Author: George Malik

NHL.com’s Dave Hogg penned an article about Moritz Seider, and Hogg’s article discusses Seider’s possible playing destinations for the 2019-2020 campaign:

Seider impressed more than Yzerman and Detroit’s scouting staff with his World Championship performance. In one of his games, he played against the United States, coached by Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and featuring Detroit’s top scorer Dylan Larkin at center.

“I’m really happy we got Moritz, because he really showed me some good things when we played them,” Larkin said. “He was facing NHL players and he didn’t seem at all out of place.”

The rookie didn’t disappoint in development camp, either.

“He can skate, he’s poised and he’s got good skills,” said Red Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff. “He was really impressive.”

He’ll head back to Germany for summer training, then return for rookie camp, training camp and the decision of where he’ll spend 2019-20. The Red Wings have a logjam on the blue line, with youngsters Dennis Cholowski (21-years-old), Filip Hronek (21) and Jared McIsaac (19) already in the mix.

“That’s a tough question, and we will have to have some meetings,” Seider said. “Maybe the AHL with Grand Rapids, or maybe the CHL. But why not Mannheim? It’s one of the best organizations in Europe.”

Continued, and for one more season, at least, I expect Seider to return to Mannheim. Unless the Red Wings expect Seider to make the jump to North America post haste, he’s probably best-served playing pro hockey in Europe, where the literal and figurative (i.e. travel) bumps and grinding aren’t as heavy.

Former Red Wings forward Slava Kozlov played for 9 more years after the Red Wings traded him to Buffalo for Dominik Hasek in 2001. As it turns out, Kozlov settled in Atlanta, where he played for the Thrashers.

He slowly but surely migrated back home, buying a house in Spain and eventually heading home to Moscow, where he’s an assistant coach for his final professional hockey-playing stop, Spartak Moscow of the KHL.

Realitor.com’s Nicole Slaughter Graham reports that Kozlov is finally selling his home in the Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead, and it’s opulent to say the least:

Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood is sought after for golf and luxury living—making it a hot spot for the rich and famous.

Russian hockey legend Slava Kozlov made his home in Buckhead during his eight-year stint with the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, but now he’s ready to skate away. The winger has put his brick mansion on the market for $3.8 million.

The 6,500-square-foot estate is over the top and ornate down to the very last detail. The front entrance sets a lavish tone, and the exterior is completely covered in gorgeous brick. The rounded entryway with brick columns makes for a regal entrance into a home that’s just as fancy.

Continued with lots of pictures…

I spotted this video on Facebook via my email alerts, and the Red Wings just re-posted it on Twitter:

???@Dylanlarkin39‘s family with some PRICELESS stories! pic.twitter.com/BfAfRue6kb— NHL (@NHL) July 8, 2019

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed a 3-part development camp notebook on Monday afternoon, discussing prospects Antti Tuomisto, Chase Pearson and Elmer Soderblom. Here’s what Chase Pearson, whose father, Scott, played as an enforcer, had to say about his game:

The Wings were eager to select Tuomisto with the first of their second-round picks (35th overall).

“I’ve liked this kid all year, for sure,” said Tyler Wright, the Wings’ director of amateur scouting. “We talk at length, and you watch the playoffs and see the size of these guys with St. Louis and Boston, it doesn’t mean they’re big and just big.

“I wouldn’t be here without him,” Pearson said at the Wings’ development camp. “The countless hours before and after school, I’d practice all that extra time with him and he didn’t have do that. But to have him out there, he knows what it takes to get to the next level and he’s been through it all.”

Pearson, 21, said his father advised him to stay in school for several years and resist jumping to the pros too early.

“Take your time,” said Pearson, of his dad’s thinking. “Guys rush in sometimes and kind of get sifted out of the development pipeline. Me, having those extra years, was real good for my development.”

Pearson had 78 points (37 goals, 41 assists) in 107 games at Maine, serving as the team’s captain both his sophomore and junior seasons.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound center will play in Grand Rapids this season, projected to be a shut-down type of forward.

“For me, if I’m going to make the NHL, it’s going to be as a shutdown, defensive forward with some offensive upside,” Pearson said. “I just have to compete and make sure I’m not taking any crap out there on the ice. If I win my battles in front of the net, that’s going to be my MO at the next level.”

“This is a guy that’s 6-4, plays with a real bite to his game, but he’s a good player. He’s got good sense, he can find the middle of the ice.

“We really liked him. That’s what we stepped up and took him. He was a guy that we targeted for a while at 35 and he happened to be there. We were ecstatic to leave with him.”

Kulfan continues

Michigan Hockey posted a slightly-after-the-fact video which includes highlights from last Friday’s 3-on-3 tournamenet at the Red Wings’ summer development camp:

Great work by Michael Caples!

The Detroit News’s Louis Aguilar posted several pictures showing the latest stages of Joe Louis Arena’s demolition…

Scenes from #Detroit #JoeLouisArena demo. Week 4, Monday, July 8, 2019. pic.twitter.com/AusAa6v4lq— Louis Aguilar (@LouisAguilar_DN) July 8, 2019

As well as a video of the Detroit River-side stairs being demolished:

Scenes from #Detroit #JoeLouisArena demo. Week 4, Monday, July 8, 2019. The stairs on the riverfront side are going away. pic.twitter.com/biFnC1JYba— Louis Aguilar (@LouisAguilar_DN) July 8, 2019

The Hockey News’s Steven Ellis discusses five players who need to rebound from difficult 2018-19 campaigns, and he mentions one Red Wings player on his list:

Mike Green, D, 33 (Detroit – $5.38 million)
Once the gold standard of offensive defensemen, Green has struggled to stay healthy and has played only one 82-game season, that back in 2007-08. He is still capable of putting up solid numbers, though. His 0.6 points-per-game average last season was his best since 2014-15 and would have seen him score 50 points had skated in all 82 games. Detroit desperately needs his help on defense, with the team looking weak on the right side without him. Green will have his modified no-trade clause kick in on Feb. 1 and he could be a prime trade deadline candidate, but he can’t afford another long stint on the injured reserve if he wants to have significant bargaining power next summer.

Via Kukla’s Korner on Twitter, the NHLPA is posting videos in which the late Ted Lindsay discusses the lessons he learned and values he upheld throughout his hockey career, as posted on NHLPA.com and the NHLPA’s YouTube channel:

Ted Lindsay, the Hockey Hall of Famer who played a pivotal role in forming the original Players’ Association in 1957, left behind a legacy on and off the ice after his passing March 4, 2019.

Mr. Lindsay set an example to follow, and in honour of the impact he had on all players, the NHLPA is sharing his stories, as told by Ted himself.

Each of the stories in this seven-part series is emblematic of the qualities that Ted represented and what made him so highly regarded among his peers, and anyone who had the privilege and pleasure of meeting him. 

The latest installment–a minute-and-a-half vignette-focuses on Lindsay’s discussion as to how he began plaing hockey:

And there are three more videos available in the yet-unfinished 7-part series:

In the FYI department:

The Grand Rapids Griffins are posting “2018-19 (seasons) in review” for their key contributors, and today, they focus on Givani Smith…

4 – In his first taste of postseason action, Smith appeared in four Calder Cup Playoff games. He was suspended by the AHL for Game 4 of the Central Division Semifinals. Smith picked up an assist in his debut during Game 1 at Chicago.

5 – Smith scored five of his 13 points in the month of March.

6 – All six of Smith’s goals came against Central Division opponents (two vs. Iowa and one each vs. Chicago, Rockford, Milwaukee and Texas). Grand Rapids was 3-1-2-0 when Smith scored a goal.

86 – His 86 PIM placed second on the team (Dylan McIlrath, 98) and ranked eighth among AHL rookies. Smith received a season-high 17 PIM during a 4-0 home win against Milwaukee on March 9.

But at this point in the summer, the Griffins’ Roster and Alumni Tracker is absolutely indispensable if you want to know how the 2019-2020 Griffins’ roster is taking shape.

Ilta-Sanomat’s Tommi Koivunen wrote an article regarding Valtteri Filppula’s return to the Red Wings (Filppula happened to take part in an annual tennis tournament featuring NHL players and alumni over the weekend), and here’s a very rough translation thereof (Finnish is…complicated):

Valtteri Filppula didn’t dare to stop at traffic lights–now he returns to the notorious NHL city

NHL veteran Valtteri Filppula returns to the familiar surroundings of the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit has a reputation as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.