Author: George Malik

The Athletic’s Max Bultman offered answers to mailbag questions yesterday morning, and today, he offers more points of discussion in another mailbag feature. I have to roll my eyes at this question:

We don’t get high draft picks anymore, we haven’t made splashy trades for elite players, and we don’t seem to want to pay top-of-market in free agency. How do we get out of purgatory? — Jeff Z.

The toughest factor is that there aren’t many truly “elite” players that come available in the NHL. The Red Wings did make a splashy trade last summer for Alex DeBrincat, and as discussed above, I think it’s entirely possible they make more moves like that chasing higher-impact players if they come available via trade or free agency.

But the “purgatory” question is a real one. Right now, Detroit doesn’t look like a slam-dunk playoff team, but for as good as its farm system is, they also don’t have any bona fide superstars yet. It’s still possible that players like Raymond or Moritz Seider can become that, and I think players like Danielson and Edvinsson will be very valuable pieces when they mature, but the path from where they are now to being a legit Stanley Cup contender is going to take some real player development and scouting wins, and some luck. In some ways, that’s true of all teams, but it’s not a comfortable position to be in this deep into a rebuild.

I wouldn’t completely rule out getting any more high draft picks (though I guess it depends on what you define as high), but the Red Wings certainly have their work cut out for them.

Continued;

The truth of the matter for most NHL teams in a rebuild is this: they don’t get draft lottery luck, so they have to draft as many good-to-great prospects as they possibly can with the assets they possess–and then develop those prospects into NHL players;

They don’t get the elite free agents to sign with their teams (with few exceptions, like Patrick Kane);

And they don’t begin their rebuilds with the greatest NHL rosters, so the fans of these teams have to deal with a lot of roster turnover before “their team” starts to stabilize after some successes and some failures in the team-building department.

The “mushy middle” theory is real for sure, but well-run teams who make some good picks and develop their young players eventually turn the ship around, even though it tends to take longer than both fans and management want (as Steve Yzerman himself has said).

There’s nothing to really panic about in terms of the Red Wings’ status as battling their way up the NHL standings while skating uphill. It’s really how most rebuilding teams rebuild, and there will be bumps in the road in terms of signing free agents that miss (see: Andrew Copp) and drafting prospects who don’t become NHL players…

But most teams have to endure this kind of rebuild. The smartest teams have management groups who play the “long game” in terms of player personnel, player development and coaching decisions.

We can only hope that Yzerman and his compatriots in the Wings’ front office earn a little luck and build the kind of team that eventually emerges from the “mushy middle” because it’s been properly built.

The Red Wings are admittedly leaving Axel Sandin Pellikka in Sweden for one more season for a simple reason: he’s going to play significant minutes for his SHL team (Skelleftea AIK) this upcoming season, which might not have been the case if he joined the defensive logjam in Grand Rapids.

This morning, the Free Press’s Helene St. James profiles Sandin Pellikka, letting his comments from the Red Wings’ Summer Development Camp last month speak for him:

“It’s nice to be home another year,” the Detroit Red Wings’ first-round pick from 2023 said. “I know the coaches well and I know my teammates well. We have a good team, too. So, just stay home and develop for another year.”

Sandin Pellikka explained his decision while at development camp in early July at Little Caesars Arena. It was his second time at the annual event, following his debut last summer, days after the Wings chose the Swedish defenseman at No. 17 overall in the NHL draft. (The Wings chose forward Nate Danielson with their first pick, at No. 9.)

…

The road for now keeps Sandin Pellikka in Sweden, and that suits the Wings. Seider and 2020 first-round pick Lucas Raymond both developed there, as did 2022 first-round pick Marco Kasper. The SHL is an elite league, loaded with skilled veterans, including former NHLers. Sandin Pellikka, 19, already showed his comfortability with the league by posting 18 points in 39 games with Skellefteå AIK in 2023-24, then went on to help his club win the SHL championship. He also starred for Sweden on the international stage.

“Axel was one of Sweden’s most important players on defense,” assistant director of player development Dan Cleary said. “He’s going to play quite a bit in Skellefteå, they’re going to have a good team. He’s going to run the power play, going to play quite a bit with the puck. Axel is a really smart player, moves well. We just don’t see the harm in it. No sense rushing him.”

Continued (paywall); as St. James notes, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard will be playing alongside Sandin Pellikka this upcoming season…

And between Niklas Kronwall (director of European player development) and Nicklas Lidstrom (vice president of hockey operations), the Red Wings will have a pair of pretty good defensemen who represent the Red Wings watching him.

Henrik Zetterberg isn’t officially with the Red Wings right now, but he’s seen with Kronwall watching SHL games from time to time, too, so he’ll be watching Sandin Pellikka when Skelleftea comes to southern Sweden (where Zetterberg lives).

As noted yesterday (with details here), the World Junior Summer Showcase starts tomorrow at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan.

Red Wings prospects Trey Augustine, Max Plante, John Whipple (all for Team USA) and Jesse Kiiskinen (Finland) are going to take part as Canada, Team USA Blue, Team USA White, Finland and Sweden battle for summer hockey supremacy.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff profiled Augustine, Plante and Kiiskinen a little earlier this morning. Here’s his profile of Plante:

[Augustine was] taken 41st overall in the 2023 NHL entry draft, joining Augustine on the USA roster will be a pair of 2024 selections, forward Max Plante (47th overall) and defenseman John Whipple (144th overall).

Plante is the son of former NHL forward Derek Plante. Not surprisingly, growing up in a hockey environment, Plante’s hockey IQ is off the charts.

“Max is one of the smartest players I’ve ever played with,” said fellow Red Wings draftee Austin Baker. “His vision is really good. Super poised with the puck.”

Baker was teammates with both Plante and Whipple in the USNTDP, so he’s well-versed in the capabilities of both players.

“John’s a super strong kid, super hard to play against when going against him in practice,” Baker said of Whipple. “Seeing him in games, he’ll crush people. I definitely wouldn’t want to go against him on the other team.”

Continued;

I don’t want to blow the Traverse City budget, so I may not be able to attend the WJSS sans a rental car, but I hope that you can get to Plymouth. The hockey is great and it’s going to be buzzing with Canada taking part in the tournament.

It’s been about four weeks since the Red Wings’ Summer Development Camp ended, and I have tried really, really hard to not burden you down with mid-summer fundraising.

Regrettably, the realities of having to pay a server bill, having to raise funds to get that $5,000 trip to Traverse City for training camp (with Aunt Annie in tow as I am her primary caregiver) covered, and having to do simple things like buy a printer and make money from working on my website, even if it’s a couple hundred bucks a month, all equal one simple solution staring me in the face:

It’s time to start fundraising again. I don’t like doing it, but without donations, TMR doesn’t exist.

Bluntly, I’ve been informed by Bluehost that I have to upgrade my server plan as we hover around the 5,000-entry mark because we need more server space, so it’s going to cost more like $400 than $300 to raise funds to renew Bluehost, Jetpack and the rest of what I use to provide this site to you.

The road deck of the Gordie Howe International Bridge has been completed, and the bridge crews from the U.S. and Canada celebrated the occasion today on the bridge. According to WXYZ’s Sarah Michals and Chad Britton, Gordie’s sons, Mark and Marty, were there to witness the celebration, as was grandson Dr. Murray Howe:

“They called when they first had the idea of doing this and they said ‘Would it be alright to use Gordie’s name?’ I said ‘Are you kidding me? Of course.'” Marty Howe told our team.

Murray Howe said, “Our dad would be so proud of this moment. It’s just so exciting to see.”

“It’s one thing looking at it from the road here, but when you look at it from the bridge here, it’s amazing,” Marty Howe said. “You look up and you have to keep going like that. I was almost scared I was going to pass out.”

The historic bridge will support movement of millions of people and goods for economic growth. And even more than that, it’s purposed to be a symbol of friendship between Detroit and Windsor, much like Gordie Howe himself.

When asked what he’d like drivers to feel as they cross the bridge for the first time, Murray Howe replied: “I would like to just have them feel the joy and freedom we have to cross over to these two countries and celebrate all that is the United States and all that is Canada.”

“I’ll be happy to get across and not wait so long to do it,” Marty Howe said.

May Matty Moroun be rolling over in his grave. And you can watch the video on YouTube here (no embedding allowed by WXYZ, sorry).

I’m a big fan of the Grand Rapids Griffins’ community initiatives, and, because it’s my blog, I’m going to post this video of the Griffins handing out bike helmets the other day.

When I was a kid some 40 years ago, you shook off your traumatic brain injuries suffered from bicycling, but we’re smarter now:

Per Red Wings Prospects on Twitter/X, who posted the following note regarding the Red Wings’ Hockey Operations staff web page:

New AGM just dropped. Aaron Kahn named AGM and Director of Hockey Operations. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/9nT1Z4XBmG

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) July 25, 2024

Daily Faceoff’s Mike Gould, Scott Maxwell and Colton Davies ranked the NHL’s 32 home jerseys in a late-July piece for DailyFaceoff.com today, and here’s what they have to say about the Winged Wheel:

9. Detroit Red Wings

Mike: 9th
Scott: 11th
Colton: 11th

Colton: Detroit’s winged wheel has been around since the 1930s and has become a staple among Detroit fans with a logo I consider top-five. While there have been minor cosmetic changes to the jersey throughout history, the winged wheel has primarily stayed the same and for two whole decades the jersey stayed the same. Once again, it’s a nod to history and the roots of the Original Six.

Mike: I’ve always been a big fan of the arched player names on the back of every Red Wings jersey. It’s a subtle touch but it gives a pretty basic-looking uniform the perfect dose of character. No, there’s nothing flashy about Detroit’s uniforms, but they’re a great match for a Red Wings franchise with a rich history of being the class of the NHL.

Scott: I grew up surrounded by Red Wings fans, so I always enjoy the look of their jersey. It’s simple, but it’s iconic. Admittedly, it gives them no room for making other jerseys because they don’t have any other colors that they consistently use, so every jersey will be worse (although I do wonder what a black alternate jersey would look like). My only other note is that these jerseys drop much closer to the bottom during the preseason thanks to the weird nameplate font that they use then.

Continued; you know that I’m biased by now, but there’s nothing that says, “That’s where I’m from” to me like the Red Wings’ red “home sweater.”

It’s like the Detroit Tigers’ “Old English D” or the Detroit skyline as you ride the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor to Detroit. You just look at it and say, “Yeah, that represents where I am from, where I was born” (and I was born in Detroit).

The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye signed All-Star defenseman Jalen Smereck today, bolstering the Walleye’s attack going into the 2024-2025 season. According to the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe, the 27-year-old Smereck signed with the Walleye for two reasons–for winning’s sake, and for family:

The 27-year-old Detroit native played for one of Toledo’s rivals, the Cincinnati Cyclones, last season. Smereck led all ECHL defensemen in scoring with 70 points in 71 games. Smereck also had the second most assists (57) among all ECHL players.

Smereck also had the most shots on goal (216) and shorthanded points (4) among all ECHL defensemen.

The 6-foot and 190-pound defenseman led the Cyclones in scoring and also had 84 penalty minutes. Smereck earned a spot on the ECHL All-Star team and was named to the All-ECHL first team.

“I’m excited. It’s going to be great,” Smereck said. “Playing in the arena there, it gets loud and crazy, which is great. I can’t wait for that first home game and to get that first fish on the ice. I have night one marked on my calendar. I can’t wait to get going in the fish tank.”

…

Smereck said he has known Walleye star forward Brandon Hawkins since he was 9 and reunited with him when they both made the ECHL all-star team in January. He also played with Walleye forward Mitch Lewandowski and defenseman Grant Gabriele growing up in Michigan.

“With that connection there, they told me it’s an unreal organization,” Smereck said. “They treat you well. The city and the fans are great. The facilities are top-notch. They told me I’d love it here. Toledo is so close to home and I wanted to be closer to my kids and family,” said Smereck, who grew up and lives in east Detroit. “Family is everything to me.”

Continued

The World Junior Summer Showcase will take place at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan starting on Friday, and Team USA GM John Vanbiesbrouck sat down with Sean Shapiro to discuss the event for USAHockey.com:

The summer showcase will take place July 26 through Aug. 3, and the Americans will have two teams, a blue and white squad, that will play separate games the first two days before narrowing down the U.S. roster for games against Finland, Sweden, and Canada. All games will be available to watch on USAHockeyTV.com.

For the United States, the Showcase is also about building toward potential history. 

The U.S. will enter the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa as the defending champion and no doubt a medal contender. The Americans, who along with 10 potential returning players as well as their entire coaching staff, have never won back-to-back titles.

“I would say we have a foundation that has to be tweaked over the next four or five months,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “I think we are blessed with such great depth that the people that help us, our scouts and our coaching staff, has a really good beat on the heartbeat of this team from this point on when we start the Summer Showcase.”

While Will Smith likely won’t be back to defend a medal after signing with the San Jose Sharks, the Americans could have a leadership core built around Ryan Leonard, Oliver Moore, Gabe Perrault, Zeev Buium and Trey Augustine.

“We kind of want to see them grow as leaders. You aren’t going to learn much about them as players, we know all of that, but we get to see how this age group, the 2005s, steps in and leads the team,” Vanbiesbrouck said. “And then we get to see some of the other competitions coming up as well from the 2006s and 2007s.”

Continued