Month: August 2025

Four multimedia things: the center-ice logo at LCA, underrated Wings, praise for Brett Hull and a Red vs. White Game reminder

Of Red Wings related note this early afternoon:

  1. I know that the Wings posted the installation of their “Hockeytown/100th Anniversary Wings logo” at center ice on LCA’s ice surface as a Tweet…but the better resolution of this YouTube short is worth 40-something seconds of your time…

2. NHL.com’s Twitter account posted a fine question regarding the entire NHL’s player corps over the past 20 years (2005-2025), and this one’s getting a lot of play on Twitter, so I’d love to hear your opinions as to the most underrated Red Wing of the last 20 years:

3. NHL.com also offered this little ditty…

4. And finally, the Grand Rapids Griffins remind us that the “Red vs. White” game will be taking place at Van Andel Arena on Sunday, September 21st:

On ‘making a move’ or the absence thereof

Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon issues an early-August set of power rankings today, basing his rankings upon the offseason performances of teams’ general managers:

21. Detroit Red Wings – While you can certainly still talk yourself into some existing Wings players like Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson moving the team forward, it just feels like Detroit needs an acquisition to give this thing a meaningful push.

Continued; at this point, I’d argue that the Red Wings would be wise to make an offseason move or two to address their top-six scoring and top-four defensive shut-down abilities, but I’m afraid that, given the relative quiet of the summer thus far…

We’re going to end up seeing “our team” try to battle through the first half of the 2025-2026 season banking on improvement from within, with any trade(s) happening closer to the 2026 trade deadline.

Griffins coach Dan Watson discusses Sebastian Cossa’s development

The Hockey News’s Jake Tye offers the following regarding Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa’s development, per Griffins coach Dan Watson:

The Hockey News spoke with Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Dan Watson and he explained to us that the uncertainty of if Cossa will be returning to the Griffins is at an all-time high. 

“He’s committed, dedicated, he wants to get better, he wants to be the guy, whether it’s in Grand Rapids, I know he’s gonna be challenging mentally for a spot in Detroit,” Watson explained “We’re looking for him to take that next step and be a good starting goaltender for us in Grand Rapids, If not, he’s going to be in Detroit.”  

Watson emphasized that another season with the Griffins would be valuable for Cossa as he would have the opportunity to handle the majority of the starts, just as he did early last season when his strong performance earned him a spot at the AHL all-star game. Veteran goaltenders like Jack Campbell and Husso would go on to limit his workload later on in the season. If he returns to Grand Rapids next season, Watson expects him to take on the bulk workload for the team.

“This year, I’d love to see him take the reins and then if he’s in Grand Rapids, be the guy, get those as many starts as you possibly can where we obviously have to manage his workload and everything, but he can get a lot of starts and get to feel the puck and then see it well, like he did this our last year,” Watson said “I think that’s going to elevate him to that next step is being the guy in Grand Rapids.” 

…

“We have a great relationship, being with each other now for the last three seasons. I want to make sure there’s invested interest with him, and I want to make sure that we do everything we can and provide the resources necessary for him to have success,” Watson stated.

Continued; this is a pivotal year for Cossa as he’s going to be pushed by Michal Postava in Grand Rapids, but I don’t know whether he can unseat Cam Talbot quite yet.

And now, we continue to fundraise

Okay, my least favorite part of blogging repeats itself this month. We’ve raised approximately $217 of that $617 server/stupid personal bill, which is wonderful, but that leaves us $400 to go.

I’ve tried to not spam you with daily fundraising posts, but the last $400 is going to be difficult to achieve, and so I have to ask that, if you dig the content and especially the opinions and analysis on the blog, that you donate a little bit to help the cause.

The small donations pave the road just as much as the big ones do, and any help is greatly appreciated.

You know how this goes:

Continue reading And now, we continue to fundraise

A tier-four-out-of-five defense?

TSN’s Travis Yost ranks the NHL’s 32 teams’ defensive corps into tiers today, and he suggests that the Red Wings’ defense ranks 4th in terms of a 1-to-5 tier system:

Detroit Red Wings (T4) — Consider me eager to see what 22-year old Simon Edvinsson brings to the table in his second full season. Detroit’s been looking for defensive quality beyond Moritz Seider ever since Filip Hronek was traded to Vancouver, and Edvinsson impressed in his rookie campaign with 31 points in 78 games. Only four defenders of a similar age produced better than that rate, and it’s an encouraging group: Montreal’s Lane Hutson, New Jersey’s Luke Hughes, Buffalo’s Owen Power, and Los Angeles’ Brandt Clarke.

Continued; I would politely disagree regarding the Red Wings’ defensive corps’ relative flimsiness–there’s more than Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson and “everyone else”–but I would suggest that trading Filip Hronek was taking a step back to take a step forward in terms of Axel Sandin Pellikka’s sky-high potential.

Bultman discusses ‘prospect timelines’

The Athletic’s Max Bultman attempts to discern the “timelines” of the Red Wings’ top prospects this morning. Bultman discusses the probable dates at which time the Wings’ prospects might make their NHL debuts, and then at some point, become regular NHL players:

In the “coming soon” department are Carter Mazur, Nate Danielson and Sebastian Cossa:

Carter Mazur

Long-term projection: Bottom-six forward

Estimated arrival: 2025-26

Mazur made his debut already, and for that reason, he’s probably the slight favorite for the next young player to get the call. His debut was short-lived, of course. He sustained a season-ending injury just over a minute into his first game, but the work Mazur put in to earn that call-up last spring didn’t just vanish when he got hurt.

When healthy,  the 23-year-old Mazur has lived up to his reputation as a gritty forward with a nose for the net, willing to dig out pucks for second chances and boasting an impressive shot. That could give him a nice path to a bottom-six role soon, adding the kind of hard offense Detroit needs more of.

He’ll need to deliver a strong preseason — and stay healthy — but I could see him jumping into the bottom six more regularly this season, and possibly early.

Nate Danielson

Long-term projection: Second-line center

Estimated arrival: 2025-26

Danielson has all the tools to be a legit second-line center in the NHL as a smart, responsible, 6-foot-2 center who skates well and can make plays with the puck.

The main question on whether he will reach that level is the production — which, in fairness, was virtually identical to what Kasper did in the same league at the same point in his development. But the two are different players, and it remains to be seen if Danielson can find the same hard-area offense Kasper has. So if you wanted to say “middle-six center” as the projection, I could understand that too. Especially with Kasper looking like Detroit’s long-term 2C.

But whatever the long-term role, I think Danielson makes his way to Detroit at some point this coming season. He’d need a big camp to make the team for opening night, with the Red Wings typically preferring their top prospects play a major role in Grand Rapids, but it’s easy to imagine him getting a look at some point this season and earning his keep when he does.

Danielson has a lot of tools to work with and a lot of ways to contribute in a top nine very soon.

Bultman continues (paywall)

Pavel Datsyuk addresses the Red Wings’ rebuild in an interview with RG.com

RG.com’s Sergey Demidov spoke with former Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk ahead of a charity game in his hometown of Yekaterinburg, Russia on August 30th. Datsyuk addresses an array of topics, including the state of the Red Wings:

In the summer of 2024, Datsyuk returned to the Detroit Red Wings, the club he starred for from 2001 to 2016, attending their development camp.

“It was an interesting experience for me – and I hope for them too,” he says.

Detroit, once the NHL’s model franchise with 25 straight playoff appearances and Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008, remains in a drawn-out rebuild. They missed the postseason again in 2024–25 – their ninth straight absence – despite late-season wins over playoff teams like New Jersey. Young stars Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider give hope, but the climb back is steep.

“The Red Wings were at the top for a long time, winning many titles, so it’s understandable that their rebuild is taking more time than usual,” Datsyuk explains. “They say a rebuild takes about seven years, but since Detroit was so high up, the road back to the top takes even longer. Now Detroit has a great arena, which is already a big plus. Perhaps what the team lacks is standout leaders – but that’s true not only for Detroit, it applies to hockey in general. Players are maturing more slowly these days, and some never mature at all, staying teenagers forever.”

That being said, Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin receives Datsyuk’s stamp of approval…

Captain Dylan Larkin is now the face of the team. Datsyuk played alongside him in Larkin’s rookie year.

“It’s hard to give advice when I haven’t seen him in 10 years,” he says. “I played with him when he was still very young. A lot of time has passed. He stands out now, already an experienced and mature player. He understands everything. As a team, they probably just lack confidence.”

And you can take this for what you will:

Looking ahead to 2026, Datsyuk offers a bold forecast: “Here’s my prediction – Detroit will reach the conference final. As for Florida, which has won two Stanley Cups, it will be hard to win a third in a row. I think it will be very difficult for them – partly because of the short summer, and also because motivation won’t be quite the same.”

Carter Bear took time out for his First Nations community on Saturday

Red Wings prospect Carter Bear was honored for his accomplishments by his Peguis First Nations community on Saturday, and the CTV News Winnipeg’s Harrison Shin reports that all went well at the Peguis Multiplex, some two hours north of Winnipeg, on Saturday afternoon:

“Just an immense amount of pride. We haven’t stopped telling people where he’s from, and what our connections are to the community,” said Chief Stan Bird of Peguis First Nation. “It’s a real positive thing for our youth to see – to be part of history. 18-year-old Indigenous person being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings. That’s history itself.”

Chief Bird said he initially didn’t expect Bear to have the time to sign individual autographs and take pictures, but Bear made it happen on Saturday.

“We’re very pleased that he’ll take a few hours of his time, just to drive to Peguis, to meet with the people of Peguis. There’s a lot of pride here, and for him to come back and to interact with the people, I think it’s a really positive, uplifting experience for all of us.”

To mark Bear’s selection by the Red Wings, organizers served free hot wings at the event.

Bear was supposed to attend the event for an hour, but it appears that he took as long as necessary to to sign fans’ autographs and give the kids memories of meeting with the community’s first NHL-drafted athlete. Good on him.

Update: Here’s more from Winnipeg’s Classic 107’s Colleen Houde:

Continue reading Carter Bear took time out for his First Nations community on Saturday

Talking about All-Time top Red Wings players

Daily Faceoff’s Tyler Kuehl was tasked with compiling a list of the top 25 players in Detroit Red Wings history this morning, and here are three of his selections:

8. Pavel Datsyuk (2001-2016)

One of the most gifted players in the modern era, Datsyuk was the epitome of a two-way center, but had hands that made him mesmerizing to watch. After making his debut on the legendary 2002 Stanley Cup team, Datsyuk became one of the more prominent players in the game in the salary cap era. The Russian scored over 80 points four years in a row, including back-to-back 97-point campaigns in 2007-08 and 2008-09. His 23 points in the ’08 playoffs helped Detroit capture the Stanley Cup. Along with winning the Selke three times, and the Lady Byng four times, Datsyuk ranks sixth in all-time as a Wing with 604 assists, sitting eighth in goals (314), seventh in points (918) and tied for ninth in games played (953).

7. Alex Delvecchio (1951-1974)

The epitome of class and longevity, Delvecchio is one of the few players to have spent over two decades with the Red Wings. All 24 of his seasons in the NHL were with the winged wheel, and no one could have asked for more from “Fats.” He took over the centerman role of The Production Line from Sid Abel, and went on to be one of the greatest to play the game. No. 10 was invited to the All-Star Game 13 times, second only to Gordie Howe, and won the Lady Byng three times. The three-time Cup winner is third on the franchise list in games played (1,550), goals (456) and points (1,281) while sitting fourth in assists (825).

6. Sergei Fedorov (1990-2003)

One of the most gifted players I’ve ever laid eyes on. In an era where Lemieux, Gretzky and Messier were considered the best in the game, Fedorov proved that he could outplay them on any given night. Blessed with the speed of a gazelle, the Russian star made opponents look silly with his skill. The Hall of Famer put himself in the limelight in 1993-94, winning the Hart and Selke Trophies, along with the Ted Lindsay Award (then known as the Lester B. Pearson Award), after scoring an exceptional 56 goals and 120 points. In 13 years with the Wings, Fedorov scored 400 goals (4th), 554 assists (7th) and 954 points (6th). He’s also third in points in the postseason with 163.

Continued; this is a very good representative list.