Month: August 2023

MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the Red Wings’ signing of free agent forward Daniel Sprong this morning:

Sprong, 26, is coming off career highs in games (66), goals (21) and points (46) with Seattle while averaging only 11:25 in ice time.

“I think I became a bit better defensively, played with more physicality and maybe better with my all-around game,” Sprong said. “Offensively, the big thing was getting power-play time, where I could use my strengths and my shot. I’m a shooter, so that’s something I think I can really help the power play with. We had a good team in Seattle. You could play any guy with anybody and we clicked easy. I’m looking forward to a bigger role, show Detroit I can do that this year.”

Sprong figures to be a third-line winger who will play the left flank on the second power-play unit, setting up for one-timers with his strong right-handed shot.

“I think something that stands out about him is his shot and his ability to get his shot off,” Red Wings newly signed goaltender James Reimer said. “It’s the type of release that kind of surprises guys. There’s something unique about the way he plays and plays the game offensively.”

Continued

This evening, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan attempts to discern the Red Wings’ opening-night lineup for the 2023-2024 season:

David Perron-Dylan Larkin-DeBrincat: Instantly there will be many Wings fans wanting to put Lucas Raymond alongside Larkin and DeBrincat, but that might not be the best option.

It would offensively, possibly, put the Wings’ three most dangerous offensive players together. And they will likely see time together at some point.

But defensively it could be an issue, not to mention, putting Raymond elsewhere in the lineup will provide the Wings with more scoring depth, which consistently hasn’t been the case in recent seasons.

Eyes will be on Larkin and DeBrincat to see how they’ll mesh. You’d think DeBrincat will have a decent chance returning to his 40-goal pace with Larkin as his playmaker. Perron provides size, an agitating presence, an ability to get to the net, and Perron played well with Larkin last season.

This would be a darn good first line by any standard.

Continued (paywall)

Per the Red Wings comes this bit of PR enjoyment for your perusal. It’s also a bit of free advertising, but that’s okay:

SINGLE-GAME TICKETS FOR 2023-24 DETROIT RED WINGS SEASON GO ON SALE THIS FRIDAY AT 10 A.M.

• Home Opener set for Saturday, Oct. 14 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, with limited tickets available
• New-look Red Wings to host 18 weekend games at Little Caesars Arena
• New Jersey Devils to visit Detroit for annual Thanksgiving Eve game; Red Wings will host Boston Bruins on afternoon of New Year’s Eve
• Three separate 10-game plans currently on-sale and tailored to fans’ availability
• Tickets, fan travel packages available for NHL Global Series in Sweden

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced that single-game tickets for the highly anticipated 2023-24 season at Little Caesars Arena will go on sale this Friday, August 4 at 10 a.m. at DetroitRedWings.com/tickets.

The upcoming campaign will be full of excitement for Red Wings fans, with a new-look roster that features the additions of Alex DeBrincat, J.T. Compher, Daniel Sprong, Shayne Gostisbehere and more. Friday’s launch of single-game tickets will be the first chance for fans to reserve seats for Opening Night at Little Caesars Arena, on Saturday, Oct. 14 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Continue reading Press release: Red Wings single-game tickets go sale on Friday

NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman discusses the competition for the top goaltending spot on the United States’ World Junior Championship team, which includes Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine, former Red Wings development camper Andrew Oke, Canadiens prospect Jacob Fowler, Florida Panthers prospect Tyler Muszelik and Kings prospect Andrew Slukynsky:

United States coach David Carle has learned one thing about his team’s goaltending for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“We feel like we have really good depth at the position and some really good competition,” Carle said during the 2023 World Junior Summer Showcase. “I think you’re seeing guys elevate and play well certainly.”

…

“You just kind of see a different perspective now,” said Augustine, who was 4-1 with a 2.85 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in six games to help the U.S. finish third at the 2023 WJC. “You know what the process is like and what it takes to get there. And then obviously, it’s trying to be a leader in the room and kind of help the guys along.”

Oke, who played one period in relief of Augustine in an 11-1 win against Germany in the quarterfinals, sees another chance to play in the World Juniors as motivation to show what NHL teams missed when he went unselected at the 2023 NHL Draft.

“Obviously it didn’t go the way you wanted it to but that’s just how it goes sometimes,” he said. “I’ve been battling here, and especially with the Memorial Cup (played for host Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League) and trying to make this team, I think it would work out pretty good for me hopefully.”

Carle said it was too soon to say if any of the goalies has separated himself from the pack. Muszelik, who was the final goalie cut from the training camp for the 2023 WJC, said he feels like it’s been an even playing field between the two returnees and the three other goalies.

“We all have the same goal and that’s to be on the team and win a gold medal,” he said. “It’s nice to have competition. I think they’re all highly skilled, good goalies. So it’s fun to be a part of it.”

Continued; it won’t be easy for Augustine to rise above his competition, because they’re all good goaltenders, but he is the incumbent starter.

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin posted a massive list of his top 300 fantasy hockey players, and several Red Wings players made his list. Here they are, in numerical order:

Continue reading 9 Red Wings make Daily Faceoff’s Larkin’s top 300 fantasy hockey player list

Red Wings prospect and 23-year-old defenseman Jared McIsaac spoke with the Truro Daily News’s Lyle Carter regarding being re-signed by the Red Wings recently:

“The summer has been great, it is so nice to get home and to see family, my young cousins and everyone,” McIsaac said. “Julia and I are spending the summer in Dartmouth; we get up to Truro every second weekend.”

Julia Scammell, McIsaac’s girlfriend, is an outstanding athlete. Scammell played hockey for four years at the University of New Hampshire, on a full scholarship. She also starred for the Nova Scotia Canada Games hockey team.

McIsaac, noticeably pleased to have been resigned by Detroit, was asked about his outlook for the 2023-24 hockey season.

“It’s a big year, I know that,” McIsaac said. “I go to camp every year trying to make the big team. If I can prove to them (Detroit) that I can play well in the American Hockey League, be a top defenceman, I believe I’ll prove I’m ready for the NHL. I’m living a childhood dream playing hockey for a living. It’s inspiring that I have a lot of family and friends across the province cheering me on.”

McIsaac’s summer schedule includes working out in the gym five days a week. He also trains with Chris Pierce of the Halifax Mooseheads.

“Besides training with Chris, I’m skating twice weekly. A month before training camp I’ll begin skating four times a week. I’ve bulked up a bit since coming home, I’ve been healthy following last season which is great. The off season is helping with that as well.”

Continued; McIsaac’s uncle, Jon McIsaac, is an NHL referee. Who knew?

Per the Toledo Walleye:

(Toledo, OH) – Defenseman Grant Gabriele has agreed to terms with the Toledo Walleye for the 2023-2024 season.

Gabriele, a native of Brighton, Michigan, joins the Walleye after completing his first professional season last year with the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. In 67 games, the defenseman posted 25 points (9G, 16A) with 22 penalty minutes and finished the season with a plus-5 rating. He made his pro debut with a pair of games for Providence at the end of the 2021-2022 season with no points.

The 26-year-old had five years at Ohio State in which he appeared in 124 contests totaling 13 goals with 37 assists for 50 points. Gabriele set career highs in games played (37), goals (5), assists (15), points (20), penalty minutes (12), and plus/minus (+12) during his final year with the Buckeyes in 2021-2022. He was a member of the Ohio State team that won the Big 10 regular season championship in the 2018-2019 campaign.

The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe has more on the signing:

The Walleye have now signed nine players: defensemen Gabriele, Thomas Farrell, and Jake Willets, and forwards Carson Denomie, Brandon Kruse, Brandon Hawkins, Conlan Keenan, Sam Craggs, and Mitchell Lewandowski.

Five of the nine players that the Walleye have signed are from the state of Michigan.

The Walleye open the 2023-24 season on Oct. 21 at Kalamazoo. The home opener is set for Nov. 3 against Reading.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen wrote a column about Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson, who’s played surprisingly strongly at the World Junior Summer Showcase:

Anton Johansson, who turned 19 last month, will return to Leksands for the upcoming season. He already has played 25 games in the Swedish Hockey League, but understands he has work to do before he is ready to come to North America.

“Mostly defensive stuff,” he said. “I think I need to work on that more this season. I think I have the offense, just work on the defense and try to get more complete.”

Johansson’s lure is that he has the potential to be a full service defenseman. Swedish coaches use him in all situations in this tournament. He has size, offensive skill and defensive desire to be a factor in all three zones. Johansson is trying not to get ahead of himself. Niklas Kronwall, an adviser to Steve Yzerman, talks to Johansson at least once a week in Sweden.

“I just want to play my best game, and show coaches I want to make the team for the world juniors.”

Continued; again, we’re not talking about Johansson becoming a top-pair defenseman, but he certainly looks like a player who’s going to become a professional who can contribute as a two-way defender.

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton penned a list of stand-out performers from the 3rd day of game competition at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and he lists Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka among his top three:

“I had a rough, rough first game,” said Sandin Pellikka.  “Losing 10-1 is not the best way to start the season, but I think the whole team bounced back in this game and we showed who we really are.”

That the recovery came against the Fins made the victory even sweeter.  “We always want to beat Finland, and that’s one of our biggest rivalries right now, so it’s always nice to beat them,” he added.

“He had a tough game Monday, more mistakes than normal from what we can expect from him,” said Swedish coach Magnus Havelid.  “Now you can see he’s back again on the track, and I hope he can take another step on Friday.”

Every time I watch Sandin Pellikka—whether at last year’s World Juniors, Red Wings development camp at the beginning of July, or this week in Plymouth—there are more alluring details to his game that catch my eye.

On Wednesday at USA Hockey Arena, I was struck by three things.

Continued

I’ve talked about Red Wings prospect defenseman Anton Johansson several times this week–and not just because he’s posted 2 goals and 1 assist over the course of 3 World Junior Summer Showcase games. The 6’4,” 196-pound defenseman has been something of a revelation as a 19-year-old who provides steady defense and a surprisingly solid offensive toolkit.

As such, The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted a feature article on Johansson this morning:

“He’s been terrific,” [Axel] Sandin Pellikka said. “As soon as he has the puck in the O-zone, he’s a threat, and he’s good (on) the point and having some good point shots. I really like his game.”

His coach, [Hugo] Havelid, was a bit more reserved, as coaches tend to be, already looking forward to what Johansson can gain from playing more in the SHL this coming season. But he acknowledged the big right-shot defender has “a lot of potential, offensively (and) defensively.”

“He’s an interesting player in many different ways,” Havelid said. “I think he’s (had) a good tournament so far. (It will) probably be good for him to come home and play in the SHL, be more steady, that’s for those players, game-by-game, three games a week with tough men’s hockey, that will help him.”

The offensive part of Johansson’s game seems to come rather naturally to him, with good instincts and skating for his size driving the way. But it’s the defensive side where he’ll need to continue to show he can be counted on, both for the sake of his world junior aspirations and on his trajectory as a Red Wings prospect. He showed moments of being able to use his size in a corner to win a battle and spring a zone exit, and Johansson said Wednesday he “(felt) great defensively this week.”

Continued (paywall)