Author: George Malik

TSN’s Craig Button posted a list of his top 50 NHL-Affiliated prospects, and only two Red Wings, one Axel Sandin Pellikka (#6 overall) and Trey Augustine (#20 overall) cracked his list.

Two’s better than none.

Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson has been interviewed by Hockeynews.se regarding his emergence as the second-pair stalwart on the Wings’ blueline, but the interview and accompanying paywalled article are, of course, in Swedish:

I’m not a fan of power rankings as a rule, because they’re mostly “opinion lists,” but we’ll take the opinion of one Arda Orcal and run with it here:

15. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 56.48%

What’s super: Being young. The Red Wings have recently clawed back into playoff contention. But what’s a great sign for the Wings is that they are a competitive team fighting for playoff participation with a core group that is 24 and under. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond are leading that charge, but players such as Marco Kasper, Jonatan Berggren, Elmer Soderblom and Simon Edvinsson have been showing up and showing out.

Continued; coach McLellan has allowed the Wings’ younger players to “earn spots” on the team a bit more regularly than coach Lalonde, but Griffins coach Dan Watson deserves his share of credit for helping develop the Grand Rapids Griffins’ top prospects into NHL players, too.

It certainly feels like The Athletic’s resident statistical gurus don’t like the Red Wings very much, but The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn might give the Wings a little bit of credit here as he reports that Moritz Seider’s not earning as many tough minutes on the Wings’ top defensive pairing:

The Red Wings have been unbelievably hot under new coach Todd McLellan with a 15-4-1 record that has the team in a playoff spot. A run like that feels almost miraculous given where the team was when he was hired and McLellan obviously deserves a lot of credit. It also makes you really question some of Derek Lalonde’s decisions when he was coach.

One of those decisions was the bafflingly difficult burden placed on Seider. Lalonde gave him the absolute toughest matchups in the league and it did a number on his numbers. McLellan has eased things considerably and it’s made a difference.

Lalonde had Seider facing opponents with an average Offensive Rating of plus-3.0, 2.5 higher than the remaining team average (excluding his primary partner). Under McLellan, that burden has eased to a plus-2.5 opponent Offensive Rating faced, just 1.1 goals higher than team average.

That’s made a big difference for Seider, who leads the team’s defensemen in xG under McLellan at 49.7 percent. Under Lalonde, he was middle of the pack at 45.4 percent.

Continued (paywall); there are a lot of people who are questioning what coach Lalonde was doing…

And this speaks to the emergence of Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson as a reliable defensive pair under coach McLellan.

The Wings can spread their match-ups around these days, and being “freed up” a bit from the “only shut-down guy on the D” role has helped Seider excel both defensively and offensively speaking.

The Red Wings’ management team, and specifically speaking, its general manager, tends to speak with the Red Wings’ head coach on a daily basis about player personnel matters. That was true for Derek Lalonde, and it’s true for Todd McLellan.

As the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton notes, coach McLellan is not “tipping his hand” as to whether the Wings will “buy” at the trade deadline, and that’s good:

However, when asked about that possibility after Thursday’s practice, coach Todd McLellan answer coolly, saying, “I’m not prepared to answer that question right now. That’s a March question. I think the trade deadline’s in March. I don’t even know when it is.”

“We’re a full month away,” he added.  “We’ve got so much in front of us right now, so that’s not a question I’m going to answer right now.”  When informed by a reporter that the Red Wings play just eight more times before that date, McLellan quipped, “When it gets down to two or three, maybe we’ll figure it out.”

McLellan was also asked whether the international break for the 4 Nations Face-Off will give he and general manager Steve Yzerman an extended chance to unpack their plans.  The coach once again declined to embrace that possibility.  Instead, he emphasized that those conversations are constant and ongoing, therefore the break is unnecessary to spur them.

“Yes, it is, but it’s nothing special, because we do this [all the time],” McLellan said.  “We just spent a half hour talking hockey and teams and players and things like that, so we do that on a regular basis, almost daily.  So this break isn’t gonna change a lot.  There may be things that come up and we discuss, but I don’t think it’s going to throw our routine out of whack.”

Continued

Per the West Bloomfield, MI Patch:

The Detroit Red Wings Alumni will face off against a local hockey team known as the “MI-UCP Pucksters”, with both teams raising money and awareness for MI-UCP. on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at the St. Mary’s Arena in Orchard Lake. Over the past 23 years, this event has raised nearly $650,000 to assist the 2.3 million Michiganders who live with disabilities. 

This year’s event, the 23rd of its kind, will showcase two hockey games: A sled hockey exhibition featuring adult and youth sled players from Belle Tire Sled Hockey and the MI-UCP Sledsters at 5:00 p.m. followed at 7:00 p.m. by the MI-UCP Pucksters against Detroit Red Wings Alumni.

The charity event is open to the public and admission is FREE! 

There are two rosters playing on Saturday March 15, 2025 at the St. Mary’s Arena in Orchard Lake. Those looking to get involved can donate directly to a player from either team by visiting the MI-UCP website, where each player has a fundraising goal in support of MI-UCP. The website is https://www.mi-ucp.org/hockey

The MI-UCP Pucksters is a team of local hockey players at every level who will take on the Red Wing Alumni and each player has a goal to raise at least $500 for MI-UCP (many end up raising much more).

The Tampa Bay Lighting defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-1 on Thursday night, so they sit 1 point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings in the Atlantic Division standings:

The Associated Press posted a preview of Saturday’s game between the Wings and Bolts (1 PM EST start on ABC/Sportsnet/97.1 FM):

NHL.com’s staff writers picked potential “unsung heroes” who may step up during the star-studded Four Nations Face-Off, and they picked both of the Red Wings’ representatives as less-heralded players who may star in the tourney:

Dylan Larkin, Team USA

In a tournament like this, some stars must swallow their egos, accept lesser roles and excel in them. Canada has a history of success with it in best-on-best tournaments. Now the United States has the depth of talent and the height of expectations to do the same. Larkin could be a key example. He’s the captain and first-line center for the Detroit Red Wings. He’s one of the NHL leaders in power-play goals this season with 12, and he has been one of the top point producers in the League since the holiday break (24 points; 11 goals, 13 assists in 20 games), when Detroit hired coach Todd McLellan. With centers Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel ahead of him in the 4 Nations Face-Off, he probably will have to play lower in the lineup for the United States than he’s used to with Detroit, but he can contribute in all situations. Larkin is a fiery competitor eager to play big games on the big stage for his country. Here’s betting that he will find a way to make a difference no matter the role he is given. — Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Lucas Raymond, Team Sweden

By the time the tournament is finished, Team Sweden’s points leader might not be one of its perennial All-Stars like William Nylander, Filip Forsberg, Victor Hedman or Erik Karlsson. Instead, don’t be surprised if it ends up being the 22-year-old forward from the Red Wings, one of the NHL’s young stars in the making. Raymond leads Detroit this season with 58 (21 goals, 37 assists) in 54 games, ahead of more established names on the roster like Larkin (50), Alex DeBrincat (43) and Patrick Kane (30). Beyond that, Raymond’s versatility will be something coach Sam Hallam is expected to rely on, especially on special teams. He is tied for third in the NHL with 25 power-play points (five goals, 20 assists), trailing only Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov (32) and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (26). He’s also chipped in with a short-handed goal and could find himself on the penalty kill for Team Sweden. — Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Continued

NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley spoke with several NHL goaltenders, including Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot, about managing “moments of chaos” in the crease:

Cam Talbot works daily to improve his vision using a specialized computer program and glasses, but the Detroit Red Wings goalie knows a big part of life in an NHL crease is surviving the chaotic moments when seeing the puck feels impossible.

In those moments of mayhem, with players from each team piling up around the crease and sticks whacking at wherever the puck has ended up behind that mix of flailing limbs and fallen bodies, time can slow down for the goalie. But not in a good way.

“In real time, it’s only one or two seconds but it feels like a lifetime until you can find that puck,” Talbot said. “When those scrambles are happening in front and you don’t know where it is, or you’ve located it but can’t get to it, you’re just kind of a sitting duck.”

It’s worse when the initial shot that creates chaos doesn’t make it all the way to the goalie. At least a goalie knows where a rebound is headed when the puck hits him, even if traffic in front prevents him from seeing it. When a shot hits a leg or stick in front, a goalie may have no idea where the puck will bounce next, and because they’re typically already down in a butterfly, the options to find a sightline are limited.

“You’re just seeing butts and knees,” said Colorado Avalanche starter Mackenzie Blackwood.

Continued

Per Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen:

J.T. Compher practiced with the Detroit Red Wings today and should be ready to play Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning (1 p.m., ABC).

Compher hasn’t played since Jan. 25 when he was injured on a hit by defenseman Emil Lilleberg. The Norwegian defenseman was suspended for two games for the hit, which earned him a penalty for interference. The added penalty came because it was a blow to the head, and it was late.

“In my mind (Compher is) cleared, he’s out there skating around,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “I don’t know if the medical staff has signed off. If he doesn’t play on Saturday, I was wrong.”

Compher shows one goal and two points in his past 12 games, but coaches do appreciate his all-around game.