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!

Bultman discusses the Red Wings’ free agency and trade options

The Athletic’s Max Bultman filed an after-today’s-free-agency-flurry article, discussing whether the Red Wings can improve themselves from the free agent leftovers who will be available tomorrow at 12 PM EDT, or whether the Wings might need to take the trade route to address their needs for a scoring winger and top-four defenseman:

The bottom line is, while Detroit cleared some cap space and did some housekeeping, a thin free-agent market has only gotten thinner, creating what could be quite the bidding war Tuesday for those who remain.

Among potential needle-movers, the market is basically down to three: L.A. Kings LHD Vladislav Gavrikov, Winnipeg Jets LW Nikolaj Ehlers and Vancouver Canucks RW Brock Boeser. Maybe you elevate Dallas Stars forward Mikael Granlund into that tier too after consecutive 60-point seasons, though he hasn’t been consistent through his career.

After that, you can argue Kane is arguably the most impactful player available — and you do wonder if that could tempt him at all, even though his fit in Detroit has been excellent.

Beyond that, there are some scoring wingers such as Andrew Mangiapane, Anthony Beauvillier, Jonathan Drouin, Connor Brown and Max Pacioretty; a handful of fringe top-four ‘D’ such as Brent Burns, Ryan Lindgren, Brian Dumoulin, Dmitri Orlov, Matt Grzelcyk and Nate Schmidt; and then more depth fits.

If Detroit doesn’t like the ‘D’ options, could it be tempted by a big-bodied righty in Tampa Bay’s Nick Perbix, or Dallas’ Cody Ceci in a third-pair role? It’s debatable whether either would really be an upgrade over Justin Holl on the third pair.

There are some good candidates for down-lineup identity players (which Detroit may need) in Joel Armia, Brandon Tanev, James van Riemsdyk or even Corey Perry if he is willing to consider a team that’s not a serious Cup contender.

Some of those names could help, but it’s doubtful any would drastically change Detroit’s outlook or perception. If the Red Wings want a difference-maker, then, it may have to come via trade.

Continued (paywall)

Detroit News posts 49-image photo gallery from the Red Wings’ Summer Development Camp

I can only link this one, but the Detroit News’s David Guralnick posted a 49-image photo gallery from the first day of the Red Wings’ Summer Development Camp.

Right wing Jesse Kiiskinen runs through drills during Red Wings development camp at Little Caesars Arena. David Guralnick, Detroit News

If the Red Wings can’t land a prized free agent, they’ll examine the trade market

A gaggle of unrestricted free agents-to-be either re-signed with their teams or were traded this afternoon, and as such, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan revisited the comments made by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman this past weekend. Yzerman stated that he sees the Unrestricted Free Agent marketplace as a particularly thin one, so, should the Red Wings not land help on July 1st or July 2nd, he’s going to examine the trade market:

“Anybody can go and look at the list of the potential free agents and see there aren’t that many guys you would think will have an impact,” Yzerman said. “There are very few this year, for whatever reason.”

The Wings have approximately $19 million to spend, if need be, after acquiring goaltender John Gibson Saturday from Anaheim for goaltender Petr Mrazek and two future draft picks, in addition to Monday’s moves. Yzerman said after Saturday’s NHL Entry Draft he’d like to add to the defense and add a winger.

If the Wings stay silent in free agency, they could always turn back to the trade market, as they did to get Gibson. Some teams might be backed against the salary cap after their free-agent acquisitions, which would necessitate moving out players. If that’s the case, Yzerman (and other general managers) will be ready to pounce. Yzerman said he is continuing to make calls around the league.

“It’s just there aren’t a lot of options right now,” said Yzerman, adding teams are looking for NHL players, not draft picks, in trades. “Everybody wants, the teams I’m talking to, they want players. Just like we want players. What do we have to offer? I don’t want to trade our core players. You’re looking to add to your team, (using) future assets for that, and right now teams are all looking to add players to their teams. Kind of the same thing we’re trying to do.”

Yzerman noted there “are a couple little somewhat interesting options” from his discussions around the league, but he’ll concentrate first on free agency.

“Everybody will focus on free agency for a few days and then kind of see where it shakes out,” he said. “Like, who has been able to accomplish or address some of their needs through free agency or missed (in free agency) and what they need, or to move out bodies (teams who’ve signed free agents). We’ll go through the free agency period here and see how that shakes out.”

Continued

Jesse Kiiskinen preaches self-confidence

Red Wings prospect Jesse Kiiskinen spoke with the media after Day 1 of the team’s Summer Development Camp at Little Caesars Arena, and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan reports that Kiiskinen didn’t find out that he was a Red Wing until he was completing mandatory military service back home in Finland, a summer ago:

“It was a big surprise,” said Kiiskinen, who was a 2023 third-round pick by Nashville. “I was there and almost leaving for the forest, about 10 minutes before we are going to the forest and living in a tent for a few days. I got the call and yeah, ‘You’ve been traded.’ I was like, OK, great.”

Kiiskinen took everything in stride and took a few more calls from the Wings.

“I got a few calls from here and I was just a little bit like, ‘What happened?'” he said. “They didn’t realize that I started to see messages from my friends. It was fun. I finished (the required Finnish military training) like the end of last summer. I don’t have to go back anymore, and just able to focus on hockey.”

Kiiskinen believes he can bring to hockey something he learned from the military, mainly patience.

“Be confident if everything doesn’t go like you want,” Kiiskinen said.

Kiiskinen had 14 goals and 30 assists in 46 games with HPK Hameenlinna in Finland this past season.

Continued

On the Red Wings’ qualifying offers

NHL teams have to determine whether to issue qualifying offers to their restricted free agents this afternoon. Most NHL teams reveal who they’ve qualified and who they’re going to let walk as unrestricted free agents, but the Red Wings tend not to show their cards.

As a result, I took a look at PuckPedia, and, in addition to now only needing to qualify and then re-sign Elmer Soderblom at the NHL level, the Wings will have to determine whether to qualify Grand Rapids Griffins forward Cross Hanas and goaltender Gage Alexander, who doesn’t seem to have a spot in the organization right now.

The team is very unlikely to qualify Eemil Viro as the diminutive Finn left North America to play in Sweden.

Red Wings sign Jonatan Berggren to 1-year, $1.825 million contract

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

Update: Here’s the press release:

RED WINGS SIGN JONATAN BERGGREN TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION

  … 2018 Second-Round Pick Has Skated in 154 Games with Detroit Since 2022-23 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today signed forward Jonatan Berggren to a one-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.825 million.

Berggren, 24, spent the entire 2024-25 season with the Red Wings, recording 24 points (12-12-24) and 14 penalty minutes in 75 games. The 5-foot-11, 199-pound forward split the 2023-24 campaign between the Red Wings and American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, logging six points (2-4-6) and two penalty minutes in 12 games with Detroit. Berggren also skated in 53 regular-season games with Grand Rapids in 2023-24 and ranked among the team leaders with 24 goals (1st), 32 assists (1st), 56 points (1st), 58 penalty minutes (T2nd), four power play goals (T3rd), 19 power play points (1st), four game-winning goals (T1st) and a 15.4 shooting percentage (1st). Additionally, Berggren paced the Griffins with 10 points (5-5-10) in nine Calder Cup Playoff games, helping the club reach the Central Division Finals. Selected by the Red Wings in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Berggren has registered 58 points (29-29-58) and 32 penalty minutes in 154 NHL games since 2022-23. He also compiled 127 points (49-78-127) and 84 penalty minutes in 130 AHL games with the Griffins from 2021-24, representing the club at the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic.

Continue reading Red Wings sign Jonatan Berggren to 1-year, $1.825 million contract

Video links: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Jesse Kiiskinen speak with the media at the Red Wings’ Summer Development Camp

The Red Wings’ website posted a pair of non-embeddable videos in which Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Jesse Kiiskinen speak with the team’s media corps at the team’s Summer Development Camp.

I’ll post the YouTube embeds when they appear on the Wings’ YouTube channel.

Updated at 4:22 PM: Here we go:

Tweets of note from the first-day’s Summer Development Camp media availabilties

Per Red Wings play-by-play announcer Ken Kal…