Author: George Malik

The Hockey News’s Jared Clinton offers a set of goaltenders who may usurp their teams’ starting goaltender’s spots, and while Jimmy Howard’s health is always of concern…I think that Clinton is writing Howard off to his peril:

JONATHAN BERNIER, DETROIT RED WINGS
As he enters the final season of a six-year contract with the Red Wings, it can safely be said that the writing is on the wall for veteran netminder Jimmy Howard. Long considered as a trade chip for Detroit, albeit one that they’ve been unable to move, the Red Wings went out and brought in some insurance for the oft-injured keeper this summer when they inked Bernier to a three-year, $9-million pact. And while Bernier might not seem a sizeable upgrade over the incumbent Red Wings netminder, the numbers suggest differently.

When Howard, 34, has been healthy over the past few seasons, he has managed a halfway decent .912 save percentage and 2.68 goals-against average across 123 games. But Bernier, though in a backup role, has been just as solid with a .912 SP and 2.75 GAA of his own. The difference? Bernier has more consistently average than Howard, who has only eclipsed a .910 SP once in the past five seasons. Bernier, meanwhile, has only one season below the .910 SP mark.

The two are all but certain to split time out of the gates, but if or when Howard stumbles — and if or when he falls injured — the crease is likely to fall into Bernier’s hands and it could remain that way for the next few seasons.

Continued, and Petr Mrazek makes Clinton’s list, too. Mrazek was also supposed to send Howard to the recycling bin.

I like Bernier, but it’s not going to be easy for him to knock off the Wings’ incumbent #1.

ESPN’s Sean Allen was very busy today, posting a set of fantasy hockey previews for the Atlantic Division’s teams, and Allen suggests that fantasy hockey poolies bet on the Wings‘ youth movement:

Detroit Red Wings

Kids are all right: The Wings need Tyler Bertuzzi, Filip Zadina, Anthony Mantha, Michael Rasmussen and maybe even Evgeny Svechnikov to have solid seasons for the rebuilding squad to show signs of a turnaround. Henrik Zetterberg is still around, and Dylan Larkin, while also young, will be leaned on as the top center, but the pieces around them will largely be filled by the aforementioned group. All of these offensive pieces appear to be coming at reasonable draft prices this season, so going in on high-ceiling players like Zadina and Mantha makes plenty of sense as your offense is filling out. Rasmussen can be left alone in shallower leagues until he officially makes the team.

Who is on D?: I don’t know if there’s a thinner defensive core for fantasy value in the NHL. Mike Green is Mike Green, so he’ll have streaks of value through the season, but that’s about where the buck stops. Filip Hronek is the only guy I’ll have my eye on as the season approaches. He turned some heads in the AHL last season running the Grand Rapids Griffins’ power play, but he’s still only 20.

Can Bernier emerge?: Jimmy Howard is 34 and his ratios took a hit last season, with him unable to follow up a 2016-17 campaign that offered a glimmer of hope. He’s in the last year of his contract and likely on his way to becoming a veteran backup sooner than later. Jonathan Bernier, on the other hand, has offered a tantalizing taste of high-ceiling goaltending as an injury replacement for two consecutive seasons. In short stints filling in for the Colorado Avalanche last season and the Anaheim Ducks the season prior, Bernier put in a body of work among the best in the NHL for short windows. I’ll have plenty of shares of him as a G3 or G4 for fantasy in later rounds and deeper leagues.

Continued

If you haven’t been checking your YouTube subscriptions of late, AWood40, a.k.a. Alex Wood, has been producing a metric ton of Red Wings highlight videos on his YouTube page recently, starting with the Wings’ 1987 playoff series against Toronto and going from there.

Today, he posted a clip of Vladimir Konstantinov’s hits during the 1997 playoffs:

The Grand Rapids Griffins released their 2018-19 season promotional schedule today:

GRIFFINS RELEASE 2018-19 PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Thursday announced their 2018-19 promotional schedule, which features a number of giveaways and the return of many popular season-long promotions.

Under first-year head coach Ben Simon, the Griffins will begin the home portion of their 76-game slate on Friday, Oct. 12 against the Hershey Bears with Opening Night presented by Huntington Bank. Promotions for the home opener include a magnet schedule giveaway and $2 beers/hot dogs.

Grand Rapids’ other giveaways include a 2019 calendar (Oct. 20), tumbler (Nov. 3), lunch box (Nov. 17), power bank (Dec. 1), athletic socks (Dec. 15), Bluetooth speaker (Dec. 29), plaid hat (Jan. 12), Rubik’s cube (Jan. 19), two bobbleheads (Jan. 26 and Feb. 9), and the third Griffins comic book (Feb. 9).

Key promotional dates include Hockey Fights Cancer (Nov. 2), the 18th annual School Day Game (Nov. 14 – 11 a.m. start), Princess Night (Nov. 17), Teddy Bear Toss (Nov. 23), Red Kettle Game (Nov. 30), Social Media Night (Dec. 1), Arcade Night (Dec. 15), the 22nd Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration (Dec. 31 – 6 p.m. start), Toy Night (Jan. 19), the Great Skate Winterfest (Jan. 19-20), Y2K Night (Jan. 25), Superhero Night (Feb. 9), Star Wars Night (Feb. 16), the eighth annual Purple Community Game (March 8), ‘90s Night (March 15) and the Jake Engel Memorial Dog Game (March 31).

The popular Friday night beer and hot dog promotion returns in conjunction with College Night presented by Michigan First Credit Union for all 14 Friday home games this season, featuring $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last. Free Ride Friday allows fans to enjoy complimentary fare on the Rapid by showing their ticket to that night’s game. Visit ridetherapid.org for schedule information, routes and maps.

Several other recurring promotions will be featured throughout the Griffins’ schedule, including 10 Winning Wednesdays, five post-game open skates, five Huntington Bank post-game autograph sessions with select Griffins players, and seven post-game jersey auctions. The jersey auctions are set to include Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys (Nov. 2), Red Kettle jerseys (Nov. 30), two fan-designed jerseys (Dec. 29 and Feb. 15), toy-inspired jerseys (Jan. 19), Van Andel Institute purple jerseys (March 8) and the team’s Friday night jerseys (April 12).

All promotions and dates are subject to change. For more information, visit griffinshockey.com or call (800) 2-HOCKEY.

Single-game tickets for all 38 regular season home games at Van Andel Arena will go on sale to the general public on Friday, Sept. 14.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan examines the Red Wings’ defense this evening, and Kulfan duly notes that the Wings’ prospects on the blueline will have an uphill battle in their attempts to earn spots on the Wings’ roster:

Prospects such as Dennis Cholowski, Joe Hicketts, Filip Hronek and Libor Sulak are making concerted runs at roster spots.

One, maybe two, will break through this camp, given the way the defense’s depth chart is constructed.

“It’s easy to say one is going to be on our team and if we have two (young defensemen) push to be on our team, that means they’ve beat out good players and we’re a better hockey team,” Blashill said. “We’re not handing jobs. But if they end up beating players out, the theory is, we’re better because of it.

“There are guys certainly who have put themselves in positions to potentially win jobs. Filip Hronek, Sulak, Cholowski, Hicketts — all those guys have put themselves in position to win jobs. Now come to camp, and win a job.”

It won’t be easy to land more than one defenseman’s spot, as six of the positions appear all set.

Trevor Daley (age 34), Danny DeKeyser (28), Jonathan Ericsson (34), Green (32), Nick Jensen (27) and Niklas Kronwall (37) all return.

Continued

It’s official, per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRIFFINS’ NEW ASSISTANT EQUIPMENT MANAGER NAMED

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Thursday named Charlie Kaser as the assistant equipment manager for the Grand Rapids Griffins. He replaces Andrew Stegehuis, who has been hired by the Rochester Americans as their head equipment manager following six full-time seasons with the Griffins.

Kaser, 23, has nearly eight years of experience assisting the Griffins’ equipment staff on game days, having served as a stick boy since 2010.

Born in Kansas City, Mo., and raised in Grand Rapids, Kaser is completing his environmental science degree from Portland State University and will graduate in 2019. He competed on the Vikings’ ACHA D2 hockey team for two seasons from 2013-15 and was employed in the golf industry in the Portland area prior to joining the Griffins full time.

Charlie is the son of Griffins vice president of community relations and broadcasting Bob Kaser.

Paul Kukla of Kukla’s Korner posted an interview that Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill took part in on the NHL on Sirius XM Radio:

The Oakland Press’s Pat Caputo offers an opinion as to whether the Red Wings should name Dylan Larkin their captain if Henrik Zetterberg is no longer able to play:

Already, the Red Wings’ ticket selling campaign is based on Larkin. The plans are listed on the marquee at Little Caesars Arena next to his likeness. So are the ads running during the Tigers’ broadcasts on Fox Sports Detroit and upon the scoreboard at Comerica Park.

Larkin definitely has his plusses. He has extraordinary speed. At higher levels of competition internationally playing for the United States, at both the World Junior Championships and World Championships, Larkin has risen his performance.

Teams adjusted to his play early his rookie season and he became lost. He was roughed up a lot, and seemed to have difficulty fending for himself on the ice. Not any more. He’s stronger on his skates, savvy when it comes to creating space on the ice and has become a much better playmaker.

Used to be a time when the prime of an NHL forward was considered 28, but now it’s more like 24. Two years from now Larkin could be an exceptional player.

Larkin also has cognitive recognition beyond most his age. He’s understands situations and people and how to learn from failure rather than be ruined by it. That’s why he’s been labeled a potential captain from the moment the Red Wings selected him in the first round, 15th overall, in the 2014 NHL Draft prior to his freshman – and only season – at the University of Michigan.

With rank comes responsibility, though. If they put the “C” above the winged-wheel crest on Larkin’s blood, red jersey, he’d have to meet a standard unlike any he has remotely before, especially given what being captain of the Red Wings’ has meant. Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Zetterberg – that “C” is more than just a letter. It’s a genuine honor. They don’t “name” the Red Wings’ captain, they “anoint” him.

Would I make Larkin captain? Yeah. Probably. But I’d darn well make sure he knows exactly what it means, not only in the Red Wings’ dressing room, but this town overall, before I’d do it.

Continued

Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin appeared on WDFN’s “Shep, Shower and Shave” show this morning, speaking about the Wings’ season to come and next Sunday’s Stars and Stripes Showdown:

The Free Press’s Jamie Samuelssen discusses Henrik Zetterberg’s potential outcomes this morning:

If you were able to advise Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, what would you tell him?

I’m not in the business of telling people when they should retire.

First of all, it’s none of my business. Secondly, I’d never want someone to tell me when I should retire.

Henrik Zetterberg doesn’t seem to be seeking advice on what his next move should be. Or more to the point, he’s not listening to voices as much as he’s trying to listen to his body. And by all accounts, his body is telling him that his hockey career is over.

Zetterberg has been dealing with back issues ever since the Olympics in 2014. He missed stretches of seasons. He lost effectiveness on the ice at times. It got to the point last year where the only time he played hockey was in the games themselves, never in practice. The question is not whether Zetterberg can play in the NHL anymore. Of course he can. The question is whether or not he can play like Henrik Zetterberg again and it sure seems like he can’t.

Continued