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!

Tweet of note: Good news on the Carter Mazur front

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton noted a Tweet from Red Wings Prospects which indicates that forward Carter Mazur, who’s missed time this season with both a high ankle sprain and an undisclosed injury, may return to the Griffins’ lineup shortly…

Per Stockton:

Mazur, whom Detroit selected in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft, has struggled with injury in the early days of his professional career.  A year ago, an injury at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament derailed the start to his season, limiting him to just 60 games.  This year, he has played in just three of Grand Rapids’ 37 games to date, picking up a goal and an assist.

To state the obvious, it’s unfortunate that injuries have unsettled each of Mazur’s first two professional seasons, but that shouldn’t dampen the optimism around the former University of Denver Pioneer’s potential.  Mazur’s game—physical, industrious, and pugnacious with enough skill to wind up just shy of a point-a-game pace at the NCAA level—features lots of qualities that should serve him well in the NHL.

The Red Wings’ ‘youth movement’ is thriving under coach McLellan

MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the successes of the Red Wings’ “youth movement” this morning, spotlighting Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, Marco Kasper and Jonatan Berggren’s strong play under coach Todd McLellan:

“You get excited about your first-round draft picks, all your draft picks,” McLellan said. “You pick them and they come and you’re excited about them. You don’t see a lot of negative aspects in their game. And then they get here and we kind of figure them out a little bit, formulate a plan for them.

“Some develop quicker than others, physically or mentally, and then when they finally get here, you hope that they can fit quickly, that they can find ways to be productive. Not always based on points. But be productive in contributing to a game and if you can be winning while they do that, then I think the process moves a little bit quicker. It does take time and for as much as you try to hurry it, you can’t.”

The Red Wings (21-19-4), 8-1-0 in their past nine, visit Tampa Bay tonight (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network).

Many fans surely were disappointed that Edvinsson, the 6-6 defenseman drafted sixth overall in 2021, played most of last season in Grand Rapids. The extra development time was beneficial. He’s averaging more than 20 minutes, has 17 points despite not playing on the power play, has a plus-8 rating and has been equally effective paired with Moritz Seider, Jeff Petry or Johansson.

Johansson was the odd-man out of the lineup much of the season before being thrust into the lineup after Petry was injured Jan. 2. His first career goal Jan. 10 vs. Chicago proved to be the game-winner and he logged a career-high 18:02 in Thursday’s 5-2 win at Florida.

“Get a couple games in a row helps the confidence for sure,” Johansson said. “Makes it, I wouldn’t say easier, but you’re always in a game mode and tempo. It’s easier when you know where you’re going, playing couple games in a row. Kind of hard to be in and then out and then in again. You want to be in the flow and in games.”

Continued (paywall)

HSJ in the morning: Red Wings (mostly) rooting for the Lions tonight

Ahead of tonight’s game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders–a NFL playoff game which will probably leave about 10 of us watching the entirety of the Red Wings-Lightning game (7 PM EST on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/FanDuel Sun/97.1 FM)–the Free Press’s Helene St. James asked several Red Wings about their NFL allegiances:

“We have a big night for us and big night for the Lions, too,” Dylan Larkin, who grew up in Waterford, said. “We’re pulling for those guys and proud to be from Detroit and represent our city and kind of follow what they’ve done and how they’ve represented our sports fans.”

Alex DeBrincat, from Farmington Hills, grew up a Lions fan thanks to his dad, and has rekindled the passion since joining the Wings in the summer of 2023.

“The past couple years since I got into fantasy football, I’ve gotten a lot more into it,” DeBrincat said. “The team being good makes it that much easier to watch.”

The Super Bowl is Feb. 9, the day after the Wings host a matinee against the Lightning, after which the NHL goes on a two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-off tournament. Should the Lions make it, it certainly presents a temptation for an impromptu trip to New Orleans — if not a wholly realistic one.

“I had thought about it, but unfortunately with our schedule, we have to be in Montreal and practice on Monday morning, so not much of a break for us,” Larkin, who will represent the U.S. at the tournament, said. “But I would hope some guys would go if the Lions do make it. “

Continued (paywall); St. James also posted a video of Larkin, DeBrincat, Alex Lyon, Justin Holl and coach Todd McLellan discussing the NFL playoffs:

Duff on Fedorov and hurt feelings

Former Red Wing Sergei Fedorov has always insisted that Detroit pulled a contract offer (supposedly 5 years at $10 million per season) off the table before he signed a 5-year, $40 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

According to the Russian press that I was following way back in 2003 (back in the day, you could still read Sport-Express and Sovetsky Sport, but it took wading through clunky online translations from PROMT), the Red Wings felt that it was Fedorov who walked away from a still-valid contract offer to sign with the Ducks.

Between Fedorov signing the $28 million offer sheet from Carolina in 1998, and the Wings ownership’s belief that he betrayed the team in the summer of 2003…

That’s where you get the still-bitter feelings that have kept #91 out of the rafters in Detroit.

This morning, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff reports that Fedorov, who left CSKA Moscow’s board of directors, has spoken with Sport-Express.ru’s Yuri Golishak and Aleksandr Kruzhkov about his divorce from the Wings. Per Mr. Duff:

Continue reading Duff on Fedorov and hurt feelings

Coach McLellan discusses the Wings’ youth movement

The Red Wings held a late-afternoon practice at Amalie Arena on Friday, ahead of tomorrow night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After practice, Simon Edvinsson and coach Todd McLellan spoke with the media, and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Red Wings coach Todd McLellan regarding the contributions of young players like Simon Edvinsson, Jonatan Berggren, Joe Veleno, Albert Johansson and Marco Kasper of late:

“It’s great when youth can come in and gain confidence and begin to produce,” McLellan said. “It’s not always about points but having an impact on the game. Usually it means the organization is going in the right direction, and the future has a chance to be taken care of. It also pushes others in the lineup to maintain a certain standard of play and maintain their status on the team. There’s a lot of things that can happen when youth arrives.”

McLellan had a pretty good handle on Seider (age 23) and Raymond (22), two players who made an immediate impact in the NHL. Still, McLellan continues to learn more being around them every day. But it’s players like Edvinsson (21), Berggren (24) and Kasper (20) whom McLellan had heard snippets about as prospects in the Wings organization that he’s excited about.

“With Seider and Raymond and those type of players, you knew more about them,” McLellan said. “Simon, getting to know him, he’s everything we thought he would be and even more. The amount of minutes he can handle as a young player is pretty impressive. Berggren and Kasper are two that I didn’t know much about. When you’re drafted fairly high, you have something going for you and I didn’t know what it was. They have found ways to contribute.”

McLellan has found a common characteristic through the young players.

“They’re hungry right now, that group,” McLellan said. “Hungry to play and learn, and that’s a healthy thing.”

Kulfan also spoke with Jonatan Berggren regarding the Wings’ strong play:

“It’s always fun when the team is winning and you’re able to contribute with some offense,” said Berggren, who has scored three of his seven goals this season under McLellan. “Just coming to the rink after a win, than a loss, is a great feeling.”

Continued, with talk of the Wings “traveling well”…

Roughly translated: Anton Johansson’s got an ‘out clause’ in his new deal with Leksands IF

According to Hockeynews.se’s Linnea Andersson, Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson, a 20-year-old defenseman who just signed a 2-year contract extension with Leksands IF of the SHL, is able to go over to North America should he choose to attempt to make the NHL.

This is good news given that his NHL rights expire in the spring of 2026, at which time the Red Wings would have to sign him or allow him to become a free agent:

Extended just now–can leave anyway: “It’s the same”

Anton Johansson has signed a contract extension with Leksand. However, the defenseman could leave as early as next season. What his future looks like, he doesn’t know yet.

Before the game against Orebro on Thursday, Leksands IF announced that Anton Johansson has signed until the spring of 2027.

However, the 20-year-old defenseman could play with another team as early as next season. Johansson was drafted in 2022 by the Detroit Red Wings, and it depends on them how it will be next season.

At the very least, there will be a [summer development] camp in North America after the season.

“The idea is that I’m going over and trying it, and if I don’t succeed, I have to come here again, and that feels damn fun,” he told Falu-Kuriren.

Appreciates Leksand

Johansson doesn’t have a very good handle as to how the negotiations went with his new contract.

“My agent handles that. I was just told that there was a contract proposal, and then that I would sign it. It feels fun and incredibly good,” he tells the newspaper.

When Johansson moved to Leksand from Stockholm, he didn’t think that he would like to live in such a small place. However, this has changed considerably after several years in the district.

“When I cam here, I didn’t think that I’d like ‘the little one,’ but I like it more and more. It’s incredibly nice to be able to go everywhere in five minutes instead of having 40 minutes to go to the rink. I appreciate that very much, and I also appreciate all the people around the organization,” he says.

Johansson has played with Leksands junior team since the 2020-2021 season. Already in the following season, he registered his first games in the SHL.

Tweets from Friday’s practice: Wings on the ice for a late-afternoon skate; Bolts skips practice after shootout win

According to FanDuel Sports Network Sun’s Gabby Shirley, we won’t find out very much about the 24-16-and-3 Tampa Bay Lightning’s lineup today as the team is not practicing.

Tampa is 2-1-and-1 in their last 4 games and 4-1-and-2 in their last 6, so the Red Wings do not head into Amalie Arena at an opportune time. The Bolts won a 4-3 shootout decision over the plucky Anaheim Ducks last night, with captain Victor Hedman hitting the 600-assist milestone.

Tampa Bay’s playing 16 games this month, so there’s a bit of mental fatigue going on within the team, but a full day’s worth of rest should help the Bolts recharge their batteries.

The Red Wings hit the ice at Amalie Arena just short of 4 PM EST, as the Detroit Red Wings noted on Twitter…