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!

It’s slow progress, but it’s progress nonetheless

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff revisits Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s comments made during his pre-training camp press conference this morning.

Duff notes that Yzerman’s plans to build a perennial contending team continue to develop, despite fans’ impatience with the so-called “Yzerplan”:

“I see progress in the organization,” Yzerman said. “I look at the young players coming into the organization, and I look at the young players playing on the Detroit Red Wings today. As we continue to build a young core that is here for a long time, I’m hopeful that we will eventually compete on a regular basis to make the playoffs. So that’s what we’re trying to do.”

We get it. That’s not what you want to hear. You want proclamations, you want guarantees that after nine years in the wilderness, the playoffs and the Red Wings are about to become reacquainted. Believe it or not, Yzerman gets that, too.

“We’re not completely tone deaf,” Yzerman said. “I understand the frustration or maybe the lack of … I don’t want to say patience, because I think everybody’s been pretty patient. But the sense of urgency within the fan base, I understand it.”

At the same time, what he is seeking to achieve probably isn’t on the same timeframe as what you want to see, which is playoff hockey as soon as possible.

“I look at it differently than you look at it,” Yzerman said, essentially speaking to Red Wings fans. “You just want us to make the playoffs, which is fine. I’m not going to argue with you about that. We’re trying to build a team that competes for a Stanley Cup and can win a Stanley Cup. So, how many years is it supposed to take? I don’t know? Is it four? Is it five? Is it 10?”

Continued; Duff also suggests what I have regarding Yzerman’s status as not being on the “hot seat” under the Red Wings’ ownership.

Patrick Kane discusses his Olympic aspirations

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski spoke with NHL players who were not included on Team USA’s Four Nations tournament team this past season, but were invited to Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp in August. One Patrick Kane still harbors Olympic aspirations:

Patrick Kane has had [an Olympic] opportunity twice, winning silver in 2010 and losing bronze in 2014 for the Americans. The 36-year-old winger’s absence from Team USA’s 4 Nations roster wasn’t a surprise, as Kane himself admitted his play last season didn’t warrant a selection. However, his presence at the U.S. Olympic orientation camp in August was a surprise to some, although not to Kane.

“They told my agent there’s the potential of maybe making the team. That I was under consideration. So when you hear that, it’s not really that big of a surprise that you’re there,” he said.

Kane said the real surprise was that his Detroit Red Wings teammate Alex DeBrincat wasn’t invited to camp after not making the 4 Nations cut either.

“I think both of us have some motivation to get off to good starts this year,” he said.

Kane remembers back in 2010 when he was a 21-year-old star on the U.S. Olympic team, surrounded by veteran national team members such as Chris Drury, Jamie Langenbrunner and Brian Rafalski. Now, he would be that elder statesman should he make the cut for 2026. But like every other NHL player that hasn’t formally been named to an Olympic roster, Kane knows he must earn it.

“I want to get to a point where obviously you put yourself in consideration for the team just on your play, right? Not for your name or what you’ve done in the past,” Kane said. “That’s the goal going into this year.”

Continued

Coach McLellan frames training camp as a learning experience

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills filed a late-evening article which summarizes Red Wings coach Todd McLellan’s philosophy regarding opening his first full season as head coach via a high-intensity note:

“We talked about camp, how important it was for our group,” McLellan said. “I talked to them about the excitement around the team. When I talk to players in the summer, and certainly here through [the media], everybody’s happy to have a camp with the new coaching staff and we’ll see where it goes. That’s all fine and dandy, but if we don’t take any advantage of it, then shame on us. There are some areas of the game we have to get better at, and we talked about that. Then there’s what’s between the ears sometimes. We have to get better in that area. Addressed it right away on Day 1, and we’re going to push them to improve.”

McLellan demonstrated his ability to get his message across quickly after being hired last December, which the Red Wings embraced on their way to winning seven of their first eight games and 15 of 21 contests ahead of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off break. In total, Detroit went 26-18-4 (56 points) with McLellan behind the bench in the 2024-25 season, equivalent to a 96-point pace over a full 82-game campaign.

“I think anytime a new coach comes in, regardless of having the time with the group last year, I think you do have their attention right off the bat,” McLellan said. “The jury will be out Day 3, 4, 5, when it becomes work. Right now, they’re real excited and they should be. I thought the effort was really good. The attention to detail was there. Little ragged with passing, but it’s early in the season. And then the scrimmage was really competitive. I think we got a lot out of the day, at least what we targeted. We’re going to work every day and build our game.”

Continued

Why bring back the scrimmages?

MLive’s Ansar Khan affords Red Wings coach Todd McLellan the column space to explain why the team has brought back daily training camp scrimmages after a 9-year absence, even though the players can accumulate wear and tear over the course of the 3 days’ worth of high-intensity intra-squad battles:

“We always kind of wanted to get to it right in camp,” he said. “Maybe I’m selfish, but I’m thinking if I got to go in and play Chicago on Tuesday and I haven’t scrimmaged or been involved in any type of ful- ice, five-on-five action where there’s some actual contact and some competitiveness. I don’t think I’’m ready to play that game. And we’re also evaluating them and how they can play. Everybody here will get at least one scrimmage as long as health allows. Exhibition game No. 1, now they played against real competitive players. They should be ready to go.”

Line combinations are fluid, McLellan said. Elmer Soderblom skated on the wing on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on Day One.

“I mentioned to Elmer today if I’m coming to camp and the coach dropped me in there, I’m not giving that spot back one bit,” McLellan said. “So, we’ll give him a chance, and we’ll work different people through there.”

…

McLellan stressed three things he’s looking for at camp.

“Individuals have to find their game quickly,” he said. “So individually, you have to feel good. You have to find your legs and your pace and your tempo and your skillset. And then secondly, they have to find that in a group environment. So, we’re also working on our systems and our structure. And I told them yesterday they’re as fit as they’re going to be all year, they’re as healthy as they’re going to be all year. But they’re as bad as they’re going to be all year with game situations, game management, remembering how we do certain things because they’ve been playing summer, and you hear us talk about summer habits, turning away from the puck, not stopping on loose stuff, trying stuff that really doesn’t exist in our game. And there’s nothing wrong with that in the summer, but it doesn’t work now. And then the team has to come together. Nobody knows, including Steve (general manager Yzerman) and I, who’s going to be on the opening roster. That’s why we have camp.”

Continued (paywall)

Prospect round-up: Genborg 1A, Anton Johansson 24:36 played in the SHL

Of Red Wings prospect-related note this afternoon:

In the KHL, Dmitri Buchelnikov finished with 2 shots in 14:24 played as CSKA Moscow lost 5-1 to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl;

In the SHL, Noah Dower Nilsson didn’t play in Frolunda HC’s 2-1 win over Orebro Hockey;

Michal Svrcek didn’t play in Brynas IF’s 4-0 win over HV71;

Anton Johansson finished even with 3 shots in 24:36 played on Leksands IF’s top pairing as Leksand lost 5-4 to the Malmo Redhawks;

And Eddie Genborg had an assist, finishing at +1 in 16:04 played (with one hit) as Timra IK’s 2-1 win over the Vaxjo Lakers.

The captain is ready to begin a better season in 25-26

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin regarding becoming a father this summer, as well as his outlook for the Red Wings team:

Larkin feels just as positive about the Wings, with training camp beginning and the Wings aiming to end a nine-year playoff drought.

The acquisitions of goaltender John Gibson, forwards James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton, and defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Travis Hamonic possibly weren’t the splashiest around the NHL, but filled Wings needs. With those veterans, and the continued development of young players on the Wings’ roster such as Marco Kasper and Elmer Soderblom, and Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson, the Wings are hopeful of internal improvement on the roster and in the standings.

“Just keep growing from within, and we made some good additions to the roster,” said Larkin, who was particularly excited about Gibson’s arrival to strengthen the goaltending overall. “With the young guys continuing to take a step, that’s what it’s all about. I’m excited for this year.”

What also gives Larkin reason for optimism is the relative stability of the roster. Sure, there were additions and subtractions on the roster, but nothing too major, and comparatively smaller than in the earlier years when general manager Steve Yzerman took over. For the most part, the core of this roster has now been together at least three seasons — some even more — and that should be a positive going forward.

“It’s Day One and who knows on opening night what the roster looks like,” Larkin said. “But we’ve talked about it, with the guys coming back into town, there’s more familiarity I feel with our group than in years past. There’s not as much turnover with the roster. It feels like more familiarity and guys have been around longer.”

Continued with discussion of John Gibson’s addition and Lucas Raymond’s outlook as well…