Month: September 2021

The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke penned an article regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs team ahead of a team-held development camp preceding their entry in the Red Wings’ prospect tournament, and Kloke included this…comment…From Red Wings draft pick Keith Petruzzelli, who chose to sign with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies after waiting until his Red Wings rights expired:

Petruzzelli was named NCAA (ECAC) Goaltender of the Year after posting a .926 save percentage through 29 games for Quinnipiac University last season. [Erik] Källgren won the Swedish Hockey League championship with the Vaxjo Lakers last season, posting a .937 save percentage through 10 playoff games.

Petruzzelli was a 2017 Red Wings draft pick but opted not to sign in Detroit.

“It was about getting a fresh start, feeling wanted and feeling appreciated,” Petruzzelli told The Athletic in August. “The Marlies, through speaking with (Marlies GM Ryan Hardy), was a great opportunity for myself to really get some work in, a couple years of experience of pro hockey under my belt and see where things go.”

Continued; every indication over the past couple of seasons was that the Wings considered Petruzzelli one of their “goalies of the future,” so this just reiterates the point that it’s not the Wings who passed on signing Petruzzelli–it was the other way around.

It was his call…

This morning, DetroitRedWings.com’s Josh Berenter posted an article discussing the ups and downs of Thomas Greiss’s 2020-2021 season:

Thomas Greiss‘ first year for the Detroit Red Wings can best be described as a tale of two halves.

Greiss made six starts before earning his first victory of the 2020-21 season, but his early win-loss record wasn’t indicative of his level of play, and the 12-year NHL veteran goaltender rebounded to finish 6-0-3 in his final nine starts of the year.

After signing with the Red Wings as a free agent in October 2020 and impressing the coaching staff in training camp, Greiss was pressed into more duty than he expected early in the season when former Red Wings goalie Jonathan Bernier was sidelined with injuries.

The 35-year-old started 11 of the club’s first 16 games, and despite a 2.90 goals-against average and .904 save percentage, Greiss only had one win to show for it.

As the season pressed on and Greiss gained more chemistry with his defensive corps, the wins started piling up and the veteran continued instilling confidence in his young teammates and the coaching staff.

Continued

The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman penned an article discussing “Five players not named Jack Eichel who could help the Rangers,” and she mentions Dylan Larkin as a possible Rangers trade target.

Larkin, the Red Wings’ captain, probably isn’t on the market, but Goldman surmises that his age (25) not lining up with the Wings’ window of contention, combined with the fact that he’s coming off a rough season production-wise, make him an appealing player.

And it’s just as weird to type those words as it is to read them. Here’s a chunk of Goldman’s statistically-driven analysis of Larkin’s game:

Quality of teammates, along with systems and coaching, likely are at the root of his dip in play [last season]. With Larkin, at five-on-five, the Red Wings’ expected goal rate was 6 percent below average; they lacked net-front shots, which may be attributed to the center’s mainstay winger, Tyler Bertuzzi, missing most of the season — but they still created some scoring chances. Without him, though, their offense was a black hole, with their xG generation falling 20 percent below average.

Last season was one of Larkin’s worst shooting seasons, but there’s the potential to change that with a new team — especially if he were to skate alongside an elite playmaker in Artemi Panarin. What may have contributed to one of his worst shooting seasons — both in terms of shot volume and scoring — was a lack of high-danger passes preceding his shots. That would unquestionably change alongside Panarin. In a better position to shoot, the focus shifts to his finishing ability.

He could also match up with Chris Kreider’s speed and net-front play or Alexis Lafrenière’s vision and passing abilities.

Panarin has clicked well with right-handed centers, but his line has essentially only featured righties the past two years. Having another lefty in Larkin would give the offense more variety in handedness. That would be particularly handy on the first power-play unit.

Goldman continues (paywall); I know that anyone can be traded, but even in taking off my “fan” hat and putting on my “blogger/reporter’s” hat, reading Larkin getting talked up as a trade target is weird for me.

If you’re interested, Michigan journalist John U. Bacon had a chat with the NHL Network regarding his book, Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership From America’s Worst High School Hockey Team:

Here you go, hockey fans!
My interview on NHL Network TV with former Red Wing tough guy turned lawyer Stu Crimson and Jamison Coyle. Lot of laughs. https://t.co/3Kt4sqkh7j— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) September 8, 2021

This is pretty cool: the Grind Line–all of Darren McCarty, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby and Joe Kocur–will be inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame as recipients of the “Michigan Treasure” award, on Friday, October 1st:

Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri spoke with The Word on Woodward’s Daniella Bruce and Arthur J. Regner recently. Here’s the 15-minute video of their conversation:

These posts aren’t my favorite, but it’s necessary, so: I’m still raising funds to head up to Traverse City for 16 days(!) to cover the prospect tournament and training camp.

We’ve raised about $800 so far (out of a $2,000 hotel bill + approximately $500 needed to get me up, back, and keep me fed and wearing proper attire), so progress has been made, but with six days left before I leave on the 14th (yes, the tournament starts on the 16th), I’m hoping to raise another $500 to cover the hotel bill + the cost of getting me up there.

Again, I feel like apologizing for doing this, but it’s just the way things go when you don’t run commercials and you’re not a person of means (as the aunt likes to say, “What do I want? I want the big bag of money!”). Until we find the big bag of money, I’m going to be getting by on reader support, and I’m learning to not be ashamed of being the PBS/NPR of blogs.

If you wish to donate, you can use Paypal at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport, Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2, Giftly by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com, and yes, you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check.

I also tend to say that I am incredibly grateful for your readership and time, and that’s no bullshit. I believe that the biggest thing you can give someone is your time, and when you read this blog–and when you contribute to it–you’re literally and figuratively giving me your time. Thank you for doing that.

As Red Wings Prospects on Twitter noted, the Detroit Red Wings prospects’ 2021-2022 campaign kicked off today with a game in the Swedish Under-20 league.

Liam Dower Nilsson centered the first line as Frolunda HC lost 4-2 to William Wallinder’s Rogle BK. Wallinder skated on the second defensive pair, and:

#SweU20
Frölunda-Rögle 2-4:
– Wallinder 0+0, +1, 2 SOG
– Dower-Nilsson 0+0, -1, 4 SOG, 2 PIM
#LGRW— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) September 8, 2021

There was no ice time report for this game.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff ponders several possible factors weighing into coach Jeff Blashill’s evaluation of the Red Wings’ probable lines, via an article written for Detroit Hockey Now Plus subscribers. Among Duff’s ponderings:

Perhaps Blashill will experiment with familiarity and play the so-called Guelph line of Suter-Fabbri-Bertuzzi. All three were teammates and occasional linemates with the OHL’s Guelph Storm.

Going this way would leave Larkin between the two Czechs, Vrana and Zadina. That could offer the potential to be an intriguing and potentially potent trio.

If Erne scores like he did last season (11 goals in 45 games) he’s a top-nine forward. Should he score like he did in 2019-20 (two goals in 56 games), he could find himself back on the fourth line.

Likewise, if Namestnikov rediscovers the touch that made him a 22-goal scorer in 2017-18, or even a 17-goal scorer in 2019-20, he’d be jumping up into a top-nine role.

Continued (paywall)

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

DETROIT – The National Hockey League today announced updated start times for two Detroit Red Wings home games originally announced with the release of the 2021-22 regular-season schedule.

 The Dec. 18 home game versus the New Jersey Devils will now begin at 8 p.m. ET.

The Jan. 31 home game versus the Anaheim Ducks will now begin at 7:30 p.m. ET.

An updated Red Wings schedule is available at DetroitRedWings.com/schedule.