Month: September 2022

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan wrote a notebook article in which he discusses turning-pro prospect Cross Hanas’ experiences at the Wings’ summer development camp:

Few Red Wings prospects appreciated this summer’s Red Wings development camp like Cross Hanas did. Because of the pandemic, the Wings canceled the camp the past two years. So, Hanas, a 2020 second-round draft pick, actually met many of his fellow prospects in the Wings’ organizations for the first time during July’s camp. It was nice to put an actual face to a name.

“You’re drafted with these guys, but you haven’t met them yet,” Hanas said during the camp. “You’re all in the same situation, trying to make the team and what (staff members) were saying in our meeting is that we’re all pretty much future teammates. So, build some relationships and you’ll have them for a long time.”

That “team” feeling will be in full force this week when the Wings participate in the Prospects Tournament at Traverse City’s Centre Ice Arena. The five-team tournament (Detroit, Toronto, Columbus, St. Louis, Toronto) actually begins Thursday, but the Wings don’t begin playing until facing Columbus at 3 p.m. Friday.

Hanas will be one of the forwards the Wings look to for offense in a lineup that looks deep on defense, but somewhat unproven up front.

A good tournament, plus showing progress during the main training camp and possibly some Wings exhibition games, could set up Hanas, 20, in Grand Rapids to begin his pro career. If there’s no room on the Griffins’ roster, or the organization sees benefit for Hanas to play more junior hockey, then being sent to Portland (WHL) for a fifth junior year is the alternative. Hanas has a plan in his mind for where he wants to be in October.

“I’m going to work toward playing in the AHL,” Hanas siad. “If they (the Wings) end up not wanting me there then I’ll get sent back to Portland for my 20-year-old year. (But) I’m determined to play in the AHL next year for Grand Rapids. I’m ready for that next step coming into pro hockey.”

Continued

This is a good thing, per the ECHL:

The ECHL announced on Monday that eight ECHL on-ice officials, along with Director of Officiating Operations Stephen Thomson, will work the 2022 NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan from Sept. 15-19. This marks the 10th consecutive tournament that ECHL officials have worked games.

Debuting in 1988 with four teams, the NHL Prospects Tournament will feature five clubs this year – Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Thomson will be responsible for the selection and scheduling of the officials for each game of the tournament and will assist any playing or rule situation that takes place during the tournament. The officiating staff for the tournament includes four referees and four linesmen.

Continue reading Press release: ECHL officials to work Red Wings’ prospect tournament

Of Red Wings prospect-related note on Monday:

In the KHL, Dmitri Buchelnikov finished with 3 shots in a very healthy 13:19 of ice time as SKA St. Petersburg won 4-1 over Severstal.

It’s great to see him earn more ice time as SKA improves to 5-and-0.

Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon spoke with Griffins play-by-play announcer Bob Kaser recently ahead of training camp and the start of the 2022-23 AHL season:

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted an article in which he discusses Red Wings prospect and 2021 draft pick Shai Buium, who said this about having won an NCAA Division 1 hockey championship during his freshman season at the University of Denver:

“I wanna be a role model for the freshmen,” said Buium, who was the Detroit Red Wings’ 36th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. “We have two new incoming defensemen that I want to show them the way, hopefully pick up a bigger role and do the same thing. It’s hard to win, so we’re gonna try to do that again.”

This past season, the 6-foot-3, 209-pound blue line prospect registered 18 points (3-15-18) in 39 games with Denver, including a plus-20 rating. He also was named the NCHC Rookie of the Week on Feb. 14.

“I’m really happy about the way that I’ve developed my defensive game,” Buium said about his 2021-22 campaign. “The coaches and all the other D-men on the team have helped me a lot, especially at the start where you’re learning the new game of college and getting used to it.”

Before stepping on Denver’s campus, Buium tallied four goals and 22 assists in 50 games with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers in 2020-21.

The 19-year-old said he views himself as an offensive defenseman.

“I like to get creative in the offensive zone, make plays and try to score goals as much as I can,” Buium said. “But I like to pass the puck.”

Continued

Here are two Red Wings prospect-related items from The Athletic:

1. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman answered a Red Wings-related question in his prospect mailbag this morning, and I think this one is accurate:

How many prospects, and which ones specifically, do you think will make the Red Wings full-time this season? — Chris C.

Simon Edvinsson I think is 50-50 to make it. Jonatan Berggren has an outside chance but is probably more of a call-up. I think most of their prospects have a better chance of being injury- or performance-issue call-ups rather than stealing a veteran’s job in camp. I could see defensemen like Donovan Sebrango, Albert Johansson or Jared McIsaac getting games if guys go down for example.

Continued (paywall); training camp, injuries and the Wings’ defensive depth = it’s going to be hard for Edvinsson to make the team out of camp, though it could be done.

I agree that Berggren will probably start out later this season as an injury replacement, and we’ll see at least one of the Wings’ Grand Rapids goalies at some point, though I’m not certain whether one views Victor Brattstrom or Jussi Olkinuora as prospects at this point…

2. And The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler posted an article in which he discusses prospects who his assessments misjudged, saying this about the still-developing Joe Veleno:

C Joe Veleno (Detroit Red Wings — No. 30, 2018)
My final draft ranking: No. 13

Ahead of the 2018 draft, you could often find me arguing that Veleno had been doomed by his exceptional status, that the talent around him to that point in Saint John was never going to allow his numbers to pop, and that he was closer to the player who’d produced 21 goals and 59 points in 43 games after the trade to Drummondville than the one who’d posted a still-respectable 31 in 31 to start the year in Saint John.

I loved his skating. I loved the way he pushed pace and played through the middle. I loved his commitment to the defensive zone and the detail that was layered throughout his game. And while I wrote that he didn’t have first-line upside, I felt he had a real good chance to become a second-line centre. But there was also always a chance that his softer skills never got the level they’d need to get to for him to reach a top-six ceiling, and his bottom-six reality today was always a legitimate outcome.

So where he’s landed isn’t one of the surprises of this list to me. I should have adjusted his ranking accordingly, given the likelihood that his skills inside the offensive zone didn’t take off. He was also a January 2000, which placed him on the older side of the draft, so maybe I should have been more cognizant of the fact that he was closer to what he’d been in his time in Saint John rather than being poised for a breakout after what he’d shown in Drummondville. I also think I overemphasized his two-way game. While his work rate is still a part of his game, I’m not sure he’s actually a plus-level player defensively per se.

Continued; ouch. Proclaiming a 22-year-old with one real NHL season to his name a bust is pretty harsh.

Ahead of the CBC’s documentary on the 50th anniversary of the Summit Series, Summit 72, which will start airing on Wednesday at 8 PM EDT on Channel 9, MLive’s Ansar Khan spoke with former University of Michigan coach Red Berenson regarding participating in the highly-charged hockey summit between Canada and Russia in 1972:

“Canada was trying to push them around, outmuscle them [early in the series],” Berenson said. “That wasn’t working. They didn’t shy away but they didn’t retaliate, so we’d end up with the penalty. They found a way to get even. They did a lot of kicking your feet out from under you and jabbing with their sticks. When they could, they got their licks in. There definitely was animosity. It just got more emotional as it went.”

Canada coach Harry Sinden faced tough lineup decisions.

“I remember talking to Harry one day and said, ‘Harry, you got to go with the guys that are playing because they’re the ones that are getting better. You can’t keep throwing guys in and expect them to get caught up to the group,’ ” Berenson said. “He settled on a lineup that was the right group and they kept getting better. We put a lot more pressure on (goaltender Vladislav) Tretiak than we did in the first four games.”

It took Canada some time to learn and adjust. Who were their best players? What kind of systems did they play?

“This regrouping and defensemen jumping in from the points and all kinds of back-door plays and one-timers that we didn’t do much in the NHL, it was like a whole different game,” Berenson said.

Continued

The WHL’s website posted a quick summary of its two representatives who will be attending the Red Wings‘ prospect tournament and training camp, hoping to earn spots on the NHL team:

Sebastian Cossa: Goaltender Sebastian Cossa back-stopped the Edmonton Oil Kings to the WHL Championship in 2022, posting a combined 11 shutouts in regular season and playoff play last season. Hailing from Fort McMurray, Alta., Cossa has registered a 71-16-4-3 career regular season record in the WHL, and held a 1.93 goals-against average and .919 save percentage over 19 post-season appearanaces this past spring. Selected by Detroit in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Cossa recently helped Canada to a gold medal at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton.

Cross Hanas: A second-round selection by the Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Draft, forward Cross Hanas enters the 2022-23 season having led the Portland Winterhawks with 60 assists and 86 points a season ago. In four seasons in the Rose City, the product of Highland Village, Texas registered 103 assists as part of his 161 career regular season points. For his efforts, he was named to the U.S. Division First All-Star Team this past spring. Hanas signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Detroit in March of 2022.

Continued

Via Paul Kukla of Abel to Yzerman comes this Tweet in which the NHL Network’s Jameson Coyle and Mike Johnson discuss the Red Wings’ status as a “sneaky” team to watch this upcoming season:

.@MikeKellyNHL is keeping his eye on the Detroit Red Wings this season.

Will the @DetroitRedWings make waves in the Atlantic Division this season?@JamisonCoyle | @mike_p_johnson | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/JQcwrfsqzq

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) September 11, 2022

The Red Wings are hosting their annual prospect tournament this upcoming week and weekend in Traverse City, Michigan, and the Red Wings revealed their roster for said tournament approximately two weeks ago.

I shared my thoughts regarding the roster shortly thereafter, and, on Sunday, Detroit Hockey Now’s Nate Brown asked five pertinent questions regarding the Wings’ prospects. Among them:

What about Elmer Soderblom? Rookie camp is just the first step in what could be a giant leap for the towering forward. His 21-goal, 33 point performance in 52 games with Frolunda seems the appetizer for what could be a very telling season. Be it with Grand Rapids or Detroit, Soderblom’s appearance on North American ice has been eagerly anticipated. A dominant rookie tournament will only amplify the attention on Soderblom.

Brown continues, and my biggest question is simple:

How do the forwards stack up?

The Red Wings’ prospect tournament blueline is absolutely stacked with prospects who’ve accumulated professional experience in Simon Edvinsson, Eemil Viro, Albert Johansson, Seth Barton and Donovan Sebrango, but up front, Soderblom is the only player who’s played at this level.

If Sebastian Cossa can find his form in the net, and the defense can stand up in front of him, the Wings will be able to keep pucks out of their own net, but with Soderblom, Cross Hanas, Pasquale Zito, the college guy, Drew Worrad, AHL-contracted Kirill Tyutyayev and 18-year-old Amadeus Lombardi standing out among a host of try-outs…

The Red Wings’ prospect tournament team is going to have to develop chemistry, scoring depth and defensive aplomb in a hurry.

It’s going to take Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon’s hard work to build a roster out of a bunch of players who don’t know each other very well, and on top of that, a bunch of forward try-outs who will have to find their way into roster spots quickly.