Author: George Malik

The 2019 draft’s scouting season got underway at the recent Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, and the Free Press’s Helene St. James spoke with Wings special assistant to the GM Kris Draper regarding his and the Wings scouts’ statuses as already quite busy scouting potential 2019 draft picks:

The Wings already hold 11 picks in 2019, including two-[second] round picks (their own and the New York Islanders’, via Vegas from the Tomas Tatar trade). For a team that’s likely to pick inside the top 10 again, the 2019 edition looks promising.

“Spending the week in Red Deer and Edmonton where the Hlinka Gretzky was, you can once again see there is a lot of skill out there. There are a lot of high-end centermen who are going to be in the mix for top picks, some real good Swedish defensemen, and then Finland has a high-end winger.

“Going into the draft last year with the amount of picks we had, it was highly anticipated for how it was going to play out, and in the end we felt we walked away with a great crop of young hockey players. We’ve got a lot of picks going into the draft again. You see these players now and we are going to be following them throughout the year and we’ll see where we are at in Vancouver.”

Continued at length; Draper also discusses Filip Zadina, Michael Rasmussen and the Wings’ status as a team whose players want to finish in the playoffs, despite some relatively long odds against such an eventuality:

“I know how proud NHL players are. I know the pride of the Detroit Red Wings players. They want to win. We know what we are going to get out of our hockey team, we know what we are going to get out of our coaching staff. Those guys want to do everything they can to win hockey games and make the playoffs.

“But you also realize when you have an opportunity to get four picks in the top 40, there is a reason why you get them. You are not a playoff team. We have the sixth pick in the draft, we get Filip Zadina. We have the 30th pick in the draft, we get Joe Veleno. Then we get Jonatan Berggren and Jared McIsaac. We feel that those players, with some maybe as soon as next year, but probably all four over the next two-to-three years are going to be a huge part of where this organization is going to go.

“The way you get better is through drafting and development. You can’t make your team substantially better through free agency like it used to be. Teams draft their players, they develop their players, and they sign them to long-term deals. We’re all aware of that.”

From USA Hockey:

Fourteen Players Added to Stars & Stripes Showdown Roster

Game Set for August 26 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Fourteen players have been added to the roster for the Stars & Stripes Showdown, a benefit hockey game featuring top American-born hockey stars that will take place Sunday, August 26, at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. Opening faceoff is set for 2 p.m. ET.

The group includes Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks), Craig Anderson (Ottawa Senators), Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames), Seth Jones (Columbus Blue Jackets), Jacob Trouba (Winnipeg Jets), Cam Atkinson (Columbus Blue Jackets), Alex DeBrincat (Chicago Blackhawks), Nick Foligno (Columbus Blue Jackets), Cam Fowler (Anaheim Ducks), Matt Hunwick (Buffalo Sabres), Anders Lee (New York Islanders), Patrick Sieloff (Ottawa Senators) and Brady Skjei (New York Rangers).

To see the full list of participating players and coaches, click here.

The game is being played in honor of the late Jim Johannson, with proceeds benefiting both the Jim Johannson Legacy Fund of The USA Hockey Foundation, and the Ellie Johannson College Fund.

In addition to the game, festivities will include a live game-worn jersey auction; an online auction featuring game-worn jerseys and autographed NHL memorabilia; in-arena raffles; and a post-game meet & greet with players and coaches.

NOTES: The Jim Johannson Legacy Fund was established to benefit grassroots community hockey programs across the country, something Johannson was passionate about throughout his life. The Ellie Johannson College Fund will assist in providing a college education for its namesake, the two-year-old daughter of Jim and his wife Abby … For more on Jim Johannson’s legacy, click here … For more on the USA Hockey Foundation, click here.

I’m not a fan of doing this, but:

I leave for a two-week-long trip to Traverse City exactly three weeks from today, and so it’s time to start the fundraising drive. I’ve been able to attend prospect tournaments and training camps since 2010 with your assistance, and I am ever-grateful for your support.

As such, I’m going to try to raise approximately $2,000 to cover the cost of 14 days’ worth of hotel stay at about $125 a night, the usual groceries and supplies needed for the stay and gasoline costs, which average about $3 a gallon here in Michigan right now.

I can’t do it on my own, so I need to kindly ask for your assistance.

As per usual, the easiest ways to donate involve Paypal at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport or https://www.patreon.com/themalikreport, and you can always email me for my address if you’re a send-a-check person.

We’ll also be talking about blog design and revamping TMR to get it ready for the regular season shortly, but I wanted to get the fundraising going ASAP as there are only three weeks’ worth of fundraising time (the date kind of snuck up on me).

Thanks again!

Via USA Hockey Arena, Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin appeared on the Jamie and Stoney Show to discuss the ever-more-star-studded Stars and Stripes game, which will take place at USA Hockey Arena on August 26th:

ICYMI: @Dylanlarkin39 was on @971theticketxyt with @JamieandStoney this morning talking about the Stars and Stripes Showdown coming to USA Hockey Arena next weekend!

??: https://t.co/n4yaIDMEON pic.twitter.com/jJdH7eNnTp

— USA Hockey Arena (@USAHockeyArena) August 15, 2018

DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji examines goaltender Kaden Fulcher’s 2017-18 season in the Wings’ latest “By the Numbers” article:

3 — In his third full OHL season, Fulcher registered a career-high three shutouts, one of six OHL goalies with three shutouts. The only goaltenders with more were Windsor’s Michael DiPietro with seven and Oshawa’s Kyle Keyser with four.

2.70 — Fulcher took his game to the next level in the playoffs, with a league-leading 2.70 goals-against average in 21 games. Kitchener’s Mario Culina was second with a 2.79 goals-against average.

16 — Fulcher was one of the main reasons the Bulldogs were so successful in the playoffs. He led the OHL with 16 playoff wins against just five losses.

Continued

Per Grand Rapids Griffins equipment manager Brad “Dogg” Thompson, Griffins assistant equipment manager Andrew “Steggy” Stegehuis has moved on to become the Rochester Americans’ equipment manager:

CONGRATS to @steggnastyy on his new job as the Head Equipment Manger @AmerksHockey after 13 years of working w @griffinshockey and @DetroitRedWings we thank you for your service young padawan!! @TheAHL

— Brad Thompson (@BradDogg13) August 15, 2018

Steggy’s ever-positive and affable demeanor will be missed!

NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis offers a personnel update regarding next weekend’s “Stars and Stripes Game” at USA Hockey Arena:

In honor of the late executive Jim Johannson, who died unexpectedly in his sleep in January at the age of 53, USA Hockey is hosting a Stars and Stripes Showdown at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 26 and three Blackhawks will be participating in it: Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy.

Kane served as USA’s captain at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark this past May and set a new American record with 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 10 tournament contests, which earned him MVP honors. DeBrincat had one goal and eight assists while Murphy led USA with a plus-7 rating.

Other star-studded headliners participating: Connor Hellebuyck, Seth Jones, Dylan Larkin, Auston Matthews, Charlie McAvoy, Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, James van Riemsdyk and Zach Werenski. It’s a great group getting together to celebrate the life of Johannson, who was an instrumental part of USA Hockey’s program for the last 18 years.

Tickets are being sold for $10 and $15, which you can purchase here. Doors open at 1 p.m. ET with the game starting at 2 p.m.

The Athletic’s Max Bultman wrote a lengthy article in which The Athletic’s scribes determined their Top 25 Detroit athletes under 25 years of age.

Dylan Larkin finished #1, Filip Zadina finished #4, Anthony Mantha was tied for #5, Michael Rasmussen came in at #10, Andreas Athanasiou ranked #15, Filip Hronek came in at #17, Joe Veleno finished in a tie for #20, and Dennis Cholowski finished at #25.

Craig Custance also penned an in-depth interview with Dylan Larkin as The Athletic’s “lead” for today:

“I want to be the guy like Nathan MacKinnon who helps the team get there. We have a group of players who can be better than their young core of players,” Larkin said in comparing the Red Wings to the Avalanche.

How does that happen?

“You have to get better in every aspect,” Larkin said. “(MacKinnon is) explosive offensively. That’s where I can improve. Where we’re down or up by a goal and be the guy. He most definitely was.”

As he talks, Larkin is sitting in the family lounge overlooking the practice ice at Little Caesars Arena. You can tell, as the talk extends, he’s getting antsy. It’s the middle of the summer and he has a film session at the top of the hour. He’s hitting the ice after that for some informal training with teammates. You don’t get better by talking about it.

“I’ve been skating for three or four weeks now,” he said, explaining a bit of a shift in his typical summer schedule. He allowed himself more time to rest this summer than in the past. “This year, a full month. It’s been great. That mental side of it, just to get away a little bit and rest.”

The interview continues (paywall)…

MLive’s Ansar Khan takes a look at Frans Nielsen’s 2018-19 season possibilities this morning:

2018-19 outlook: After playing on the third line last season, Nielsen likely will center the second line if Henrik Zetterberg doesn’t play. His ice time should increase slightly, and he’ll probably get more power-play minutes, which should lead to more production.

Nielsen fills many roles. He can play on scoring line or a checking role. He can play on the second power-play unit and the top penalty-killing unit. He is a go-to guy on the shootout as the NHL’s all-time leader in that specialty.

Continued

Red Wings prospect Lane Zablocki lived something of a nomad’s life during the 2017-18 season, being traded from the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, where he was then traded to the Victoria Royals. As a result, Zablocki had an up-and-down campaign, and he discussed his season with Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff:

“It was an interesting season,” Zablocki said. “Bounced around a little bit, but I feel like at the end I kind of got back to myself and more the way I could play.”

All that moving took a toll on his totals. Zablocki, 19, selected 79th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2017 NHL entry draft, finished with 12 goals and 31 points in 65 games.
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“Throughout the year it wasn’t the best year I’ve had,” Zablocki said. “Obviously you could see that.”

He tried to take the approach that the constant change of address can be a learning experience.

“Every time it’s a new place, new rink, new coaches,” Zablocki said. “You’ve got to take it in as much as you can. Each team, each coach has a lot that you can learn from. I think maybe that’s a good thing about it. Maybe the only good thing, but it was good. I learned a lot from all the different coaches I had.”

Duff continues