Month: February 2025

The Score’s Josh Wegman suggested three possible destinations for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, and I think he’s a little off in naming the Red Wings as a possible landing spot for the 34-year-old with a $10 million cap hit (which Wegman suggests the Penguins might be willing to eat half of just to get rid of Karlsson):

If you told a hockey fan in the mid-2010s that Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Erik Karlsson could all be on the same roster, they’d assume that team would be genuinely competing for a Cup. But that’s not the case in 2025.

The Red Wings are on the fringe of the playoff picture as they aim to end an eight-year postseason drought. They enter Tuesday occupying the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but the race is incredibly tight. That begs the question whether Karlsson would even waive his no-movement clause to join Detroit.

For Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, it makes more sense to surrender assets for a player with additional term like Karlsson rather than a rental. Karlsson could slot in on the team’s second pair behind Moritz Seider and serve as a key mentor for both Seider and Simon Edvinsson.

LD	RD
Ben Chiarot	Moritz Seider
Simon Edvinsson	Erik Karlsson
Erik Gustafsson	Justin Holl

Detroit could make a trade work more easily than the other teams on this list. Yzerman has a full cupboard of draft picks and one of the NHL’s deepest farm systems. The club also has enough cap space to take on the entirety of Karlsson’s contract, if necessary.

If Karlsson’s willing to go, there’s no reason why Yzerman shouldn’t try to make it happen.

Continued; I just don’t see the point of adding Karlsson and his contract when the Wings could add a more affordable third-pair offensive defenseman and/or a shut-down defender for the third pair.

Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson are doing a fine job in the second pair, so why mess with success?

Just as importantly, Karlsson both makes a lot of money for the next three seasons, and he’s also got a no-move clause, so I don’t see him waiving it to go to an up-and-coming team like Detroit when he wants to win a Cup ASAP.

There’s just not a fit here.

The AP posted an early preview of tomorrow night’s game between the Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets:

BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Red Wings host the Columbus Blue Jackets after Simon Edvinsson scored two goals in the Red Wings’ 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.

Detroit is 30-22-6 overall and 16-12-3 at home. The Red Wings lead the Eastern Conference with 51 power-play goals.

Columbus is 28-22-8 overall and 9-16-4 in road games. The Blue Jackets have a 24-8-4 record in games they score three or more goals.

Thursday’s game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Red Wings won the previous meeting 5-4.

TOP PERFORMERS: Alex DeBrincat has 26 goals and 24 assists for the Red Wings. Marco Kasper has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

Kirill Marchenko has 23 goals and 36 assists for the Blue Jackets. Kent Johnson has six goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Wings: 8-1-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.6 assists, 2.5 penalties and 5.8 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.

Blue Jackets: 5-4-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.7 assists, 2.5 penalties and 6.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff examines some possible trade targets for the Red Wings to utilize to replace the injured-and-out-for-the-season Andrew Copp in the lineup. Among them:

Dylan Cozens, Buffalo Sabres

On the wish list of most Red Wings fans, this would be top priority. That’s understandable. Cozens is 24. He’s an ideal long-term add to a team that is growing together as a group. Cozens has seven years left on a contract with an AAV of $7.1 million.

Here’s the issue with this move. The Sabres want to make a hockey trade, similar to the Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram deal made at last year’s deadline. In trade talks, NHL sources tell DHN the Red Wings offer has been a package of prospects and draft picks.

Ryan Strome, Anaheim Ducks

Strome scored against the Wings in Sunday’s game, which he seems to do a lot when he plays Detroit. In 26 games facing the Red Wings, Strome has seven goals.

He’s 31, with two years to go on a pact paying him $5 million per season. He’s been playing as Anaheim’s No. 1 center. Strome’s game is more suited to the middle-six role he’d be given in Detroit.

Continued with four more targets; we all know that very few tidbits escape the Red Wings’ front office, but it makes sense that the Wings wouldn’t want to move an NHL player off their roster for Cozens, and that the Sabres would prefer exactly what the Wings aren’t offering.

When the Buffalo News’s Mike Harrington suggested that the Sabres shouldn’t make a move unless they get a Raymond or Seider in return, he wasn’t kidding. The Sabres would probably want Kasper, Edvinsson and/or Johansson, too. That’s a no-go.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an article which discusses the Red Wings youngsters’ performances over the course of the team’s 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, noting that Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson (among others) played large roles in the team’s victories of late:

If not quite excellence, the Wings (30-22-6) are displaying resiliency and depth as they work towards securing a spot in the playoff picture. They head into a huge two-game series against the Columbus Blue Jackets having banked five of six points since emerging from the 4 Nations Face-Off break – and the most recent victory didn’t include scoring from any of the usual suspects.

Edvinsson was in the spotlight after Tuesday’s game at Xcel Energy Center because he had scored the tying and winning goal in the 3-2 final over the Minnesota Wild.

“He’s obviously a very, very talented player,” coach Todd McLellan said. “He’s got great legs. He anticipates well. He’s got a tremendous shot. His stamina and his energy is very strong. He took a lot of pride in defending, too, and when you defend well, you often get rewarded at the other end. Terrific night for him and his partner.”

The partner is Albert Johansson, 24, who is a rookie. Edvinsson, 22, technically is not, but this is his first full year with the Wings. The other guy involved in the winning-goal play was Elmer Söderblom, who only joined the team in January. That’s how the Wings are rolling right now: No hesitancy in playing guys with light resumes.

“One, we don’t have a choice because we have a lot of young guys, and they’re very capable of playing,” McLellan said. “We don’t hesitate to put them out there. We feel comfortable with the job they can do and they’re gaining valuable experience.

“And then secondly, the veterans appreciate them. It’s a two-way street – there’s nothing worse than having an old and a young team divided. I think we have a good mixture of just being a Red Wings team. We don’t talk about a lot about young and old, veteran and rookie.”

Continued; Elmer Soderblom registered 7 hits last night; Marco Kasper was strong as usual on the Dylan Larkin line, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond have been tremendous as “more established” young players, etc. etc.

Aftonbladet’s Per Bjurman offers a simple take on Simon Edvinsson’s performance for the Red Wings over the course of this season, as evidenced by his 2-goal outing against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday:

A new Swedish sheriff has established himself in Detroit

New York. A new Swedish sheriff has established himself on the Detroit blue line.

Simon Edvinsson scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals when the Red Wings tied and won against Minnesota last night.

“I’m gaining more and more self-confidence,” said the 22-year-old Gothenburg native after the 3-2 victory.

They’re used to big Swedish defensemen in Detroit, and now it’s starting to dawn on the fans that they have a new one on the way.

It’s Simon Edvinsson who’s a great talent they knew of and were aware of themselves before, but it’s only this season that he’s fought his way onto a regular spot with the team–and only last night that he showed how seriously what a difference he can make.

The Red Wings had just reduced the 2-0 lead that Minnesota acquired in the opening period when Simon, 13:12 into the 2nd period, dusted off a slap shot from the blue line–in the middle of his stride.

But that was just the beginning.

In the middle of the 3rd period he struck again–in an all-Swedish show. Elmer Soderblom brought the puck into the Wild zone and played it on to Albert Johansson. As in turn, the gangly youngster from Gothenburg found a delicious sandwich of a pass–and a moment later, another puck sat in the net behind Filip Gustavsson.

Which would determine the course of the game.

“The pass from Albert was incredible. He plays outstandingly well,” Simon said when he met the media afterwards.

“It feels great that we’re getting confidence in such situations, that the coach believes in us. You want to do everything to show that you deserve that trust.”

After a night like this, no one can say anything other than that Simon showed that trust.

“I’ve felt good all season, I’m getting more and more confidence and feeling confident with the puck,” he continued.

“But this is still my first season up here, and I’m trying to take in everything, and learn things all the time. It’s great to have so many veterans around me who can help.”

One of the veterans, Erik Gustafsson, also contributed to the 3-2 victory, which until further notice, places the Red Wings on the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Detroit Red Wings have earned 5 of a possible 6 points coming out of the Four Nations Face-Off break, with the Wings earning a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

The Red Wings now head home to battle the Columbus Blue Jackets in a consequential home-and-Stadium-Series-home series to end the month.

The Red Wings didn’t dominate this game by any means. The Wild held possession and control of the puck in the offensive zone, they out-shot the Wings 17-7 over the course of the 2nd and 3rd periods, and in what was a physical game, they drew 2 power plays, and only gave up 1 to Detroit…

But the Red Wings played rope-a-dope hockey to a tee, and they simply managed to out-hustle and out-last a Wild team that was playing with a better energy level and a better level of fit-and-finish on Tuesday night.

But the Red Wings’ ability to overcome the losses of Andrew Copp and Michael Rasmussen (thanks to the stepping up of players like Elmer Soderblom, who had 7 hits, Simon Edvinsson, who scored two goals, #77’s defensive partner Albert Johansson, who was a stout stalwart, and Marco Kasper, who was tenacious all night long), and Cam Talbot’s ability to steady himself after giving up 2 somewhat shaky goals weren’t the icing on the cake.

The best part of this “revenge game” for Saturday’s 4-3 OT loss to Minnesota was that the Wild were utterly perplexed as to what the hell the Red Wings did to them.

The Wild expressed bewilderment to the Hockey News’s Dylan Loucks…

Continue reading Red Wings-Wild wrap-up: Wings’ muck-and-grind, star performance from Edvinsson yield a revenge victory

The Detroit Red Wings hoped to earn revenge for Saturday’s overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild as they headed to Minneapolis-St. Paul for a rematch.

On Tuesday night, the Red Wings ceded a whole lot of territory and a whole lot of puck possession time to the Minnesota Wild, but as Muhammad Ali would say, the Wings “played the ropes,” rallying from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 decision over Minnesota.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored a slick goal off a lateral pass from Erik Gustafsson, and Simon Edvinsson blasted two slappers through Jonas Gustavsson, first exactly 3:00 after Tarasenko’s goal, and then at 11:35 of the 3rd, from Johansson and a dominant Elmer Soderblom, to make it 3-2.

Detroit held on from there–they were out-shot 7-4 in the 2nd and 10-3 in the 3rd, so they were out-shot 17-7 over the final 40 minutes of play–but the Wings got a good performance from Cam Talbot (22 saves) and made the decisive plays at the right time, earning just enough good breaks to pull out a win.

Continue reading Red Wings-Wild quick take: Wings prevail in a 3-2 decision over Minnesota

The Hockey News’s Adam Proteau discusses potential targets for the Red Wings to consider adding as March 7th trade deadline sits only a week and a half away:

Despite Copp’s injury, Detroit’s need right now should be a minute-munching blueliner to ease the responsibilities for Moritz Seider. Getting someone, such as Chicago’s Seth Jones and his $9.5-million cap hit, would make a lot of sense for the Wings if they can fit him in for the long term.

The Red Wings are tied for the 10th-most goals against per game, with 3.14. That’s the worst goals-against average for any team in a playoff spot right now. And although the Red Wings have the third-most points since Jan. 1, their 2.95 goals against per game is only 18th in the league.

Not many NHL teams could afford to absorb Jones’ full salary without Chicago having to retain salary, either.

It was rumored last year and over the summer that Yzerman had interest in acquiring Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers. This happened, of course, before the Rangers dealt Trouba to Anaheim. But moving on a Jones trade is exactly the type of big swing Yzerman has been looking to make for some time. If he can find an asset match for the Blackhawks, making a Jones trade happen might not be as tough a task as it seems to be on the surface.

Detroit also could be interested in one or two experienced forwards with that cap space after losing Copp, who has 10 goals and 23 points in 56 games. A new second-line center to play between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane could work, as J.T. Compher only has three points in 15 games since Jan. 1 and 22 points in 51 games overall.

In any case, the Wings do look primed to be a buyer at the deadline. Yzerman is under massive pressure to get his team into the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. Changing coaches to Todd McLellan has been a big success so far, and Yzerman should capitalize on that momentum.

Continued; everybody and their brother’s trying to trade Seth Jones, and I really don’t see a fit. Yes, he’s a right-shooting defenseman who can shut down opponents, but at that Gord-awful $9.5 million cap hit, no team should have to take on that entire millstone without some relief taken on from the Blackhawks.

To me, this feels like a case of making a square peg fit in a round hole.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen provides an update on the Grand Rapids Griffins:

Coach Dan Watson’s team will play the Texas  Stars (Dallas Stars) tonight for second place in the division. The Griffins (27-19-4) and Stars (28-16-3) are tied at 58 points, although the Stars have four games in hand.

The Griffins, scoring 19 goals in their past 10 games, are looking to find the net with more frequency. It doesn’t help that 19-goal scorer Sheldon Dries was recently called up by the Red Wings.

The key for Grand Rapids now may be prospects Carter Mazur,  Amadeus Lombardi and Nate Danielson. Mazur and Lombardi are finding their scoring touch after lengthy stays on the injured list. Mazur boasts five points in his past five games, while Lombardi scored Sunday against Iowa. Danielson has two goals and two assists over the past five games.

One of the Griffins’ underrated offensive contributors this season has been prospect defenseman Antti Tuomisto who has two goals and 19 assists for 21 points.

The Griffins and Stars are both two points behind the division-leading Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators).

Continued

Red Wings coach Todd McLellan was blunt when he spoke with the Free Press’s Helene St. James regarding the loss of Andrew Copp for the remainder of the regular season due to surgery on his left pectoral tendon:

“I don’t mean this disrespectfully to Andrew, but we have to move on,” McLellan said Tuesday. “There’s other people in the locker room that have been chomping at the bit to get more ice time and to show their teammates and show the staff and the organization and the fans that they have more to give, and they get an opportunity now, so – game on.”

As St. James points out, the Red Wings aren’t going to give up assets in the form of prospects or draft picks for a rental, so for the present moment, the coaches coach…

While McLellan deals with the immediate impact of losing Copp, who had centered the second line and played both special teams, the onus is on general manager Steve Yzerman to decide if the loss should be addressed from the outside.

“The information we got has been short term,” McLellan said. “We’ll have more time to talk about long term look and all that stuff. But as we work here, the staff up there continues to do their work. Our job is to coach the players that are in the locker room, try and get the most out of them and we’ll continue to do that.”

And the players, including Dylan Larkin. J.T. Compher, Joe Veleno, Sheldon Dries, Marco Kasper, Tyler Motte and Christian Fischer, play:

“Everybody has something to give,” McLellan said. “Sometimes it’s just a small portion, sometimes it’s a lot, depending on the situation, both on and off the ice. But often when you’re a little further down the food chain, you don’t offer what you have. That window has been opened up now because of Copper’s absence and the invitation is there for all the players to step up and give more. We’ll be watching. We’re anxious to see who is going to step up and who is going to contribute.”

There’s also the possibility the Wings decide to call up Nate Danielson, their first-round pick from 2023. Another option is to move Marco Kasper to center the second line, which he did earlier this season. He’s looked at home on the left wing on the top line next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, but long term the Wings see Kasper as a center.

“He has played well in that position,” McLellan said. “He looks very confident there. For as much as he’s benefited from playing with those two players, they’ve also benefited from playing with him. It’s something that we would like to keep together, but situations are going to present themselves as we go forward. There may be times where he does slide back into the center ice hole. We’ll see.”

Update: The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan also spoke with coach McLellan regarding Copp’s injury…

Continue reading Coach McLellan addresses the loss of Andrew Copp, and where the Wings go from here