Month: July 2023

Duff on ‘life lessons’ for the Wings’ prospects

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff took note of the “life lessons” which the Red Wings’ top prospects are learning this week at the 2023 Summer Development Camp:

As they put their top prospects through the paces, the Detroit Red Wings were evaluating each player’s skill level. There was also intense physical testing to determine areas in need of addressing. But it wasn’t just hockey sense that was being taught.

Off the ice, the young players were getting schooling in what to eat, how to rest and recover and even how to invest their money.

To say it was an eye-opening experience to the young players would be a massive understatement.

“I’m starting to think about financial stuff, like if I sign a contract or something like that,” 2023 Detroit first-round pick Axel Sandin Pellikka said. “I’m learning about how I invest my money and use it in the future.”

For someone like 2021 first-round draftee Sebastian Cossa, he was able to put these lessons into practice as he made his pro debut thus season with the ECHL Toledo Walleye.

“Yeah, 100%,” Cossa said. “Sleep tracking. They talk a lot about diet and hydration here and that’s huge. It’s just making sure you’re eating right and sleeping right. It’s little things away from the rink that are big.”

Continued; the prospects also take seminars regarding social media and media relations, they learn how to work out properly, they learn how to cook well, etc.

And they took in last night’s Tigers game. It’s a busy week for them.

Trevor Thompson speaks with the Dower Nilsson brothers

Bally Sports Detroit’s Trevor Thompson spoke with Noah and Liam Dower Nilsson yesterday afternoon, and the interview aired during last night’s Tigers game:

Ken Kal: The Red Wings will stream this morning’s Summer Development Camp 3-on-3 tournament

Per Detroit Red Wings play-by-play announcer Ken Kal:

HSJ in the morning: Profiling Carter Mazur

The Free Press’s Helene St. James profiles Red Wings prospect Carter Mazur this morning:

Mazur sees a role for himself as a player: “I like pissing people off, that’s a big part of my game,” he said. “I love chirping, getting under other people’s skin, I don’t care who you are. It’s something I enjoy and it makes hockey a lot of fun.”

Carter put in something of an audition playing for the U.S. at the World Championship, where the coaching staff included Wings coach Derek Lalonde. Lalonde told the Free Press after the May tournament what he liked about Mazur’s performance: “There are still a lot of areas where he needs to grow his game, but I got a very good impression from him. He put his nose right into things. It was impressive to see.”

Mazur had a goal and three assists in 10 games, and came away with valuable experience.

“I feel like it helped me a lot,” he said. “The first game, Miko Rantanen was out there, players of that caliber. It was special to be on the same ice as them and share it with them. But I felt like I was out there doing what I do best and I was ready and was put in a situation where I succeeded. I look forward to a future of playing against men here on out.

“It’s my lifelong dream to be a Detroit Red Wings and I know I’m close to it, but it’s still far, far away,” Mazur said. “I want to be a really good player in the NHL, I don’t just want to be someone that just sticks around for a couple games and gets sent down. I want to be a player that has a reason and competes and does everything. That is my main focus.”

Continued (no paywall as of 6:16 AM)

Analyzing the Gostisbehere signing from a fantasy hockey perspective

ESPN’s Victoria Matiash examined the major free agent signings from a fantasy hockey perspective, determining which players might make the biggest fantasy hockey impact, and she suggests that Shayne Gostisbehere is the Red Wings’ most consequential signing:

Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Detroit Red Wings: Of Detroit’s myriad signings, the puck-moving defenseman merits the most immediate fantasy attention. Inked to a one-year audition with the Wings, Gostisbehere will want to make as much productive hay as possible ahead of signing his next deal. Fated to anchor the club’s secondary power play – presuming Moritz Seider hangs onto his first-unit role – the one-time 65-point producer should rack up 45 or so with relative ease. Less fantasy relevant, at least ahead of the season, netminding newbies James Reimer and Alex Lyon are poised to battle it out for playing time behind Numero Uno Ville Husso.

Continued; the Red Wings could use Gostisbehere’s offense.

Some sort-of-kind-of praise for the Sprong deal

The Athletic’s Harman Dayal posted a list of the NHL’s best unrestricted free agent contracts, and he believes that Steve Yzerman’s signing of Daniel Sprong counts toward the positive category:

Daniel Sprong, Detroit Red Wings

Contract: $2 million x one year

Let’s get the disclaimer out of the way: Daniel Sprong is flawed defensively and probably needs to play in a sheltered bottom-six role to perform best. Some teams don’t have the appetite to accommodate a one-dimensional player like that, but Detroit’s a team where that fit makes sense.

The Red Wings finished 24th in goals-per-game last season and have had trouble adding scoring this summer. Sprong helps in that department, as he notched 21 goals and 46 points in 66 games while averaging 11:25 per game for Seattle. He has a quick release and can beat goalies from distance with regularity at both even-strength and on the man advantage. The encouraging aspect of his production last season is that he didn’t need offensively gifted linemates by his side — he scored five-on-five points at a prolific rate while spending most of the year in a fourth-line role with Geekie and Brandon Tanev.

In a best-case scenario, Sprong could solidify himself in a third-line role with whichever one of Andrew Copp or J.T. Compher becomes the 3C, since either center would be able to shelter him defensively. Adding Sprong’s finishing ability at a modest $2 million cap hit, with just a one-year commitment, makes him a solid signing for Detroit.

Continued (paywall)

Tweet of note: It’s a hot dog

The Red Wings’ social media team asked Red Wings development campers Chase Bradley and Amadeus Lombardi to engage in a “hot dog eating contest,” and they obliged, with Marco Kasper providing commentary:

Spring, Sprong, paycheck?

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Ashbourne believes that several of the NHL’s unrestricted free agents who “bet on themselves” with short-term contracts might end up cashing in on their wagers, and Ashbourne includes new Red Wings forward Daniel Sprong in his list, noting that Sprong’s 1-year, $2 million contract might yield a much larger payday a summer from now:

How it could pay off: Sprong has been one of the NHL’s most effective scorers on a per-minute basis and he’s joining a team that should be able to give him a bigger role than he’s accustomed to.

Since 2018-19, the winger ranks 10th among all qualified (100-plus games played) skaters in 5-on-5 goals/60 at 1.20. A Detroit Red Wings team hardly bursting with forward talent will be able to test whether that efficiency holds up with a larger workload.

He’s also likely to get some power-play time, which could help juice his numbers. Last season he logged a career-high 127:18 with the man advantage. His six power-play goals were tied for second on the Seattle Kraken. If given enough runway, Sprong might just put up some eye-popping numbers and hit free agency prior to his age-27 season.

Where it could go wrong: While Detroit should provide some solid opportunities from an ice-time perspective, Sprong won’t have elite teammates to lean on.

He’s joining a Red Wings club that ranked just 24th in the NHL in scoring (2.89 goals/game) with the 17th-ranked power play (21.1%).

Unless he works his way to the top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, he’s unlikely to play with guys capable of elevating his game.

Continued; I think Sprong will do just fine on a second line…