Month: October 2021

Allen discusses Red Wings’ potential rookie performers

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted a subscriber-only article regarding the potential Red Wings rookies who might make the lineup out of training camp/the exhibition season:

Right wing Lucas Raymond: Blashill’s decision to use Raymond with Dylan Larkin against the Blue Jackets proves the Red Wings want to give him every opportunity to make a good impression.

We’ve seen the quick release, the goal scorer’s knack and the great anticipation. We’ve also seen he is 19, not as strong as he needs to be. He’s also short on professional experience, crucial to knowing how to handle the rigors of an 82-game season. Wanting him to be ready can’t make it so.

His path to the roster is clear because Blashill has repeated it. Raymond needs to demand a spot with his play. He needs to be noticeable every game. Thus far, he is 1-for-1 in accomplishing that in preseason games.

Even if he doesn’t make it, he would be a candidate for an early call-up if he’s putting up numbers in the American Hockey League. When Tyler Bertuzzi misses his nine games, the Red Wings could bring up Raymond.

Raymond’s roster chances: Intriguing. Throughout training camp, we’ve seen why he’s considered among the NHL’s most coveted prospects. His instincts, knowing where to be at all times, are first rate.  You can see a path for him to make the club. If he plays five or six preseason games and totals seven or eight points, then they may keep him.

Continued (paywall)

Tweets of note: Red Wings, Blue Jackets (and Penguins) post game lineups

The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets have Tweeted out their lineups for tonight’s game (7 PM EDT start on Bally Sports Detroit Plus/97.1 the Ticket):

And we also know who will appear in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lineup tomorrow at 12 PM EDT (???):

Continue reading Tweets of note: Red Wings, Blue Jackets (and Penguins) post game lineups

Prospect round-up, European version: LDN scores in J20 action; Soderblom posts assist in SHL; Viro scores, Kivenmaki posts assist in Liiga

Of European prospect-related note:

In the Swedish J20 league, Liam Dower Nilsson scored a goal and added an assist while centering Frolunda HC’s first line over the course of a 5-3 victory over HV71:

#SweU20
– Dower Nilsson 1+1, +/- 0 in a 5-3 win#LGRW https://t.co/R48pNzxnPJ— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) October 2, 2021

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Gustav Berglund finished even with a shot on goal in Mora IK’s 4-3 shootout win over Sodertalje SK;

In the SHL, William Wallinder finished even in only 2:23 played during Rogle BK’s 5-4 shootout win over Brynas;

Albert Johansson finished at -3 with 1 shot in 20:46 played, and Jesper Eliasson served as the back-up as Farjestads BK lost 4-3 in OT to Leksand;

Simon Edvinsson finished at -1 with 3 shots in 19:19 played, Theodor Niederbach finished at +1 with 2 shots in 11:24 played, and Elmer Soderblom had an assist, finishing at +1 with 6 shots in 15:14 played as Frolunda HC won 3-2 over Timra:

Continue reading Prospect round-up, European version: LDN scores in J20 action; Soderblom posts assist in SHL; Viro scores, Kivenmaki posts assist in Liiga

Khan on Larkin’s preseason debut

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted an article regarding Dylan Larkin’s high likelihood of making his preseason debut vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight (7 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit Plus/WWJ 950 AM):

“You obviously go through a period of time with no contact and then we had him initiate contact and then contact was initiated on him, but when he knew it was coming, so you kind of work your way into it,” [coach Jeff] Blashill said. “So, you got to go from there into full (contact) and part of full is those battles. One of his good attributes is he’s really strong, so he’s got to use his body to win pucks, and if he doesn’t use his body to win pucks, he won’t have the puck as much. He’s got to get back to playing normal in those circumstances.

“The reason I want to play him in preseason games is to prepare him so when we play Tampa (regular season opener on Oct. 14), he’s not feeling his way into the game, he’s going all-out. The quicker he can get there the better.”

Larkin will start on a line with Filip Zadina and Lucas Raymond and his minutes won’t be restricted.

“You don’t want to play somebody 25 minutes as a forward in a preseason game but in terms of easing into it, you can’t look at it that way at all,” Blashill said. “If he wasn’t cleared to play, he wouldn’t play him, so he’s got to go full-out and get used to the bumps and grinding he’s going to get through the season.”

Continued with talk about Lucas Raymond and Filip Zadina’s performance-related potential…

Duff discusses new photos of Gordie Howe found in Galt, Ontario

This is pretty cool stuff from Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff:

Bob Leckie’s hockey legacy didn’t carry him past the senior level. However, a vital piece of Leckie’s collection has found its way into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In 1944-45, Leckie played with the Galt Red Wings OHA junior club. One of his teammates that season was a 16-year-old right-winger from Floral, Saskatchewan named Gordie Howe.

When Leckie died in 2016, his daugher Christine was going through her dad’s personal effects. Among them were a collecton of scrapbooks that spanned his hockey career. In one of those scrapbooks were two prize snapshots. The was a team photo of the 1944-45 Galt Red Wings and a head shot of the young Gordie Howe.

Continued

Morning skate Tweets ahead of 3 games in 3 days: the ‘A Team’ gets a game in, Larkin to skate with Raymond and Zadina

Updated at 11:16 AM: The Detroit Red Wings embark upon the most difficult part of their preaseason schedule this evening, when they kick off a stretch of 3 games over the course of less than 36 hours by hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit Plus/97.1 the Ticket).

The Wings then head to Pittsburgh for a 12 PM-starting matinee game against the Penguins, and they head right back to Little Caesars Arena to host Chicago on Monday (7:30 PM on BSD/97.1 FM), so this is definitely the reason why Detroit’s still carrying such a large roster–they need all those bodies to get through the next three days.

MLive’s Ansar Khan Tweeted out the roster for tonight’s game at 10:34 AM:

#RedWings lineup for tonight’s preseason game vs. Columbus at ⁦@LCArena_Detroit⁩ 7 pm on Bally Sports Detroit Plus. Looks like Larkin will make preseason debut (on line with Zadina and possibly Raymond) but not Bertuzzi. pic.twitter.com/9BMiaqhPRl— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) October 2, 2021

DetroitRedWings.com’s Ethan Sears checked in…

Continue reading Morning skate Tweets ahead of 3 games in 3 days: the ‘A Team’ gets a game in, Larkin to skate with Raymond and Zadina

Sears’ notebook: power play talk (we’re working on it!)

DetroitRedWings.com’s Ethan Sears filed a notebook article ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 PM EDT start on BSD+), and he discusses the Red Wings’ desire to restart their sputtering power play:

We didn’t see much of the Red Wings’ power play during Wednesday’s preseason opener, but on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, there were five chances. And, during a three games in three days stretch that begins on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, it will continue to be a focal point.

The Red Wings didn’t score on the power play against Buffalo, but they did create chances with a consistency they sometimes lacked last season, when they converted just 11.41 percent of their chances on the man advantage.

“You’re creating opportunities,” [Nick] Leddy said. “I think the ultimate goal, too, obviously is to score. But create momentum for your team and the team will respond to that as well.”

[Coach Jeff] Blashill said that during the preseason, it’s hard to evaluate the power play unit as a whole – he looks more at individuals who are fighting for spots. Leddy, Seider and Filip Hronek are currently in contention to run power play units, though Blashill said the Red Wings could try Hronek on the flank as well.

“What you’d like for certain,” Blashill said, “if you have the righty on the flank and the righty up top, someone that’s running it on the other side, with a righty in the middle and then a lefty. And now you’ve got righty options, or (go) down and then he’s got all righty options. And so that’s what you’d love. And vice versa if you run it off the other unit.”

Continued

Khan discusses the Grind Line’s status as a ‘Michigan Treasure’ according to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

The Red Wings’ four members of the “Grind Line”–Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Joe Kocur and Darren McCarty–were honored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, named a “Michigan Treasure.” Maltby and McCarty spoke with MLive’s Ansar Khan regarding their line’s success:

“I get asked, ‘When did you think you made it?’ I guess you never really do, but it really felt like I belonged when Scotty started us in the opening game against the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final,” Kirk Maltby said. “We have Stevie and Sergei and Shanny sitting on the bench, and you got me, Darren and Drapes starting in the Stanley Cup Finals Game 1.”

The Grind Line played a key role in the Red Wings’ success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with its speed, energy, physicality and checking ability. It featured Kris Draper at center, Kirk Maltby at left wing and, initially, Joe Kocur and later Darren McCarty at right wing.

The four were honored Friday as Michigan Treasures during the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the MotorCity Casino Hotel Sound Board.

“It just goes to show you hockey is one of the ultimate team sports because as much as you need the Steve Yzermans, the (Nicklas) Lidstroms, the Shanahans and Fedorovs, you still need those guys that can do some of the lug work, kill penalties, sacrifice physically and things like that,” Maltby said. Scotty would be like, ‘Grind Line, go!’ That would be our cue to go over the boards. We had a lot of fun with it. It was something we never expected, but it was great.”

Continued

HSJ in the morning: Red Wings’ potential power players need to shift special team out of reverse

The Free Press’s Helene St. James wrote a subscriber-only article regarding the Red Wings’ power play, discussing the individuals who might make the Wings’ special teams work:

Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi haven’t appeared yet in exhibition season, but Blashill said they’re cleared for contact (Larkin suffered a neck injury in April; Bertuzzi hasn’t played since January and underwent back surgery in April) and that “we’d like to get those guys in a game here soon.”

That’s two spots accounted for. There’s also Pius Suter (a newcomer who looked dangerous on his unit Thursday), Robby Fabbri, Filip Zadina and Sam Gagner. Presuming he earns a contract, add Bobby Ryan. (That’s all the more likely with Jakub Vrana sidelined at least through January because of shoulder surgery.)

Michael Rasmussen, Adam Erne and Givani Smith are candidates for the net-front spots. Lucas Raymond and Joe Veleno, recent first-round draft picks, skated with the Grand Rapids group Friday, a sign that’s where they are likely to start the season. 

In addition to Leddy and Seider, Filip Hronek has run a power-play unit, but Blashill indicated Hronek may not play the point.

“At some point we’ll try Hronek on the flank, where he shoots the one timer,” Blashill said. “So we could have a unit with two D, potentially.”

Defenseman Jordan Oesterle is also slated to get a look running a unit.

St. James continues (paywall), discussing the importance of “sorting out” the power play before the regular season begins because it was so terrible last season.