53 played for Djurgarden;

Lucas Raymond had 1 shot in 12:15 played as the Frolunda Indians won 3-1 over Linkopings HC;

Tonight, in NCAA Division I hockey, Sam Stange and the University of Wisconsin will battle Notre Dame (on the NHL Network at 7 PM);

In the USHL, Kyle Aucoin and the Tri-City Americans will battle Lincoln;

And Chase Bradley’s Sioux City Musketeers will tangle with the Waterloo Black Hawks.

Update: in NCAA Hockey, Ryan O’Reilly scored a goal on 1 shot and finished at -1 in the Arizona State University Sun Devils’ 8-1 loss to the University of Michigan;

Sam Stange had 1 shot and finished at -1 as the University of Wisconsin Badgers won 5-3 over Notre Dame;

Update #2: In the USHL, Chase Bradley had 2 shots and finished even in the Sioux City Musketeers’ 4-3 win over Waterloo;

And Kyle Aucoin had an assist and 3 shots, finishing at +1 in the Tri-City Storm’s 3-2 OT win over Lincoln.