Month: September 2024

Dylan Larkin cracks EP Rinkside’s ‘top 20 centers’ rankings

EP Rinkside is producing “Top 20” lists at each and every one of hockey’s six positions. Alex DeBrincat earned a spot in JFresh’s best left winger’s rankings, Lucas Raymond earned a spot in JFresh’s best right winger’s rankings, and today, Dylan Larkin earns a spot in JFresh’s best centers‘ rankings:

19. Dylan Larkin – Detroit Red Wings

2023 Ranking: Tier 6

Larkin finally inched above a point per game for the first time in his career in the 2023-24 season, a far cry from the first year I did these rankings when he was coming off two seasons at a 54-point pace. Even as his team’s playoff dreams fell apart, his production remained eerily consistent; pick any segment of 15-plus games from last year, and he almost definitely scored at roughly a point per game pace. From a skills perspective, Larkin is a well-rounded player who, despite slowing down a bit over the course of his twenties, has retained great puck skills, strong passing, and tremendous finishing upside. He plays all situations against difficult competition and manages to hold his own at both ends of the ice, no small task.

Continued; I don’t see him getting slower, but I’m biased.

‘Avoiding regression’

The Hockey News’s Jason Duench offers 5 things that the Red Wings need to avoid “a regression” this upcoming season, and among them are the following:

Veterans Stay Relevant

American hockey superstar Patrick Kane reinvigorated the Wings following his December 2023 debut – Detroit finished with the 15th-best regular-season record after Jan. 1. Kane’s 47 points in 50 games showed he still has game.

The 35-year-old will be joined this season by two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko, who is still capable of 30 goals and 60 points in a healthy season.

If Kane and Tarasenko can’t shoulder the load of their top six responsibilities, Detroit’s forward depth could get exploited by most teams in the formidable Atlantic Division.

Continue reading ‘Avoiding regression’

Sportsnet estimates the Wings finishing sixth in the Atlantic Division

The preseason Red Wings anti-hype watch continues. Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler was saddled with determining how the Atlantic Division will play out this upcoming season, and she’s giving the Red Wings’ a 6th place ranking, below the Buffalo Sabres:

6. Detroit Red Wings: They. Were. So. Close.

So close to making the playoffs. So close to finally being a contender after a long rebuild. So close to finally showing us what the Yzerplan is all about. So, is this the year they’ll turn meaningful hockey down the stretch into a post-season run? That’s the hope, but there are question marks up and down the lineup after another busy off-season and a to-do list that still includes signing top RFAs Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider.

Yzerman brought in veteran Vladimir Tarasenko and brought back Patrick Kane, both of whom are well-versed in what it takes to win it all. If everyone could just kindly sign on the dotted line, the Red Wings could finally be ready to join the contenders conversation, but overcoming questions in the crease and a tough playing field in the Atlantic is a big ask.

Continued; well, the Wings are going to have to figure out a fair number of issues as training camp and the exhibition season play out, and we all know that with Lindy Ruff behind the Sabres’ bench and the Sens having reinforced their roster, Detroit will receive no favors from the press.

Prospect round-up: Buchelnikov posts assist in Vityaz loss to Dynamo Minsk, is up to 4 points in 4 games

Of Red Wings prospect-related note:

In the KHL, Dmitri Buchelnikov had an assist on Vityaz Moscow Region’s only goal as Vityaz lost 5-1 to Dynamo Minsk. Buchelnikov finished with 2 shots, a 1-and-1 faceoff record and posted a hit in 15:44 played.

It’s incredibly early, but Buchelnikov has posted 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points over the course of 4 games for Vityaz.

Update: From Red Wings Prospects on Twitter:

Coach Lalonde wants to hit the ice running

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills conducted a conversation with Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde ahead of training camp:

Derek Lalonde will begin his third Training Camp as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings next week at Traverse City’s Centre Ice Arena, and after the improvement the club has shown over the past two seasons, he and his players are extremely motivated to take the next step in 2024-25.

“I know it sounds cliché, but you just trust your everyday process,” Lalonde told DetroitRedWings.com on Tuesday. “That starts on Day 1. We improved 11 points last year and 17 over two years. Only a handful of teams can say that, but we must keep pushing. We need more. That’s just concentrating on the things we can control, which is what goes on in our locker room and on the ice.”

Last season, Lalonde guided the Red Wings to their most wins (41) and points (91) since 2015-16. Although Detroit just missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Lalonde said playing meaningful games down the stretch helped the team grasp how much of a focus there must be on the small details.

“You have to bring it every night because it’s so intense,” Lalonde said. “You find out what happens on nights when you don’t bring it. It was a really good lesson. We preach how important every point and moment are.”

Lalonde said the Red Wings are seeking more consistency night in and night out this season.

“This league is so competitive,” Lalonde said. “If we want to work our way towards the top half of this league, there’s a finer line in the difference between winning and losing. We saw moments of it last year, but we need a little bit more of it throughout.”

Continued; there’s a lot of coach-speak in here, but it’s good to hear that the coach expects his players to be ready to go on day one, and to be more consistent this upcoming season.

Griffins’ Matt Luff heads to Florida on a PTO

Per the Hockey News’s David Dwork:

Ontario native Matt Luff, who spent the past couple seasons with the Detroit Red Wings organization, will join the Panthers at training camp on a PTO.

The 27-year-old forward has played 106 NHL games spread between the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and Detroit Red Wings.

Last season, an upper-body injury limited Luff to 26 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, where he contributed 10 goals and 18 points in 26 outings.

Overall, Luff has accumulated 15 goals and 12 assists at the NHL level while racking up 67 goals and 163 points in 223 AHL games.

The undrafted native of Oakville, Ontario spent three seasons playing juniors in the OHL before earning a contract with the Kings organization. 

He’s known as a finisher with a solid shot and a high motor who’s not afraid to throw his body around and be physical or get into the greasy areas to score goals.

Good luck to Luff. He’s had a rough go with injuries over the past couple of years.

Press release: ‘Grateful Dead Night’ at LCA on November 2nd

JamBase.ca is hyping the Red Wings’ “Grateful Dead Night” at Little Caesars Arena this November 2nd:

The Detroit Red Wings will host “Grateful Dead Night” at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, November 2, for fans of the legendary rock band. Ticket packages are currently on sale starting at $120, which includes a Grateful Dead-themed jersey, an exclusive pregame concert and a ticket to the game against the Buffalo Sabres.

The pregame concert on the Via Concourse at Little Caesars Arena will feature Grateful Dead tribute band Raising the Dead. The Michigan-based group has been together since 2017 and has performed at popular venues like Comerica Park, St. Andrews Hall, Cadieux Café and others across metro Detroit.

The Grateful Dead-themed hockey jersey includes a large Dancing Bear on the front, holding a hockey stick, the iconic Winged Wheel on both shoulders and Dancing Bears are also featured on the sleeves of the jersey.

To purchase tickets for Grateful Dead Night at Little Caesars Arena, fans must visit the Detroit Red Wings official Grateful Dead ticket offer page, and to purchase group tickets of 10 or more, contact Payten Mahoney at 313-471-7162 or Payten.Mahoney@OlyEnt.com. Tickets must be purchased through this link to take advantage of the accompanying jersey and pregame concert opportunity.

For more information on the Raising the Dead tribute band, visit RaisingTheDeadBand.com.

Kulfan’s ‘prospects to watch’ at Detroit’s Prospect Games

I’ve offered a scouting report of the Red Wings’ participants taking part in this weekend’s Prospect Games against Dallas, the Prince George Cougars’ website let us know about Ondrej Becher and free agent invites Borya Valis and Bauer Dumanski, and today, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan offers 5 players that he’s going to keep his eye on over the course of this weekend’s games:

▶ Michael Brandsegg-Nygard: Many eyes will be on the Wings’ first-round draft pick throughout the weekend and into the exhibition season. The way Brandsegg-Nygard, 18, held his own at the world championships last spring, and the fact he already has a strong NHL body (6-foot-1, 198 pounds) gives him a shot, albeit a long one, to make the Wings’ opening-night roster. Scouts have consistently raved about his shot, so that’ll be something to watch. It’ll be interesting to see how Brandsegg-Nygard looks against prospects of equal caliber.

▶ Shai Buium: The 2021 second-round pick helped Denver win two NCAA championships before he turned pro last spring. Buium, 21, got into one game with the Griffins and is set to begin his pro career there in October. A big (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), mobile defenseman, it’ll be interesting how and where Buium slots into the depth chart in the next couple of years, among several other prime prospects.

▶ Carter Gylander: Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine are likely ahead of Gylander (6-foot-4, 170 pounds) in the organizational depth chart, but Gylander (2019 seventh-round pick) finished a fine career at Colgate and now begins his pro career. Gylander, 23, gets a chance to get things rolling if he plays well in these games.

Continued (paywall)

Eight Red Wings players crack Sportsnet’s ‘Top 250′ fantasy hockey players’ list

Sportsnet’s Michael Amato posted a list of 250 fantasy hockey-draft-eligible players who you can utilize to win your fantasy hockey league, and here are the Red Wings players that made his list:

48. Dylan Larkin, DET, C: The very definition of a safe and reliable pick, Larkin has been right around a point per game in his past 219 contests with good shot volume. He also has plenty of talent on his wings with Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond, to help ensure his numbers won’t dip. Larkin doesn’t offer much for hits, but it’s hard to pass up that offensive consistency.

81. Alex DeBrincat, DET, RW: Maybe DeBrincat’s ceiling isn’t super high, but he’s a steady player with good shot volume who you should be able to count on for around 70 points. Playing with the potent combination of Larkin and Lucas Raymond doesn’t hurt either. One other thing I like about DeBrincat is his durability. He’s played all 82 games in five of his seven seasons.

Continue reading Eight Red Wings players crack Sportsnet’s ‘Top 250′ fantasy hockey players’ list

Tweets of note: Key dates for the 2024-2025 NHL season

Per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski…

And PuckPedia: