Month: August 2024

The NHL Tonight’s Stu Grimson discussed whether the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres or Detroit Red Wings might make the playoffs this upcoming season. Grimson believes that the Red Wings are the most likely team to earn a playoff spot:

MLive’s Ansar Khan answers three reader questions in a subscriber-only mailbag feature this morning, and all three questions involve the Red Wings’ need to re-sign Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider:

Q: “It’s been really quiet over contracts for Mo Seider & Lucas Raymond. Yzerman at his post-UFA presser, said he/they were working on it. Is there any reason to think/evidence an impasse has developed? There seems to be no sense of urgency. Is it possible training camp will open in late September and those two will still be unsigned?”– Mike

A: It often takes much of the offseason to agree on money and term with high-profile RFAs. The urgency sometimes isn’t triggered until shortly before training camp.

The team and players would prefer to sign for the maximum term of eight years.

Seider, 23, will get more than Raymond, 22, but probably not more than Dylan Larkin. Larkin sort of set the bar with his eight-year deal at an $8.7 million average annual value.

The Red Wings believe Larkin deserves to be their highest-paid player. He’s the longest-tenured Red Wing (nine seasons), the captain and has been the face of the franchise during a rough stretch.

Perhaps Seider comes in at around $8.5 million.

Once Seider is signed, it will set the bar for Raymond, whose cap hit will probably be around $1 million less, in the $7.5-$7.7 million range.

The trend around the league has seen teams locking up their young talent to seven- and eight-year contracts. If the sides can’t agree on long-term deals, they’ll sign bridge contracts (two or three years) for less AAV, maybe in the $6 million range.

Continued (paywall); as Khan suggests, even if Raymond and Seider aren’t re-signed until closer to training camp, they’re likely to report to Detroit for those late-August and early September “Captain’s skates.”

My “gut feeling” is that the Red Wings will not only get the deals done with Raymond and Seider by the start of training camp, but they’ll also announce the re-signings at the same time.

Ansar’s estimations as to the contracts are a little low in my book–I believe that Seider will indeed earn about $8.5 million, but this summer’s extensions indicate that Raymond’s worth closer to $8 million as well (from a “comparable contract” perspective). You may think that the team having an “internal cap” is dumb, but it is a reality at this time.

Ultimately, I’d like to see both players signed before camp, and both players finally earning a spot in the Alternate Captain’s rotation this season. It’s time to give one or both of them “A’s” on their sweaters/jerseys from time to time.

Red Wings 2024 draft pick John Whipple is taking part in the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, MI this week, and the 144th overall pick in June’s NHL Draft spoke with Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff about his transformation from a point-scoring defenseman to a heavy-hitter with strong puck skills:

Toiling for USA Hockey at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan, Whipple, 18, is doing his best to step up and step into opposing players.

“It’s great to be out here getting the chance to compete against the best of the best,” Whipple said.

Talk to some of his teammates, and they’ll terrifying stories of Whipple dismantling opponents with his physical presence.

“Seeing him in games, he’ll crush people,” said fellow Red Wings draftee Austin Baker. He was Whipple’s teammate last season on the USNTDP U18 squad. “I definitely wouldn’t want to go against him on the other team.”

Whipple finds the scouting reports about from his teammates describing as some sort of Tasmanian Devil on skates to be mildly amusing.

“I don’t know if I’m as scary as they say I am,” the 6-foot-1, 194-pound rearguard assessed.

Duff’s profile continues; again, Whipple’s something of an unknown quantity to those who have to look at a stat sheet to describe him, because his offense falls off precipitously as he transfers from Shattuck St. Mary’s preparatory academy to the U.S. NTDP’s Under-17 and Under-18 program, as do his penalty minutes…

So it’s kind of hard to say what kind of defenseman he’s becoming unless you’ve seen him step up and land checks on opposing players, which you only really see at a country-vs.-country tournament like the WJSS.

Fans will be able to follow Whipple in an environment where he can throw devastating checks as he heads to the University of Minnesota this fall.

NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman posted an article in which he discusses the U.S. National Junior Team’s depth in goal as the team prepares for the 2025 World Junior Championship (to be held in Ottawa, ON this upcoming December) by holding the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, MI this week.

There are five goaltenders competing for 2 or 3 spots on the national team at the WJSS, but one has already been sent home.

Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine went unbeaten at last year’s World Juniors, posting a 4-and-0 record with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage. As the incumbent starter, he’s been allowed to leave Plymouth to continue training for his sophomore season at Michigan State University.

Kimelan discusses all five goaltenders who are battling for a spot on the U.S. World Junior team, including Augustine, and the Red Wings prospect earns a significant chunk of text in Kimelman’s article–first:

“I think we’re obviously blessed with good depth,” [Team USA coach David] Carle said Thursday. “Starts at the top with Trey. I think that’s a little bit different than a year ago, there was a bit of a battle there. Not to say that there won’t be this year, but Trey looked very good in his time here. And then we’ve got these guys who are still here, and they’ve all played well in their moments and I’m sure the battle and the competition will go through the fall here into the college and junior seasons.”

…

He hasn’t been designated the starter, but with a gold and a bronze medal (2023) at the World Juniors, a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship and experience playing at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, it’s expected Augustine will get the bulk of the starts when the tournament is held in Ottawa from Dec. 26-Jan. 5.

“When you think about Trey and his game, I don’t know if I’ve ever been around a smarter goalie than him in terms of how he reads things,” U.S. goaltending coach David Lassonde said. “But also in terms of, ‘OK, these are the little things that I might not necessarily do great right now that I need to work on,’ he recognizes that, he acts on it. Then when you think about it, this is going to be his third consecutive World Junior experience. He played on our men’s Worlds team. He’s won two gold medals in IIHF competition. He was a national champion at (the youth program) HoneyBaked as a U-15. He just knows how to win. And I think there’s something to say for that in terms of what he brings to the table. And then for him, there’s a level of maturity that is beyond his years.”

Kimelman continues, and he covers the other four goaltenders battling for spots behind Augustine–Sam Hillebrandt, Hampton Slukynysky, Nicholas Kempf and Carsen Musser.

We kicked off the annual fundraising push in order to cover the costs of server renewal on August 31st and attending the truncated prospect tournament and main training camp starting on September 14th some two days ago, and…

Things went about as well as a fundraiser for hockey-related items go on the last couple of days of July. I heard crickets chirping in terms of the GoFundMe and every other fundraising option.

I’m not certain how exactly to indicate to you that the blog is worth sponsoring in terms of both ensuring its existence going forward (via covering the server fees) and sending myself and my 82-year-old aunt, for whom I must provide daily care, to training camp.

I’ve just gone about my business and posted content, understanding that it is late July/early August, and that it’s going to be a long shot to raise the approximately $5,000-5,500 necessary to make everything happen.

I hope that you’ll consider lending a hand in this regard. That’s all I can ask on a blog that doesn’t exist without generous donations of all amounts from its readers.

So:

If you’re willing to lend a hand, we have an official GoFundMe fundraiser page; we have a PayPal option at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport; there’s Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2; if you’re into the, “I don’t want to use any of those pages” option, here’s always the Giftly option by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com…

You can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check, or “Zelle” me via my email, rtxg@yahoo.com. And I’m also on Cash App under “georgeums.”

Let’s see what we can accomplish together.

As we hit August 1st, the Hockey News’s Adam Proteau wrote an article about the free agents who remain “on the market” as players who can change the course of a franchise–in the form of the NHL’s restricted free agent players who have yet to re-sign with their rights-holding teams.

Proteau has this to say about the Red Wings’ need to re-sign Moritz Seider, who’s represented by 4Sports’ Claude Lemieux (really!)…

Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings currently have more than $17.6 million in cap space, but GM Steve Yzerman has two prominent RFAs in 23-year-old Seider and 22-year-old Lucas Raymond. 

Seider can point to contracts, such as Sabres youngster Owen Power’s $8.35 million per season contract and Minnesota’s Brock Faber’s $8.5-million-per-season deal as a comparable for him, and the Wings would still be getting a relative bargain for what Seider brings to the table. 

Risk and reward: A Calder Trophy, followed by back-to-back seasons of more than 40 points, is quite promising for the Red Wings. Seider is their current No. 1 defenseman and should be for a long time, so having a lengthy deal is a big reward in itself. It’s probably not worth it for Detroit to overthink, although having a career-high 50 points in his rookie season and not beating it yet may have them trying to figure out if they’ve seen enough for the big money that comes with a long term.

As far as not replicating his 50-point season, and posting 40+ over the last two years, I think that the Red Wings are a little more concerned about Seider’s overall play than hitting a particular output number…

Anyway, the “comparables” are spot-on from Proteau in Seider’s case, and he offers a similar take on Lucas Raymond’s bargaining situation (and Raymond is represented by CAA’s J.P. Barry):

We’ve talked about Red Wings free agent signing Erik Gustafsson before over the course of this summer, and today, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed an article which discusses the defenseman’s fit with the Wings as they prepare to fill the skates of the departing Shayne Gostisbehere:

“I like to run [the power play] on the blue line, get the puck to the forwards, shoot the puck and create lanes,” Gustafsson said. “I’m just trying to get out there and score. I’m very confident on the power play. I have been playing power play ever since I came over (from Sweden). It’s something I like to do and something my game is (about).”

Gustafsson’s versatility is something general manager Steve Yzerman thinks will strengthen the Wings.

“Erik Gustafsson will contribute to some of the offense lost with Shayne Gostisbehere and Jake Walman’s goals (on defense),” Yzerman said. “Hopefully we can keep a few more out of the net and maybe that nets out in a positive way. I don’t know what the (defensive) pairings are ultimately going to be. I have my own vision, but (coach) Derek (Lalonde) will decide that. These real mobile (defensemen) with puck skills can go on either side.”

Gustafsson has been through the havoc of free agency before. But the uncertainty of it remains taxing, so when the Wings reached out, it was a relief.

“I kind of knew which team was interested to sign me before but when the day hits it’s a little nerve-wracking,” Gustafsson said. “I’m very happy to be signed in Detroit, with all the history and the Swedes going there. I’ve been talking to (Niklas) Kronwall, too. It’s fun to be part of this team.”

Continued; Gustafsson may be a step down from Gostisbehere in terms of overall power play output, but the Red Wings are going to need everybody to step up to overcome Gostisbehere and David Perron’s departures…

And if Gustafsson can keep more goals out of his own net, the Red Wings will be a little better off with the well-traveled Swede on their blueline. That appears to be the reason why Yzerman signed him.

Per NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman:

Among the NHL players working out this morning at USA Hockey Arena are Quinn and Luke Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski and Cole Caufield and Alex DeBrincat. pic.twitter.com/J8gkeLS2di

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 1, 2024

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton discusses potential partners for Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider this upcoming season, suggesting that Ben Chiarot and Simon Edvinsson are the most likely partners for Seider when push comes to shove:

If Chiarot enters camp as the favorite for this role in the eyes of the coaching staff, there can be little doubt that Edvinsson will begin the year as the fan favorite for Seider’s partner.  It’s not hard to see way, as the combination of size, skill with the puck, and skating that an Edvinsson-Seider pairing would offer makes it an impossibly tantalizing long-term possibility.

Though they’ve yet to spend significant time together, in theory, there is a natural stylistic fit between the two players.  Edvinsson could offer similar skating and puck moving to Walman, while his six-foot-six frame could add an even more formidable physicality than Walman could in the D zone.

The question with Edvinsson is whether he can earn sufficient trust from Detroit’s coaching staff to play the volume and difficulty of minutes required of Seider’s partner.  If last season is any indicator, there’s reason for optimism on that front.

Last spring, upon being called up, Edvinsson wasted no time in earning a robust role, regularly at or beyond the 20-minute mark as his team pushed desperately for a playoff spot.

“Defending well,” coach Derek Lalonde said at the time, when asked how Edvinsson showed his readiness for a serious role at a pivotal moment in the season.  “He’s managed the game very well. He’s not found himself in much trouble, but he’s also brought some physicality to his game, which is good. His size too—the long stick. Obviously, he made some plays defensively with the long stick, but he kept a couple plays offensively alive with his long stick that end up in the back of their net 20, 30 seconds later.”

Continued; my best guess is a little counter-intuitive: I think that it’s going to have to wait until training camp and the exhibition season to be sorted out, and I would not be surprised whether we’re talking about Chiarot, Edvinsson or even somebody else, like Olli Maatta, joining the fray if injuries strike.

At this point, the Red Wings need to be flexible in terms of determining which player(s) are the “best fits” for Seider’s style of play, and hell, it might involve signing an unrestricted free agent or making a trade before all is said and done.

I appreciate Stockton’s educated guessing here. I just don’t know what’s going to happen in the end, and sometimes, “I don’t know yet” is the most honest answer.

Red Wings forward Joe Veleno spoke with DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills regarding signing his new 2-year, $4.55 million contract with Detroit:

“It’s nice to have a deal done,” Veleno recently told DetroitRedWings.com. “I don’t think anyone looks to go to arbitration, so I’m really happy we came to an agreement. This gives me another two years with Detroit. I want to be here and stay here. I don’t envision myself anywhere else.”

Veleno, who was the Red Wings’ 30th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, set NHL career-highs in goals (12), assists (16) and points (28) in 80 games last season. The 24-year-old forward also proved to be very versatile for Detroit, filling a top-six role and contributing on both special teams units when called upon by the coaching staff.

“It’s helped our depth and made us competitive all year, the ability to play him on the wing and center,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said about Veleno on March 5. “I think extremely valuable, especially in today’s NHL.”

Veleno believes he became a more complete player during his second full campaign with the Red Wings.

“I took strides in the right direction numbers-wise, but in my role, I ended up getting my feet wet with some new things,” Veleno said. “Having that experience is huge and I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to take advantage of that.”

Continued