Month: July 2024

Rounding up the Wings media’s takes on Tarasenko and Kane’s availabilities

Updated 4x at 7:28 PM: Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrick Kane and Christian Fischer spoke with the Red Wings’ media corps today, and this afternoon, the Wings’ press corps is reacting to said comments.

We’re actually going to start our little survey with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, who also sat in on the conference calls. Gulitti reports that Tarasenko spoke with Kane regarding a potential move to Detroit:

Tarasenko and Kane briefly were teammates after being acquired by the New York Rangers before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, so there was some familiarity there. And Tarasenko’s wife, Yana, reached out to Kane’s girlfriend, Amanda Grahovec. Kane signed a one-year contract to remain with the Red Wings on June 30 after playing for them last season, so he and Grahovec were able to tell the Tarasenkos about living in the Detroit suburbs as well as what it’s like to play for the Red Wings.

It worked, with Tarasenko signing a two-year, $9.5 million contract ($4.75 million average annual value) with Detroit on July 3.

“I liked the way the team played last year,” Tarasenko said Monday. “We decided with the family this is the best decision for us moving forward, and we are really excited about it.”

Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015), liked the idea of adding a proven veteran forward such as Tarasenko, who won the Stanley Cup last season with the Florida Panthers after winning it with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. The 32-year-old had 55 points (23 goals, 32 assists) in 76 regular-season games for the Panthers and Ottawa Senators last season including 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 19 games after he was acquired by the Panthers in a trade with the Senators on March 6.

“Obviously you get excited about that and then [Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman] called me as well, just asking about him as a player,” Kane said. “I think he’s going to be so good for the group. Obviously he’s a proven winner, but just the way he plays, how hard he plays, I think a lot of players in general, not just young guys but the whole team will see how hard he works and how much effort he gives every shift and that’s why he has a couple Stanley Cups to his name too.”

MLive’s Ansar Khan also took note of Tarasenko and Kane’s remarks…

“I’m not a person who just comes and hangs out, enjoy my time. I try to win,” Tarasenko said. “I really like winning. I will do everything I can to help the organization to take the next step, help the guys, share my experience, just do my best to make the playoffs. And once you make the playoffs, you never know what’s going to happen. I like the way the (Red Wings) played, and I believe this team can make the playoffs and do some special things.”

He’ll be reunited with Patrick Kane, his teammate with the New York Rangers for a couple of months at the end of 2022-23.

“He’s a proven winner, but I think just the way he plays, how hard he plays, I think a lot of players, not just young guys, but the whole team, will see how hard he works and how much effort he gives every shift,” Kane said. “That’s why he has a couple Stanley Cups to his name. Just adding that winning presence is going to be huge for the group.”

Tarasenko tallied 23 goals and 55 points in 76 games between Ottawa and Florida. He wasn’t as productive in the postseason (five goals, nine points in 24 games). He’s not far removed from a 34-goal, 82-point season with St. Louis in 2021-22.

…

“I still like to score goals, and I still have some, not only team, but personal goals, too,” Tarasenko said. “I know a lot of people say when you get older, it’s harder to get, but I believe it’s possible. And I think the way it was, I never wanted to not play defense. Sometimes I just don’t understand what to do. But when the years come by and the more I play, I just realized you have to do this in order for you and your team to win the championships.”

The Hockey News’s Connor Eargood focused on Kane’s remarks…

“For me, my heart was set on coming to Detroit and being back in Detroit,” Kane said Monday. “I thought it was a good fit last year. I love the team. We were really comfortable living there. I love the fans. I thought the fans really embraced me too. … And it’s not only just about me, right. I feel like it was a good fit for me, but I also feel like it was a good fit for the team and I feel like I fit in well with the lineup and with the players and the guys. So I was looking forward to just building on what we went through last year.”

Kane felt love in Detroit last season, his first coming back from a hip resurfacing surgery that had derailed so many other careers. He felt the appreciate of fans, and he felt it from announcers like Ken Daniels, whose play calls Kane shouted out. So, he decided he wants to expand the highlight reel, signing a team-friendly contract. Because Kane is 35, those bonuses are structured so that they can be paid on the remainder of this season’s cap space, then whatever is left is rolled over to next season.

“I think it works both ways,” Kane said. “I can sign a one year deal, take advantage of bonuses, not only for myself, but it kind of helps the team too, right, to have the lower AAV. So that’s something that we just talked about with my agent, Pat Brisson, thought that maybe that was a good road to go and kind of take advantage of being able to use those bonuses for a year.”

…

Last season wasn’t just a comeback for Kane, but also one for Detroit. For the first time since 2016, Detroit came within a point of the playoffs. For a team that has been stuck in a rebuild for eight years, such proximity to the postseason was a revelation. But if Detroit truly wants to be great, if it wants to be a contender, then last season must be a stepping stone and not laurels to rest on. Just like Kane wants to build on his performance last season, the Red Wings have to build on theirs, too.

“We all want to build on last year, so that was the message I got as well. And I think there’s definitely expectations going into this season, so that’s always a good thing,” Kane said. “You want those expectations, whether it’s the fans or the media or just players in general to expect the team and the organization to take the next step. So I’m excited about being a part of that and hopefully getting the chance to have a good regular season, play playoff hockey again.”

TV 20/WXYZ’s Max White also took note of Kane’s remarks…

“For me personally, having a full training camp, coming in healthy and feeling good will be big for me and for the team. Just looking forward to building on what we accomplished last year,” Kane said.

Kane said that he’s feeling really good and happy with his body coming into the new season and after last season.

“Just kind of feeling like it’s all one is something I’ve kind of been searching for throughout the first year of the process and after surgery. Feeling good, feeling fresh. My goal is to take it to another level,” he said.

He said he’s ready for the Red Wings to get back to the playoffs, especially after coming so close last season.

“I think Little Caesars Arena is an amazing place to play. I can’t even imagine what it would be like in the playoffs. I’m really looking forward to that,” Kane said.

And, as you might imagine, the Red Wings posted some Tweets noting popular comments made during the conference calls:

Update: Here’s a bit more from Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff, who notes that Patrick Kane helped bring Tarasenko to Detroit:

“We just kind of relayed the message that it was similar to New York in a way, kind of like the Greenwich, Connecticut area,” Kane said. “I think the suburbs in Detroit are unbelievable. I lived there when I was 14 (playing youth hockey), but when I came back, I didn’t realize how nice they were, what a great spot it is to live, raise a family. You have a lot of options, whether it’s playing hockey or the schools at your disposal.

“And then I really like how the (Little Caesars Arena) rink is set up with having the practice rink and the game rink all in one venue. If you’re a free agent, or if you’re a player and you want to come to the Red Wings, there’s a lot of positives.”

Tarasenko was sold. After word came that he was in agreement on terms of two-year pact with the Red Wings, Kane couldn’t have been happier.

“Obviously, he’s a proven winner,” Kane said. “But I think just the way he plays, how hard he plays, I think a lot of players in general, not just young guys, but the whole team, will see how hard he works and how much effort he gives every shift. And that’s why he has a couple of Stanley Cups to his name, too. So I think just adding that winning credit and presence is going to be huge for the group.”

Update #2: Here’s a bit more from the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:

[Christian] Fischer: Fischer re-signed with the Wings on a one-year deal worth $1.125 million last week and was unabashedly happy to do so.

“This is where I want to be,” said Fischer, although talking from the coast of Italy, he also could have meant where he was presently. “I told my agent after the season I really enjoyed my time with the guys, everyone included on and off the ice, and my heart was 100% set on Detroit. You can’t say that when you’re a free agent, but the internal discussions were to come back here and having a chance to build something here with this group.”

Seeing stars like Kane and Tarasenko decide on the Wings, Fischer said, is a sign of how the team is thought of around the league.

“We have Hall of Famers signing contracts with us and guys that caliber, he (Kane) could go anywhere and any team would love to have him, so that says a lot about our organization,” Fischer said. “A guy like Tarasenko, he has two Stanley Cups. He’s not coming to just play hockey. He sees something in the Red Wings.”

Update #3: 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield notes Kane’s remarks:

“We all want to build on last year,” Kane said Monday after returning to the Wings on a one-year, bonus-laden deal a day before he would have reached unrestricted free agency. “That was the message I got as well (from Steve Yzerman).”

Kane, 35, played a big part in the Red Wings nearly snapping their franchise-worst eight-year playoff drought last season. He finished fourth on the team in goals and sixth in points, despite playing in just 50 games after joining the team in late November following a resurfacing procedure on his hip. Kane is keen on playing an even bigger role this year, on a team trying to continue a slow and steady ascent in the East.

“There’s definitely expectations going into this season, and that’s always a good thing,” he said. “You want those expectations. Whether it’s the fans, the media or just the players in general, you want to expect the team and the organization to take the next step. Excited about being a part of that and hopefully getting a chance to have a good regular season and play playoff hockey again. I think the LCA is just an amazing place to play. I can’t even imagine what it would be like in the playoffs.”

Kane had several suitors as a free agent last fall. He ultimately chose the Red Wings because of his belief in Yzerman, his friendship with Alex DeBrincat and his longtime desire to play in Detroit, where he had moved at the age of 14 to play top-tier youth hockey for Honeybaked while living with Hall of Famer Pat Verbeek. He chose them again because the experience was everything he thought it would be. Maybe even more after spending the first 16 seasons of his career with the Blackhawks.

“For me, my heart was set on coming to Detroit and being back in Detroit,” said Kane. “I thought it was a good fit last year, loved the team, we were really comfortable living there, loved the fans. I thought the fans really embraced me. You never really know what to expect, especially being in Chicago for so long and coming to Detroit, I know that’s a huge rivalry, but the embrace of the fans was incredible.”

Update at 7:25 PM: The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton adds a bit more from Vladimir Tarasenko:

In Detroit, Tarasenko sees the chance to add to his collection of hardware.  “That’s the reason I came because I like the way the team played,” he said.  “I believe this team can make the playoffs and do some special things.”  Between his 2019 champion Blues and this year’s Panthers, Tarasenko has a good idea of what a winner looks like.  “What was similar is the way the team played hard,” he explains, when asked by The Hockey News about the resemblance between his two championship teams.  

“One of the biggest similarities was the group itself, the locker room, was very tight,” he continues, citing the example of the Cats rallying from three straight losses to clinch the Cup on home ice.  “And when the group is tight and there is good relationships inside and a high level of trust, you can raise your confidence.  What happened in Game Seven in the finals [was] because the group we had, when we lost three games in a row, we were able to come close together and think, ‘it’s one game.  We can win it.  Let’s go.’  And work for each other and trust and give us the result.”

…

Tarasenko’s reputation has always been as a sniper, but he’s also spent the bulk of his career—whether at his long-time home in St. Louis or his most recent with the Panthers—on team’s that prided defense.  Those environments, as well as the success he’s achieved in them, appear to have rubbed off.

“I still like to score goals,” Tarasenko says with a wry-smile, when asked whether his two-way game has improved with age. “Don’t get me wrong. I still have some not only team but personal goals too…I never wanted to not play defense. Sometimes I just don’t understand what to do. But when the years come by, the more I played, I just realized you have to this in order for your team to win the championship, I think this is the way to go.”

Tweet of note: ‘Selling’ Tarasenko on Detroit

From CBS Detroit’s Rachel Hopmayer comes this clip from Patrick Kane’s media availability today, in which Kane discusses a discussion he had with Vladimir Tarasenko regarding Metro Detroit’s pluses:

Video: Christian Fischer speaks with the Wings’ media corps

Red Wings re-signing Christian Fischer spoke with the Wings’ media corps today:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=uf1oSAvGK-o%3Fsi%3DaCAgGVoyQIkUm_w8
Continue reading Video: Christian Fischer speaks with the Wings’ media corps

Tweet of note: Toledo Walleye issue qualifying offers

FYI from the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, the Wings’ “AA” hockey affiliate:

Here’s an explanation as to what this means from the ECHL:

The ECHL on Monday released the list of Players who received a valid qualifying offer from ECHL teams by the July 7 deadline.

Players who had already signed a contract by July 7 did not need to receive a qualifying offer.

Each team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2024-25 season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded.

Continue reading Tweet of note: Toledo Walleye issue qualifying offers

Videos: Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane’s media availabilities

Red Wings forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane spoke with the Wings’ media corps today:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_A4T-SkbhG8%3Fsi%3DGbgLLvYZ_Ys13sQ3
https://youtube.com/watch?v=rneDrl_967A%3Fsi%3DnGHzEetqP1odoybL

Of note in the Twitter department:

Continue reading Videos: Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane’s media availabilities

Tweet of note: Guessing the number of the ‘Tarasenk-show’

The Red Wings are holding a “guess-the-number” giveaway regarding one free agent signing, Vladimir Tarasenko, who’s worn #10 and #91 over the course of his career with the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers:

A bit about the Red Wings’ drafting strategy from Wolak

The Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak has an intriguing take on the Red Wings’ drafting strategy under GM Steve Yzerman and assistant GM/amateur scouting director Kris Draper:

When Yzerman took over as GM in 2019, he preached patience. His strategy to rebuild the Red Wings would take time. Since then, Yzerman hasn’t wavered. No corners have been cut. His strategy remains the same:

Draft – Find, target, and select high-end, high-character prospects.

Develop – Provide adequate time (and resources) for prospects to grow in junior, European, or minor leagues.

Compete – Create meaningful competition in order for these prospects to earn professional roles.

Mature – Once in Detroit, surround the prospects with strong leaders so they can learn to play the right way.

Lead – Demand that these players step up and take charge of the team.

This offseason was no different. We saw that firsthand in the players Detroit drafted, with Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—a competitive, high-IQ, and talented prospect who plays a two-way game—being the most notable example.

“We have a Red Wing DNA and a type of prospect that we watch, and that’s what we want to continue to bring into the organization,” noted Kris Draper at the 2024 NHL Draft (from ‘Why Red Wings stuck to their ‘DNA’ and drafted Michael Brandsegg-Nygård at No. 15’ – The Athletic – 6/29/24).

Yzerman’s plan for free agency held true to his overall strategy. He surrounded his core with high-quality leaders to help them evolve into impact players. 

    Continued; Tony’s got the formula down, more or less, and I would add that it’s incredibly important for the Red Wings that their draft picks are self-improvers–the kinds of players who are driven to improve in terms of their on-ice game and their off-ice training regimens in order to advance their skill sets.

    A solid ‘D+’

    Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz grades every NHL team’s offseason thus far, and he pulls no punches in issuing distaste for the Red Wings’ moves:

    There might not be a general manager in the league facing more pressure this offseason than Steve Yzerman. He needs to produce a playoff team, and so far his offseason makes you wonder if he paid attention to the way his team played in 2023-24.

    Instead of fixing one of the league’s worst defenses that helped sabotage their season, he has doubled down on offense by re-signing Patrick Kane and signing Vladimir Tarasenko.

    Kane will crush it on the power play, but his 5-on-5 and defensive play are a shell of what they once were.

    Tarasenko is still really good, and as good as the Red Wings’ offense was a year ago there is a very real chance it was set up for a regression this season given how high their team shooting percentage was (over 11 percent in all situations, which is not a sustainable number year-to-year).

    But that defense … it’s bad, and only managed to get worse after they gave away one of the few reliable players they had by trading Jake Walman in a salary dump to San Jose (and they had to give up a second-round pick to make it happen). That is going to put even more on the shoulders of Moritz Seider to carry the load.

    The Red Wings still have over $20 million in salary cap space, and while Seider and Lucas Raymond need to be re-signed as restricted free agents they should not take up all of that. Some of that, at some point, has to be used on defense or the Yzerplan could be setting itself up for another disappointing year.

    Grade: D+

    Continued; I’m more of an optimist, so I’d issue the Red Wings a solid “C” for their offseason, mostly because, as Gretz suggests, the Red Wings haven’t signed a right-side defenseman to help ease Seider’s workload and provide offense as well…

    But the Wings weren’t all that good at even strength defense with David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere in the lineup. I feel that the team did and will continue to address the “back half” of its lineup through free agency and the evolution and promotion of younger players…

    And as much as Gostisbehere’s offense will be missed, his even-strength defense was an…adventure…and Perron has slowed considerably, and was prone to taking obstruction fouls as a result.

    Overall, I feel that the Red Wings did what they could with the money they had, and while I disagree with the Walman trade, I am at least hopeful that the Wings will adjust the team’s defensive corps at some point this upcoming season, and I believe that this team will be better at even strength and in goal.

    Praise for the Erik Gustafsson contract

    According to Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell, the Red Wings’ free agent signing of Erik Gustafsson was in fact a wise move made by Steve Yzerman and company:

    Erik Gustafsson, Detroit Red Wings: 2 years, $2 million AAV

    I didn’t give enough love for Erik Gustafsson‘s contract last season. The New York Rangers got him at just $825,000 despite him showing signs of his offensive game returning in 2022-23, and they were rewarded for the gamble. Not only did Gustafsson play well in a depth role for the money he was paid, he also stepped up on their top power play when Adam Fox was hurt and barely looked out of place among the talent that they had on that unit.

    That’s why I like this deal for the Red Wings, even though it comes at a slightly higher price tag. With Jake Walman and Shayne Gostisbehere out of the picture, Detroit needed some more offense from the blueline and Gustafsson will happily provide that. Whether he ends up on their second power play unit or on their top unit (if Derek Lalonde wants to continue to give Moritz Seider no easy minutes), Gustafsson should put up the points worthy of at least being worth the $2 million he’s getting paid each season. Detroit may not have won the offseason as a whole with some of the weird decisions they made, but at the very least, this is a nice win for them.

    Continued; I wouldn’t call all the Red Wings’ offseason moves “weird,” but some were definitely puzzling.

    And here’s hoping that Gustafsson is indeed a Shayne Gostisbehere that’s better defensively.

    Ted Lindsay Foundation to hold ‘Autos For Autism’ event on July 20th

    Nichole Tuttle of Sterling Heights’ “The Voice” reports that the Ted Lindsay Foundation is holding a charitable event later this month:

    Red Wings fans eagerly anticipating the start of hockey season can whet their appetite for the game at the upcoming Autos for Autism event in Chesterfield Township.

    The annual Autos for Autism fundraiser for the Ted Lindsay Foundation is set for July 20 at Stahls Automotive Foundation, located at 56516 N. Bay Drive in Chesterfield Township. Stahls is a nonprofit that preserves, restores and exhibits vintage vehicles, music machines and memorabilia of the 20th century. The Ted Lindsay Foundation supports autism research and education.

    Stahls General Manager Terri Coppens said this year’s fundraising goal is to top last year’s $42,000. Coppens also said the event started several years ago and was born of the Stahls’ Veterans Day events. One of the Veterans Day events is an annual hockey game. Ted Lindsay was in attendance at one of these annual games a few years ago when discussions for an additional Stahls event began.

    “It was before Ted Lindsay passed away. We talked with him and kind of got onto a conversation of basically what else we could do. He mentioned the foundation. We thought we could do an event to help that out, and Autos for Autism was born,” Coppens said.

    Continued