Author: George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

Press release: Red Wings officially recall Austin Watson, assign Ville Husso to GR

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS RECALL AUSTIN WATSON FROM GRAND RAPIDS

  … Detroit Assigns Ville Husso to Griffins …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today recalled forward Austin Watson from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, the Red Wings have assigned goaltender Ville Husso to the Griffins.

Watson, 32, has recorded three assists, a plus-three rating and seven penalty minutes in two games with the Griffins to begin the 2024-25 season. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Red Wings on Oct. 7 after spending training camp on a professional tryout, logging one assist, a plus-one rating and 27 penalty minutes in four preseason appearances. Watson played the entire 2023-24 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, tallying four points (2-2-4), a plus-two rating and 93 penalty minutes in 33 games. He spent the 2022-23 campaign with the Ottawa Senators, collecting 11 points (9-2-11) and 123 penalty minutes in 75 games. Originally selected by the Nashville Predators in the first round (18th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Watson has compiled 118 points (60-58-118) and 705 penalty minutes in 515 games with the Predators, Senators and Lightning since 2012-13. He has also tallied 19 points (10-9-19) and 48 penalty minutes in 45 postseason contests, helping the Predators reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Additionally, Watson has played in parts of seven AHL seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals and Griffins, racking up 135 points (73-62-135), a plus-13 rating and 96 penalty minutes in 236 games.

Continue reading Press release: Red Wings officially recall Austin Watson, assign Ville Husso to GR

Prospect round-up: Buchelnikov scores in Vityaz win

Of Red Wings prospect-related note:

In the KHL, The only Red Wings prospect in action on Monday was Dmitri Buchelnikov, and he made a positive impact.

Buchelnikov scored a goal and finished even with 6 shots in 15:44 played as Vityaz Moscow Region won 2-0 over Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Red Wings Prospects on Twitter captured the action:

Lalonde starting Lyon for ‘load management’s’ sake

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde explained why the Red Wings might start Alex Lyon–tonight’s starter against the Rangers–instead of sticking with Cam Talbot after Saturday night’s 42-save shutout vs. Nashville:

As much as coaches like to stay with the hot hand, coach Derek Lalonde said Saturday that he might go in a different direction because the volume of shots Talbot faced.

“There was a lot of volume (against Nashville), and he had some volume against Pittsburgh, too,” coach Derek Lalonde said Saturday night.  So that’s three games in six days. I don’t know if we’re putting him in the best situation to throw him right back out there Monday, but something we’ll talk about as a staff.”

Lalonde said he wasn’t going to consider last season’s performance during the preseason competition. But he gained plenty of respect last season when he rose from No. 3 on the depth chart to starter when the Red Wings made a late, but unsuccessful, bid to qualify for the playoffs.

Continued; the rotation may continue.

Short clips: Kane on the Wings’ need for consistency, and Lalonde on waiving Husso

Of Red Wings-related note from Patrick Kane and coach Derek Lalonde’s media availabilities:

  1. The Red Wings posted a Twitter clip of Patrick Kane speaking about the Wings’ need for consistency as they come out of the gate. Kane says that the team hopesd to be a playoff team when all is said and done, but they must keep their focus on games 3 and 4 against the Rangers, and then Saturday’s tilt in Nashville, which constitute a difficult schedule ahead:

2. And the Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a clip of coach Derek Lalonde discussing why the Red Wings waived Ville Husso, and what Husso’s future with the team might hold:

Friedman: Ville Husso clears waivers

Off to Grand Rapids for Ville Husso:

Justin Holl discusses his status with THN’s Stockton

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton spoke with the recently-waived Justin Holl regarding his status on the team as a somewhat expendable quantity:

“You get done with pre-season, and you know there’s certain things that may be out of your control,” he said yesterday.  “We’re trying to manage the cap as best we can, so that was explained to me, and I understand that from a management perspective, but it’s difficult for the player for sure.  I just want to be a part of this group, and I know that I’m an NHL player, so that hurts.  But at the same time, all you can do is be focused and stay ready and try to play as well as you can when you get the call.”  “When you’re looking at it, you kinda understand that ‘okay, we got a couple guys that are waiver-eligible.’…You kinda read the tea leaves a little bit, like this is possible, but it’s still a little bit shocking,” Holl added.

For Holl, coming to terms with the reality of the business of hockey has happened slowly over the course of his career.  “Throughout the years where maybe somebody else is a cap casualty, and you’re like ‘oh wow, so that’s what’s going on,'” he explained.  “You kinda understand that there’s different things behind the scenes that need to be done, so I’m always learning, and, like I said, when you experience that and you see it happen, that’s when you can read the tea leaves…and see this is possible.”

“All I can do is just try to play as well as I can, and the rest is out of my control,” he said, showing equanimity in a trying situation.  “As hard as that is, that’s just how you’ve gotta approach it.” 

Continued; great stuff here from Stockton.

Video: Patrick Kane and Derek Lalonde speak with the media ahead of Detroit vs. New York game

Updated at 1:51 PM: The Detroit Red Wings start a two-game series against the New York Rangers this evening (7 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit/MSG Network/NHL Network/97.1 FM), and the Rangers will be starting Igor Shesterkin and sitting Matt Rempe, while the Red Wings are starting Alex Lyon, and Austin Watson will substitute for Christian Fischer.

The morning skates are over for both teams, and the coaches and players have spoken with the media ahead of tonight’s game, and we call the first Tweet a “tease”:

Continue reading Video: Patrick Kane and Derek Lalonde speak with the media ahead of Detroit vs. New York game

Tweet of note: 25 years for Kaser and Figurski

It’s hard to believe it’s been this long, but Grand Rapids Griffins play-by-play announcer Bob Kaser and color commentator Larry Figurski have been together for 25 years:

Red Wings-Rangers morning skate Tweets, part 2: Lyon starts for Detroit, Auston Watson in for Fischer

The Detroit Red Wings open a home-and-home series with the New York Rangers this evening (7 PM EDT start on Bally Sports Detroit/MSG Network/NHL Network/97.1 FM), and the Rangers’ morning skate indicated that the Rangers will start Igor Shesterkin in goal, and that scrapper Matt Rempe will not play vs. Detroit.

Among the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton’s “What to watch for” items for tonight:

-Special teams were a major distinguishing factor in last year’s regular seasons series. The Red Wing power play went 2/14 across the three games (14.3%, down from the year long average of 23.1%), while the Ranger man advantage converted on three of its eight chances (37.5%, up from an already daunting season average of 26.4%). Throughout their recent push toward the top of the Eastern Conference (whether during Gerard Gallant’s tenure or in their present, Peter Laviolette-coached iteration), New York has never been a dominant five-on-five team. Instead, they rely heavily on special teams (and an elite power play in particular) to achieve results.

As Stockton notes, the Red Wings are likely to recall a veteran forward from Grand Rapids once Ville Husso clears waivers. It will most likely be a short-term recall as Christian Fischer (upper-body) is not going to be placed on the injured reserve list.

Here are a couple of notes from Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen as well:

This is a home-and-home series against the Rangers. Detroit and New York will meet again Thursday at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday

Red Wings Notes: Jeff Petry is officially day-to-day with an upper body injury, but he is expected to play. Christian Fischer is also day-to-day and won’t play. The Red Wings will call up someone this, probably a veteran, from Grand Rapids today. The Red Wings placed goalie Ville Husso on waivers Sunday to clear up some cap space for the call-up. Husso’s cap hit is $4.75 million. It’s unlikely he would be claimed.

Rangers Note: Coach Peter Laviolette has not yet named his starting goalie. Igor Shesterkin, who reportedly recently turned down a contract offer of $88 million over eight years, gave up six goals in his last outing. He shut out Pittsburgh 6-0 in New York’s opener. He has an .895 save percentage for his two outings. Jonathan Quick is his backup. Artemi Panarin is the team’s leading scorer with two goals, two assists, four points.

Anyway, the Red Wings hit the ice at Madison Square Garden at 11:30 AM:

Continue reading Red Wings-Rangers morning skate Tweets, part 2: Lyon starts for Detroit, Auston Watson in for Fischer