Month: July 2023

Wojo weighs in regarding the DeBrincat deal: talkin’ playoffs, at least in theory

The Detroit News’s Bob Wojnowski discusses the possibility of the Red Wings making the playoffs–or at least talking about making the playoffs–now that the team has acquired Alex DeBrincat from Ottawa:

“There are a limited number of what we actually call goal scorers — the guys that can get it on their stick and any time they shoot it, it looks like it has a chance to go in,” [Red Wings GM Steve] Yzerman said. “I think we’d categorize Alex in that mold, as a sniper. Just one shot can change a game. With our players, you’ve seen at the deadline, myself trading actual hockey players for draft picks, the players have to have people to play with.”

That was the growing concern, that the Wings were collecting lots of touted prospects and decent NHL players, but not many difference-makers. Maybe Larkin or Raymond can become that with DeBrincat attracting defensive attention.

The Wings still need to get more physical, although the trade for 6-3, 215-pound Klim Kostin should help. They desperately need goalie Ville Husso to have a bounce-back season, although the backup situation appears more stable. The Wings are far from a complete team, but they’re much closer to having an actual complete NHL roster, with talented youngsters on the way. If nothing else, the trade-deadline sell-off days should be over.

Yzerman emphasized the intelligence and competitiveness of DeBrincat, who has shown both with a feisty, abrasive style. Tough enough to mix it up, smart enough not to pick the wrong fight.

“(Physical play) is maybe not a huge part of my game, but I try not to back down from anyone,” DeBrincat said. “I think being a smaller forward in the league, sometimes people try to bully you around. I think I can hold my own. Definitely keeps me engaged in the game, but that’s not my main goal.”

His main goal is to be the main goal guy. He knows Larkin well, and along with several Michigan natives on the roster, the main goal is for them to lift each other. All the way to the playoffs? I wouldn’t shout the possibility too loudly, but it deserves more than a whisper.

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Praise for the DeBrincat detail$

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Ashbourne discusses the Red Wings’ trade for Alex DeBrincat today, suggesting that Detroit “won the trade” in terms of player personnel compensation and monetary compensation:

The success of any deal for an RFA is tied up in the subsequent extension. Even if the pure compensation side is light, the move can be a flop if a team goes on to overpay the player it has given up assets for.

Detroit has not done that here. The four-year, $31.5 million contract the Red Wings signed DeBrincat to was nothing short of outstanding for the team.

This deal gives the winger a cap hit that is tied for the 48th-highest among NHL forwards, which feels on the light side for one of the league’s top scorers.

Over the last three seasons, DeBrincat’s 100 goals rank 12th in the NHL. Since he debuted in 2017-18, his 187 goals rank 14th. The winger has been labelled a power-play specialist at times, but his ranks in even-strength goals over those time periods are 16th and 20th, respectively. The man puts the puck in the back of the net like few others.

He’s also been exceedingly durable, missing just four games in his career. DeBrincat is available, consistent, and dangerous.

That doesn’t mean he’s a perfect player. The undersized winger (5-foot-8, 178 pounds) is no Mark Stone defensively, and his 2022-23 campaign in Ottawa wasn’t his best.

DeBrincat isn’t as good an overall player as he is a scorer, but scoring is a forward’s most important function — and there are few who do it better. On this deal, the Red Wings get four years of that dependable scoring at a price point that is going to get better with time.

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97.1 the Ticket’s Burchfield offers highlights from this morning’s DeBrincat interview

New Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat took part in an interview on 97.1 the Ticket this morning, and 97.1’s Will Burchfield took note of DeBrincat’s remarks:

The knock on his game is on the other side of the puck. DeBrincat was a minus-31 last season, though that was partly attributable to poor luck. His on-ice shooting percentage and on-ice save percentage both plunged to career lows at five-on-five, so a bounceback is likely in order. He should also benefit from joining a team that plays defense-first hockey under Derek Lalonde.

DeBrincat acknowledged that “my 200-foot game can always get better.” He also pointed out that “it got a lot better” toward the end of his time with the Blackhawks. Indeed, DeBrincat was a minus-10 over his final two seasons in Chicago on a team that was a combined minus-97. No one should ever go too far down the plus-minus wormhole, but that was best on the team among players who logged at least 70 games. (Patrick Kane? Minus-26.)

“Obviously last year my plus-minus wasn’t very good, but I think there’s a lot of things that go into that as well, so looking to have a bounceback season and get that 200-foot game back,” DeBrincat said. “I think I fit well on this team. There’s a lot of guys who want to play fast and control the puck and that’s kind of my big game, controlling the puck and playing in the O-zone. But you gotta play well in the D-zone to get it in the O-zone, so just looking to do that.”

The addition of DeBrincat gives the Wings legitimate playoff aspirations for the first time in several years. A few more goals should yield a few more wins, which could be the difference between falling out of the race and staying in it. While DeBrincat admitted that “it’s a little early to tell,” he said that returning to the playoffs is the aim for the Red Wings next season. They were 12 points shy last season, the closest they’ve been since the last time they actually made them in 2016.

“That’s the goal going into the year,” he said, “is playing meaningful games and hopefully contending for the Stanley Cup. I think that’s everyone’s goal in that locker room and we’re hoping to get there.”

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Link: Alex DeBrincat appears on 97.1 the Ticket

New Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat appeared on the “Stoney and Jansen” show on 97.1 the Ticket this morning. You can listen to the clip here by clicking on the interview’s time–8:35 AM EDT–and when there’s a direct link to the clip, I’ll post it.

There’s nothing earth-shattering or ground-breaking about his interview, but it was a nice introduction to the player.

Update: This is the direct link to the interview.

EP Rinkside predicts DeBrincat will have a modest offensive renaissance in Detroit

EP Rinkside’s Cam Robinson discusses the various free agent period signings and trades which might impact one’s fantasy hockey team this upcoming season, including the Alex DeBrincat trade and the Wings’ signing of Shayne Gostisbehere:

DeBrincat to the Red Wings: The obvious domino fell on Sunday when the Ottawa Senators sent Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings in a trade-and-sign scenario. Dominik Kubalík moves from one top nine to the other. He should provide his 20-ish, 45-ish point level in Ottawa. But it’s the two-time 40-goal-scoring DeBrincat that should garner the attention in fantasy.

Now with Detroit, the expectation/hope is that we see a top line of Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and DeBrincat. If Raymond can take the expected step forward after a sophomore slump, then DeBrincat should be in a prime spot to re-find his game after a step-back season that saw his shooting percentage fall over five points, and his even-strength production dip by nearly 20 percent.

Are we feeling frisky enough to say that 40 goals and 75 points are in the bag for the third time in his career? 

No, we’re not. But we’re hoping to see it!

Drake Batherson – who saw a ton of even-strength and man-advantage time next to DeBrincat last season likely takes the worst of this deal. While someone like J.T. Compher or David Perron – who had their eyes on landing the fourth forward spot on the Wings’ top power-play unit, likely falls out. Compher as a net-front guy could have the edge to stay in now.

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Yahoo Sports ranks the Wings’ prospects as the 3rd-best crop in the NHL

Yahoo Sports’ Ian Kennedy ranks the Red Wings’ prospect corps as the 3rd-best in the NHL this morning:

3. Detroit Red Wings

Top three prospects: Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, Sebastian Cossa

Top pick in 2023: Nate Danielson

While it hasn’t translated to wins, and Detroit still has too many veterans on their roster to allow their youngsters to ascend to the NHL, their prospect pool depth is brimming. With Lucas Raymond, Joe Veleno, Jonatan Berggren, and Moritz Seider in the NHL, the next wave of players including Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, Sebastian Cossa, Carter Mazur, Nate Danielson, William Wallinder, Trey Augustine and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are pushing forward.

Detroit has depth at all three positions, and at this point in their rebuild, have enough prospects at both the junior and professional ranks that a few could be used as trade bait. They’re in excellent standing for the future, and look like they could have a few sleeper prospects in Amadeus Lombardi and Alexandre Doucet who put up huge numbers in junior this year.

Continuedhttps://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-nhl-best-and-worst-prospect-pools-sabres-red-wings-canadiens-blackhawks-devils-120025136.html

DobberProspects reviews the Red Wings’ 2023 NHL Draft class

DobberHockey’s Evan Sabourin discusses the Red Wings’ 2023 NHL Draft haul for a “32 in 32” article for DobberProspects.com this morning:

Draft Review: After missing out on the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season — an eternity for Red Wings fans after qualifying for the 25 previous ones — General Manager Steve Yzerman showed up to the 2023 draft in Nashville armed to the teeth with 11 picks. That included five picks in the top 43. Many analysts predicted that the Wings would try to upgrade the current team by dealing some of those picks for a productive goal scorer but that didn’t materialize during the draft. Yzerman left Nashville with 11 new prospects as the team’s rebuild continues.

Detroit has now picked in the top ten for seven consecutive years after not having a pick that high since they drafted Martin Lapointe at number ten in 1991. Their playoff drought is the longest in team history since the 1970’s and the second longest active streak in the NHL today behind only the Buffalo Sabres. But cheer up Wings fans, “The Captain” is cooking. He continues to build through the draft while setting up the Wings future for the long haul. Two weeks after the draft, Yzerman landed former 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat in a trade with the Ottawa Senators and then signed the Michigan native to a four-year, team-friendly extension. This was the bold move that the team desperately needed after finishing 24th in scoring last season. 

The Wings wasted no time in going off the board early with the ninth-overall pick, center Nate Danielson. Not many analysts projected Danielson going that early. The 6-2 center from the Brandon Wheat Kings is a jack-of-all-trades type of player. Size and strength were key attributes that Detroit has been looking for, and the team feels they got that with the 18-year-old. After the pick, Yzerman talked to ESPN about the selection: “We’re still in a rebuilding phase, we’re still in a collecting assets through the draft…we’re still there…. we’re not at a point where we feel like, hey we can really go for it so to speak. We’re progressing and I hope to be there sooner than later.” On Day Two of the draft, Yzerman swung a deal with his old friend — Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland — and acquired forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin for future considerations. Yamamoto was subsequently bought out of his contract, while Kostin signed a two-year deal with the club. More on that coming up.

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HSJ in the morning: DeBrincat’s ready for the pressure that comes with his contract

The Free Press posted Helene St. James’ customary morning article a couple of minutes ago. This morning, St. James discusses Alex DeBrincat’s belief that he can meaningfully add to the Red Wings’ attempts to return to playoff form:

DeBrincat’s new four-year contract, with a $7.875 million annual average value that is behind only Dylan Larkin’s $8.7 million, is indicative of how much the Wings expect of DeBrincat. It is pressure he relishes.

“I’m definitely confident in my ability,” DeBrincat said. “I think this team is a good fit for me. Hopefully we can get back into the playoffs, that is everyone’s goal, and hopefully it’s sooner than later. We just have to keep growing as a team and keep putting in the work to get back there.”

Since the number DeBrincat has worn in the NHL, 12, hangs from the rafters at Little Caesars Arena in honor of Sid Abel, DeBrincat said he plans to wear No. 93 because it’s what he wore in juniors and is the year his brother was born. (The only other player to wear that in Wings history is Johan Franzen.) Whatever the 5-foot-8, 178-pound forward wears on his back, DeBrincat’s attitude is to play with an indomitable front.

“I try not to back down from anyone,” DeBrincat said. “Being a smaller forward in the league, sometimes people try to bully you around, but that’s something I try to not let get taken too out of hand. I think I can hold my own, and it keeps me engaged in the game.”

…

“Earlier in my career [the Red Wings] were deep in a rebuild,” DeBrincat said. “You can see the compete level has been higher. You see a team that’s maybe frustrated with being in a rebuild and wants to get out. I’m excited to join that and hopefully be part of the solution to get out of that. I definitely see the potential in this group.”

Continued (no paywall as of 6:13 AM)

MLive’s Khan revises the Red Wings’ depth chart

Both The Athletic’s Max Bultman and MLive’s Ansar Khan discuss the Red Wings’ revised depth chart after the team acquired Alex DeBrincat from Ottawa on Sunday night:

First line: David Perron-Dylan Larkin-Alex DeBrincat

A Larkin-DeBrincat combination could be mutually beneficial. Larkin, coming off a career-high 79 points, could top 80. And this would put DeBrincat in the best position to return to his 41-goal form. Who to put on the other wing? Some might suggest Lucas Raymond, but Perron would provide some size, abrasiveness and a net-front presence. Pairing two right-shooting wingers might not be optimal, however.

Second line: Michael Rasmussen-Andrew Copp-Lucas Raymond

The 6-6 left-shooting Rasmussen might be a good fit with Larkin and DeBrincat because of his forechecking ability and net presence. But he had good chemistry with Copp before suffering a season-ending knee injury in late February. Lalonde might want to keep that combination intact and add Raymond, a shooter, to the line.

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