I had to crash over the course of Sunday afternoon an all of Monday, so I apologize for the lack of content during that time. Here’s a digest of what Red Wings-related happenings were posted during that time:
- As Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff noted, when Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson took a 5-minute major penalty for boarding in Leksands IF’s first exhibition game vs. Linkopings HC, he missed the opportunity to play in a full game with his brother Victor Johansson, who’s a 19-year-old left defenseman. As you probably know by now, Anton and Victor’s father, Thomas (or “Tjomme”) is Leksands IF’s GM.
Per Duff:
The two were forming a defense pairing on the weekend as Leksands was facing Linköping in SHL preseason action. However, the pairing didn’t last long. Anton was assessed a match penalty for boarding eight minutes into the game.
“I told him afterwards it was fun that I got to play with you,” Victor told Swedish website Falu-Kuriren.
“We had of course hoped to play more together now that we started together. But that’s what happens.
“I hope for more minutes (together) in the future.”
Anton’s older brother, Simon, plays for Ilves of the Finnish Liiga. He was in the Minnesota Wild’s system for several seasons.
2. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen also took note of several exhibition games’ results on Sunday:
Red Wings 2025 seventh-round pick Grayden Robertson-Palmer (204th, 2025) shows four points (one goal, three assists) for the Moncton Wildcats in two QMJHL preseason games. Noah Dower Nilsson (73rd, 2023) posted three shots on goal, no points, in 13:12 of playing time for Frolunda in a 5-2 Champions League game against Lausanne HC.
In the Champions Hockey League, Michal Svrcek also finished at +1 in 10:31 played as Brynas IF won 5-0 over Mountfield HK;
3. While we’re talking about international news, Duff noted that Daniel Sprong has changed his number again, and he’s wearing #91 while playing for CSKA Moscow of the KHL. Sergei Fedorov wore #91 in the NHL, of course, but he wore #18 for CSKA, and that number has been retired by the Moscow team.
4. Shifting focus back to North America, Detroit Hockey Now’s Allen posted a subscriber-only article which discusses numbers which he believes the Red Wings must achieve to make the playoffs this season:
50-55
That’s the number of points the Red Wings need from Moritz Seider this season. He is averaging 44.5 points per season in his career. If he pushes past the 50-point mark it would indicate he is taking his game to another level. More importantly, it would signal Detroit’s offense is improved over last season.
94
That’s the number of points the Red Wings have to earn to end their playoff drought. That’s eight more points than they earn last season. Four wins doesn’t sound like much, But the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres expect to be improved, and we must stop thinking “this is the season when the Lightning decline.” That isn’t going to happen. The loss of Mitch Marner isn’t going to knock Toronto out of the playoffs. Florida will still be a force when Matthew Tkachuk returns from injury. Ninety-four points is a big ask for Detroit.
5. Duff also noted an unfortunate milestone which Dylan Larkin may hit this season:
Larkin probably doesn’t want to know this, but he is climbing fast up a list that no player wants to top.
In less than two seasons, Larkin will have played more games for the team without ever winning a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings. He’ll pass Justin Abdelkader (739 games) for third place on the list early into the upcoming campaign.
He’ll have to suffer well into the 2026-27 season before catching Nick Libett (861) and then Norm Ullman (875) to become the all-time leader in a category no player wants to sit atop.
6. Finally, the Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker names Andrew Copp as a “player to watch” during the 2025-2026 season:
Right before Detroit’s slide in the month of March this past season, Copp suffered a season-ending pectoral injury after getting involved in a scuffle with Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber. He would undergo successful surgery and, while he was unavailable for the remainder of the campaign, he’s expected to be fully healthy for the beginning of Training Camp on Sept. 18.
Following Copp’s injury, the Red Wings amassed a record of 11-13-2 and ultimately missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For comparison, they went 15-5-2 with Copp in the lineup following the hiring of new head coach Todd McLellan on December 26. In the 56 games he skated in, Copp scored 10 goals while adding 13 assists.
While he’s not setting any offensive records with the Red Wings, his absence from the lineup was clearly felt in key situations and contributed in large part to Detroit’s slide in March.
“You don’t know what you’re missing until you miss it,” McLellan said of Copp’s absence. “We didn’t realize as a coaching staff, when we first got here, that he meant a lot to the team. In his situation, do you expect 35 goals from him? That’s probably unrealistic. But the things he does on the ice … he was really starting to play. He balances out the line a little bit.”
Copp himself said that he was looking forward to playing a full season under McLellan, which he feels will pay dividends for the Red Wings considering the near night and day difference of their overall play after he took over the head coaching duties.
“Two seven-game winning streaks in 20 games,” said Copp of Detroit’s play under McLellan. “It was a little time, but hopefully with a full training camp and offseason and everything to plan, we’re not sitting here at the end of the regular season.”
Now we’re caught up. Don’t forget that the NHLPA Rookie Showcase takes place tomorrow at the Washington Capitals’ practice facility, and the photo shoot conducted by Upper Deck will include Axel Sandin Pellikka as the Red Wings’ representative.
