Month: July 2023

The World Junior Summer Showcase’s first set of games took place on Saturday, and a more fan-friendly set of start times (4 PM and 7 PM) afforded more spectators the ability to watch Team USA Blue take on Finland, with Team USA Blue winning 4-1, and Team USA White battled Sweden, with Team USA White winning 10-1.

The crowd turnout ended up being fairly good for a Monday afternoon in late July (though I’ll readily admit that black track jacket-clad NHL scouts made up a significant minority of the paying customers, especially in the early game), so I wonder whether future WJSS tournaments may adapt this particular schedule.

After Tuesday’s very early practices, Wednesday will provide the brightest match-ups of the entire WJSS in Sweden vs. Finland at 1 PM EDT, and Team USA Blue vs. Team USA White at 4 PM.

On Friday, the tournament will conclude with USA Blue facing Sweden at 1 PM EDT, and USA White battling Finland at 4 PM.

Today’s assessments of the Red Wings prospects participating in the Showcase build upon Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s comments, but I should note that today was Axel Sandin Pellikka’s first game, and that…

One must keep in mind that I’m watching players at a competitive exhibition hockey tournament in late July, and that these young gentlemen are still at an early point in their respective journeys toward professional hockey.

Continue reading Impressions from Day 5 at the World Junior Summer Showcase

The Red Wings selected big defenseman Brady Cleveland with the 47th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff profiles the 6’5,” 209-pound incoming freshman at the University of Wisconsin:

The mean inside of Detroit Red Wings draft pick Brady Cleveland is definitely above average.

“That’s kind of what I pride myself on,” acknowledges Cleveland. “I like to be that guy who’s mean and physical and get up in your face and be hard to play against. It doesn’t matter what game, what scenario, I’m going to be out there and make it a nightmare for you.”

Looking to the future, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman was setting out an agenda to grow his team’s size and also to create a roster that will be a handful for the opposition. Cleveland checks off all those boxes.

“He’s just an element that we like,” Red Wings assistant GM and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said of the 6-foot-5, 211-ound Cleveland. Detroit made him the 47th overall selection of the 2023 NHL entry draft.

“He can skate, he can defend hard,” Draper said. “He has a bit of a mean streak and obviously he’s a big kid. It was somebody that we decided to go with there.”

Continued; Cleveland racked up 105 penalty minutes in 55 USHL games last season. That’s a LOT of penalty minutes for that league.

Team USA Blue beat Finland 4-1 at the World Junior Summer Showcase on Monday.

There were no Red Wings prospects participating in that game, so I chose to speak with undrafted Finland forward Tommi Mannisto. Mannisto, a 6,’ 192-pound left wing, grew up in the Tappara Tampere organization, but he’s a Michigan State University commit at 19 years of age.

We spoke about his decision-making process in terms of going the “college route,” we discussed the strengths of his game, the fact that he’s already been in East Lansing training with his incoming MSU compatriots, and the fact that he happens to be roommates with Red Wings prospect goaltender Trey Augustine, against whom Mannisto scored a goal on Saturday.

The affable young Finn was very nice in speaking with a complete stranger for the first time (me) about several topics that he wasn’t familiar with, and I wanted to share our short conversation with you:

The World Junior Summer Showcase isn’t all about Red Wings prospects, though that’s certainly my focus. It’s also about finding players who catch your eye who might be undrafted, and beginning to follow them as well.

They usually land in professional hockey players’ skates, so it’s neat to get to know them and follow their journeys.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen rates the goaltending situations of the 8 Atlantic Division teams, and he ranks the Red Wings just out of the playoff cut at #5:

5. Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings believe Husso’s second half dip reflects the high number of injuries the team was experiencing. The Red Wings were simply giving up too many high danger scoring chance.

On the season, Husso had 24 games in which he gave up two or fewer goals. He posted four shutouts

“Overall, I’m encouraged,” Yzerman said. “I expect him to be better next year for the experience that he’s had.”

Detroit’s backup goaltending should be improved. The Red Wings signed veterans James Reimer and Alex Lyon. Reimer is supposed to be No. 2 and Lyon is expected to begin the season in Grand Rapids. But it’s not unthinkable that Lyon could end up as the backup. Don’t forget that Lyon was Florida’s goalie early in last season’s playoffs.

Continued; agree or disagree?

Just out here as an FYI and/or a little free advertising:

Red Wings single-game tickets are going on sale this Friday, August 4th, but it appears that those of you who buy in bulk will be able to get the first crack at purchasing 1 of 3 separate 10-game “partial season ticket” packages.

10-GAME PLANS!
GET YOUR 10-GAME PLANS HERE!

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— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 31, 2023

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton posted an interview with Team Sweden defenseman Anton Johansson, who scored a goal on Saturday at the World Junior Summer Showcase. Johansson isn’t an offensive defenseman, but the 6’4,” 196-pound blueliner tells Stockton that he hopes to mold his game after someone known for his two-way game:

When asked where he sees room for growth in his game, Johansson told The Hockey News that he wants to focus “mostly on the defensive plays.  I think I’ve got my offense pretty good, so I want to work on my defense and be tough there and just play hard.”

On the difference between regular season hockey with Leksands IF versus international play, Johansson said “it’s other players and other coaches, so you have to be your best and show yourself because it’s a small time you’re here, and you’ve got to show yourself the best.”

“It’s a big, big honor to play [at the World Junior], and of course everybody wants to play for the national team,” Johansson continued.  “I’m looking forward to hopefully taking a spot there.”

As he continues down the path toward the NHL, Johansson will have one of his favorite players to watch in the league waiting for him.  “I always watch Mortiz Seider actually,” Johansson says when asked about his favorite players.  “I’m a big defender, can skate the puck and can use the puck.  He’s a big guy, and I look at him a lot.”

Continued

MLive’s Ansar Khan filed a profile of Red Wings free agent signing and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere this afternoon:

The Detroit Red Wings have lacked a shooting mentality, particularly on a power play that has struggled.

That’s not an issue for newly signed defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.

“I’m blessed to have a pretty hard shot,” Gostisbehere said. “I try to get it off as quick as I can and get pucks through. My grandpa will text me after every game. ‘Only two shots? What’s going on?’ He wants me to shoot every puck I see. Obviously, the more you shoot, the more goals that are going to go in.”

The Red Wings signed Gostisbehere, 30, to a one-year, $4.125 million contract on July 1. He should more than compensate for the offense lost when Filip Hronek was dealt at the trade deadline and provide a scoring boost to a blue line that ranked 24th in the league in points. Most importantly, he is the left-shooting point man general manager Steve Yzerman needed for one of their power play units.

“His shot is really a threat from the point,” Yzerman said.

Continued

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis posts an in-depth “breakdown” of the Red Wings’ 2023-2024 prospect pool today:

After nearly 30 years of making the post-season, the Steve Yzerman ‘Yzerplan’ has to feel like an eternity to the Detroit Red Wings fanbase.

The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. Their last playoff series victory was more than a decade ago when they beat Anaheim in seven games back in 2013. This bottom-of-the-barrel we’ve seen in recent years has been an eye-opener for fans that want and expect much more.

But those dark days might be in the rearview mirror before too long. The Red Wings have a solid prospect pool, with some huge hits in the draft over the past few years. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond were excellent selections, and Sebastian Cossa, Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper gave the team some high-impact prospects at their respective positions.

Add in a long-term deal for captain Dylan Larkin, the acquisition of Alex DeBrincat, and the huge season out of Jake Walman, and the Red Wings are trending upward. There’s still room to grow, and next season will be a big one as they handle a wave of free agency decisions. But thankfully, with one of the best crops of young prospects in the NHL, the return to glory isn’t far away.

Biggest Strength: With Edvinsson, Axel Sandin Pellikka and William Wallinder leading the way, the Red Wings have an exciting defensive pipeline right now. Moritz Seider and Jake Walman are a solid 1-2 punch right now, and the team has a decent helping of veterans in Justin Holl, Shayne Gostisbehere and Ben Chiarot. Edvinsson should fight for a roster spot in camp, while the other two aren’t far away. By the time the Red Wings are ready to start seriously contending, their blueline will look quite young, with Seider leading the charge. Also, with Cossa and Trey Augustine making waves, they’ve got one of the best 1-2 goaltending punches of any prospect pool. Nice work.

Biggest Weakness: If Kasper can’t produce at a high level in the NHL, will any forward in the system be able to step up? Carter Mazur is a solid prospect, but he’s more of a middle-six player. The team’s last real impact forward prospect was Raymond, who was selected in 2020. That wasn’t long ago, but after Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno never materialized, they’d probably like to find a bit more success in this department.

Continued, with a top ten list of Red Wings prospects…

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn posted a list of the NHL teams‘ “contract efficiencies” this morning, and as we already know, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has had to overpay to direct talent toward Detroit, so it’s not surprising that some of his free agency misses give Luszczyszyn the ammunition to rank the Wings 23rd out of 32 teams:

The Alex DeBrincat contract was exactly perfect, no notes. The same can be said for new deals for Klim Kostin and Shayne Gostisbehere, two of the many new additions Steve Yzerman made this summer.

As for the rest of the roster? Some notes.

Daniel Sprong is an incredibly savvy addition to the team in the same vein as Jake Walman a couple years ago. Underused players with high efficiency ratings who have potential to move up the lineup. We saw how it worked for Walman and something similar for Sprong wouldn’t be surprising.

Finding the right defensemen has been a bit of an issue under the Yzerplan and last year’s deal for Ben Chiarot is already a huge disaster. Justin Holl and Olli Maatta aren’t on that level, but neither option looks to add positive value relative to their contracts.

The same thing goes for finding a capable center to play behind Dylan Larkin (who I expect will see his value jump with DeBrincat in town). Andrew Copp struggled in his first season and the J.T. Compher bet doesn’t look safe either unless he finds another offensive gear.

With all the new faces and Detroit hoping for a jump it’ll be interesting to see where the team lands next season. Especially with Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren all due for new contracts.

Continued; again, there’s been some over-payment in both term and “terms,” so the Red Wings aren’t exactly tearing things up in the efficiency department. That’s part of being a rebuilding team.

I plain old had to spend Sunday in bed because of three days’ worth of over-exertion at the World Junior Summer Showcase. It’s been particularly difficult to give everything I can to generating coverage and then coming home to take care of my aunt, and I’m still learning how to balance those two things with getting actual rest.

As such, NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman will bridge the gap for me tonight in reporting that yes, Axel Sandin Pellikka will play on Monday as Sweden battles USA White at 7 PM EDT.

I’m glad to hear that Team Sweden coach Hugo Havelid wasn’t telling a fib when he told us that ASP and most other Swedish defenders would only play in 3 of the 4 games taking place at the WJSS, in no small part because, in ASP’s case, his club team’s GM in Skelleftea wanted Axel to get a serious day’s worth of work in the gym.

Back to work on the ice on Monday, reports Kimelman:

Having seen what Sandin Pellikka can do at the 2023 WJC, Havelid doesn’t need to focus too much on him.

“The way he sees the ice, moves the puck, makes the right decisions,” Havelid said. “You can use him on every special teams, penalty kill or power play. He’s a really talented player.”

Sandin Pellikka had one assist and averaged 19:54 of ice time in seven games for Sweden, which finished fourth. He is expected to make a bigger contribution at the 2024 WJC.

“I want to be a threat on the ice, and I want the other team to know that when I have the puck something creative can happen,” he said.

Sandin Pellikka’s offensive gifts are what convinced the Red Wings to select him with the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He had 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 31 games with Skelleftea’s team in Sweden’s junior league, and 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in seven games at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. But Sandin Pellikka wants to be known as more of a two-way defenseman.

“I want to help the team as much as I can in every zone,” he said. “Especially in the [defensive] zone, I want to just pick up my players in time and box them out. I’m not the biggest defender, but I still want to be smart and pick up my players early so I can box them out easily.”

Continued; at 5’11” and 181 pounds, Sandin Pellikka is definitely “undersized” by today’s standards, and while he has the offensive part of his game “down pat,” his defensive game is a work in progress.

It will be interesting to see how he manages to balance his immense offensive talent with more focus on playing actual defense this week.