Month: September 2025

Larkin, Seider, Raymond, DeBrincat and Edvinsson are ranked in The Athletic’s ‘Player Tiers’

The Athletic’s Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman and Dom Luszczyszyn have compiled a massive list of the NHL’s best players in a tiered fashion, per a 20-person panel.

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is listed as an All-Star, but a tenuous one in the “3B” category…

Dylan Larkin

Why he’s here

Larkin, at least in the eyes of our panel, has found his level. Depending on who you ask, he’s either a middle-of-the-pack first-line center or an elite 2C, but nobody had an issue with his placement in Tier 3B.

His performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off earned him praise, as did a big season from linemate Lucas Raymond. That helped raise Larkin from Tier 3C after two years in neutral. We also felt it appropriate to leave Tier 3C center-free, reflecting a drop-off after players such as Larkin — a decision one exec called “bang on.”

Detroit’s playoff drought with Larkin as their top forward prevents him from rising further. He could counter-balance that with more production, but he has one season in his last six with more than 70 points. Still, there’s a sense that miscast or not, he’d be a winning player in the right environment, and we wanted his placement to reflect that.

And Moritz Seider occupies the same tier, just below Larkin…

Continue reading Larkin, Seider, Raymond, DeBrincat and Edvinsson are ranked in The Athletic’s ‘Player Tiers’

Roughly translated: Anton Johansson, difference-maker? His dad, Leksands IF’s GM, thinks so

Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson plays on a Leksands IF team that’s run by his father, GM Thomas “Tjomme” Johansson. Leksand isn’t expected to do well in the SHL this season as they’re a small-market team, but “Tjomme” Johansson tells Ronnie Ronnqvist that he believes that his son is going to be a big part of the team’s successes this upcoming season:

Many people are asking for a stable defender on the blueline, an Anton Lindholm, Jonas Frögren, Mattias Timander and so on, is this something you are also thinking about?


“I know how close Anton Johansson was to ending up in North America, and maybe even getting the opportunity to play in the NHL in the future. If he lives up to the quality he has, no one will miss that type of player.”

“Now he doesn’t have that ‘track record.’ That’s what I can sometimes think when you do an analysis of Leksand [as a team]. That you do it based on how many years the player has played in the league when you look at Eliteprospects, instead of looking at the potential and what’s behind it. Also look behind that door.”

“I absolutely believe that he (Anton Johansson) could be such a player, and I don’t know how many other SHL defenders could actually have had the opportunity to play in the NHL. I hope that he can take on a good, big role and play at the high level that he showed during the preseason.”

Continued (in Swedish, at length); Johansson’s been dynamite during the SHL preseason. If he can play half as good on most nights, “Tjomme’s” prediction about his son might be right in that the small-market Leksand team might not need to import a star defenseman in order to finish with a halfway decent season.

Khan talks Erik Karlsson’s pluses and minuses

MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the “pluses and minuses” of some sort of Pittsburgh Penguins trade of 35-year-old defenseman Erik Karlsson to the Red Wings, but I’ve got to emphasize something that everybody’s getting wrong: Karlsson has, per PuckPedia, a $11.5 million cap hit, not a flat $10 million cap hit, on a contract that goes through 2027.

Anyway, Khan believes that a sensible trade for Karlsson would make lots of sense for Detroit, presuming that Karlsson would waive his no-move clause, and that a defenseman (Justin Holl) would go the other way:

The pros:

–The right-shooting Karlsson could slot into the Red Wings’ second pairing with Simon Edvinsson and boost the offense that ranked 22nd in the league at 2.87 goals per game. He tallied 22 goals and 109 points in the past two seasons combined with Pittsburgh after amassing 25 goals and 101 points with San Jose in 2022-23.

–Karlsson would upgrade an already strong power play (ranked fourth at 27 percent), ensuring it remains among the league’s best. He’d man the top unit, enabling Moritz Seider to move down and strengthen the second unit.

–If the Penguins retained 50 percent of Karlsson’s salary, he’d cost only $5 million, which would be further mitigated if they took back Holl and the final year of his contract at $3.4 million.

–Karlsson could be a mentor in 2026-27 for top defense prospect Alex Sandin Pellikka, who’ll likely spend this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

The cons:

–Karlsson would not improve the Red Wings defensively or on the penalty kill, higher priority areas than offense and the power play.

Continued (paywall); I’m just not a fan of this concept, mostly because I don’t believe that the Penguins plan on retaining much, if any of Karlsson’s salary, and also because he’s just not as mobile as he once was.

To me, Karlsson is a one-way defenseman, and while he can still skate and still shoot, pass and score…And Khan’s theoretical trade of a salary dump (Holl), a roster player (Jonatan Berggren) and a mid-round pick (a 2nd?) might not get it done.

I just don’t see a fit. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if the Wings did go after Karlsson, but Pittsburgh would have to retain salary, and Pittsburgh would have to not want a whole lot back, and, given the rumors that the Pens want a 1st round pick + a good prospect + a roster player for Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust…

I don’t see the Wings paying that kind of price.

Prospect round-up: Tyurin plays 24:35 as MHK Spartak loses 7-2; Buchelnikov 3 shots, 15:29 played in CSKA win

Of Red Wings prospect-related note:

In the MHL, Nikita Tyurin finished even with a shot and a blocked shot over the course of 24:35 played as MHK Spartak lost 7-2 to MHK Dynamo SPB.

Update:

In the KHL, Dmitri Buchelnikov had 3 shots, a hit and a pass interception in 15:29 played as CSKA Moscow won 1-0 over Admiral Vladivostok.

Tweet of note: Griffins reveal 30th anniversary logo at center ice

The Grand Rapids Griffins have installed and painted the ice at Van Andel Arena, including the team’s 30th anniversary logo at center ice:

Roughly translated: Henrik Zetterberg’s now an advisor for Timra IK, but he remains the Red Wings’ ‘secret agent’ in Sweden

This morning, Expressen’s Tobias Soderlund reported that Henrik Zetterberg has been hired as an advisor to his former SHL team, Timra IK. This afternoon, Zetterberg tells Aftonbladet’s Tomas Ros about his ties to the Red Wings:

“Of course I will still have thoughts”

He still is in close contact with the Detroit Red Wings and he played 15 years with Nicklas Lidström, who is assistant general manager of the renowned NHL team.

Right now there are no thoughts of cooperation between the two red and white teams, but of course Zäta will use his phone book and contact network.

“Of course I will certainly have thoughts and questions during the season. Then I have people close to me who have worked in hockey and have a lot of experience. Almost everyone who is in Red Wings staff today is an old teammate and I feel like I always represent Detroit because I played there for so many years. But we’ll see how it can help me in my professional role.”

So his relationship with the Red Wings remains an unofficial one, but Zetterberg will remain “on call” should the Red Wings have a question about a Swedish prospect or free agent.

I also do find it interesting that Red Wings prospect and 2025 draft pick Eddie Genborg will be playing on Timra IK’s men’s team this season…

Follow-up: Olympia Entertainment responds to The Athletic report on Tigers employee misconduct

MLive’s Evan Woodbury reports that Olympia Entertainment has released a statement regarding The Athletic’s report that the Detroit Tigers have faced six charges of misconduct against women over the past 3 years:

“We are committed to a culture of respect, safety, and inclusion. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment, and when concerns are raised, we investigate promptly and take decisive action, which has included terminating employees for misconduct, regardless of seniority or tenure. We are committed to accountability and to upholding the standards essential to our workplace.

“Building on that commitment, we work hard every day to improve our workplace culture. We encourage open dialogue and feedback, celebrate the contributions of our colleagues, and continue to invest in programs that support growth, well-being, and inclusion. Our colleagues have multiple channels to share input, supported by a strong HR team that responds quickly to concerns. We also provide ongoing, company-wide training and education to prevent and address inappropriate behavior.

“These efforts foster a culture where colleagues feel confident raising concerns, knowing that action will be taken when issues arise. We are grateful to the employees who have spoken up here, and to the more than 3,000 full- and part-time colleagues who contribute every day to ensuring a safe work environment.”

Discussing Patrick Kane’s Olympic case

The Hockey News’s Michael Traikos argues that Red Wings forward Patrick Kane should be given the opportunity to earn a spot on Team USA’s 2026 Olympic team–based upon the player he is at 36, not as the player he used to be:

The 36-year-old Kane, who turns 37 in November, was one of the 44 players who attended to the U.S. Team’s orientation camp last month. If he makes the team, he would be participating in his third Olympics. But having been left off Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the veteran winger is considered a long shot. 

Still, the idea of capturing gold to go along with his two Stanley Cups is something that is motivating him as he begins what could be his final NHL season.

“The one thing that’s kind of missing is a gold in best-on-best, right?” Kane told NHL.com at the United States Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp. “It would be fun to have that opportunity.”

Having Kane around at the Olympics, even as a 13th forward, could be more than just a sentimental gesture. The Olympics is not just some random hockey tournament. This is a global event, where the pressure far exceeds playing for a World Cup or even a Stanley Cup. The U.S. team is young, with only six players on NHL.com’s projected roster aged 30 or older. Compare that to Team Canada, where 11 players are 30 or older.

While age is not always a determining factor in skill, the lack of international experience could be an area of concern, especially as pressure ramps up.

…

Does he belong on a team with Tkachuk and Matthews? Does he warrant a look, even if it means knocking someone younger like Matt Boldy or Cole Caufield off the team? If you’re basing the decision on offensive production, the answer is probably no. But if you’re looking at all the intangibles, having Kane’s experience could be the final X-factor that helps the U.S. team win gold.

“I don’t want that to be a thing, either, where you’re getting selected for the team because of all that stuff,” Kane told NHL.com. “You want to be selected for the player you are and what you can bring to the team.”

Continued

Jim Nill discusses Dallas hosting this weekend’s Prospect Games

DallasStars.com’s Mike Heika has posted a column about the Stars hosting this weekend’s pair of Prospect Games between the Stars’ prospects and the Red Wings’ prospects:

Current Stars GM Jim Nill helped start the prospect tournament when he was assistant GM with the Red Wings back in 1998, and it became a successful eight-team affair for a couple of decades. It started to thin in recent years as more options became available for the participating teams and the cost of getting to a valued northern vacation spot for 5-6 days got to be pretty pricey. So, the tournament was reduced to two teams, and this year the Stars and Red Wings will shift their games to Frisco instead.

That can be a good thing and a bad thing. On one hand, the players don’t get the full experience of bonding in a fantastic camp setting with prospects from seven other NHL teams and plenty of things to do when you’re not playing. On the other hand, they also don’t have to go to Northern Michigan, then back to Dallas, then down to Cedar Park, then back to Dallas in a hectic replay of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

“Now that we look back, I do think it might have been too much,” Nill said on Tuesday as he prepares to host games this Saturday and Sunday at Comerica Center and then roll straight into NHL camp on Wednesday in Frisco. “You had four games in five days that were pretty intense, and then you fly those guys right into camp. There’s no time to rest and there is a chance you can get banged up, so when it was at its height, it was probably a little too much.

“Here, we get two games, and I think that’s perfect,” Nill added. “The first one, you get a chance to shake off the rust, and the second one, you should be up and running, and then you go right into camp.”

It also gives Stars fans the benefit of seeing these games in person – and that is a real treat. In my time viewing the games at Centre Ice Arena in Traverse City, I’ve been struck by the level of competition. By taking a bunch of young 20-somethings and letting them go head-to-head, the intensity is significantly higher. When we get to the real NHL exhibition games, you have a mix of veterans and “kids” and there is usually no real flow. The veterans probably aren’t as engaged as you might like and are waiting around for the regular season to start. The kids are hesitant to do too much for fear of overstepping their “place” in the game. But in these prospect games, the top players go against the top players and you get full on vitriol.

…

You get to see a live performance of the youngest players before training camp starts, and that can be pretty revealing.

“We just thought it would be good to give the prospects a little bit of a head start, and it was probably one of the best things we did,” Nill said of the original tournament plan. “Players didn’t have to jump right in with NHL guys in camp, they played against their peers, and we also used it for tryouts and found several players that way. The level of hockey for this time of year is off the charts. They want to show each other what you can do and they want to show management what they can do. It’s a great thing to watch.”

Continued;

Konstantinov and McCarty to attend the Monroe Comic Con this weekend

Per MLive’s Andrew Pevos:

Vladimir Konstantinov is scheduled to make a rare public appearance this weekend and he won’t be the only Red Wings Stanley Cup Champion you can meet.

Vladdy, along with Darren McCarty, are two of the celebrity guests who will be at Monroe Comic Con taking place on Friday, September 12 and Saturday, September 13 at the FMB Expo Center at 3775 South Custer Road.

Other celebrities scheduled to attend include: Walter Jones (“Power Rangers”), Chris Durand (“Halloween H2O” & ”Scream 2″), Sgt. Slaughter (WWE Hall of Famer), James O’Barr (Creator of “The Crow”), Katrina DeVine (“Power Rangers”), Chris Fehn (formerly of Slipknot), Rhyno (ECW, WWE), Blake Foster (“Power Rangers Turbo”).

Continued; ticket prices are very reasonable at $15 for Friday and $20 for Saturday, or $30 for a 2-day VIP pass.