Month: July 2022

MLive’s Ansar Khan took note of Simon Edvinsson’s media availability after the late-arriving prospect impressed at the Red Wings’ summer development camp today. Edvinsson was asked whether he’s modeled himself after Moritz Seider, and he offered this response:

“I had a great mentor in Sweden, Christian Folin, a former SHL player that helped me a lot with defensive work, how to think in all situations and how to build muscles to be able to compete against those guys,” Edvinsson said. “The longer the season went, I (made) more offensive plays, started to do new stuff, developed my game.”

Working with former Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall, an assistant director of player development for the team, has helped.

“He’s always positive. He’s a great thinker,” Edvinsson said. “You think of those small details in your game, just how to move, how to think at every position on the ice.”

Daniel Cleary, another assistant director of player development, lauded Edvinsson’s talent, attitude and approach.

“It was unbelievable to watch him last year in Frolunda live, just to see the way he skates, the way he moves on the ice, his size and athleticism, his creativity, his vision,” Cleary said. “He’s an excellent prospect. Great kid.”

Edvinsson hasn’t spoken much to Seider but kept in steady contact with former Frolunda teammate Lucas Raymond throughout the season, “Telling him he was good every game that he played.”

“Lucas said be confident in what you do,” Edvinsson said. “You have played in the SHL and have been good there. Just take that with you to Detroit,” Edvinsson said. “Just do everything I’ve been doing and even better. SHL is a hard league, a lot of good players. It’s a good run-up for the NHL. Watching Lucas and Moritz (transition) gives you more confidence to do this right here and right now.”

Continued

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman spoke with the Wings’ media corps today, and the Free Press’s Helene St. James took note of Yzerman’s remarks regarding the state of his significantly-changed team:

“We had needs to be addressed,” Yzerman said. “We filled an important need at center in Andrew Copp, a right-hand-shot forward in David Perron, kind of a pleasant surprise in what we consider a scoring winger in Dominik Kubalik, and adding some defensemen that we think will improve and help us on our special teams, in particular on penalty killing, and then defensively 5-on-5, as well. These are all areas we talked about in the spring that we needed to improve on. We were in position to bring in some new faces and players we think addressed some of these needs.”

The Wings will need depth as forward Robby Fabbri (ACL) and defenseman Jake Walman (shoulder) both will miss the start of the season. Copp gives the Wings the second-line pivot they’ve long needed and adds faceoff prowess that also will help both special teams. Perron is a scorer and former Stanley Cup champion, and Kubalik is only three seasons removed from scoring 30 goals. Chiarot (6 feet 3, 234 pounds) and Määttä (6-2, 210) add size to the back end. Copp (28) Määttä (27) and Kubalik (27) are in the same age range as Dylan Larkin (26 on July 30) and Tyler Bertuzzi (27), two of the core pieces of the rebuild, and Perron (34) and Chiarot (31) add experience and will help bring along the Wings’ younger players: Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson.

It’s as aggressive as Yzerman has been in four years and reflects a growing confidence.

“I think we’ve improved our team, but we have to go on the ice in September and then play in October,” Yzerman said. “I’m hoping we’re a better team. I think we’re progressing slowly in this rebuilding of the Red Wings. Are we good enough to make the playoffs next year? I don’t know. I’m hopeful that we’ll score more goals, we’ll give up fewer goals, our power play will be a little bit better, our penalty killing a little bit better. Our goals against is a little bit better, and that pushes us up higher up the standings.

“Time will tell. I’m optimistic we’re progressing, but the plan really hasn’t changed. I’m sticking with what I intended to do and keeping our younger guys and be patient with them, keep our draft picks and continue to build this way.”

Continued

The Detroit Red Wings signed Dominik Kubalik to a 2-year, $5 million contract on Wednesday, and he spoke with the Wings’ media corps today…But the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope is first to the internet punch with this take on what the 26-year-old Kubalik had to say about leaving the Chicago Blackhawks to come to Detroit:

“It’s a fresh start, it’s a clean table, and I’m very excited about the opportunity,” Kubalik said Thursday. “Hopefully I’ll start like I did in Chicago.”

That’s what the Wings are betting on. Kubalik seemed destined for a long Hawks career after his explosive 2019-20 rookie season, in which he tallied 30 goals and 46 points in 48 games. The past two seasons were never the same, though. Kubalik actually expected to be moved out of Chicago at the trade deadline this past March, then was confused when he wasn’t.

“All the rumors were out [there] and I felt, ‘It’s going to happen,’” he said. “But eventually it didn’t. So I didn’t know what to think… The situation was tough because I didn’t know, until now, what was going to be the plan or what they were going to do with me.”

Closure on his Hawks tenure finally came last week, when he was informed he wouldn’t receive a qualifying offer.

“I got better every year,” he said. “For me, it’s not usually [about] the points or my game. Sometimes it’s even better if you grow like a man, like a human being. … I feel more confident about [myself] and I know what to expect and I know how to play [in the NHL]. I had a great three years [in Chicago]. My hope was that someone still believed in me and would give me a chance, which happened.”

Continued

WXYZ’s Jeanna Trotman posted a fine report from the final day of the Red Wings’ 2022 summer development camp:

The Red Wings concluded development camp with a 3-on-3 tournament and Team Draper won.

Steve Yzerman said it was “an excellent camp.” Hear from Simon Edvinsson & Theodor Niederbach: https://t.co/fwU92IoW6s pic.twitter.com/Mho5F6qYd1— Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) July 14, 2022

I’ve found a quintet of articles which touch upon the Red Wings’ free agency moves this afternoon. Most offer grades as to how the Wings performed on a signing-by-signing basis, but the final article offers an interesting rumor as well.

We’ll begin with USA Today’s Mike Brehm, who issued a list of free agency “winners and losers,” giving the Wings a solid “win”…

Detroit Red Wings: The rebuild took a step forward with their signing of Michigan native Andrew Copp, wingers David Perron and Dominik Kubalik and defensemen Ben Chiarot, Olli Maatta and Mark Pysyk. Plus they improved their goaltending earlier by trading for and signing Ville Husso. Said Copp of the Red Wings: “It’s very similar to the teams I’ve played on in Winnipeg and New York where you kind of go from out of the playoffs, and all of a sudden, you’re a contender.”

Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon wasn’t willing to call the Wings a “winner” this morning, but he doesn’t think that they “lost out” in free agency, either…

I See What You Did There: Detroit Red Wings

It’s not that any one thing Steve Yzerman did was a stroke of genius, it’s just that brining in the likes of Michigan boy Andrew Copp, hardnosed D-man Ben Chiarot and veteran scorer David Perron is an unmistakable sign Yzerman is ready to kick this rebuild into a new gear. If the Ville Husso play works out in goal, the Red Wings figure to be much more competitive this season.

The Sporting News’s Bryan Murphy offered a set of grades based upon the most prominent of yesterday’s signings, and he’s not an Andrew Copp fan…

Andrew Copp signs with the Red Wings on a five-year, $28.125 million contract

Grade: B-

Bringing in Copp solidifies the Red Wings’ second-line center behind Dylan Larkin, and what he brings to the table certainly should gel in nicely with Detroit. Copp  raised his value after finding success with the Rangers post-trade deadline. However, he’s basically had less than half of a season and one playoff run as a top-six guy. With this contract, the Red Wings are showing they have confidence that Copp can continue to produce in the top-six, but there is some risk there. 

ESPN’s Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash offered fantasy hockey-related takes on two of the Wings’ free agent signings…

Andrew Copp, C/W, Detroit Red Wings: Capitalizing on a huge season in which Copp stood on the shoulders of giants, the Red Wings got a very good player who might not be as fantasy relevant as it looks on paper. Copp is a third-line center in an ideal world, but he has shown an ability to play wing with star forwards when called upon. The trouble is, the Red Wings aren’t exactly bursting at the seams with Artemi Panarin or Nikolaj Ehlers level forwards.

It’s hard to see a fit on the Wings top line that is currently penciled in as Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Lucas Raymond. And the depth chart falls off sharply after that, with Jakub Vrana and Pius Suter the next in line. If he repeats his fantasy points per game from last season, he’d just sneak into the top-200 players. And asking for a repeat without the same supporting cast is a lot. Copp is someone who might be best left undrafted. — Allen

…

David Perron, RW, Detroit Red Wings: Detroit’s power play just got better. Twenty-six of Perron’s 57 points in 2021-22, split almost evenly between goals and assists, counted with the extra skater. A spot on the top unit with Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and defenseman Moritz Seider is nearly guaranteed for the ex-St. Louis skater, along with a top-six role at even strength. Perron’s overall production is never going to blow your fantasy mind, but the contributions on special teams add a fair bit of extra shine.

He merits mid- to late-round selection in most fantasy drafts that reward power play production. If the Red Wings don’t add any more significant bodies, or shift fellow Detroit newbie Andrew Copp to center, Pius Suter projects to be sitting pretty between some combo of Perron, Copp, and Jakub Vrana. Not a bad gig. New coach Derek Lalonde has a lot more work with — Dominik Kubalik, and defenders Ben Chiarot and Olli Maatta also signing up in Detroit — than he did only hours earlier. — Matiash

CBS Sports’ Chris Bengel and Austin Nivision offer our final articles via set of grades, concluding their piece with some predictions regarding the landing spots of the remaining free agents:

Andrew Copp | C | Detroit Red Wings: Copp proved his worth as a two-way forward last season. He has been a strong defensive presence throughout his career, but he found a goal-scoring touch in 2021-22. After being traded to the New York Rangers, Copp really took off with eight goals in 16 games, and he added 14 points in the team’s playoff run to the Eastern Conference final. That earned him a raise in the form of a five-year deal worth $28.125 million with the Red Wings. Copp will slot nicely into Detroit’s lineup as a middle-six center, but there is some concern about Copp being able to play up to that cap hit throughout the life of the deal. Grade: B — Austin Nivison

…

David Perron | LW | Detroit Red Wings: Steve Yzerman had a busy day in Detroit, and this might be his best move. Even at the age of 33, Perron scored 27 goals and added 30 assists in 67 games last season, and he is still a valuable top-six winger. The only real concern is Perron’s age, and he only signed for two years at $4.5 million per season, so there is no risk for the Red Wings there. Detroit is entering the next stage of its rebuild, and Perron is a veteran who can contribute while helping to bring the young players along. Even if things don’t quite come together in the next couple seasons, Perron will be a nice trade chip. This is a fantastic deal for the Red Wings. Grade: A+ — Austin Nivison

And Bengel and Wajih AlBaroudi offer a surprising prediction regarding one Nazem Kadri’s landing spots:

Nazem Kadri’s potential destinations: The Avalanche likely won’t be able to retain Kadri’s services due to having to pay winger Artturi Lehkonen and defenseman Josh Manson, who are also free agents. The New York Rangers showed interest, but appear to be signing former Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck to stabilize their second line. That leaves the Detroit Red Wings as a team that would make a ton of sense for Kadri given their young forward group. The Boston Bruins could also be an option if they can’t get something done to bring back Patrice Bergeron for his 19th season.

I don’t see the fit. But that’s just me.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas took note of comments made by new Red Wings forward David Perron regarding the theory that the St. Louis Blues’ decision to sign former Wings defenseman Nick Leddy to a contract extension took them out of the running to keep Perron, who was skating with the Blues for the third time:

This latest four-year stay was Perron’s third stint with the Blues, leaving previously via trade to Edmonton and after a second stint here, to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft. Strangely, the Detroit deal was the first contract he has signed with a team other than the Blues. In his other stops — Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Vegas — he had always been working under a contract signed when he was a Blue.

“He’s always gonna be known as a great Blue and someone that this organization is gonna hold fondly well past his retirement,” [Blues GM Doug] Armstrong said. “Which I think is a long way away.”

On his conference call, Perron was asked by the Post-Dispatch if the Blues’ salary-cap constraints kept him from re-signing with them.

“That’s not for me,” Perron said. “That question, you can ask the other guy (the Blues). We were trying to make it work for a while with the Blues, but it didn’t work out. I’m excited to be with the Red Wings. I had several options that I was bouncing around in my head with my agent, my family and everyone. But the Red Wings are a team, obviously with some of the signings that happened today, too, I think they’re ready to take the next step in their evolution as a team. And I wanted to be a part of that.”

Perron joins a Detroit roster that already includes former Blues Robby Fabbri, Ville Husso, Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Walman.

“Those are guys I exchanged text messages (with) already,” Perron said. “Some of us won together there in St. Louis and would like to kind of bring some of that success to Detroit.”

Continued

The Athletic’s Max Bultman undertook a project that’s not easy by any means in projecting the roster with which the Detroit Red Wings will begin the 2022-2023 regular season. Here’s the introduction to his article:

Steve Yzerman is keeping the phone lines open — saying he “wouldn’t be doing (his) job” if he weren’t exploring potential trade opportunities that may arise — but after a frenzied free agency period, the Red Wings general manager has already largely accomplished what he set out to this offseason.

“Today, July 14, I think we’ve improved the team,” Yzerman said. “But we’ve gotta go on the ice in September and then play in October. I think we’ve addressed some needs. I’m hoping we’re a better team. I think we’re progressing slowly in this rebuilding of the Red Wings. Are we good enough to make the playoffs next year? I don’t know.

“I’m hopeful that we’ll score more goals, we’ll give up fewer goals. I’m hoping our power play will be a little bit better, our penalty killing is a little bit better, our goals against is a little bit better, and that pushes us higher up the standings.”

All told, Detroit signed six likely NHLers in the first 24 hours of free agency, with former Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk joining the fold on Thursday. The Red Wings also added goaltender Ville Husso via trade last week. The depth chart already looks a lot different, with upgrades at multiple key positions.

“I’m cautiously, or nervously, optimistic,” Yzerman said. “I think we have more depth. I think we can match up a little bit against other teams. And I just keep my fingers crossed that it plays out that way.”

Continued

Red Wings 2022 draft pick Amadeus Lombardi is only 5’10” and 165 pounds, but he was dominant in the Red Wings’ set of 3-on-3 scrimmages on Thursday, scoring a hat and an assist in the first game he played in. DetroitRedWings.com’s Daniella Bruce spoke with “Ammo” after his hat trick:

ICYMI: @DetroitRedWings 2022 4th round pick Amadeus “Ammo” Lombardi (C) put together a 4pt game – which included a hatty? in today’s 3v3 Development Camp tourney. I caught up with him after the game ⬇️⬇️ This kid has a bright future. @FlintFirebirds #LGRW pic.twitter.com/pEksy0FTDD— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) July 14, 2022

FYI from the Steve Yzerman presser:

Yzerman said Fabbri (knee) and Walman (shoulder) will not be ready to start season due to having had surgeries— Ted Kulfan (@tkulfan) July 14, 2022

Steve Yzerman confirms that Robby Fabbri and Jake Walman won’t be ready to play at the start of the season. Says Walman had shoulder surgery after last season.— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) July 14, 2022

Yzerman said Jake Walman had shoulder surgery, won’t be ready for start of season— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) July 14, 2022

Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson made his Detroit debut by participating in the Wings’ summer development camp on Thursday, skating in a pair of 3-on-3 games at the BELFOR Training Center.

Edvinsson, unlike Team Sweden teammates Theodor Niederbach and William Wallinder, was able to bring his equipment (except for his stick) with him, and while the Warrior twigs he was using might not have been his custom-made Bauers, Edvinsson looked dynamic and strong as advertised.

The Detroit News’s Nolan Bianchi posted an article in which he discusses Edvinsson’s uphill climb in terms of battling for a roster spot on what is now a relatively deep Detroit blueline:

Edvinsson, 19, said at Red Wings development camp Thursday he noticed the flurry of additions to Detroit’s roster — and realizes the challenge that’ll be in front of him when training camp begins.

“It was a lot of free agents that got here, and of course, good players. It’s gonna be hard competition,” Edvinsson said. “It’s just gonna be fun. Everything is getting harder and that’s something that’s gonna develop me as a person, too.”

With a full season of Swedish Hockey League experience under his belt, Edvinsson now will try to make a transition similar to that of Moritz Seider, who in June was named the NHL’s top rookie from a season ago after spending a season in the SHL with Rögle. 

When Seider came over, the expectations were a little bit tempered. Not a lot of fans had actually seen him play or could contextualize the news coming out of Sweden that he’d been named SHL’s defenseman of the year. Plus, it’d been awhile since a Wings’ top pick had come in and stolen the show. But after a dominant rookie season, people are starting to draw parallels between the two young Euro defensemen — and they’re excited. Edvinsson said he feels the anticipation.

“Yeah, of course,” he said when asked about whether he can feel the anticipation of his arrival. “You want to take a place, you want to make things happen for the team. You want to be a part of the team, and you want to help the team win a Stanley Cup, also, for the fans. So, yeah, everything is positive about that.”

Continued; quoth the GM:

“If we come in and have too many good players, wouldn’t that be a great problem to have?” Yzerman said. “We’ll figure it out at that point. I’d rather have our young guys … work their way through the steps, as opposed to putting them in the NHL because we just decided that they’re going there, and then at Christmas or middle of November, ‘Jeez, we’re not very good. They’re struggling,’ and have to send them down. It’s not good for the team or the individual.”