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!

Morning news round-up: Draper on Hurlbert, 2nd draft day priorities, and Larkin’s shadow

The Free Press’s Helene St. James, MLive’s Ansar Khan and The Athletic’s Max Bultman all offer new Red Wings-related articles this morning.

First, St. James discusses Sebastian Cossa’s “failure to launch“ as a highly-heralded Detroit prospect…

“Coss was a great prospect for us,” assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said Friday. “We really invested a lot of time and felt that Sebastian continued to grow and he did get better. He was a pro.”

Just how far Cossa had dropped on the Wings’ goaltending chart was made clear entering the last week of the season. Eliminated from the NHL playoff race with two games remaining, Wings coach Todd McLellan was asked about calling up Cossa to play in those games. The Grand Rapids Griffins had long since clinched a spot in the AHL playoffs, and had both Michal Postava and Trey Augustine available to play. Postava had, in fact, taken over as the No. 1 netminder with the Griffins. But Cossa wasn’t even a consideration for the Wings.

“There was no thought or anything,” McLellan said.

Draper remained circumspect about the fact that Cossa didn’t click in Detroit:

Continue reading Morning news round-up: Draper on Hurlbert, 2nd draft day priorities, and Larkin’s shadow

Videos: JP Hurlbert and Kris Draper speak with the media after the 1st round of the 2026 NHL Draft

Here are videos of Red Wings 23rd overall pick JP Hurlbert and Red Wings director of amateur scouting and assistant GM Kris Draper speaking with the media tonight:

Update: Also of note, at 2:33 AM:

A bit of a Dylan Larkin update from ESPN’s 2026 NHL Draft coverage

Via 97.1 the Ticket…

The big question now is how the Red Wings proceed with Dylan Larkin and his trade request.

“It’s tough to get a sense of when (they’ll make a move) because Yzerman doesn’t really give those tells to anybody, but there is an expectation that he’s going to get it done,” NHL reporter Emily Kaplan said Friday night. “I know Steve has told teams that have called about Larkin, ‘We’ll send him to camp next year. He’s under contract. We’re not under pressure to make this trade.’

“But when you have a captain that’s unhappy, that wants to move on, it behooves you to do it. And they could get a bounty in return. If you look at some of these trades we’ve seen this offseason, we’re talking about multiple first-round picks, franchise-altering stuff.”

Just on Friday night, the Ducks sent young center Mason McTavish to the Blues for two first-round picks; McTavish scored 41 points last season and has a career-high of 22 goals. Earlier this week, the Senators sent winger Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers for three first-round picks and a second-rounder.

Larkin, a center in his prime coming off his fifth straight 30-goal season who’s under contract for five more years, should have more trade value than both of them.

And me:

Update: Here’s the Free Press’s Helene St. James’ update:

Still quiet on the Dylan Larkin front

There were trades sending veterans across the league the day of the draft and in the days leading up to it, but things remained quiet on the Dylan Larkin front. The Wings’ captain has requested a trade to a contender; that news emerged on June 4. Neither side has commented on the situation.

Larkin has a no-trade clause, so he holds power over where he goes – the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights top his list – but general manager Steve Yzerman does not have to trade Larkin, who has five years left at a $8.7 million cap hit. Essentially the Wings would need a player like Larkin in return: A top-line center (they are thin down the middle) who can play in all situations.

Red Wings select Kamloops’ J.P. Hurlbert 23rd overall

Updated 14x at 12:48 AM: From Twitter, the Red Wings traded Sebastian Cossa to the Utah Mammoth for the 23rd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and they selected J.P. Hurlbert from the Kamloops Blazers with said pick:

From the Hockey News’s Adam Kierszenblat:

Continue reading Red Wings select Kamloops’ J.P. Hurlbert 23rd overall

Tweet of note: Red Wings acquire 23rd overall pick from Utah Mammoth for Sebastian Cossa

Per Elliotte Friedman:

Also:

Are the Edmonton Oilers dreaming of Sebastian Cossa?

The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson was one of the first journalists to suggest that Red Wings prospect and former Edmonton Oil Kings netminder Sebastian Cossa could end up in Edmonton, and here’s what Matheson has to say about the situation tonight:

Yes the Edmonton Oilers still have the feel-good UFA goalie Connor Ingram in their sights, maybe wanting to re-sign him to tag-team with Tristan Jarry but bubbling under the surface, what about the Oilers and the intriguing Sebastian Cossa? That storyline hasn’t gone away.

Yes, Detroit wants a first-round draft pick for the 23-year-old goalie because he was a first-round pick, 15th overall when they took him in 2021, and, no, the Oilers don’t have a selection to trade the Red Wings in the first 32 Friday night, barring some sort of GM Stan Bowman gymnastics. Or in 2027, for that matter. They do have their first-rounder in 2028, but that is really kicking the can down the road for Detroit.

And, yes, another team (Utah) might be looking for somebody like Cossa, too, even if they do have Czechia tender Michal Hrabal as well in their pipeline, but just coming out of college. And they have a pick later in Round 1. They have the 19th selection and need a tender to give their over-worked starter Karel Vejmelka, 30, a breather after Vitek Vanceck wasn’t the answer last season.

At second glance, Vancouver, which has the 29th pick, along with No. 4, might seem a possible Cossa trade destination, too, because of the uncertainty for a long while with veteran Thatcher Demko. But the Canucks expect the oft-injured Demko to be ready for the start of the season to work with Kevin Lankinen, under contract for four more years. They also have hotshot Russian prospect Alexei Medvedev, who played junior in London, and Finn Aku Koskenvuo in their pipeline.

So, we’re back to the Oilers. They do have lots of their own prospect goalies — Samuel Jonsson, Nathaniel Day, Eemil Vinni (Finland) and Connor Ungar. But they covet Cossa, who has played three years in the AHL. There’s no reason why he can’t be their version of Carolina’s Brandon Bussi.

Continue reading Are the Edmonton Oilers dreaming of Sebastian Cossa?

Think small?

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed an afternoon notebook today, discussing Dylan Larkin’s status (could it take all summer and into the fall for the Wings to trade him? Of course it could!), and some possible picks for the Red Wings when the 47th overall pick is called in round 2 on Saturday morning:

There are certain players who could drop to where the Wings pick Saturday, at No. 47 overall, and would appear to be Yzerman’s type of prospects. Here are several to keep an eye on:

▶ William Hakansson: The 6-foot-4, 218-pound defenseman is a physical, stay-at-home type, who isn’t likely to produce much offense but could develop into the shutdown defenseman every team consistently searches for. He played in the Swedish men’s league, a rare thing for an 18-year-old.

▶ Adam Valentini: The 5-10, 185-pound Valentini had 11 goals and 27 points in 40 games at Michigan. A center who players bigger than his size and is relentless on the forecheck, the Wings would gladly give Valentini time to grow into a complete player.

▶ Victor Plante: Yes, Max’s younger brother. Victor is 5-foot-10, 163-pounds and will join Max at Minnesota-Duluth this season. Victor showed promising offensive potential last season at the Plymouth Township-based United States National Team Development Program, with 21 goals and 48 points in 57 games.

▶ Mathis Preston: The 5-foot-11, 176-pound winger is projected to be a late first-rounder in some mock drafts, but most have him falling into the second round because of inconsistency and inability to drive the play. Preston had 18 goals between two teams last season in the WHL.

Everybody I’ve read thinks that the Wings will pick Valentini if he’s available. I’d like to see Victor Plante join his brother, or see the Wings reunite Carter Bear and Everett Silvertips linemate Matias Vanhanen…

But all three players are 5’10,” and I believe that Detroit needs to add a power forward or three in this year’s draft. Size and snarl are hard to find in the Wings’ developmental pipeline, and I happen to believe that the Wings need both categories…

And here are the Wings’ 7 picks for tomorrow (the 2nd through 7th rounds will begin at 11 AM EDT, televised on the NHL Network and Sportsnet):

47, 79, 108, 143, 175, 196, 207.

Tweet of note via TSN: Strickland reports that Larkin will ‘end up with Minnesota’

From TSN’s draft day blog:

Latest on Dylan Larkin

Red Wings star forward Dylan Larkin is likely on his way out after requesting a trade out of Detroit earlier this month. It’s just a matter of when and where.

According to hockey reporter Andy Strickland, there’s a growing belief Larkin will end up with the Minnesota Wild.

“Gauging opinions, the belief is that Dylan Larkin will end up with Minnesota once everything is settled,” Strickland wrote on social media.

The Wild were one of the best teams in the NHL last season, posting a 46-24-12 record to finish third in a the very strong Central Division.  Minnesota defeated the Dallas Stars in six games in the opening round before falling to the first-place Colorado Avalanche in five games in the second round. 

We’ve already seen involving a Team USA forward ahead of the draft in the Florida Panthers swinging a blockbuster for Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. We learned later that Tkachuk had requested a trade and given the Senators a short list of teams he would consider. 

Larkin’s trade request from the Red Wings went public earlier this month as the captain’s three-team approved trade list, but the wait continues for Larkin.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported on Thursday that the New York Rangers are one team who would love to see Larkin dealt to move Vincent Trocheck back atop the available centre market, but no move appears imminent. 

“I know people might roll their eyes, but we’re talking about Steve Yzerman here [as general manager of the Red Wings],” LeBrun explained. “From talking to other teams, what they’re telling me is that Detroit has told teams that if they don’t get their price met on Larkin, they’re willing to tell him to come back to training camp in September.” Any other team I’d say that’s posturing, but I believe it when teams tell me that about Yzerman.”

Talking about Larkin and Cossa via Chris Johnston’s ‘trade board’

Updated at 9:40 AM: The Athletic’s Chris Johnston updated his NHL “trade board” for the 5th time this morning, and he discusses the potential fates of two current members of the Red Wings’ organization:

2. Dylan Larkin

Team: Detroit Red Wings
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
2025-26 stats: 34 goals, 67 points, 74 games
Age: 29
Contract: $8.7 million AAV through 2031; no-trade clause becomes 10-team no-trade list in 2028-29

Larkin is a speedy two-way center who is an ever-present threat to score. He can handle big minutes and tough checking assignments and is known as a competitive player who battles his way to the difficult areas of the ice. While his playoff experience is limited to just five games, Larkin was a strong performer for Team USA at the Milan Olympics and 4 Nations Face-Off. His contract makes him an even more attractive asset because he’s locked in at a reasonable rate of $8.7 million for the next five seasons. The Vegas Golden Knights — one of his favored destinations — could be lurking in the weeds here.

The thing that pisses me off the most about losing Larkin is that he drives play, and it’s rare to find a driver of play.

Anyway, I don’t think that the Wings will trade Larkin to Vegas without Pavel Dorofeyev in return, and I don’t believe that the Golden Knights are interested in moving Dorofeyev, so we may see a “futures” flip with a third team if that situation works out.

Let’s move on to discuss Sebastian Cossa’s situation:

Continue reading Talking about Larkin and Cossa via Chris Johnston’s ‘trade board’

Morning news round-up: talking about the Red Wings and the 2026 NHL Draft

The 2026 NHL Draft takes place tonight and tomorrow in Buffalo, New York.

The 1st round will air on ESPN in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada, and the 2nd through 7th rounds begin at 11 AM EDT on Saturday, airing on the NHL Network and Sportsnet.

The Red Wings 7 draft picks, as of this morning, are the 47th, 79th, 108th, 143rd, 175th, 196th and 207th overall draft picks.

This morning, the Free Press’s Christian Romo and Helene St. James weigh in on what we might occur over the course of the next 50-something hours…

The latest on the Dylan Larkin situation

It’s going on three weeks since someone leaked that Wings captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade to a contender. As the Free Press was first to report, Larkin’s initial destinations focused on the Panthers (no state tax), the Minnesota Wild and the Vegas Golden Knights. That doesn’t mean other teams couldn’t get involved, even with Larkin having a no-trade clause, or that it ends up being a multi-faceted trade.

The Wings need something along the lines of Larkin in return: A top-line center in his prime with a history of scoring. The fact Larkin is under contract for five more seasons, at a reasonable $8.7 million salary cap hit, makes him all the more attractive to teams. Pretty much all teams are always looking to upgrade at the center spot. It’s also why Yzerman may ultimately play hardball and hang on to Larkin. However awkward that might be come camp and games, at the end of the day, Yzerman is running a business.

At this point, I’m all but expecting a Larkin trade to include a 3rd team so that the Red Wings can flip future assets for present-day help.

I don’t see Florida trading Anton Lundell, I don’t see Minnesota moving Charlie Stramel and Danila Yurov, and I don’t see Vegas moving Pavel Dorofeyev (nor can I imagine the Dallas Stars offering Mavrik Bourque) in return for Larkin…

Continue reading Morning news round-up: talking about the Red Wings and the 2026 NHL Draft