Month: September 2023

Khan on an Yzerplan in progress

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted an article regarding Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s press conference this morning, and Khan noted that Yzerman believes that his team’s roster is still in flux to some extent thanks to a push from young players…But Yzerman isn’t willing to guarantee that this year’s team will make a playoff spot:

“I look at our division and I’m not sure what to expect from some teams that continue to get better and teams that lost players,” Yzerman said. “We’ll get into the season and see how we match up, how we do through the first quarter of the season and then kind of have a better idea of where we’re at. I’d like to think we’re a better team, I think we’re a more competitive team. We’ll see if that puts us in a position to compete for a playoff spot.”

Yzerman said the rebuild phase ends when you’re not selling at the trade deadline, like the Red Wings have every year since 2017.

“I think we’re still being patient,” he said. “We’re waiting for our younger players to develop. I intend to hold onto our draft picks for the foreseeable future and let them develop and try to add to that small core that we have that makes us a competitive team for a long period of time.”

When healthy, the Red Wings have 13 experienced NHL forwards and seven veteran defensemen. That will make for a competitive environment, even if a younger waiver-exempt player like former first-round picks Simon Edvinsson or Marco Kasper aren’t on the season-opening roster.

“If you just look at the players on one-way contracts, there’s competition at every position, not only to be on the roster and in the lineup but to play minutes in all situations,” Yzerman said. “The new players are going to want to come in and make a good impression on the coaching staff and earn an increased role. Some of our younger players are coming in here with the mindset of, ‘I’m going to make this team.’ Guys like (Joe) Veleno and (Michael) Rasmussen want a bigger role, more ice time, play on special teams, take face-offs in the last minute of the game.”

Continued

THN’s Stockton: Yzerman suggests that it’s a good problem to have when/if young players complicate the Red Wings’ roster situation

As the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton notes, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman dismissed the notion that the team’s offseason signings will create roadblocks for young players attempting to make the NHL team’s roster during Yzerman’s media availability today:

Yzerman recognizes that prospects like Kasper or Edvinsson or Elmer Soderblom or Carter Mazur will arrive in training camp eager to prove they belong in an NHL lineup. Where some Red Wing fans may worry that those depth acquisitions are complicating young players paths to the NHL, Yzerman expressed confidence that the organization will find a way to incorporate any prospect that proves their NHL worthiness.

“Everybody wants to play,” Yzerman said. “Every young player that comes into training camp, whether they’re on an invite or a first-round pick, has something in the back of their mind that says ‘I’m going to show these guys something and just maybe if all goes well, I’m going to make that team.’ Every player does. It’s the natural competitiveness and confidence that good athletes have.

“For our younger players, if you’re ready to play, and you’re ready to play a significant role, we’ll figure it out. Nobody’s crowded out. Any time we’ve gone into a season leaving a spot open hoping a player’s ready to take it over, it’s a dangerous spot to be in. One, you’re not as deep, and you’re always gonna have injuries somewhere along the way, so you need the depth. Signing players to give you more depth is a good thing.”

To reinforce, this point, Yzerman cites the example of Lucas Raymond defying organizational expectations by proving he deserved a spot on the NHL roster out of training camp in 2021.

“Two years ago, we expected Lucas to start in the minors,” Yzerman recounted. “We had players signed, and we didn’t anticipate him making it, and then he was really good and we kept him. We’ll figure it out if we have a player that is too good for the minors. That’d be my message to our young players.”

Continued

Kulfan, St. James: Steve Yzerman wants to make the playoffs, but not at the expense of future success

Updated @ 1:57 PM: The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan has posted an article regarding the comments made by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman during his press conference today:

Yzerman would love to make the playoffs, but he’s maintaining a clear eye on the future.

“Every team would love to make the playoffs, we’d be thrilled to make the playoffs,” Yzerman said Tuesday during a Zoom call on the eve of Thursday’s on-ice start to training camp. “Is it playoff or bust? You say playoffs, or bust, meaning you’re prepared to trade all of your draft picks and whatever you have to do at some point? No, it’s not playoff or bust.

“But we’re going to try to win every game and try to make the playoffs, but to me, it’s not at the expense of the future. I’m trying to build a nucleus of a team that can make the playoffs on an annual basis. You squeak in one year and don’t have the foundation to sustain it, and we’ll be sitting here a year or two years from now and we’ll be wondering again.”

Yzerman seemingly filled many holes on the Wings roster, adding goal-scoring forward Alex DeBrincat, forwards J.T. Compher, Daniel Sprong, Klim Kostin and Christian Fischer, goaltenders James Reimer and Alex Lyon, and defensemen Jeff Petry, Shayne Gostisbehere and Justin Holl.

The Wings appear to have more offensive punch, are grittier and physical, and have depth behind goaltender Ville Husso, all missing ingredients last season. Whether that’s enough to make the playoffs in what could be a somewhat weaker Atlantic Division remains to be seen.

“I’d love to make the playoffs; the whole city would,” Yzerman said. “Every one of our players would, everyone in the organization, and we’ll give it a shot. We did what we could in the offseason to improve our team without mortgaging really any part of the future, and we’ll continue to get better, and sooner rather than later, we’ll be a playoff team.”

Continued (paywall);

Here’s a bit more from the Free Press’s Helene St. James:

Continue reading Kulfan, St. James: Steve Yzerman wants to make the playoffs, but not at the expense of future success

Tweet of note from Yzerman’s media availability: Mazur (leg) out for training camp; Edvinsson to be cleared for contact soon; Rasmussen ready

Per myself and GM Steve Yzerman:

If you missed it, here’s Yzerman’s 40-minute Q and A session:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xUNEIraQXrQ%3Fsi%3D2t5JAs4DVhZXzsaX

Another endorsement for a bounce-back season for Alex DeBrincat

The Score’s Josh Wegman suggests that Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat will “bounce back” from a difficult 2022-2023 season:

Alex DeBrincat, LW/RW, Detroit Red Wings: DeBrincat’s lone season in Ottawa did not go as planned – both for the player and team. A two-time 40-goal scorer, he joined the Senators with monster expectations but managed just 27 goals and 66 points in 82 games.

Part of DeBrincat’s down year was poor puck luck. His individual expected goals for per 60 minutes was 1.09, which tied the highest mark in his career and was identical to the prior season when he potted 41 goals. However, DeBrincat only converted on 10.3% of his shots – the second-lowest single-season mark of his career. He shot 17.2% in the two seasons prior and entered the campaign with a career clip of 15.5%.

DeBrincat should also be extra motivated playing for his hometown Red Wings, where he’ll likely ride shotgun on the top line with Dylan Larkin. Detroit expects to make sizeable improvements in 2023-24 after a busy offseason which will only help DeBrincat’s fantasy outlook.

Continued

Audio link: I appear on the Traverse City Record-Eagle’s ‘The Get Around’ podcast

Per the Traverse City Record-Eagle:

With the NHL Prospects Tournament at Centre Ice Arena in the rear-view and Detroit Red Wings Training Camp right on the horizon, famed Red Wings blogger George Malik stops into the Get Around studio to talk about what he saw this past week and what he expects to see when camp starts Thursday.

Plus, we take a deep dive into the high school football scene with Week 4 now in the books, discuss whether we’d rather attempt the Frankfort Ironman or the Great Lakes Strongest Man, induct another student-athlete into the Get Around Hall of Fame as our Athlete of the Week, and talk about what made us happy inside and outside of the sports world over the last seven days.

All of that and more on episode 259 of the Get Around!

Many thanks to James Cook and the Traverse City Record-Eagle for having me on.