Author: George Malik

The Hockey News’s Matt Larkin penned a list of the 10 players he believes are most likely to be traded during the 2019-2020 campaign, and Larkin suggests that Red Wings defenseman Mike Green will be moved as something of a “hired gun” this year:

Mike Green, D, Detroit Red Wings

It sure feels like it’s time for Green to enter the gun-for-hire phase of his career. Teams sniffed around him at the 2018 trade deadline, but an injury stopped him from getting moved. He signed a two-year extension the ensuing summer. Now he’s on Year 2 of that pact, heading back to unrestricted free agency. On Feb. 1, 2020, his no-trade clause becomes a modified version in which he can submit a 10-team no-trade list. New GM Steve Yzerman wasn’t the one who signed Green, so there isn’t necessarily any baked-in loyalty there. Green would make sense as bait for one of Yzerman’s first major trades and, unlike in recent seasons, Green won’t have as much of a say in the matter. Green turns 34 in October and has a heck of a time staying healthy these days but remains an effective puck-mover when he’s in the lineup – and a right-handed one to boot. There will be a market for him this winter.

I don’t see a 33-year-old Mike Green having that much trade value until/if he is able to stay healthy for a lengthy period of time, and even then, I’m not sure he’d bring a large return.

Red Wings prospect Ryan Kuffner spoke with Princeton’s “Town Topics” newspaper’s Bill Alden regarding his debut with the Wings last season and his preparations for his first full pro campaign:

Staying in Detroit this summer, Kuffner focused on sharpening the fine points of his game.

“The biggest part this summer was working on my skating, having a bit more power out of uncomfortable positions around the net or in the corner, stuff that you don’t really focus on during the season because you know have a job to do,” said Kuffner.

“When I get on one-on-one time with skills coaches and skating coaches, you get to really focus on that kind of stuff, working on my shot and my passing. Getting into the gym everyday is gigantic, but it is that skating and quickness around the puck that is really going to make the difference.”

Taking part in the Red Wings Development Camp in late June, Kuffner saw that work pay dividends.

“I think even the first few months of my training really helped and having gone through the month that I did when our season was over at Princeton, I was able to learn a lot and figure out what I needed to work on, which was gigantic for my development,” said Kuffner.

“I think for me personally, it showed what kind of progress I was making, just feeling a bit more comfortable on my skates. I felt a lot stronger so I think that was a stepping stone for what is ahead in the future.”

Continued

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner examines Red Wings prospect Ryan Kuffner’s 2018-2019 season “By the Numbers” today. Among the significant figures from Kuffner’s senior season at Princeton are the following:

22 – Kuffner’s 22 goals led the Tigers, ranked first in the ECAC and fourth in the nation when he signed with the Red Wings last March. He also doled out 22 assists, which placed him second on the team behind fellow forward Max Veronneau, who paced the Tigers with 24 helpers.

44 – His 44 total points led Princeton, was third in the ECAC and tied him for 12th overall in the nation.

1.42 – Playing on a deficient Princeton team, Kuffner’s 1.42 points-per-game average was tops in college hockey.

Continued

Paige on Adlerfans.de’s message board was kind enough to post the text of an article from Rheinpfalz.de in which sportswriter Oliver Wehner suggests that the Red Wings will find a way to keep Moritz Seider in their system after he takes part in the prospect tournament and main camp this September.

I’m not so sure that there’s room for Seider in Detroit or Grand Rapids, never mind an appetite to press Seider to perform in North America unless he steals a spot from a veteran–or perhaps one of the many youngsters trying to make the Wings’ roster alongside Seider.

Anyway, here’s a rough translation of Wehner’s article:

Of brief Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. According to InPlay Magazine, Wings prospect Matt Puempel will be taking part in a charity 3-on-3 tournament this Thursday, August 22nd in Tecumseh, Ontario:

PowerTech Hockey is bringing current NHL stars and other top players from the area to their first PowerTech Charity All-Star 3-On-3 Tournament on Thursday, August 22nd at Tecumseh Arena.

Zach Kassian of the Edmonton Oilers, Dalton Prout of the San Jose Sharks, Matt Puempel of the Detroit Red Wings and Mike Weber former NHL Player will be the team captains of the tournament, which will also include Windsor Spitfires, members of the University of Windsor Lancers program and other ex-professional players from Windsor- Essex.

All proceeds from the event will support Play For a Cure and the Cancer Research Collaboration Fund. The goal is to raise $5000 from the event.

2. Also, the Hockey News’s Steven Ellis pondered the personnel that Team Canada will employ at the World Junior Championship, with Ellis suggesting that Joe Veleno will play a large part in the team’s plans…

The top line is a no brainer: the chemistry between Lafreniere, Dach and Veleno was clear in Plymouth, with the trio combining for eight points and many highlight-reel plays. Assuming Detroit allows Veleno to leave Grand Rapids to play – and play with a potential future teammate in Lafreniere – this will be one of Canada’s best lines in many years, combining speed, skill, size and two-way acumen. All three could challenge for tournament MVP.

Ellis also suggests that Hockey Canada’s inclusion of injured defenseman Jared McIsaac on their World Junior Summer Showcase roster indicates that he’ll crack the roster should his shoulder heal in time for the WJC.

MLive’s Ansar Khan continues his series of player profiles this morning with a look at Jonathan Ericsson.

As Khan notes, the massive defender was banged up for a good portion of this past season, and Khan wonders whether Ericsson will be able to shake the injury bug:

2019-20 outlook: Ericsson was plagued by injuries at the start and end of the season and struggled with consistency once again. After a good start in the 2017-18 season, he has posted a minus-23 rating in his past 95 games.

Ericsson was a healthy scratch for back-to-back games on a couple of occasions, for the first time in his career. He’ll likely start the season alongside Trevor Daley as the third pairing (depending on the unit’s health), but unlike past seasons, Ericsson won’t have a guaranteed spot in the lineup. It’ll depend on his performance.

Defense continues to be the weak spot on this team, but coach Jeff Blashill will have other options for the third pairing (Danny DeKeyser, Mike Green, Patrik Nemeth and Filip Hronek are projected as the top four) – including Madison Bowey or Oliwer Kaski. Dennis Cholowski, who started strong last season before fading and being sent to Grand Rapids, also will be competing for a spot.

Ericsson is among the veteran defensemen the Red Wings will try to move at the trade deadline (along with Green and Daley, but he’ll need to be healthy and playing reasonably well to draw interest for a draft pick.

Continued; I don’t personally see much of a market for Ericsson, but I’m more curious as to whether Ericsson’s going to retire at the end of this season. He once told Norrkoping’s Tidningar that he would retire at 36, resting his always-sore hip, but I’m not sure that he’s done quite yet.

I’m jealous. Michigan Hockey’s Michael Caples got to take in last week’s Power Edge Pro camp at USA Hockey Arena, and Caples found that the lineup yielded a “this is why we do it” moment, and that moment was facilitated in part by Dylan Larkin:

The USA Hockey National Team Development Program hosted a training camp at their home in Plymouth last week, run by Power Edge Pro. What started as a conversation between Larkin and NTDP assistant director of player personnel turned into the NTDP’s past, present and future all converging on USA Hockey Arena for three days of training in preparation for the upcoming season.

“Three years ago, when USA Hockey bought the arena, it’s obviously the home of the NTDP, but they wanted it to be a little open door and the headquarters for American players, and we’ve always talked about doing some type of camp since I’ve been here,” [assistant director of player personnel Rod] Braceful said. “Actually, it ended up being a little bit of networking, we had a lunch with Larkin, talked about having a pro camp, and then we said, you know what, we can get some of our incoming guys and our returnees who are here locally, get them in a group and we made a prospective group, too.

“We want to show them the building, give the players resources – we’re here in a hockey hotbed, and it’s one of those things where it’s a good thing for the guys to gear up here in August and get ready.”

In the pro group, NTDP alums Larkin, Werenski, Cam Fowler, JT Compher, Riley Barber and Austin Czarnik were joined by fellow pros Alex DeBrincat, Jeff Petry, Jordan Oesterle, Sheldon Dries, Frans Nielsen, Gustav Nyquist, Dominic Turgeon, David Pope, Evgeny Svechnikov and Jack Kopacka for the unique on-ice training.

Continued (great read)

Michigan Hockey’s Michael Caples spoke with Taro Hirose and Justin Abdelkader as they attended the MSU Pro Camp at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing today, and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan was also at the rink to speak with Abdelkader regarding the challenges #8 faces in terms of regaining his form this year:

“I just have to be ready for whatever role I will be put in, and then making sure I can contribute that way,” Abdelkader said. “I’ve been fortunate in my career playing with some real good players, whether it’s been Pavel (Datsyuk) or Z (Henrik Zetterberg), and I’ve been on fourth lines a lot, especially at the start of my career.

“I’ve got to find ways to contribute. We have a lot of good,  young players, and hey, I’m all about winning and team success and making sure the young players are staying on the right path and that’s part of my job, too — as I get older, to make sure I’m a guy these guys can count on to talk to and push them.

“The Red Wings have built a tradition here and how to work over the years since Steve’s first year here. It’s about keeping that culture around and making sure guys know that’s how we do it here.”

Continued, and regardless of what you think of Abdelkader the player, he’s certainly a well-spoken human being.

Update: Here’s WXYZ’s Brad Galli with a video report from Munn:

The Grand Rapids Grffins caught up wih Red Wings prospect Joe Veleno at the Wings’ summer development camp, posting a one-minute interview of their conversation:

I’ve tried to keep TMR quiet and churning content out during the quieter days of July and August minus requests for funding…

But it’s time to ask for help now. In two-and-a-half weeks, I’ll be heading up to Traverse City to attend the Red Wings’ prospect tournament and main training camp.

I’m also unable to fit the combined Bluehost and WordPress bills for the website this year (due to mom’s health issues depleting my savings account)…

So I’m hoping to raise somewhere around $2,700 instead of the usual $2,000.

As per usual, https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport is my go-to funding source, though I will happily send you my mailing address for checks if you need it (email me at rtxg@yahoo.com), and I will add funding services to make your part of the equation easier if requested.

What do you get?