Summarizing the articles filed by the Red Wings’ beat writers on Day 3 of training camp

Of Red Wings-related note in the news department on Saturday:

  1. DetroitRedWings.com: DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills wrote an article which discusses Simon Edvinsson’s maturation…

Simon Edvinsson gained confidence from his experience down the stretch with the Detroit Red Wings last season. Now, as the 21-year-old defenseman navigates Training Camp, he has more motivation than ever to grow his game this season.

“It’s a Training Camp where we come from a season where we didn’t reach the playoffs by one point,” Edvinsson said on Saturday. “My main focus has been to be as good and ready as possible for the start of the season.”

Edvinsson split last season between the Red Wings and American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, recording two points (one goal, one assist) in 16 games with Detroit as well as 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) in 54 regular-season games with Grand Rapids. He also had two assists in six Calder Cup Playoff contests.

“A lot happened for me during the last two months there,” Edvinsson said about last season. “It was a great experience. I know how hard it is to grab a playoff spot and what it is needed from the whole team, and me personally, to really grab those extra points at the end.”

Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said he envisions Edvinsson taking more responsibility this season.

“With his overall play from Grand Rapids last year to what he gave us down the stretch, where he slotted with our push at the end last year, we foresee him in a similar role,” Lalonde said about Edvinsson. “I foresee him in a top-four [role] and we’ll kind of let it play out from there. Hopefully he can even eat minutes if he’s got it going one night, might be a little fluid with our top-four even. If he earns more minutes, he’ll get more minutes.”

Update: Mills also wrote an article about the Red Wings’ desire to author a different finish to their regular season:

“The group as a whole basically fell a point short last year from getting in [to the Stanley Cup Playoffs],” Tyler Motte said. “Played a little bit of playoff-style hockey down the stretch to make it interesting and be in the conversation. [The Red Wings coaching staff] just wants a little bit more from us. They continue to push the pace in practice, a lot of the details.”

Motte is amidst his first Training Camp with Detroit after signing a one-year free-agent contract with the club last month. Lalonde said Motte’s hard-working style of play is exactly what he’s asking of from his players.

“Energy and momentum to it,” Lalonde said. “You need that. These are some of those habits I alluded to with him earlier. He plays direct hockey, finishes checks and gets back above plays. A lot of those habits are what we’re constantly trying to preach with our group.”

Putting that standard into practice is well underway in Traverse City, with players like goalie Ville Husso praising the competitiveness and tempo of the on-ice sessions.

“The speed has been very high on the ice,” Husso said. “Guys are battling hard. You can just tell everybody wants to score, so that makes the day hard for us goalies. For us, it’s to get to that next step as a team and as individuals. It starts in practice by competing and trying to get better every day.”

Also from the Red Wings, on Twitter:

2. MLive: MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that Ville Husso is healthy and ready to compete for a spot in the Red Wings’ goal crease…

After an offseason of training and three days of camp, Husso said on Saturday, “I feel really good, 110 percent for sure.”

A bigger test will come in preseason games starting Wednesday. Even after that, the 29-year-old goaltender’s condition will be monitored closely after he missed essentially the final four months of the season with two lower-body injuries.

“He’s going to need reps and he’s going to need live reps and obviously we’ll get some opportunity within practice, the Red/White game on Sunday, those exhibition games,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “It’s something we’re conscious of as a group with the (number) of goalies we have in rotating through.”

The uncertainty surrounding Husso prompted the Red Wings to sign 11-year NHL veteran Cam Talbot to a two-year deal on July 1. He’s 37 but coming off an All-Star season with the Los Angeles Kings and capable of carrying a heavy workload if needed (54 games last season). Alex Lyon played 44 games a year ago (previous NHL high was 15) but is better suited in a backup role.

Lalonde said the goaltending competition is wide open.

“Ville, Cam and Alex have had really nice stretches in this league, proved they can win in this league, and we’ll look for one to step up,” Lalonde said. “Jack (Campbell) has obviously done that also. So, we have some numbers in camp, which is a little unique, but it’s a positive. I still look back to last year. We kept the three goalies around for a while. Wasn’t ideal. But it saved our season. So, it’s going to be a healthy competition. It’s going to be wide open and it’s a clean slate.”

And Khan discussed the “catching-up process” that Moritz Seider will have to make after missing training camp:

“I think with the process he’s going through he’ll be around for practice on Tuesday is the plan,” coach Derek Lalonde said.

The Red Wings wrap up camp at Centre I.C.E. Arena with a Red and White scrimmage on Sunday (2 p.m., livestreamed on detroitredwings.com). They’ll return to Little Caesars Arena for two days of practices before starting the preseason Wednesday at Chicago.

Seider still figures to get in a couple of preseason games at least.

“You saw the intensity of our first three days,” Lalonde said. “There’s value to that. Probably even some science to that. You kind of get your workloads elevated a little bit that you’re probably going to work off throughout the year. So, he’ll have some catch-up to do. But I’m sure we’ve got a couple of eager assistant coaches that would love that assignment.”

3. Detroit News: Ted Kulfan discussed Ville Husso’s health in his Day 3 notebook…

“When don’t play pretty much after Christmas, zero games, as an athlete it’s hard to sit and watch,” Husso said. “You just want to be out there and play and enjoy playing. It was a little reset this summer, got some time off, and I’m excited to be back.”

Husso mentioned several times while talking with reporters he was “feeling real good” and was ready to get into exhibition games.

“It’s always tough not playing, and especially last year the second injury, you want to get out there and then you’re not ready to go,” Husso said. “But it’s been a real good summer and I’ve been feeling really good a long time now.”

And Kulfan also discussed the Red vs. White Game on Sunday:

“It’s probably going to be a lot more structure and concepts over maybe line combinations and chemistry,” Lalonde said of what he wants his roster to get out of the scrimmage. “It’ll look similar to last year. We’ll play five-on-five and four-on-four. We’ll get a full period of special teams, then we’ll address our four-and-four and three-on-three, which is important. It helps us in our process introducing everything. Structure, much more concepts probably, and we’ll be fluid with the lines.”

Training camp has changed in all professional and college sports, in that athletes are basically in game shape all year round. But Lalonde feels there’s still an importance to training camp.

“Our management teams alludes to that, them having played in this league for a long time and watching the evolution, it’s whole different day and age, training camp was getting guys in shape,” Lalonde said “I don’t think that’s the case here. But it’s just implementing your process and getting in properly and having an understanding.

“I’ve loved the three days of camp so far. From structure, even our special teams, there’s a little continuity from the same coaching staff and a lot of the core coming back. You can see it looks a little cleaner, and it feels like a lot less teaching so far, which is always a positive from a coach.”

5. The Athletic: From Max Bultman on Twitter:

6. Detroit Hockey Now: Kevin Allen discussed Ville Husso’s health and the Red Wings’ three-headed goaltending monster:

The Red Wings had three goalies parent club roster last season, and it worked for them. But it comes with problems in practice because there are only two nets.

“Wasn’t ideal,” Lalonde said. “That same question you had on some reps and getting the nets at times. But again, it saved our season. So it’s going to be a healthy competition. It’s going to be wide open and it’s a clean slate.”

Husso said Saturday that he was feeling good.

“It’s always, always tough not playing, especially last year, that second injury, kind of like you just want to get out there and then you’re not ready to go,” Husso said. “But at least I got some extra time this summer rehabbing and training and stuff. So. Feel good now and excited to play some preseason games. “

Husso passed the eye test with those who saw him in the informal summer skates and the opening two days of training camp.

Having him on the ice this summer, he’s looking good, he’s back healthy,” Red Wings Alex DeBrincat said. “I think you maybe have to talk to him about how he feels, but he looks good.”.

7. Bally Sports Detroit: On Twitter, from Bally Sports Detroit…

And Bally Sports Detroit’s John Keating:

8. The Hockey News: Sam Stockton discussed J.T. Compher’s role on the team this upcoming season…

In the last two regular seasons, Compher scored 52, then 48 points.  His previous career high in five full seasons was 33.  The 29-year-old University of Michigan product explained that a variety of factors have contributed to the uptick in production.

“I think part of it is confidence,” Compher said.  “Part of it is the game slowing down a bit and seeing the ice better, trusting myself. Part of that comes from coaches trusting me, and part of it’s trusting myself. I felt like in Colorado I was asked to do a lot of different things throughout my career there. It was different parts of the lineup, wing, center. Two years ago got a little more of an opportunity to play pretty solid second line minutes with a little more skill guys. Something that happened earlier in my career but maybe I wasn’t as ready for. The last couple of years I’ve felt more comfortable in those positions, trusting myself, and maybe not just deferring to line mates, playing with them and not just trying to give them the puck, and really trusting myself. “

One player who might Detroit take the steps Compher has in mind is newcomer Tyler Motte, his old U of M teammate, now the Red Wings’ fourth former Wolverine along with Compher, Dylan Larkin, and Andrew Copp.  As Compher sees it, Motte’s game ought to mesh perfectly with the defensive strides Detroit aims to take up the standings.

“He’s a very hard working player,” Compher offers of Motte.  “He has a good amount of skill.  He can really shoot the puck.  It’s his skating and his work, his forechecking, blocking shots.  He does all the little things right.  That’s what we need throughout our lineup, and you can never have too many guys that do those things, and I think he’s going to bring a lot of competitiveness to our lineup and physicality and speed.”

And Connor Eargood discussed Ville Husso’s health:

“I think the number one thing is to be healthy — no injuries anymore,” Husso explained. “And then just battle. We have a good competition between all of us. And I think it’s a good situation for all of us competing, pushing each other to be better every day.”

In order to prove he’s ready to take on a starting role again, he needs time in those nets. He also needs time to adjust to the level of play he will see from NHL competition. Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde noted the difference between merely being healthy and being ready enough to play against NHL competition. Even with extra work at the end of practice, it’s difficult to simulate the same intensity. This is something Lalonde is keenly aware of from juggling three goaltenders last season.

“He’s gonna need reps, and he’s gonna need live reps,” Lalonde explained Thursday. “… It’s something we’re conscious of as a group of not only getting him (reps), but with the amount of goalies we have and rotating through, getting some really good reps and some live reps. So it will be a priority for us.”

Husso is well aware of the challenges he faces, but his offseason work can help him overcome the challenge. He spent time this summer training in Finland before coming back to Detroit, where he skated with a group of star American NHLers at Plymouth’s USA Hockey Arena. The group included teammates Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat and Andrew Copp among other notables. All of them provided the kind of competition that’s hard to beat. Husso, according to the attendees, proved up to the task.

“He looks good, I think he’s back to (being) hard to score on in practice, always battling,” DeBrincat said Friday. “And I think those are the goalies that are maybe the most fun to play on in practice because they’re not let you just put it in the net, on a rebound or whatever. They’re always fighting for that rebound.”

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

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