Month: September 2024

I am merely posting this for completeness’ sake. In yet another set of preseason “power rankings,” this time in the fantasy hockey department, Detroit is ranked below both Buffalo and Ottawa, as 7th in the Atlantic Division, by DobberHockey’s Filip Livingstone:

7) Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings finished ninth in league scoring just a season ago and with a top-six forward group that flaunts the likes of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and two of the more lethal offensive vets left in the sport in Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, Detroit should be a tough offensive group to handle – especially on the man advantage where last year the Wings finished ninth in power-play proficiency. The four-headed monster in Detroit’s blue paint is definitely the biggest concern and fantasy red flag for this organization, as Ville Husso, Alex Lyon, and newly-added Jack Campbell and supposed starter Cam Talbot are all vying for minutes which could ultimately lead to a lot of time sharing and split starts. If one of those aforementioned netminders manages to take the crease and be a clear-cut starter then the Wings likely have enough talent to knock on the door for a wild-card spot but that is an if we don’t want to risk.

Continued; no mention of the Red Wings’ defensive corps, for better or worse…But I’m not buying that the team that finished a tiebreaker away from a playoff spot is behind the teams that didn’t finish as closely to a playoff spot.

And it’s “That is an ‘if.'” You have to put quotation marks around the “if,” or it just reads sloppily.

I’m not normally one to criticize others’ grammar–goodness knows that it’s the internet, and we are not writing English papers here–but that’s a particular “pet peeve” of mine (no quotation marks necessary, but added for emphasis anyway).

Yesterday, Red Wings left winger Alex DeBrincat cracked EP Rinkside’s “JFresh’s” list of the top 20 left wings in hockey, at #18, and this evening, Lucas Raymond ranks as JFresh’s 18th-best right wing:

Lucas Raymond – Detroit Red Wings

2023 Ranking: Not Ranked

All the pieces haven’t fully come together for Raymond, but with each passing season, the skill set becomes more and more evident, and it’s a matter of time before he fully takes the leap. He led the Red Wings in points as a 21-year-old, setting career highs in goals and assists in the process and producing very well at 5-on-5. While not yet in the high-end of the NHL at any one particular thing (besides drawing penalties), and putting up bizarrely poor play-driving metrics, Raymond seems poised to be the Wings’ franchise forward for the next decade.

Continued (paywall); I mean this as gently as possible: Raymond doesn’t drive play per se. He reacts to play as driven by his linemates (like Dylan Larkin) and that’s where he thrives, as a reactionary player.

You basically know this if you’ve been reading the blog, but The Fourth Period confirms that the Red Wings are still in negotiations with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider regarding contract extensions for the pair of restricted free agents:

As TFP’s David Pagnotta reported last week, conversations between the Red Wings and the camps of both Raymond and Seider are ongoing, and the team is focused on trying to sign both players to long-term deals.

While the mindset of a long-term contract for each player is still present and contract discussions are still fluid, neither player is believed to be close to a new deal, as of Tuesday afternoon. In the same breath, none of the parties involved appear concerned, either.

“Still grinding, no change,” one source tied to the Red Wings with knowledge of the negotiations told TFP on Tuesday.

It is unclear what either player is specifically asking for on a long-term, eight-year deal, though an average annual value of at least $8 million for each seems to be part of the projections, with Seider commanding a higher AAV, possibly north of $9 million.

The Red Wings have just over $17.648 million in cap space, and also need to sign restricted free agent forward Jonatan Berggren to a new deal, as well – though that contract is not nearly as complicated as Raymond or Seider’s and is expected to be done in time for training camp.

Contract negotiations will continue throughout the week, and while talks can pick up significant momentum with one phone call, neither side is believed to be at that point just yet.

Continued; again, both Raymond’s agent, Peter Werner (to HockeySverige.se), and Raymond himself (to GP.se’s Johan Rylander) explained that there is no ill will toward the Red Wings, and that all sides want to get a contract done ASAP.

We have also been able to confirm through the two aforementioned articles that Raymond is still at home in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Seider is at home in Mannheim, Germany (per HockeyWeb.de’s Timo Helfrich) and they will remain there until their contracts are finalized.

I received a Google email alert from a strange source, and it sent me to this page from The Henry Ford, which will be holding an exhibit called: Hockey: Faster Than Ever from October 13th to January 5th, 2025 at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation:

HOCKEY: Faster Than Ever takes you on an exciting journey through the evolution of ice hockey, showcasing the remarkable technical advancements and scientific breakthroughs that have shaped the sport over time. From cutting-edge technologies to the physics of play, the exhibition will leave you amazed by the fusion of science and sport.

Test your skills and knowledge like true hockey pros with a variety of exciting interactives. Have lightning-fast reflexes? Put them to the test in Don’t Blink and see how many lights you can hit in one minute. Feel the adrenaline rush as you step up to Need for Speed and unleash your shot power: measure your slapshot speed and compete with your friends to see who has the fastest shot. Looking to finesse your aim? Hit the targets in Score Like a Pro and prove your precision with a puck. Pay tribute to the pinnacle of hockey at The Stanley Cup® touchscreen, where you can get up close to the most coveted trophy in sports history.

You can also snap a selfie with a real ice resurfacer and explore displays showcasing the evolution of skates and gear from the 19th and 20th centuries. In the hockey Science Lab, unleash your inner hockey player through hands-on challenges in a replica rink. This exhibition also features an impressive locker room outfitted with jerseys and more from NHL star players.

Among the promised exhibit highlights:

Detroit Red Wings artifacts provided in partnership with the team, including jerseys and gear from star players, along with The Russian Five game-worn jerseys, actual boards from the beloved Joe Louis Arena itself and more.

Game-worn gear from Michiganders Kirsten Simms and Megan Keller of the U.S. Women’s National Team, including their jerseys from the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship, all provided in partnership with USA Hockey.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan ponders the Red Wings’ contract situations with Jonatan Berggren, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider today:

Moritz Seider

▶ Age: 23

▶ Position: Defense

▶ 2023-24 salary cap hit: $863,333

▶ Resume: 2022 Calder Trophy (rookie of the year) winner. Led Wings in ice time (22 minutes 22 seconds per game). Only NHL player with over 200 blocks (212, second in NHL) and hits (211, eighth). Key component on power play and penalty kill.

There have been reports throughout the summer that Seider and the Wings were inching toward a deal. It’s not likely any Red Wings player will surpass captain Dylan Larkin annual average value ($8.7 million), but Seider will come close. Seider faces the opponent’s best players every game, is used in every situation, and will continue to take on a larger leadership role.

“It’s not a big secret I want to be a Red Wing and I’m confident enough that I could be a good asset for this organization, and that really matters to me,” Seider said during his season-ending interview in Detroit. “I want to be part of this team and locker room and want to play in front of those fans.”

Seider had a career-high nine goals with 33 assists, matching his point total (42) from the 2022-23 campaign (he had 50 in his rookie season in ’21-’22).

Seider has shown admirable durability, having not missed a game (246 appearances) in his three NHL seasons

“He battles hard every game,” Yzerman said. “He blocks shots, gets hit, makes plays. We’re asking him to do a lot. He’s got the mental toughness to weather it all.”

Continued (paywall) I believe that it may take until the start of the regular season to re-sign Seider, Raymond and Berggren, but both the Red Wings and the players’ agents clearly want to make a deal happen.

We’re getting closer:

Tis the season. 😍 pic.twitter.com/mLBbPY1Ghf

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 10, 2024

Of Red Wings prospect-related note today:

On the first day of the Finnish Liiga season, Jesse Kiiskinen finished with an assist, a -2 and 4 shots in 14:52 played on the second line as HPK Hameenlinna lost 7-3 to Jukurit.

EP Rinkside’s Sean Shapiro shared some Red Wings-related thoughts on his “Shap Shots” blog today:

On Lucas Raymond: The scouts I spoke to love Raymond’s game, they also see a big boost for the forward coming this season after he put up 72 points (31 goals, 41 assists) in 82 games.

“The league kind of learned him in year two, he went through a bit of that sophomore slump and came out stronger last year,” one scout said. “I love everything he does and to me, he’s just gonna keep getting better.”

From a contract perspective, there was a bit of a consensus that smart business by Detroit would be to get Raymond locked in on a long-term deal to avoid the future cost of a bridge deal.

“He could bet on himself and I would bet he would make himself a ton more money doing that,” one scout said. “You never really know with Steve (Yzerman), but I feel like he’s gotta find a way to get it to a seven or eight-year deal now to avoid the future hurt on the cap when he out plays a bridge.”

On Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat: I spoke to a couple scouts about the pair that had such great chemistry in Chicago and really only showed flashes of it last season in Detroit.

“I think it’s still there, and we saw it here and there, but I think there was a bit more pressure on them to get it right, right away,” one scout said. “Kane played what, 50 games? I think he came in and there timing just took a bit. I think those two with a full camp will be in a great spot.”

Continued; thankfully both Raymond and Seider appear to be ready to sign on the dotted line–once their agents and GM Steve Yzerman agree upon contracts…

Sportsnet is beginning its NHL team previews with division-by-division lists of “one player who must deliver” during the 2024-2025 season, and here’s Emily Sadler’s surprising pick for the Red Wings:

Detroit Red Wings: Jonatan Berggren: The Red Wings ranked ninth in goals per game last year (3.35) but lost a little fire power this off-season with the departures of David Perron, Daniel Sprong, and Robby Fabbri. While the signing of Vladimir Tarasenko and the return of Patrick Kane definitely addresses some of that, the team will also need to lean on internal promotions to fill out the lineup and bring more offence. Is Jonatan Berggren ready to take on a larger role?

After suiting up for 67 games in 2022-23, registering 15 goals and 28 points, the 2018 second-rounder took a step back last year. He appeared in just 12 games in 2023-24, recording six points, but couldn’t stick.

With reliable goal-scorers atop the lineup in Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, and hopefully Kane and Tarasenko, too, the Red Wings will need some of their younger players like Berggren to deliver on their potential if they are to take the next step into contention.

Continued; the Wings do need their third/fourth line players like Berggren and Veleno to step up and help balance out the team’s scoring.

Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz listed his “best contract” for every NHL team this upcoming season, and he chose Dylan Larkin as the Wings’ best bargain (for now):

Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin

The term “underrated” gets thrown around a little too loosely in hockey circles, and it usually simply refers to a great player who everybody already knows is great but just so happens to play on a team that nobody really pays much attention to.

Larkin might actually be truly underrated.

The 28-year-old is a No. 1 center who has turned into a point-per-game player and is signed for another four full seasons at $8.7 million per season.

Expensive? Sure.

But if he were to hit the open market right now or be eligible for a new contract, he easily gets more than that number.

Continued;

You get what you pay for.