Month: September 2023

The Free Press’s Carlos Monarrez isn’t necessarily a fan of the Yzerplan’s cautious approach toward making playoff hockey happen in Detroit again, though he understands the merits thereof:

I appreciate Yzerman’s philosophy of building this team responsibly, because he’s right in many ways. He wants to return the franchise to its recent former glory, perhaps with the aspiration of embarking on another 25-season playoff streak.

“I’m trying to build the nucleus of a team that can make the playoffs on an annual basis,” he said. “You squeak in one year and you don’t have the foundation to sustain it, we’re going to be sitting here a year from now or two years from now and you’re gonna be wondering again.”

There are two problems with Yzerman’s vision. The first is that no one else can see it but him. What exactly does he see and how does he see the Wings getting there? Is it a dynasty to end all dynasties? And when does it all begin? Or rather, when does the rebuild officially end?

“I don’t know when to, I guess, like literally announce what stage of the rebuild we’re at,” he said.

This isn’t the answer a fan wants from their general manager, or their general contractor.

When’s the kitchen remodel going to be done? Hey, who knows? But keep those checks coming!

Continued; I happen to believe that the Red Wings are in the middle of their rebuilding process. Not the beginning, not the end, but the middle. A place where there are playoff aspirations and players (like Dylan Larkin) who are getting understandably impatient with “the process,” and who plain old want to push this team back into the postseason.

But the Red Wings clearly have more prospects to acquire, more high-end talent to acquire, and maybe a couple of years or more until making the playoffs is no longer a dream, but instead, a sustainable reality for a Red Wings ecosystem where Yzerman–who, as Monarrez wisely says, is a plain old conservative general manager–is willing to move a few assets in order to gain a real foothold in the playoff push.

It sucks for people like the affable Larkin and company to be on the team in the middle of a rebuild, but one hopes that, when this team gets some breaks with injuries and player productivity, and when the roster really gels and comes together, it will have been worth the long wait.

DobberHockey’s Alexander MacLean was tasked with determining a “breakout candidate” for all of the NHL’s 32 teams, and he offers a surprising candidate for the Red Wings:

Red Wings – Jonatan Berggren (RW): Berggren played only five percent of his time last year with Lucas Raymond, but put up 15% of his total production in that time. Otherwise, his linemates were almost solely bottom-six players: Joe Veleno, Austin Czarnik, Matt Luff, Pius Suter… etc. If he can move up in the lineup, his scoring rate is going to skyrocket.

Continued; I don’t know whether “Johnny Burgers” will ascend the Wings’ depth chart, but I wouldn’t bet against his point totals increasing, regardless of who he plays with.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted a behind-the-paywall article questioning whether the Red Wings can earn a playoff spot in the stacked Atlantic Division this upcoming season:

Is [Detroit’s] legitimate hope that the team can buck those odds, take the standings and if not turn them upside down, at least shake them up enough to shake out a playoff spot? Even GM Steve Yzerman is wondering how that development might come about.

Are the Red Wings ready to make a playoff run during the 2023-24 campaign?

“I’m not sure honestly,” Yzerman frankly admitted. “To sit here and for me to say we’re definitely gonna make the playoffs or whatnot, I’m not sure.”

Looking at the clubs above Detroit in the Atlantic, his concern appears warranted. Tick those teams off one at a time and you tell us which are the ones about to take a Humpty Dumpty-like fall to clear a playoff path for Detroit.

Continued (paywall); honestly, even this early on, my hope is that the Red Wings can snag a wild card spot. The Maple Leafs, Panthers and Lightning are going exactly nowhere other than the playoffs, and one underestimates the Patrice-Bergeron-and-David-Krejci-less Boston Bruins at their peril.

NHL.com posted a set of “Training Camp Storylines” for every Eastern Conference team, and Alex DeBrincat’s addition is Rosen’s pick for the Red Wings:

Detroit Red Wings: Alex DeBrincat is the Red Wings’ most notable new addition, heading a list that includes forward J.T. Compher and defensemen Jeff Petry and Shayne Gostisbehere. Where DeBrincat slots in will be interesting; the most logical spot appears to be on the top line with left wing Lucas Raymond and center Dylan Larkin. Detroit ranked 24th in the NHL in goals last season (237) and hasn’t had a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa in 2008-09. DeBrincat, who scored 27 goals last season with the Senators and 41 twice with the Chicago Blackhawks, could be the next one for the Red Wings, but chemistry with linemates will be key and that starts to develop in training camp.

Continued; we’ll see whether DeBrincat hits 40. My guess is that he’ll be in the 30-goal range.

Enjoy:

CapFriendly reports that the Red Wings signed free agent forward Artem Anisimov and free agent goaltender Michael Hutchinson, who are 35 and 33 years old, respectively, to pro try-outs.

Now both players are long-shots to make the Red Wings’ NHL roster, and are more likely to earn AHL or ECHL jobs. Anisimov played for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL last season, posting 36 points in 55 games, and Hutchinson played in 16 middling games for Columbus and 7 AHL games for Vegas’ AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights (both with a sub-.900 save percentage).

Why sign the pair to PTO’s? Well, in the former’s case, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen duly notes that Anisimov has a history with a certain Alex DeBrincat…

Anisimov, a 35-year-old center, has played 771 NHL games over 13 seasons. He’s a four-time 20-goal scorer in the league, doing so once with the Columbus Blue Jackets and three times for the Chicago Blackhawks. The Red Wings have been enjoying success by recruiting ex-Chicago forwards in recent seasons, namely Pius Suter and Dominik Kubalik. This season, Detroit acquired Alex DeBrincat, a two-time 40-goal scorer for Chicago, from Ottawa. Anisimov was a frequent linemate of DeBrincat’s with the Blackhawks.

Anisimov last skated in the NHL during the 2020-21 season with the Ottawa Senators. He suited up last season for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, AHL farm club of the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 19 goals in 55 games.

Now Anisimov isn’t going to be playing on DeBrincat’s line come October 12th, but the 6’4,” 198-pound forward could provide some reasonable size and depth at the AHL level.

And while fans are still freaking out over Sebastian Cossa’s performance in this past weekend’s prospect tournament, I happened to ask Yzerman what he thought about Cossa given his solid ECHL record (26 regular-season wins in 46 appearances and 5 playoff wins in 7 games), and, as Allen notes, Yzerman wasn’t pancking. A little concerned? Maybe. But nothing more:

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills took note of the remarks made by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman during his press conference this morning. Yzerman made sure to point out that his team is, at least in theory, better in every category in terms of depth–but has a long ways to go in the execution department:

“If you just look at the players all on one-way contracts, there’s competition at every position,” Yzerman said in a pre-camp Zoom call with the media on Tuesday. “Not only to be on the roster or in the lineup, but to play minutes in all situations. So I think that is healthy. New players are going to want to come in and make a good impression on the coaching staff and earn a more increased role. Then we do have some of our younger players that are coming in here with a mindset, ‘I’m going to make this team.’”

Yzerman also pointed out several key players who helped Detroit finish last season with its best record (35-37-10; 80 points) since 2015-16 are set to return. But for the Red Wings to take another step forward this season, the club must improve in all areas to “creep up the standings.”

“Statistically, I think we made some strides in all the different categories,” Yzerman said. “It’s continued to go in that direction. For our goaltenders, our goals against and save percentage need to improve. Our special teams need to continue to creep forward. As a team, in every area, we need to get better.”

That being said, Yzerman will take production from wherever it comes:

As much as the veterans will be relied on this season, the younger players have shown they can also make a significant impact. Detroit has seen its rookies rack up 164 points over the past two seasons, trailing only the Montreal Canadiens (228), Columbus Blue Jackets (174) and Arizona Coyotes (172) in that span.

But as Yzerman has continually emphasized throughout his tenure in Detroit, he will not rush prospects into the NHL.

“If we have a player that is too good for the minors, we’ll figure it out,” Yzerman said. “That would be my message to the young players, but we’re not just throwing them into the NHL. One, it’s not good for them. And two, it’s not helping our team win.”

Continued

Per CapFriendly:

Detroit #RedWings signed two players to professional try outs today.

F – Artem Anisimov
G – Michael Hutchinsonhttps://t.co/E2iKhf7X9G

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) September 19, 2023

Here’s more from Pro Hockey Rumors’ Josh Erickson:

DobberHockey’s Brennan Des ranks Ville Husso among a tier of goaltenders that are 4th-best in the league (out of 6 tiers) in terms of his fantasy hockey value:

Ville Husso (DET)

The 28-year-old netminder has two seasons with significant action under his belt: last year in Detroit, when he posted an underwhelming .896 SV% and 3.11 GAA through 56 games, and the season before in St. Louis, when he impressed with a .919 SV% and 2.56 GAA through 40 outings. Most seem willing to attribute last year’s struggles to the lackluster Red Wings team in front of Husso. I’m willing to buy that theory, but how you value Husso this year depends on what you think of the altered roster in front of him. Sure, Alex DeBrincat is a massive addition that could help secure a few more wins, but I’m not sure if the acquisitions of Jeff Petry, Shayne Gostisbehere and Justin Holl make Husso’s life easier or more difficult.

Continued; doubt can only be reversed by action.

Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon is a respected colleague of mine, so please don’t kill him for ranking the Red Wings’ home jersey as the 14th-best in the NHL:

14. Detroit Red Wings

We can feel the heat coming from Motown already.

Listen, the Detroit Red Wings jersey is perfect. It’s iconic. It’s been made famous in movies, and the image of Gordie Howe wearing it is as good as it gets.

Personally speaking, I’ve got a closet full of them, but they’re basic. And that’s OK! The last thing we need is anyone going around and jacking up the Red Wings’ look and doing something different for difference’s sake.

Think of just about any of the recent alternate Red Wings jerseys and how much they just didn’t do anything for anyone. Some looks don’t need to be messed with, and the Red Wings have one of them. That doesn’t change the facts that it’s plain and their road white jersey is a better look.

Continued; I personally love the fact that the Red Wings’ jerseys are simple. Red. White. Winged Wheel. And we’re done here.

I think that between the Red Wings’ red road jersey and their Detroit Cougars home jersey as an alternate, you can’t get much better. And I’m gonna stand by that.