Month: September 2023

Details, effort, and hard work

As DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills notes, the Red Wings’ participants in media availabilities today spoke unprompted regarding the fact that the team feels it’s in the process of establishing a better, steadier work ethic in year two of the Lalonde administration:

“The hard work has to start here, or else it’s probably not going to start,” [Alex] DeBrincat said Friday. “I think we really need to grind during camp, and it will become a lot easier during the year.”

DeBrincat is amidst his first training camp with Detroit after being acquired via trade with the Ottawa Senators in July. The Farmington Hills, Mich., native said he and his new teammates are actively building habits to help them become “the hardest working team out there.”

‘We need to pin down our systems and work on that, then it becomes second nature to everyone,” DeBrincat said. “It’s just predictable out there. Everyone knows what we’re doing. I think also just the work ethic out there. If everyone is going hard and competing, we all are competing for jobs here. I think once that level is to a certain point, it just becomes easier and easier to compete at that same level every single day. That carries into games.”

Forward David Perron said he noticed an uptick in intensity on Day 2 of camp.

“We go into the practice, and we don’t just wait around to kind of see what the system is going to be or what kind of drills we are going to do,” Perron said. “I think the older guys are all familiar with what we’re supposed to do out on the ice. We can push the pace in practice. That’s exactly what we’ve done the first two days already.”

Continued; the Wings have been physical and intense on the ice over the course of the first two days of training camp, and I don’t expect the intensity to let up over the course of Saturday or the Red vs. White Game on Sunday.

Kulfan’s notebook: It’s still Husso’s net

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan focuses on a lighter, smarter David Perron in his Friday night notebook, but it’s Derek Lalonde’s comments regarding the Wings’ goaltending situation that I believe merit a spotlight here:

Lalonde will give the goaltenders in camp an opportunity to play during the eight-game exhibition season. But the first priority is to make sure starter Ville Husso is ready for the season.

“First priority is to get Ville the right amount of looks and touches and feel,” Lalonde said. “We want to get a lot of guys some opportunity, and eight games is a lot of games. We do have a plan but that usually goes out the window, like anything else.”

Husso played a career-high 56 games last season and Lalonde expects Husso to be in that same neighborhood. But Husso will be better prepared to handle the workload.

“Natural growth,” Lalonde said. “It was his first year as a starter. It just felt like we pushed him into some games because of what we weren’t getting out some of our depth in that position. We knew we probably overused him, maybe took him beyond his threshold, but this is the reason why. To get him a little more comfortable playing more games and minutes.

“Hopefully, we can manage it a little better than we did last year, in when and where.”

Continued (paywall)

Allen: David Perron knows how to step up in the leadership department

Red Wings forward David Perron spoke with the media at training camp today, and the highly-spoken-of forward discussed his role as a leader on the team, as noted by Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen:

When it comes to Perron, it’s not just about scoring.

“He gets a little snarly at times, he’s very intense,” [Red Wings coach Derek] Lalonde said. “We really needed that as a group. Sometimes it’s our job to reel him in, which he understands, but he is a really important piece of our group, just with his approach, his will, his want. It’s a really good example and lesson for anyone in their career.”

Perron said part of his decision to play lighter was about neutral zone skating.

“I want to keep up with those guys,” Perron said. “Everyone is skating so well nowadays, tracking back into our zone. If I’m going to play for a couple, or few more years, that needs to be there.”

Perron is one of the Red  Wings’ most respected players because of his preparation. “I want to keep pushing,” Perron said. “I don’t want to take on a leadership role and just do it in the room. I want to be a guy who does it on the ice too.”

Continued

Prospect round-up: LDN’s ice time low in Allsvenskan; Kilpinen scores again in J20; Guimond wins first USHL game

Of Red Wings prospect-related note today:

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Liam Dower Nilsson played 5:36 in IF Bjorkloven’s 5-3 loss to Djurgarden Stockholm, finishing even with 1 shot;

In the Swedish J20 league, Maximilian Kilpinen scored 2 goals on 4 shots, finishing at +2 in Modo Ornskoldsvik’s 5-2 win over AIK;

And Noah Dower Nilsson’s Frolunda HC J20 team won 3-1 over Vasteras as the 2023 draft pick recovers from shoulder surgery.

Yesterday night, in the USHL, Jack Phelan finished at -1 in the Sioux Falls Stampede’s 2-1 OT loss to Tri-City;

And fellow 2023 draft pick Rudy Guimond stopped 19 of 20 shots to back-stop the Cedar Rapids Roughriders to a 5-1 win over Youngstown, earning his first USHL win in his first USHL game.

Update: On Friday Night, in the WHL, Nate Danielson’s Brandon Wheat Kings lost 7-6 to Regina;

And Emmitt Finnie’s Kamloops Blazers lost 7-6 in overtime to Spokane.

Khan on Alex DeBrincat’s desire to form a partnership with Dylan Larkin

MLive’s Ansar Khan profiled Red Wings trade acquisition Alex DeBrincat this afternoon, after DeBrincat spoke with the Wings’ media corps today. As Khan notes, DeBrincat believes that he’s going to form a fine partnership with Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin:

“He’s so fast, so fast up the middle,” DeBrincat said. “He creates a lot of room on the wings and really pushes the D back on different rushes, three-on-twos, three-on-threes, and really creates that space. Should be a lot of fun to play with him. He skates so effortlessly. It’s been fun to watch for a while and I’m looking forward to playing with him.”

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman traded for DeBrincat on July 9, giving the team the sniper it hasn’t had in more than a decade. It’s been 15 years since Detroit had a 40-goal scorer (Marian Hossa in 2008-09).

It cost them a first-round pick in 2024 (the lower of theirs and Boston’s) and 20-goal scorer Dominik Kubalik. They’re counting on seeing DeBrincat play like he did with the Blackhawks, not the Senators.

“I’ve got to focus a little more on bearing down when I get my chances,” DeBrincat said. “Last year I gave up a lot of chances, maybe got lazy on it or whatever, hit a post or stuff like that. I’m pretty confident getting back to that form and we have a lot of great players here to play with. I’m just trying to find the space out here and they’ll give me the puck.”

Continued

Link post: 40 more training camp photos from the Detroit News’s Guralnick

The Detroit News’s David Guralnick posted a fine 40-image gallery from the second day of Red Wings training camp, and it’s worth clicking on the link to check out Mr. Guralnick’s excellent work. He posted over 40 images yesterday, too.

The two “Daves” who cover Detroit sports, Guralnick and Red Wings photographer Dave Reginek, are the best in the business in my opinion.

Tweet of note: ‘Johnny Burgers’ Mic’ed Up

Red Wings forward Jonatan Berggren got the “Mic’ed Up” treatment by the Red Wings today, and it’s quite funny:

There’s a video if you prefer:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xbZLB_0ryQQ%3Fsi%3DDI95QlE8wbF1z8sY

Stockton on Daniel Sprong, secret weapon

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton discussed the divisive nature of the Alex DeBrincat trade in the eyes of Hockey News writers this morning, and this afternoon, and Sam does discuss DeBrincat’s comments to the media in his afternoon training camp notebook, but I’m going to highlight Stockton’s spotlighting of one Daniel Sprong here:

Whether it was the purple hue of his visor, the thunderous power behind his shot, or the volume of scoring chances he seemed to generate, there was no shortage of reasons to notice Daniel Sprong on his second official day as a Red Wing.

Playing on a line with Jonatan Berggren and Joe Veleno, Sprong earned plaudits from his coach for his performance.

Berggren’s aptitude as a playmaker makes him a natural fit alongside Sprong, while for Veleno, playing with Berggren and Sprong constitutes an opportunity to play a more offensive game than he might be able to on the Red Wings’ fourth line.  If that trio does find a groove once the regular season begins, it could also free up Detroit to move one of Andrew Copp or J.T. Compher to the wing.  Once again, there is a sense of added depth over the offseason affording the Red Wings more options for deploying their top talent.

A year ago in Seattle, Sprong played a limited third line role but that didn’t stop him from being a volume goalscorer.  Despite playing under 12 minutes a night, Sprong managed to chip in 21 goals for the Kraken, and he ranked 15th in the league in goals per 60 minutes of ice time at 1.67.

When asked whether Sprong will likely occupy a similar role in Detroit or move up the line-up, Lalonde said “I think he can complement anyone throughout our lineup. He seems comfortable in that type of role [as a 3rd line scorer]. He doesn’t need a ton to score; he’s a shooter. We want him shooting from everywhere, we want him trying to score from every situation. That’s his strength. He’s had a really good camp also…We’re gonna have a ton of different looks, but I really feel he could complement anybody in our top 12.”

Continued; great stuff from Sam as usual.

Tweet of note: Prepare for an appearance by ‘Jake’ and ‘Mo’ on Bally Sports Detroit

This looks like it’s going to be good, per Bally Sports Detroit’s John Keating:

Tweet of note: That’s a spicy captain

I was watching Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin get into a physical tussle of some significance with Jonatan Berggren during a drill at training camp today, and an intrepid videographer from Bally Sports Detroit happened to capture the exchange:

Larkin’s got a real edge to him this year.