Month: July 2025

On ‘Making a splash’

The Hockey News’s Adam Proteau chose a set of six teams with significant salary cap space remaining, and he suggests that each of these teams should “make a splash” to maximize their salary cap space’s punch. He includes the Red Wings in his list:

Detroit Red Wings

Cap Space: $12.0 million

The Red Wings acquired John Gibson to be their starter in net and signed role players Mason Appleton, James van Riemsdyk and Jacob Bernard-Docker in free agency. Gibson can be a difference-maker, but those other three players aren’t needle-movers in any sense.

Thus, in a highly competitive Atlantic Division, we still don’t see Detroit as a playoff team right now. But Wings GM Steve Yzerman still has cap space to use in trades. His team lacks sufficient high-end talent to compete with Atlantic front-runners, such as the defending Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

So far during his time as Detroit GM, Yzerman’s biggest trade acquisition was arguably Alex DeBrincat. He missed out on finding another Grade-A skater in free agency, so unless he pulls off a blockbuster, we’re skeptical he’ll be able to acquire the talent he needs to put his group into legitimate playoff contention. Gibson will be the X-factor if the roster stays as it is.

Continued; I would prefer to see Yzerman make a trade of some sort, but I have a bad feeling that we are where we are in terms of the Red Wings’ roster.

Two translations of a Dmitri Buchelnikov interview

Red Wings prospect and CSKA Moscow forward Dmitri Buchelnikov gave an interview to Sport24.ru’s Nadezhda Tonkonog recently, after taking part in a charity game called “The Match of the World,” and we’re getting two translations thereof today.

First, from Red Wings Prospects on Twitter:

Second, from the Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker:

Continue reading Two translations of a Dmitri Buchelnikov interview

Tweet of note: When a 3.88 is an admirable number for Trey Augustine

Michigan State University posted this Tweet a couple of hours ago, and I’m catching up, so…

Per MSUSpartans.com:

Continue reading Tweet of note: When a 3.88 is an admirable number for Trey Augustine

A bit of praise for Trey Augustine

NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale spotlights NCAA prospects not named Gavin McKenna today (McKenna, the top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, spurned MSU to sign with Penn State yesterday evening), and Morreale gives a shout-out to Red Wings prospect and Michigan State University goaltender Trey Augustine:

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State

Selected by the Detroit Red Wings with No. 41 pick in 2023 NHL Draft

The youngest starting goalie in college hockey was a First Team All-American and Big Ten goalie of the year winner in 2024-25. The 20-year-old has helped elevate the Spartans into the national spotlight, backstopping them to consecutive Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles — the first team in league history to accomplish that. Augustine’s .924 save percentage as a junior this season was the best since Jake Hildebrand’s .930 in 2014-15. He finished 19-7-4 with three shutouts, and his 2.08 goals-against average was the lowest since Jeff Lerg (1.94) in 2005-06.

Continued

Adding defenseman Oliver Kylington, Matt Grzelcyk to the free agency rumor mill

Again, I’m no fan of mid-summer free agency speculation, but the Hockey News’s Jake Tye posted an article which gets at least 2 of 3 recommendations for the Red Wings “right.” I believe that 28-year-old defenseman Oliver Kylington and 31-year-old Matt Grzelcyk could both fit in on the Red Wings’ blueline:

Oliver Kylington – LHD

The 28-year-old blueliner has struggled through different ailments over recent years with his most recent battle being with his mental health. Kylington has played just 54 games over the last two seasons and recorded 13 points during that span. 

The Swedish defenceman has shown to be an impact player in the past with nine goals and 22 assists for 31 points through 73 games during the 2021-22 season with the Calgary Flames. Kylington could be a useful option with the expectation being a bottom pairing role as he could work in with Albert Johansson. 

His confidence and hopefully his mental health could be built up in one of the best organizations in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins. This could provide him with a massive boost in his overall confidence and tap back into his high upside as a second round pick back in 2015 by the Flames. His last 23 AHL games went as good as you can expect from a defenceman, as he totalled ten goals and seven assists for 17 points.

Matt Grzelcyk – LHD

The top producing free agent left on the board is the Penguins blueliner, who is coming off a big season with the Penguins, where he put up a solid 40 points with over 20 minutes of ice-time per game. His 40 points had him tied for 26th in points by defenceman with his name in the same conversation as other difference making defenceman like Edmonton’s Jake Walman and St. Louis’s Cam Fowler. 

The 31-year-old is likely looking for a bit of term to carry him into his mid- to late-30s and it appears teams aren’t willing to meet him there. As a regular 20-30 point player he would likely work as a solid middle pairing defenceman that can handle serious minutes. 

Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has made it clear he doesn’t want to block pathways for young up-and-coming players, which makes this add not as likely but would add an immediate improvement to their blueline. He likely slides into the second pairing with Jacob Bernard-Docker while Ben Chiarot could look to work in with Johansson. 

Continued; I’m not as much of a fan of Tye’s suggestion that the Red Wings could sign 29-year-old goalie Alexandar Georgiev as a 3rd goaltender, but that’s just me.

If we’re going to be talking about potential free middle-of-the-summer free agent targets for the Red Wings, they should be realistic, and Kylington and Grzelcyk are two players who fit the Wings’ “type.”

John Whipple, Max Plante named to this year’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster

The World Junior Summer Showcase is being held in Minneapolis, Minnesota this year, and two Red Wings prospects will take part after being named to the WJSS roster today.

Defenseman John Whipple, a 2024 draft pick (144th overall) and center Max Plante, a 2025 draft pick (47th overall) are both taking part, and it’s convenient for both players as the WJSS is taking place at the University of Minnesota. Whipple plays for the Golden Gophers, and Plante plays for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

Update: NHL.com reports that Red Wings 2025 draft pick Eddie Genborg will attend the WJSS for Sweden.

Mason Appleton discusses his fit with the Red Wings

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills spoke with 29-year-old forward Mason Appleton, who the Red Wings signed to a 2-year contract with an average annual value of $2.9 million:

“When you go through the Free Agency process, you try to evaluate which teams you think you would fit right in and right from the start of things,” Appleton told DetroitRedWings.com on Tuesday. “I thought Detroit was a great fit for me on the ice. And then off the ice, it made a lot of sense too with my wife and I being from Wisconsin, it’s a lot closer than some other teams. It just seemed like the right fit. Free Agency kicks off, it’s a stressful time, and things happen that you wouldn’t expect but at the end of the day we were very happy to end up in Detroit. It’s a team that I believe is right there to make the playoffs and just needs to keep pushing. Hopefully, I can be a piece that kind of gets us over that hump.”

Appleton, a native of Green Bay, Wisc., spent the 2024-25 campaign with the Winnipeg Jets, recording 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 71 regular-season games before tallying seven assists in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

Winnipeg took Appleton in the sixth round (No. 168 overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and the 6-foot-2, 194-pound forward has compiled 138 points (57 goals, 81 assists) in 400 career NHL games with the Jets and Seattle Kraken, who selected him in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, since 2018-19.

Appleton may be joining the Red Wings as a newcomer, but to the less experienced players in Detroit’s dressing room, he’ll be a veteran presence.

“I’m going to go about my work and hopefully, it’s noticed, and guys follow suit with that,” the 29-year-old said. “When something needs to be spoken up about, and I feel there’s a time to do it, I’ll chip in my two cents. But I’m not a guy that just talks to talk or a big motivator in that sense. Obviously, there’s guys in the room that do that and have that role. For me, it’s kind of just leading by example.”

Also, on the growth in his game over the years, Appleton, who is approaching his eighth NHL season, said striving for consistency has been a central component.

“You can kind of have more ups and downs when you’re young and still trying to figure out the League, but I try to pride myself on being the same player game in and game out, and I think I’ve built towards that over these past few years,” he said. “I’m just trying to be the same version of myself every single game.”

Continued

Allen discusses some of the Red Wings’ late-round ‘gems’

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted an article in which he discusses the Red Wings’ late-round picks in this past June’s 2025 NHL Draft, offering an example as to how the Wings try to “mine” the later rounds for NHL talent:

Two years ago, the Red Wings drafted Kamloops Blazers left wing Emmitt Finnie in the seventh round, 201st overall. The youngster showed nine goals in his first 112 Western Hockey League games. But scouts spotted ability just below the surface. Over his next 59 WHL games, he put up 62 points. Finnie scored 37 goals for the Blazers last season and didn’t look out of place playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins late in the season.

How about Brent Solomon (drafted 109th), a Minnesotan who played high school hockey and in the USHL last season. Solomon netted 38 goals in 28 games for Champlin Park High School. He had six more points playing eight games for Sioux Falls in the USHL.

“Natural goal scorer with obviously a very good release,” said Kris Draper, Detroit assistant GM and director of amateur scouting. “He played high school hockey in Minnesota, got an opportunity to play some hockey in the USHL. He’s going to play there next year as well.  We just like the ability to score goals. He did it very well at the high school level. He got off to actually a really hot start, too in the USHL, which is something that you like to see someone going from Minnesota high school to jumping into the USHL and still being an offensive threat.”

Continued (paywall) with a discussion of Will Murphy’s pluses and a note about the Wings’ drafting of Carter Bear…

Carter Bear’s still amazed that the Red Wings drafted him, but he’s getting down to business, too

The Everett Herald’s Joe Pohoryles checked in on Red Wings 13th overall draft pick Carter Bear two weeks after Detroit selected Bear in the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles. It turns out that Bear is still somewhat gobsmacked as to the fact that Detroit drafted him:

“I think it was just seeing my parents’ faces,” Bear told The Herald over the phone on Tuesday. “I think that’s just gonna stick out for a long time in our lifetime, obviously a lifetime memory for all of our family here. It’s unbelievable, like hard to explain that. I can’t really tell you how I felt that night.”

For Bear and his parents, Conrad and Misty, there was an overwhelming sense of pride, gratitude and even some shock. Bear said he had “no clue” that he was on Detroit’s radar, so he was legitimately surprised to hear his name called at No. 13.

His interactions with the Red Wings at the draft combine weren’t out of the ordinary, and even though he was never tipped off that they had interest in selecting him, the allure of potentially joining the Original Six franchise remained in the back of his mind.

“I think, during the draft process, it never really stuck up (in) my mind, it was just like, ‘What if?’” Bear said. “‘What if’ kind of thing, mindset, you know? So honestly, when they called my name I was pretty surprised, and I’m pretty grateful at first, too.”

Still, Bear is a businesslike young man, and he told Pohoryles that he enjoyed participating in the Red Wings’ Summer Development Camp:

“It’s pretty cool walking around there and seeing the guys that came out of the Detroit (organization),” Bear said. “All the staff that won a Stanley Cup with them in those 2000-years (2002 and 2008). It’s pretty special and (I’m) definitely going to learn from them through the years.”

Despite lacerating his Achilles in March, Bear recovered enough to participate in on-ice activities during development camp. He said his recovery is “going really well,” and he credited Detroit’s “unbelievable” training staff for helping him along the way as he builds back up to full strength.

However, Bear’s biggest takeaway from the camp was learning how to be a professional player and how to take care of yourself, which is a lesson Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan gave to the prospects when he stopped by the camp.

Continued; Bear tells Pohoryles that he expects to spend this upcoming season with his WHL team, playing for the Everett Silvertips before trying to turn pro as a 19-year-old (he has a November birthday, so he’ll be 19 this fall and 20 by November of 2026).