Author: George Malik

We kicked off the annual fundraising push in order to cover the costs of server renewal on August 31st and attending the truncated prospect tournament and main training camp starting on September 14th some two days ago, and…

Things went about as well as a fundraiser for hockey-related items go on the last couple of days of July. I heard crickets chirping in terms of the GoFundMe and every other fundraising option.

I’m not certain how exactly to indicate to you that the blog is worth sponsoring in terms of both ensuring its existence going forward (via covering the server fees) and sending myself and my 82-year-old aunt, for whom I must provide daily care, to training camp.

I’ve just gone about my business and posted content, understanding that it is late July/early August, and that it’s going to be a long shot to raise the approximately $5,000-5,500 necessary to make everything happen.

I hope that you’ll consider lending a hand in this regard. That’s all I can ask on a blog that doesn’t exist without generous donations of all amounts from its readers.

So:

If you’re willing to lend a hand, we have an official GoFundMe fundraiser page; we have a PayPal option at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport; there’s Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2; if you’re into the, “I don’t want to use any of those pages” option, here’s always the Giftly option by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com…

You can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check, or “Zelle” me via my email, rtxg@yahoo.com. And I’m also on Cash App under “georgeums.”

Let’s see what we can accomplish together.

As we hit August 1st, the Hockey News’s Adam Proteau wrote an article about the free agents who remain “on the market” as players who can change the course of a franchise–in the form of the NHL’s restricted free agent players who have yet to re-sign with their rights-holding teams.

Proteau has this to say about the Red Wings’ need to re-sign Moritz Seider, who’s represented by 4Sports’ Claude Lemieux (really!)…

Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings currently have more than $17.6 million in cap space, but GM Steve Yzerman has two prominent RFAs in 23-year-old Seider and 22-year-old Lucas Raymond. 

Seider can point to contracts, such as Sabres youngster Owen Power’s $8.35 million per season contract and Minnesota’s Brock Faber’s $8.5-million-per-season deal as a comparable for him, and the Wings would still be getting a relative bargain for what Seider brings to the table. 

Risk and reward: A Calder Trophy, followed by back-to-back seasons of more than 40 points, is quite promising for the Red Wings. Seider is their current No. 1 defenseman and should be for a long time, so having a lengthy deal is a big reward in itself. It’s probably not worth it for Detroit to overthink, although having a career-high 50 points in his rookie season and not beating it yet may have them trying to figure out if they’ve seen enough for the big money that comes with a long term.

As far as not replicating his 50-point season, and posting 40+ over the last two years, I think that the Red Wings are a little more concerned about Seider’s overall play than hitting a particular output number…

Anyway, the “comparables” are spot-on from Proteau in Seider’s case, and he offers a similar take on Lucas Raymond’s bargaining situation (and Raymond is represented by CAA’s J.P. Barry):

We’ve talked about Red Wings free agent signing Erik Gustafsson before over the course of this summer, and today, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed an article which discusses the defenseman’s fit with the Wings as they prepare to fill the skates of the departing Shayne Gostisbehere:

“I like to run [the power play] on the blue line, get the puck to the forwards, shoot the puck and create lanes,” Gustafsson said. “I’m just trying to get out there and score. I’m very confident on the power play. I have been playing power play ever since I came over (from Sweden). It’s something I like to do and something my game is (about).”

Gustafsson’s versatility is something general manager Steve Yzerman thinks will strengthen the Wings.

“Erik Gustafsson will contribute to some of the offense lost with Shayne Gostisbehere and Jake Walman’s goals (on defense),” Yzerman said. “Hopefully we can keep a few more out of the net and maybe that nets out in a positive way. I don’t know what the (defensive) pairings are ultimately going to be. I have my own vision, but (coach) Derek (Lalonde) will decide that. These real mobile (defensemen) with puck skills can go on either side.”

Gustafsson has been through the havoc of free agency before. But the uncertainty of it remains taxing, so when the Wings reached out, it was a relief.

“I kind of knew which team was interested to sign me before but when the day hits it’s a little nerve-wracking,” Gustafsson said. “I’m very happy to be signed in Detroit, with all the history and the Swedes going there. I’ve been talking to (Niklas) Kronwall, too. It’s fun to be part of this team.”

Continued; Gustafsson may be a step down from Gostisbehere in terms of overall power play output, but the Red Wings are going to need everybody to step up to overcome Gostisbehere and David Perron’s departures…

And if Gustafsson can keep more goals out of his own net, the Red Wings will be a little better off with the well-traveled Swede on their blueline. That appears to be the reason why Yzerman signed him.

Per NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman:

Among the NHL players working out this morning at USA Hockey Arena are Quinn and Luke Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski and Cole Caufield and Alex DeBrincat. pic.twitter.com/J8gkeLS2di

— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) August 1, 2024

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton discusses potential partners for Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider this upcoming season, suggesting that Ben Chiarot and Simon Edvinsson are the most likely partners for Seider when push comes to shove:

If Chiarot enters camp as the favorite for this role in the eyes of the coaching staff, there can be little doubt that Edvinsson will begin the year as the fan favorite for Seider’s partner.  It’s not hard to see way, as the combination of size, skill with the puck, and skating that an Edvinsson-Seider pairing would offer makes it an impossibly tantalizing long-term possibility.

Though they’ve yet to spend significant time together, in theory, there is a natural stylistic fit between the two players.  Edvinsson could offer similar skating and puck moving to Walman, while his six-foot-six frame could add an even more formidable physicality than Walman could in the D zone.

The question with Edvinsson is whether he can earn sufficient trust from Detroit’s coaching staff to play the volume and difficulty of minutes required of Seider’s partner.  If last season is any indicator, there’s reason for optimism on that front.

Last spring, upon being called up, Edvinsson wasted no time in earning a robust role, regularly at or beyond the 20-minute mark as his team pushed desperately for a playoff spot.

“Defending well,” coach Derek Lalonde said at the time, when asked how Edvinsson showed his readiness for a serious role at a pivotal moment in the season.  “He’s managed the game very well. He’s not found himself in much trouble, but he’s also brought some physicality to his game, which is good. His size too—the long stick. Obviously, he made some plays defensively with the long stick, but he kept a couple plays offensively alive with his long stick that end up in the back of their net 20, 30 seconds later.”

Continued; my best guess is a little counter-intuitive: I think that it’s going to have to wait until training camp and the exhibition season to be sorted out, and I would not be surprised whether we’re talking about Chiarot, Edvinsson or even somebody else, like Olli Maatta, joining the fray if injuries strike.

At this point, the Red Wings need to be flexible in terms of determining which player(s) are the “best fits” for Seider’s style of play, and hell, it might involve signing an unrestricted free agent or making a trade before all is said and done.

I appreciate Stockton’s educated guessing here. I just don’t know what’s going to happen in the end, and sometimes, “I don’t know yet” is the most honest answer.

Red Wings forward Joe Veleno spoke with DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills regarding signing his new 2-year, $4.55 million contract with Detroit:

“It’s nice to have a deal done,” Veleno recently told DetroitRedWings.com. “I don’t think anyone looks to go to arbitration, so I’m really happy we came to an agreement. This gives me another two years with Detroit. I want to be here and stay here. I don’t envision myself anywhere else.”

Veleno, who was the Red Wings’ 30th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, set NHL career-highs in goals (12), assists (16) and points (28) in 80 games last season. The 24-year-old forward also proved to be very versatile for Detroit, filling a top-six role and contributing on both special teams units when called upon by the coaching staff.

“It’s helped our depth and made us competitive all year, the ability to play him on the wing and center,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said about Veleno on March 5. “I think extremely valuable, especially in today’s NHL.”

Veleno believes he became a more complete player during his second full campaign with the Red Wings.

“I took strides in the right direction numbers-wise, but in my role, I ended up getting my feet wet with some new things,” Veleno said. “Having that experience is huge and I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. At the end of the day, it’s up to me to take advantage of that.”

Continued

The Red Wings drafted big defenseman Brady Cleveland, who stands at 6’5″ and 209 pounds, with the 47th overall pick in 2023. The U.S. National Team Development Program alumnus only played in 16 games (out of a 36-game schedule) with his home-state University of Wisconsin Badgers this past season. As such, Cleveland chose to enter the NCAA transfer portal and join the Colorado College Tigers in order to earn regular playing time this upcoming season.

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted a profile of Cleveland this morning, discussing his decision to transfer to Colorado College…

“I formerly had a relationship with (Colorado College assistant coach) Peter Mannino, so I had some contact with him,” Cleveland said. “After talking to him, there’s not really much you can’t like about what they have going on out there. Brand new facilities recently built. I think just over the last four years since he got there, they’ve been on the up climb and I think they will get there.”

As well as his goals for the upcoming season:

“I know the type of player I am; I know what I’m capable of,” Cleveland said. “I think just getting out there every game and playing more minutes is what I would like to do. Just helping my team win. Just being better offensively. I know I can work on that, but also defensively, cleaning up a few things. Being someone who gives a good first pass and be a shutdown defenseman.”

He’ll need to continue improving his upper and lower body strength to be that type of shutdown defender.

“Previously what I’ve learned from Wisconsin is there’s things you need to work on that you don’t know before,” Cleveland said. “Different coaches have different assessments of every player. Just coming back here with that information now, it’s really a different experience for me. Obviously, I know some things before that I needed to work on coming into last year. Now it’s kind of building off what I’ve already been working on and adding some new things.”

A pair of articles discuss Red Wings prospects taking part in the World Junior Summer Showcase this morning.

First, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff wrote an article profiling new Red Wings prospect Jesse Kiiskinen, who Detroit acquired in a trade with Nashville.

Duff reports that Kiiskinen was unable to take part in the Red Wings’ Summer Development Camp due to compulsory military service in Finland, but now he’s wearing the captain’s “C” for the Finns at the WJSS:

Now that’s completed his [military] service with that national team, he is in Plymouth, leading Finland’s national junior team at the World Junior Summer Showcase.

“Now I can start focusing on just the hockey,” Kiiskinen said. Chosen 68th overall in the 2023 NHL entry draft, he shows a desire to mix it up, working the corners and the net front with enthusiasm.

He’s proudly wearing the C as Finland’s captain, a role he’s been filling since last February in preparation for this season’s IIHF World Junior Championship.

“It’s unbelievable to be in the national team and then you are the national team captain,” Kiiskinen said. “It’s more like unreal.”

Second, The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted an article which focuses on Kiiksinen and Team USA’s Max Plante, with a short note about American participants John Whipple and Trey Augustine. Bultman reports that Plante has impressed over the course of three games for Team USA:

Of brief Red Wings-related note on the last evening of July:

1. According to NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman, Red Wings prospect Jesse Kiiskinien did not play during for Finland on Wednesday at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and that’s…okay. We’re not going to know much in terms of what ails a young player during a Summer Showcase game, but, at this point, it’s far better to hear that the HPK Hameenlinna forward did not wear the captain’s “C” for Finland due to a minor injury than hear that he tweaked something major on July 31st.

2. Earlier today, the WHL Tweeted out a set of five Red Wings prospects with WHL ties. They actually missed one, and the WHL’s website included him in their webpage about the Wings’ WHL alumni:

Cross Hanas: Left Winger Cross Hanas built up his foundation in his second season in the AHL. The Dallas, Texas product tallied eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in 58 games while tying his single-game high with two assists against the Cleveland Monsters on March 27. Hanas, who turned 22 in January, is coming off a prolific WHL career that saw him put up 58 goals and 103 assists for 161 points and a +56 rating in 196 games over four seasons with the Portland Winterhawks. Hanas wore the ‘A’ for the perennially dangerous Hawks and was named a U.S. Division First-Team All-Star in 2022. He scored nine times and dished eight assists for 17 points in 30 games in his rookie AHL season after being drafted in the second round, 55th overall, of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

This is a pivotal season for Hanas in the AHL with Grand Rapids. The Griffins forward is 22 now, and the 6’1,” 181-pound winger hasn’t posted more than 17 points over the course of two AHL seasons played now.

He was an assist machine in the WHL, but the Red Wings have a constellation’s worth of young forwards who grind well and have possessed some offensive chops in the past, and Hanas needs to at least find some scoring form to remain relevant as a Wings prospect over the course of the 2024-2025 campaign.

3. Finally, Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler posted a list of 13 active NHL players who are “Hall of Fame locks,” and we’re riding on the coattails of this one:

Patrick Kane | Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings

His longtime captain, Jonathan Toews, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, too, no doubt, but as noted in the introduction Toews isn’t on this list because he’s not technically an active NHLer right now. 

While you won’t see Kane’s name topping any of the Blackhawk’s all-time statistical leaderboards — Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull pretty much have those Original Six franchise records on lockdown — there is no doubt his decade-plus run of success with the club changed the league’s landscape. The decorated goal-scorer propelled Chicago to three Stanley Cups within a six-year time frame, also adding a Conn Smythe, Hart Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award to his resume in the process. He became the first American-born player to lead the league in scoring in 2015-16 and currently sits second in assists (813) and third in points on the all-time U.S. player leaderboard. 

We can dream on riding those “coattails” to some all-time scoring numbers registered by Kane while wearing the Winged Wheel, can’t we?

This is simply a little bit of Twitter fun on a very hot July Wednesday. The WHL posted a set of spotlight Tweets regarding five Red Wings prospects with WHL ties:

These six @DetroitRedWings prospects put the 'motor' in Motor City!

— The WHL (@TheWHL) July 31, 2024

In doing so, they may remind you of a prospect who you forgot about in Gage Alexander…

Before Gage was stopping pucks with the @tulsa_oilers, he was manning the crease with the @SCBroncos! pic.twitter.com/SSqtuBL8hO

— The WHL (@TheWHL) July 31, 2024