Month: September 2022

Prospect round-up: Kasper 1+1, Wallinder 1A, Tuomisto 20:53 played in Champions Hockey League play

Of Red Wings prospect-related note from Thursday:

In the Champions Hockey League, Antti Tuomisto finished even with 2 shots in 20:53 played as TPS Turku won 4-2 over Olimpija Ljubjana:

Liam Dower Nilsson finished at +1 with 2 shots in 11:00 played as Frolunda HC won 3-2 over Eisbaren Berlin:

And, in Rogle BK’s 7-1 win over Fehervahr AV19:

Marco Kasper scored a goal and added an assist, finishing at +3 with 2 shots in 14:12 played:

Theodor Niederbach finished even with 3 shots in 15:37 played;

And William Wallinder had an assist, finishing at +1 with 1 shot in 18:23 played.

Fundraising where the rubber meets the road

Things are not great in the fundraising department. Despite a tremendous start to the drive to get up to Traverse City, the last week has taken a hard turn for the worse, and while some of you have continued to donate generously…

I’m in a rough patch right now. We’re at the point where almost all of the pre-trip expenses are paid (fixing the Pacifica’s headlights, dry cleaning, an Amazon run for necessary supplies and a grocery run), but the hotel bill (which is $2K, with $1,000 due on the first day) is not, nor is the gas-and-groceries bill to get up and get back from Traverse City.

So the reality of the situation is that I need to somehow try and raise about $200 a day for the next 6 days if I am to get up to TC. I don’t have a fall-back plan, so I’m admittedly a bit scared right now.

As I said yesterday, we were about $1,500 into a $4,000 trip, which is great, but it ain’t enough, so if you can check your couch cushions for change, that’s where we’re at.

I wish the expenses weren’t so damn high, but I’m not trying to make a profit here–I’m trying to eke out a break-even scenario–and we’re just not close to that by any means. I can go up to TC with half the hotel bill paid, but if we fall short, I don’t know what will happen.

If you’re are willing to help, 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 you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check.

Press release: Red Wings to honor 1997, 1998 Stanley Cup teams on November 3rd and 5th

Per the Red Wings:

Red Wings to Honor 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup Champions for 25th Anniversary Celebration, November 3 and November 5; Tickets On-Sale Now 

1997 team’s 25-year anniversary to be celebrated on Thursday, Nov. 3 vs. Washington Capitals

1998 team that went back-to-back will be honored on Saturday, Nov. 5 vs. New York Islanders

Photo opportunities with Stanley Cup will be available for ticketed fans; special merchandise to be sold in Team Store

Tickets expected to be in high demand; fans encouraged to visit DetroitRedWings.com/tickets to secure their seats today

DETROIT – Two of the most iconic teams in Detroit Red Wings history – the 1997 group that won the club’s first Stanley Cup in 42 years and the 1998 team that went back-to-back – will be welcomed back to Detroit for the 25th Anniversary Celebration, Nov. 3 and Nov. 5, 2022. With tickets expected to be in high demand, fans are encouraged to visit DetroitRedWings.com/tickets to secure their seats today.

The 1997 team will be honored on Thursday, Nov. 3 when the Red Wings host the Washington Capitals. The 1998 Red Wings will be celebrated when Detroit entertains the New York Islanders on Saturday, Nov. 5. For additional information, fans can visit DetroitRedWings.com/Anniversary.

“The 1997 and 1998 teams will always be special to my teammates and me, because they are a reminder of the hard work and perseverance it required over many years to reach that championship level,” said Steve Yzerman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings. “It’s going to be great to see so many familiar faces back in Detroit for this special weekend, and I know our fans will be excited to look back on those memories with us.”

Dozens of former players, coaches and front office executives from the 1997 and 1998 championship teams are scheduled to be in attendance at Little Caesars Arena for the pregame ceremonies. The Stanley Cup will be available for photo opportunities on the Via concourse. Commemorative items celebrating the accomplishments of both teams will also be available for fans to view and remember. Exclusive celebration and replica Stanley Cup championship merchandise will also be sold in the Team Store.

The full list of attendees and the fan programming schedule surrounding the 25th Anniversary Celebration weekend will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We’re looking forward to honoring two of the most memorable teams in Red Wings history for the 25th Anniversary Celebration in early November,” said Chris McGowan, President and CEO of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. “We are expecting a great turnout of former players, coaches and staff members, and our fans will be able to pay tribute to a special group that brought two straight Stanley Cups to Hockeytown. We encourage fans to secure their tickets soon to join in the celebration.”

Single-game tickets for the Red Wings’ 2022-23 preseason and regular season are currently on-sale at DetroitRedWings.com/tickets. 

The Wings Tweeted this out as well:

Bultman posts training camp expectations for the Wings’ defense and goalies

The Athletic’s Max Bultman has followed up his list of training camp expectations for the Red Wings’ forwards with a list of training camp questions about Detroit’s defense and goaltenders. Among his comments are the following:

Moritz Seider: How much better can he be?

There’s not much more that can be said about Seider’s stellar rookie season. He took the league by storm, delivering punishing hits and posting 50 points en route to the Calder Trophy. And now, all eyes turn toward his encore.

It’s going to be hard to top his debut, but expectations are rightly high for Seider, with many — including myself — believing he can join the league’s elite defensemen in the Norris Trophy conversation. Cale Makar and Adam Fox have shown in the past two seasons that voters have no issue honoring young defenders among the league’s very best. Of course, both Fox and Makar, among others, still stand as major obstacles to Seider actually winning the award any time soon, and it’s a high bar with four of the top five finishers for the award scoring more than 70 points last season.

But Seider still has a path to joining the periphery of that conversation thanks to his two-way ability. If he can add 10 or so points while continuing to improve on his natural defensive ability, he could be considered a top-10-to-15 blueliner by season’s end.

Continue reading Bultman posts training camp expectations for the Wings’ defense and goalies

Simon Edvinsson listed as something of a long shot to win the Calder Trophy

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler posted a list of potential Calder Trophy candidates as the NHL’s best rookie for the 2022-2023 season, and the most honest comment I can issue about his Red Wings pick is that Simon Edvinsson’s in the mix at all.

With Edvinsson’s participation on the Red Wings’ NHL roster in question due to the Wings’ defensive depth, it’s just good to read somebody compliment the promising young defenseman.

That doesn’t mean that Edvinsson isn’t highly-regarded; it means that it’s entirely possible, if not probable, that Edvinsson begins the season in the AHL:

17. Simon Edvinsson, LHD, 19 (Detroit Red Wings — No. 6, 2021)

Edvinsson is an excellent prospect and he’s going to be a huge piece of the Red Wings’ future. But as is the case with [Juraj] Slafkovsky, his eligibility for the AHL could play against him. He also didn’t sell the hockey world on his immediate readiness to take a job on Detroit’s improved blue line with his play at the world juniors (though his illness there was also obviously a factor). I think he’s absolutely capable of playing in the NHL for the full season, and he may well play his way into doing just that. I won’t be surprised if he progresses from third-pairing usage to second-pairing usage as the season progresses if he makes the team out of camp, either. But the Red Wings, and Steve Yzerman, are all about the long game with their prospects and that will make Grand Rapids a big part of the conversation.

Continued (paywall)

Live streams for Thursday’s Champions Hockey League games (Rogle, TPS Turku, Frolunda HC)

The Red Wings’ prospects will be busy on Thursday as three Champions Hockey League games will be taking place, and all three games will be streamed online, with no U.S. or Canada Geoblocking.

Rogle BK (Marco Kasper, Theodor Niederbach and William Wallinder) will battle Fehervahr AV19 at 12:05 PM EDT…

Continue reading Live streams for Thursday’s Champions Hockey League games (Rogle, TPS Turku, Frolunda HC)

Prospect round-up: Buchelnikov plays 3:38 in SKA St. Petersburg win

In the KHL, Dmitri Buchelnikov did technically play in the KHL’s game between SKA St. Petersburg and Avangard Omsk, but he only played 3:38 on the fourth line as SKA won 4-1 over Avangard, finishing even with no shots.

SKA plays against Dynamo Moscow on Friday, and SKA-1946, their MHL team, plays on Friday vs. Dynamo Moscow’s MHL team, so we’ll see whether the coaching staff at SKA continues to break in Buchelnikov gently at the KHL level, or whether they want him to dominate at the MHL level.

Quite frankly, his utilization is likely to be willy-nilly, bouncing from team to team at the whims of the coaching staff.

DHN’s Allen ranks the Atlantic Division’s netminding tandems

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted an article in which he ranks the Atlantic Division’s goaltending tandems, and, in the subscriber-only article, he lists the Red Wings’ tandem of Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic as the 5th-best pairing:

5. Detroit Red Wings

Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic: The range for the Red Wings’ goaltending is probably third to sixth. Both Husso and Nedeljkovic have potential. It felt as if Nedeljkovic became worn down last season. Perhaps it was more mentally than physically. Detroit goalies were under siege most of the season because the team gave up more quality scoring chances than any team in the league. One of the objectives this season may be to keep both goalies fresh. But we could see one of them emerge as a true No. 1. Husso played sharply most of last season.  He was able to steal the net from Jordan Binnington in St. Louis. But Nedeljkovic also had some moments last season, particularly early in the season.

Continued (paywall)

Daily Faceoff offers a ‘Fantasy Hockey Preview’ for 13 Red Wings players

Daily Faceoff’s Brock Seguin posted a fantasy hockey preview for the Red Wings’ 2022-2023 season, and here’s a short sample thereof:

Dylan Larkin
GP G A PTS (+/-) PIM PPG PPA PPP SOG S% ATOI FOW BLK HIT
73.3 27.3 37.2 64.5 -16.8 49.4 5.6 9.2 14.7 228.8 11.9% 20.16 698.7 35.2 69.0

Following a couple of disappointing seasons in 2020 and 2021, Larkin registered 30-plus goals for the second time in his career in 2022. Lucas Raymond’s exceptional rookie campaign helped Larkin return to form, and the duo should continue to build on an impressive start. Unfortunately, Larkin’s shot volume dipped a bit, which makes a return to 30 goals a little less likely. However, there’s still a chance he can return to the elite shot volume from 2019 and 2020. With an improving roster around him, the Red Wings power-play could take a step forward this season and unlock a few extra points for Larkin.

Continued, with 13 players profiled…

The Hockey News’s Stephens lists Jakub Vrana as a ‘bounce-back candidate’

The Hockey News’s Mike Stephens posted a list of “bounce-back candidates” who he believes will return to form during the 2022-2023 season, and Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana made his list:

Jakub Vrana – Detroit Red Wings
2021-22 Stat Line: 26 GP, 13 goals, 6 assists, 19 points 

Speaking of upgraded top-sixes…

The Red Wings are officially done rebuilding, definitively taking the next step in their journey back to relevancy by signing Andrew Copp, David Perron, Dominik Kubalik, Ville Husso, and Ben Chiarot. 

The former three names might be more promising than the latter one, but the point stands that Vrana, like Batherson, will be hitting the ground running this season surrounded by some far better talent to work with.

Even if Vrana doesn’t actually play alongside either Copp or Perron, the veteran duo’s presence on the roster allows new coach Derek Lalonde to re-work the matchup game in order to maximize his top offensive weapons. Vrana certainly fits that bill, having racked up 13 goals and 19 points in 26 games for Detroit last season before injuries robbed him of the rest. 

Vrana began 56.2 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone in 2021-22. While that number is pretty high on its own, having Copp and Perron on the roster gives the Red Wings the depth to bump it up into the 60s, thereby putting Vrana in a better spot to utilize his offensive gifts against perhaps weaker competition. 

And then there’s Husso, who seems ready to stabilize the goaltending and keep his team in games that they simply weren’t last season, creating more offensive opportunities for the top of the lineup. 

It’s unlikely that the Red Wings did enough to contend with the best of their division. But they’ll at least be competitive — and that could be just the spark that ignites Vrana’s bounce-back. 

Continued; I would argue that the Red Wings aren’t done rebuilding until they’re a playoff team again, but what do I know?