Month: July 2023

The Athletic’s Max Bultman examines the Red Wings’ depth chart after the team added Alex DeBrincat in a Sunday-night trade. Up front, things have changed:

Right off the top, there’s an interesting decision to make between DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond for the top line.

I’m sure there will be some fans wanting to see both flanking Dylan Larkin, and hey, you can never say never. Certainly it would make for the most offensively skilled line the Red Wings could roll out. But it would ask quite a bit of Larkin in terms of forechecking, on top of the defensive responsibilities of center, and even on top of that Detroit may want to spread out the offense — after all, getting scoring up and down the lineup seems to be a big part of their plan.

So, who do you put up top? DeBrincat is the high-end triggerman the Red Wings have been coveting, so it certainly makes sense to put him on their top-scoring line right from the jump, but it’s every bit as important for Detroit that Raymond have an offensive breakout season, too. It’s not an easy question, and you could see multiple looks throughout the year.

Let’s go with the DeBrincat avenue for now, though, which would bump Raymond onto a line with Andrew Copp and Michael Rasmussen. He adds some high-end skill and sense to that line, and with two heavy linemates, he should be able to work himself into space while benefiting from two quietly impressive playmakers. Plus, Raymond has the competitive makeup to handle the matchups a Copp-Rasmussen line would take. So that fit makes sense.

Meanwhile David Perron slots in opposite DeBrincat, with his blend of hockey IQ and wall play complementing Detroit’s potential top-two scorers. Maybe you flip the sides from how I have them listed here, to get DeBrincat on his one-timer side, but we don’t need to get that specific on July 11.

Continued (at length, behind a paywall, including PP and PK units)

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff believes that the Red Wings’ player personnel changes may finally improve the team’s moribund power play:

By bringing in defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere as a free agent and trading for Alex DeBrincat, the Detroit Red Wings are creating the potential to ice a very potent power play during the 2023[24 NHL season.

“I think so,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said. “But potential being the key word.”

Detroit’s power play was 17th in the NHL last season. The Red Wings were clicking at 21.1%.

While Yzerman is wisely couching his optimism, the fact of the matter is that both players are displaying a proven track record as producers when their teams are enjoying the man advantage.

Gostisbehere has accounted for 31% of his goals (27 of 87) and 35.3% of his assists (79 of 224) while his team was on the power play.

“Gostisbehere can really shoot the puck,” Yzerman said. “He has been on good power plays. He can score from back there, so it gives the coaching staff another option and a left-shot option on the top. With Mo Seider and potentially Jake Walman playing a little bit on the power play and Shayne, I think on the back end it gives you different looks, righties and lefties. And then Alex, he’s normally playing off the hash marks on the left wing. I expect him to play there.”

Continued; it would be nice to see the Red Wings’ power play connect with some sort of relative consistency.

NHL.com’s Dave Hogg posted a profile of Red Wings 2023 1st round pick Nate Danielson, who was in Detroit for the Red Wings’ annual Summer Development Camp last week at LCA:

The 18-year-old isn’t expected to make the Red Wings’ opening night roster and is not eligible to play in the American Hockey League, so is likely to remain in the WHL this season. Still, he got his first taste of the NHL at Detroit’s development camp last week.

“It’s been a whirlwind going to Nashville for the draft and then coming here to meet everyone,” he said. “But it’s been awesome — I’m having a ton of fun.”

Danielson said he was impressed by the Red Wings facilities and with the level of instruction he received at the five-day camp.

“The rink is unreal, and so are the amenities we have here,” he said. “But there are a ton of great people. They’re teaching us about nutrition, strength and mobility training, and then when we get on the ice, they’re showing us skating skills.”

Danielson isn’t expected to make the NHL roster, and because he’s not eligible to play in the AHL, he’ll get another season with Brandon. He’ll return to Detroit later this summer for the Red Wings’ annual prospect tournament, followed by training camp, but in the meantime will work on the plan the Detroit staff gave him.

“I know I need to get bigger and stronger as well as, just being quicker and more explosive,” he said. “So … I’m going to go home (to Edmonton), get in the gym and start working on those things.

“I have an NHL team now, but I still have to earn an NHL roster spot.”

Continued, with commentary from Red Wings assistant GM/director of amateur scouting Kris Draper…

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman spoke with the NHL Network tonight regarding the Alex DeBrincat trade (at the 1:18 mark) and a whole lot more over the course of a 10-minute interview:

WXYZ’s Brad Galli filed a video report regarding today’s press conferences from Steve Yzerman and Alex DeBrincat:

Alex DeBrincat gave the NHL Network’s “The NHL Tonight” a 5:32 interview:

Update: Here’s the YouTube version:

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen reviews the comments made by Steve Yzerman and Alex DeBrincat to the media this morning, discussing DeBrincat’s Michigan ties:

“It’s super exciting obviously,” said DeBrincat. “Growing up here and rooting for the Red Wings when I was younger, it’s definitely a dream come true. I do have to say I don’t think anyone’s happier than my parents. It’s the whole family. Everyone’s happy. It’s a good spot for me. ”

DeBrincat grew up in Farmington Hills and that’s where he started playing youth hockey.

“I played for the Farmington Hills Fire for quite a few years at Farmington Hills Ice Arena, so that rink is pretty special,” DeBrincat said. “Then I moved on to play for Victory Honda, which I’ve trained at for the past couple of years, too. Going to that gym and skating there. Those rinks are obviously special to me. I’ve had a lot of good memories there. It’s just nice to be back here and enjoy this.”

Among DeBrincat’s favorite childhood memories was watching his favorite player Pavel Datsyuk and rooting for the Red Wings when they won the Stanley Cup in 2008. He was 11 then.

His Red Wings fandom also included the latter stages of Steve Yzerman’s career. That’s why it was special when Yzerman called him yesterday after the negotiations with the agent had been completed.

“It was awesome,” DeBrincat said. “Obviously we found out everything was going to be done. He called me a little later last night and we just chatted for a couple of minutes. I just told him I’m really excited to be here. I’m excited for the opportunity that this team is giving me. He just kind of went through what would kind of be our team, what it’s like. It was a good chat.”

Continued

Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that the New York Islanders were the other team in the race for Alex DeBrincat’s services, and they lost out to the Red Wings:

The two-time 40-goal scorer from Farmington Hills, Michigan, was exactly what the Islanders needed. But the Islanders’ proposed trade package, which included center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and the remaining three seasons of his six-year, $30 million deal as well as right wing Oliver Wahlstrom, per an NHL source, did not entice the Senators. It seems certain [Islanders GM Lou] Lamoriello would have had to include a first-round pick and maybe a prospect as well, and the Islanders have not picked in the first round since 2019 and may be reluctant to surrender future premium picks.

It also seems likely the Senators did not want to take on any large salaries such as Pageau, who is from Ottawa and played his first seven-plus NHL seasons with the Senators.

The Red Wings landed DeBrincat on Sunday in exchange for forward Dominik Kubalik, entering the last season of a two-year, $5 million deal, defense prospect Donovan Sebrango, a conditional first-round pick in 2024 and a fourth-round pick in 2024.

“There’s just a limited number of actual what we call — I don’t know what the true definition of a goal scorer is, but there just aren’t a lot of them around the league,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said on Monday’s teleconference. “The guys that can get [the puck] on the stick and any time they shoot it, it looks like it has a chance of going in. We categorize Alex in that mode, as a sniper. Just one shot can change a game.”

DeBrincat, 25, has scored 41 goals twice in his six NHL seasons. He promptly agreed to a four-year, $31.5 million extension with the Red Wings.

The source said it was the Islanders’ understanding DeBrincat was willing to sign a new deal with them.

The Red Wings and the Islanders were believed to be the two teams seriously vying for DeBrincat.

Continued

Full Press Hockey’s Elaine Shircliff did a fine job of summarizing the Grand Rapids Griffins’ offseason changes, and here’s the start of her survey:

The 2022-23 season was another lackluster one for the Grand Rapids Griffins. Despite having a roster full of young talent and strong veterans, the Griffins failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row. To add insult to injury, their 64 points and record of 28-36-4-4 placed Grand Rapids toward the bottom of the league standings (30th out of 32 teams).

At the end of the season, General Manager Shawn Horcoff decided the Griffins needed a new voice in the locker room and decided to not renew the contracts of all of the coaching staff except video coach Mike Knuble (who ended up leaving the organization on June 22).

Even though the season was a little cloudy for the Griffins, there were many bright spots on the roster which helped salvage the season. 

Forward Taro Hirose led the Griffins with 41 assists and 57 points, while Joel L’Esperance led the team with 25 goal. L’Esperance’s 14 power play goals was third best in the league, tied with Michael Carcone of the Tucson Roadrunners. 

Jared McIsaac brought strength to the blue line at both even strength and on the power play. His ability to compose 200-foot plays based on how the opponent was playing allowed the Griffins to string together multiple successful plays all season.

Continued

The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has written an after-the-fact take on the Alex DeBrincat deal from a Senators perspective this evening:

Sources say DeBrincat didn’t like being in the second-line role behind Tkachuk and didn’t feel there would ever be an opportunity to move up the depth chart. DeBrincat made it clear speaking with Detroit reporters Monday morning he had no intention of signing with the Senators.

“We spent a year there and we just didn’t really have enough time to think about signing long-term there. I think there were probably better fits out there for me,” DeBrincat said. “That’s why we said we weren’t going to sign long-term at that time. They made decision to try to get something for me and avoid me walking for free next year. Once I said that I think the writing was on the wall and they were ready to move me.”

So erase the talk that DeBrincat never asked for a trade or he was waiting to see who the new owner might be before making a decision. The reality is he wanted to return home to Detroit and, as he spoke with reporters from the area, he couldn’t hide his excitement that the trade worked out.

The Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars and New York Islanders all made a hard push for DeBrincat, but they had no chance of signing him. He and his Toronto-based agent, Jeff Jackson, were trying to engineer a trade to Detroit throughout this process, so that made it difficult for Dorion.

DeBrincat makes his off-season home just outside the city and grew up there.

“Detroit was my No. 1. There were definitely other teams I think but in the end I’m happy I’m here,” he said. “I’m happy to join this team and I think this team has a lot of potential.”

Yzerman said it didn’t take long to get this deal done. He spoke with Dorion before the NHL draft in Nashville late last month, revisited it around July 1 and then got on the phone Sunday to see if they could get it across the finish line. At that point, DeBrincat agreed to the contract.

Continued