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 confirm Mrazek-and-Smith for Veleno trade

From the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS ACQUIRE CRAIG SMITH AND PETR MRÁZEK FROM CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS IN EXCHANGE FOR JOE VELENO

  … Smith Has Recorded 450 Points in 968 Games with Nashville, Boston, Washington, Dallas and Chicago Since 2011-12; Mrázek Has Posted 178-174-40 Record in 423 Appearances with Detroit, Philadelphia, Carolina, Toronto and Chicago Since 2012-13 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today acquired forward Craig Smith and goaltender Petr Mrázek from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Joe Veleno.

Smith, 35, has skated in 40 games with the Blackhawks during the 2024-25 season, recording 16 points (9-7-16) and 28 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound forward spent the entire 2023-24 campaign with the Dallas Stars, logging 20 points (11-9-20), a plus-two rating and 33 penalty minutes in 75 regular-season games, in addition to two assists in 14 postseason contests. Originally selected by the Nashville Predators in the fourth round (98th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Smith has racked up 450 points (220-230-450), a plus-90 rating and 389 penalty minutes in 968 games with the Predators, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Stars and Blackhawks since 2011-12. He has also totaled 23 points (9-14-23) and 20 penalty minutes in 83 playoff matchups, helping the Predators reach the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Smith also tallied five points (1-4-5) in four games with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals, along with eight points (4-4-8) in eight games with KalPa Kuopio in Finland’s top professional league during the 2012-13 season.

Continue reading Press release: Red Wings confirm Mrazek-and-Smith for Veleno trade

Red Wings recall Dominik Shine

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

Red Wings reacquire Petr Mrazek and acquire Craig Smith for Joe Veleno

Per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff:

Continue reading Red Wings reacquire Petr Mrazek and acquire Craig Smith for Joe Veleno

The harsh reality of the NHL business

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed an afternoon notebook article which discusses the realities of the trade deadline for every team, including the Red Wings, who lost Christian Fischer on waivers yesterday:

Fischer’s role gradually diminished this season, and being put on waivers Wednesday wasn’t a total shock. But for Fischer’s teammates, it stung to see him go, and particularly to a rival like Columbus.

“It’s hard,” Larkin said. “I think so highly of him as a guy, a locker room guy, someone that just did anything for the team. You guys had a good sense of what he meant to all of us. It’s hard when he goes to a team, especially that we’re battling with for the playoffs. I’ve seen it a lot. It’s part of the business, but it’s not fun when he goes away for free.”

McLellan has seen the scene play out numerous times on his teams and understands why it’s difficult. But coaches and players all come back to the reality that it’s a fact of life in professional sports.

“It’s a business,” McLellan said. “It’s a cruel business sometimes. When it comes to losing a popular teammate, and we’re obviously talking about Fish, but he’ll get an opportunity. Somebody wanted him there, wanted to play him, and that’s great. But I’m sure every player in the locker room, (even though) we’re battling with that team, are happy for him and sad to see him leave.”

Continued

Doing this almost for free…but it is a grind…

I went to bed at 3:30 last night and got up at 8 AM to start trade deadline machinations, despite the fact that I’m not expecting the Red Wings to do anything today.

Aunt Annie and I had an understanding that today would be a “hockey day,” and that I’d take care of my 82-year-old aunt whenever possible, but that it was going to be very hard with both the 3 PM trade deadline and tonight’s game between Detroit and Washington.

I don’t ask for a lot from you other than your readership as I try to navigate my health issues and my status as a lone caregiver, but I am going to ask for a bit of financial help. It’s not easy to put in these hours, and I’m doing it for you.

A big donation isn’t necessarily needed, but if you can help us pay the bills, we would be incredibly grateful.

If you’re willing to lend a hand, we have a PayPal option at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport; there’s Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2; if you’re into the, “I don’t want to use any of those pages” option, here’s always the Giftly option by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com…

And in the banking options, you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check, or “Zelle” me via my email, rtxg@yahoo.com.

It’s my pleasure to provide you with as much information as I can give, but this is also a job, and it requires money, time, energy and effort (a.k.a. work). If you are willing or able to support this endeavor, it is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Larkin on the playoff push: ‘You have to go out there and do it’

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted a preview of tonight’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals (7 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/Monumental Sports Network/Sportsnet Pacific/Sportsnet 360/TVA Sports/97.1 FM), and Dylan Larkin’s comments about the balance of the regular season schedule stand out:

The Eastern Conference’s Wild-Card race remains exceedingly tight, as six clubs entered Friday within four points of each other. After Thursday’s slate of games, the Red Wings were one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the second Wild-Card spot.

Larkin feels Detroit has “made a case to continue to push this thing and keep playing for the playoffs.”

“We can’t be looking outside,” Larkin said. “We’re not going to get into the playoffs with 66 points, so you have to show up to the rink and play the game. You have to win hockey games to get into the playoffs. You can’t scoreboard watch. You can’t hope it happens. You have to go out there and do it.”

Continued

Red Wings-Capitals game-day updates: Logan Thompson starts in goal for Caps as the ‘GR8 Chase’ continues

The Detroit Red Wings will battle the Washington Capitals this evening (7 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/Monumental Sports Network/Sportsnet Pacific/Sportsnet 360/TVA Sports/97.1 FM) the day after dropping a 4-2 decision to Utah HC on Thursday evening.

Washington has won 2 straight games (one via shootout vs. Ottawa on Monday, and one via overtime vs. the Rangers on Wednesday), while the Red Wings have lost 4 straight.

NHL.com’s hyping this one as part of the “GR8 Chase“…

Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, MNMT, SNP, SN360, TVAS)

The Alex Ovechkin watch continues with the Capitals captain 10 goals from passing Wayne Gretzky for most in NHL history. Ovechkin (49 points; 32 goals, 17 assists) scored to help Washington (40-14-8) to a 3-2 overtime win at the New York Rangers on Wednesday, has six goals in his past six games and is one point from becoming the 11th NHL player to reach 1,600. The Red Wings (30-26-6) will look to end a four-game losing streak and are a point behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. They’re trying to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.

Anywho, in Washington, the Red Wings did not hold a morning skate, given that they played last night, but Washington did skate this morning at Capital One Arena:

Super quick Red Wings-Capitals game preview

The 30-26-and-6 Detroit Red Wings headed to Washington, D.C. overnight to play the 40-14-and-8 Washington Capitals this evening (7 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/Monumental Sports Network/Sportsnet Pacific/Sportsnet 360/97.1 FM).

Detroit has lost 4 straight games, including last night’s 4-2 loss to Utah HC, while the Capitals snapped a 3-game losing streak of their own this week in a pair of extra-time wins, beating Ottawa 5-4 in a shootout on Monday, and winning 3-2 in overtime over the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

Washington sits 2 points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the NHL’s overall lead in points, so tonight’s going to be one hell of a challenge for struggling Wings.

Both Field Level Media’s game preview (which focuses on what NHL.com is calling “The GR8 Chase,” a.k.a. Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record) and the Capitals website’s preview are kind of “meh” this morning, so we’re going with Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir’s succinct Tweet explaining where the Capitals are at mentally this morning…

The Red Wings, of course, have the NHL’s hardest schedule in terms of quality of competition, and they’re beginning a stretch in which Detroit plays 7 of their next 10 games away from Little Caesars Arena.

Here are tonight’s game notes, all 88 pages of ’em, in PDF form:

Continue reading Super quick Red Wings-Capitals game preview