Month: October 2023

The Detroit Red Wings assigned Zach Aston-Reese to Grand Rapids and Alexandre Doucet to Toledo today, but it’s the second half paragraph that explains why the Red Wings made the move:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Monday assigned forward Zach Aston-Reese to the Grand Rapids Griffins. In addition, the Red Wings reassigned Alexandre Doucet to the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) from the Griffins.

The Griffins will continue practices in Grand Rapids tomorrow at 11 a.m. in preparation for Friday’s season opener against the Colorado Eagles at 7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena.

Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information. Single-game tickets for the Griffins’ 2023-24 season can be purchased through griffinshockey.com/tickets.

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS ASSIGN ZACH ASTON-REESE TO GRAND RAPIDS

  … Veteran of 307 NHL Games Signed One-Year Contract With Detroit on Oct. 8 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today assigned center Zach Aston-Reese to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, the Red Wings have reassigned left wing Alexandre Doucet from the Griffins to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.

Aston-Reese, 29, was signed by the Red Wings to a one-year, two-way contract on Oct. 8. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound forward spent the entire 2022-23 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, recording 14 points (10-4-14) and 25 penalty minutes in 77 regular-season games. Aston-Reese also tallied one goal in six Stanley Cup playoff contests with Toronto, helping the franchise clinch its first postseason series win since 2004. He split the 2021-22 campaign between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, logging 15 points (5-10-15), a plus-nine rating and 28 penalty minutes in 69 games. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Pittsburgh on March 14, 2017, Aston-Reese has compiled 80 points (42-38-80), a plus-33 rating and 124 penalty minutes in 307 games with the Penguins, Ducks and Maple Leafs since 2017-18. Additionally, Aston-Reese registered 46 points (18-28-46), a plus-26 rating and 74 penalty minutes in 62 appearances with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from 2016-19.

Prior to turning professional, Aston-Reese played four seasons at Northeastern University from 2013-17, racking up 148 points (66-82-148), a plus-48 rating and 182 penalty minutes in 145 games. As a senior, he was selected to the NCAA First All-American Team and named Hockey East Player of the Year after leading the NCAA in goals (31) and points (63) in just 38 games during the 2016-17 season. Aston-Reese also guided the Huskies to a Hockey East Tournament championship as a junior in 2015-16. The Staten Island, N.Y., native added 50 points (16-34-50), a plus-12 rating and 188 penalty minutes in 140 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers and Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League from 2010-13. 

EP Rinkside’s David St-Louis posted a set of “stock watch” determinants for the Atlantic Division’s prospects, and here’s what he has to say about the Red Wings’ “stock rising” prospect:

Nate Danielson: One of the reasons we ranked Nate Danielson near the end of our first round on our 2023 draft board was his relatively pedestrian playmaking ability. We appreciated his skating, two-way game, and physical skills, but we felt he didn’t create enough scoring chances for his linemates, especially off the rush, but that hasn’t been a problem for him at all in preseason. 

Surrounded by more talent, Danielson used his speed to push back defenders and create openings for others. He didn’t attack at one speed as in the WHL, but varied his tempo to make defenders hesitate and link with teammates. And he conserved the same hard style of game, making many plays directly off the wall. His performances were very encouraging.

If Danielson can maintain this higher level of performance this season in the WHL, we will change our upside projection to a top-six role..

Simon Edvinsson: Slowly but surely, Simon Edvinsson is becoming more reliable. He’s more capable of judging the risk of his plays and at timing his offensive interventions. He’s still misjudging some defensive and offensive situations and getting beat off the mark by opponents,, but for the most part, his impact on games in the preseason has been consistently positive.

Edvinsson evaded the forecheck with agility moves – the kind that a 6-foot-6 defencemen like him can’t usually pull off – and found teammates with great passes near the net. He could be more proactive in the defensive zone, but his rush defence could become one of the best in the league at some point. Attackers just couldn’t beat him in the neutral zone preseason due to his combination of reach and mobility. 

This was one of his best plays. He got the puck at the offensive line off a delay, used his speed to dangle through a defender and get to the slot, and spotted one of his teammates attacking across the ice inside his move. The play barely missed, but he didn’t give up. He circled up, provided another passing option, got the puck inside space, and attempted another shot at the net. 

Continued (paywall) with comments about Marco Kasper and William Wallinder

Per the Toledo Walleye:

Walleye announce 2023 training camp roster

(Toledo, OH) – The fourteenth season of Toledo Walleye hockey gets underway with the first day of training camp today at the Huntington Center.

Thirteen total forwards are in camp to start the season: Chase Gresock, Patrick McGrath, Carson Denomie, Kirill Tyutyayev, Brandon Kruse, Sam Craggs, Mitch Lewandowski, Conlan Keenan, Orrin Centazzo, Brandon Hawkins, and Sam Sternschein. Trenton Bliss was assigned from Grand Rapids and Bair Gendunov is on a tryout agreement with the Walleye.

Eight total defensemen are in camp with Riley McCourt, Adrien Beraldo, Grant Gabriele, Thomas Farrell, Jake Willets, Matt Anderson, and Will Cullen. Matt Doran is on a tryout agreement.

The goaltenders are Rylan Parenteau and assigned from Grand Rapids are John Lethemon and Jan Bednar.

ESPN’s 2023-2024 NHL season preview combines power rankings, “best and worst-case” scenarios, overall team capsules and more into one big block of text for every team. Here’s what they have to say about the Red Wings:

Continue reading ESPN’s power rankings/preview/predictions/etc. for the Red Wings

The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted a set of 10 “bold predictions” for the Red Wings’ 2023-2024 season. I believe that this one might come true:

Simon Edvinsson is called up by Halloween and never sent back down

Boldness level: 3.5/5
Confidence level: 50%

After what Edvinsson showed this preseason, I just can’t see any way he isn’t playing a role for the Red Wings at some point this season. Frankly, I thought he deserved to break camp with Detroit — but instead, the team leaned toward its seven veterans, and Edvinsson was among the players sent to AHL Grand Rapids on Sunday night. Regardless, there is no such thing as a “final roster” in the NHL, and Edvinsson won’t have to wait too long for his shot.

When that time comes, most likely as an injury call-up, it’ll be on Edvinsson to make sure he makes it impossible for the team to send him back. That means using his remarkable physical gifts and creating offense, of course, but it also means not allowing himself to get caught out of position after doing so. It’ll be a balancing act, but one Edvinsson continues to manage better and better. He looks ready to be a factor for the Red Wings.

Continued (paywall), with some realistic predictions and some guesses; I do believe that, at some point this season, both Simon Edvinsson and Jonatan Berggren will earn opportunities to “stick” with the Red Wings, and I believe that they’ll remain with the Wings after their try-outs. I just don’t think those opportunities will happen until later in the season.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a morning notebook which looks back upon the comments made by Red Wings forward Christian Fischer and coach Derek Lalonde after the Red Wings’ exhibition season-ending 4-3 win over Toronto. Of note:

The September week spent in Traverse City afforded time in the afternoon and evenings to golf, fish and go to dinner. But even before the Wings officially gathered for training camp, there was an effort to speed up acclimating the many newcomers, which include forwards Compher, Kostin, Fischer, Alex DeBrincat and Daniel Sprong, defensemen Gostisbehere, Justin Holl and Jeff Petry, and goalies Alex Lyon and James Reimer.

“A big shout-out to the leadership group here, starting with Larks,” Fischer said. “They did such a good job bringing us all together as a team. I could make a list of all the things we did outside the rink, even in the rink. It’s a fun team, I can tell you that. We get along well and that goes a long way on the ice. Guys want to work for each other. Golfed a bunch, multiple Saturday and Sunday football days, probably seven or eight team dinners. To do that early on, there’s no adjustment period when we go into New Jersey. We’re all comfortable with each other on a personal level.”

Continued; sometimes a captain’s work is never done, and I’m impressed with the Wings leadership group’s work to bring a disparate set of personalities together.

The Associated Press’s Larry Lage posted an article which focuses on the Red Wings and GM Steve Yzerman’s offseason roster revisions as part of a push to earn a playoff spot:

Yzerman sent signs over the summer that his patient approach was over, signing 2022 Stanley Cup-winning forward J.T. Compher to a $25.5 million, five-year contract in free agency and later trading for 2022 All-Star forward Alex DeBrincat from Ottawa.

“Players are no different than coaches and fans,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “You add some pieces, it gets guys excited.”

The newly acquired players, captain Dylan Larkin along with third-year pros Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond give Detroit its best chance to end its skid in years.

“I’m trying to build a nucleus of a team that can make the playoffs on an annual basis,” said Yzerman, who was hired in 2019 to turn around the franchise. “You squeak in one year and you don’t have the foundation to sustain it, we’re going to be sitting here a year or two years from now and wondering again.

“We did what we could in the offseason to improve without mortgaging any part of the future. We’ll continue to try to get better and hopefully sooner than later we’re a playoff team.”

Continued; Lage also discusses the playoff aspirations of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators.

Of Red Wings prospect-related note on Sunday evening:

In the WHL, Emmitt Finnie finished at -1 with 1 shot and a 25-for-39 faceoff rating as the Kamloops Blazers lost 7-6 to the Wentachee Wild;

In the USHL, Jack Phelan finished at -1 with 1 shot in a the Sioux Falls Stampede’s 3-2 win to the Tri-City Storm;

In NCAA Hockey, Carter Gylander stopped 27 of 30 shots as his Colgate Raiders tied Chase Bradley’s UConn Huskies 3-3. Bradley did not play for UConn;

Red Savage scored a goal and finished at +2 with 3 shots and a 10-and-7 faceoff record, and Trey Augustine stopped 26 of 28 shots as the Michigan State Spartans won 4-2 over Lake Superior State;

Keenan Draper did not play in the University of Michigan Wolverines’ 5-4 win over Providence;

Brennan Ali finished at +1 with 1 shot in the University of Notre Dame’s 3-0 win over Clarkson;

The University of Wisconsin Badgers won 3-0 over Augustina without Brady Cleveland, Sam Stange or Owen Mehlenbacher;

And Shai Buium finished at -1 with 1 shot in the University of Denver Pioneers’ 5-2 win over Alaska Fairbanks.

According to the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe, goaltender John Lethemon is heading to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, as expected, as the team prepares to open camp with an open-to-the-public practice on Monday night at 6 PM EDT…

Goaltender John Lethemon, who was named the ECHL’s goalie of the year last season, will be returning to the Toledo Walleye.

Lethemon, who played in 26 games for the Walleye last season and compiled a stellar 18-1-3 record, was assigned to the team on Saturday by the Detroit Red Wings.

The 27-year-old also had four shutouts, a 1.99 goals-against average, and a .930 save percentage for Toledo last year.

Lethemon not only earned the ECHL goaltender of the year award, but he also garnered a spot on the ECHL first team.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound goaltender also had a 4-2 record with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in seven postseason games to help the Walleye reach the Western Conference finals.

And long-time Walleye defenseman Simon Denis is retiring, and will do TV color commentary for the Walleye:

Continue reading 2 Walleye stories from Monroe: G John Lethemon heads to Toledo; Simon Denis retires