Author: George Malik

In a subscriber-only article, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen lists 5 reasons why the Red Wings might make the playoffs this upcoming season. I’m going with #3 and #4:

3.  Red Wings Will Score More Goals: Coach Derek Lalonde’s group isn’t going to suddenly become a top 10 scoring team. But if Alex DeBrincat nets 35+ plus, Daniel Sprong adds 20, Lucas Raymond scores 25 and Robby Fabbri stays healthy maybe the Red Wings could go from 24th in scoring last season to middle of the pack this season. Surely, Andrew Copp will score more than nine goals.

4.  Sharper Goalie Numbers: Thanks to the addition of James Reimer and Alex Lyon, the Red Wings are deeper at goalie than a year ago. The Red Wings only won 34.6% of their backup goalie starts last season and had an ugly team save percentage of .894. They may decide to keep three goalies this to start the season. They could win more than they lose when they play the backup goalie this season. With an improved defensive group as well, the Red Wings hope, maybe expect, to have a save percentage above .900. If Ville Husso plays like he did in the first half of last season, Detroit owns a shot at the playoffs.

Continued (paywall); I don’t know whether the Red Wings will make the playoffs or not. I have a feeling that it’s a long shot at best. But I hope they are at least playoff-relevant for the vast majority of this upcoming season.

Of Red Wings prospect-related note today in Europe:

In the SHL, Anton Johansson’s Leksands IF won 4-1 over Theodor Niederbach’s MoDo Hockey.

Johansson finished even with 2 shots in 14:25 played for Leksand; Niederbach finished at -2 with 1 shot, 1 blocked shot and a penalty taken in 16:28;

And in the DEL, Kevin Bicker finished with a shot on goal and a penalty in 8:19 played as the Frankfurt Lowen won 5-3 over the Schwenniger Wild Wings.

Earlier…Last Thursday…

In the SHL, Johansson finished even in 12:42 played as Leksands IF lost 5-0 to Farjestads BK;

Theodor Niederbach had an assist, finishing even with 2 shots on goal in 14:27 played as MoDo Hockey won 4-3 in overtime over Malmo;

Axel Sandin Pellikka had an assist, finishing even in 14:33 as Skelleftea AIK won 3-1 over HV71.

Aftonbladet reported that Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall attended the game. From IceHockeyGifs on Twitter:

Among the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton’s game-day notes:

After the non-game group practiced this afternoon, Joe Veleno gave a reflective interview on his path toward personal growth and the threshold between being an up-and-comer and an established pro in the modern NHL.

When asked where he’d like to grow his own game heading into his third full season of pro hockey, Veleno responded, “It’s being in better spots on the ice, being in better positions in the offensive zone, getting to those hard areas, getting a couple of those extra goals in front of the net.  And obviously, you don’t want to cheat the game…I definitely want to be on the right side of the puck and strong defensively.  Being good defensively that’ll transition to more touches with the puck offensively.”  

It’s a similar message to one David Perron offered earlier in camp as advice for young players—that despite how it might sometimes seem, defensive solidity will feed the attacking game young players so often want to play.

While he wants to improve his productivity, Veleno is adamant that taking the next step for his game is less about lighting up the score sheet and instead more based on earning a greater role through 200-foot reliability.

“I had 20 points last year and would like to increase that total for sure,” Veleno said.  “I definitely want to stick to my game and stick to the strengths of my game.  I gotta take care of my own end first, being responsible defensively and kind of gaining that trust to be on the ice a lot more.  And if I’m on the ice a lot more, I’ll get more chances.”

Continued; Veleno’s 23 and he’s on a 1-year, $850,000 deal. He’s in his “prove it” year, no doubt. With younger players with more offensive upside knocking on the door, Veleno needs to prove that he’s worth an NHL spot.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan and DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted two articles which further discuss Red Wings pro try-out Michael Hutchinson. We start with Kulfan…

Hutchinson, 33, has played 153 NHL games for five teams, but he found landing an NHL contract difficult this past summer coming off a poor season in Columbus (2-6-3, 4.29 goals-against average, .875 save percentage).

Hutchinson wasn’t sure what the future was going to hold as the summer wore on. There weren’t any contracts and the goaltending market was tight.

“I wasn’t even sure if I was going to take a PTO or anything,” Hutchinson said. “I got a call (from the Wings) the Monday before (training) camp. I was getting the itch to go on the ice, so I figured why not come here? I have an opportunity to get some exhibition game minutes in and I enjoy playing hockey. This offseason didn’t go quite the way we planned it, but you have to keep moving forward.”

After some good work in training camp and in 30 minutes of action Sunday against Chicago, Hutchinson has at least put himself in position to possibly earn a contract with the Wings to play in Grand Rapids.

Much will depend on whether the Wings decide to keep three goalies (Ville Husso, James Reimer, Alex Lyon) on the NHL roster, or risk putting Lyon on waivers and possibly losing him to another team if they decide to send Lyon to Grand Rapids.

And we continue with Mills:

“He stops pucks,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said about Hutchinson. “He obviously wasn’t with us coming into camp when we put together our plan. And now, he’s into his second action again tonight, which is good. Another opportunity on the road against a little deeper Chicago lineup than we saw the other night.”

Hutchinson said he was golfing in Winnipeg when he received the invitation to report to Traverse City, Mich., for Red Wings Training Camp.    

“Got the phone call Monday (Sept. 18) and had to fly out on Tuesday (Sept. 19),” Hutchinson said. “It was a little bit of a scramble getting home. I had some plans that weekend I had to cancel with my wife, but I thought it would be a fun opportunity.”

While this offseason “didn’t go quite the way” Hutchinson and his agent, Robert Hooper, envisioned, the 6-foot-3, 201-pound goaltender said he must “keep moving forward.”

“I just wanted to get back out on the ice and skating,” Hutchinson said. “You don’t really look at things too much because so much is out of my control. All I can control is how I show up every day, my attitude, work ethic and how I can perform on the ice.”

Red Wings forwards Joe Veleno and Andrew Sprong spoke to the media today at Little Caesars Arena, as did goaltender Michael Hutchinson…

And coach Lalonde spoke with the media as well:

NHL.com’s fantasy hockey staff posted a “bold prediction” for every NHL team, and this one certainly fits the descriptor:

Detroit Red Wings: Wing Daniel Sprong will take on the biggest role of his NHL career and lead the Red Wings in goals with at least 35, more than Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat.

Continued; I don’t see it happening, but what do I know?

The Free Press’s Helene St. James reports that Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde believes that Ben Chiarot’s return from personal leave (his father passed away due to cancer) will reinforce the Red Wings’ lineup:

Chiarot, 32, finished last season with 19 points in 76 games, along with a minus-31 rating. That latter number is ugly, but plus-minus — a stat that gives a point to a player who is on the ice when an even-strength or shorthanded goal is scored, and minus a point if the opponent scores in those situations — isn’t solely reflective of an individual. And Chiarot plays a forceful game, maximizing his 6-foot-3, 232 pound size.

“Beating the Ben Chiarot drum, he is extremely valuable to us,” Lalonde said. “Even last year, I was fielding some questions on some of his underlying numbers to us. I think he is very valuable to us in a lot of ways.

“People are getting away a little bit from that plus-minus. I still think there is some value to it. He was culpable for some of it, but a lot of it was circumstantial.”

Continued

St. James posted a video of Lalonde’s remarks as well:

Amongst Detroit Hockey Now’s Tim Robinson’s pre-game notes ahead of tonight’s preseason game vs. the Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 PM, NBC Sports Chicago, ESPN+, 97.1 the Ticket):

Tonight’s game is the first of three in a row and four in five nights to wrap up the preseason. The Red Wings are at Pittsburgh on Wednesday, at Toronto on Thursday and wrap up the preseason at home against the Maple Leafs on Saturday. ….

Ville Husso will get his second start of the preseason in net against Chicago. Michael Hutchinson, who’s on a pro tryout contract, will also see action. Sebastian Cossa also is making the trip. …

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde says Robby Fabbri (upper-body injury) is fine and should be available for Wednesday’s game at Pittsburgh. ….

Continued

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted a profile of Red Wings pro tryout Michael Hutchinson, who’s trying to buck the odds to earn an NHL contract with the team (if not a two-way contract):

“I wasn’t expecting to be in this (PTO) situation,” Hutchinson, 33, said. “It’s nice to come to an organization where I was able to get 30 minutes in the other night and get the chance to play some more minutes tonight. For me it’s just coming here and enjoying every day and not putting expectations on anything. Coming here and doing my thing and whatever happens, happens.”

Hutchinson has appeared in 153 games for five NHL teams (Winnipeg, Florida, Colorado, Toronto and Columbus). He struggled last season with the Blue Jackets (4.21 goals-against average, .877 save percentage in 16 games) but has a career 2.93 GAA and .902 save percentage). He is well-traveled, having played for four AHL clubs as well over the past six seasons.

“As the summer was going on, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to take a PTO or anything,” Hutchinson said. “Just got a call the Monday before camp. Getting the itch to go on the ice, so I figured why not come here. I have an opportunity to get some exhibition game minutes in and I enjoy playing hockey, so I thought it would be a fun opportunity to get back on the ice.

“This offseason didn’t go quite the way (he and his agent) planned it, but it is what it is and you have to keep moving forward. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole career.”

Continued; the Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a video of Hutchinson speaking with the media as well:

I’ve been back from the Traverse City Flu/return bug for all of a couple hours now, and I’m already sick of posting these lists again. Please let me know whether they matter to you…

Because The Athletic’s Harman Dayal ranked “Every NHL Team’s top-6 center duos,” and you should not be surprised that the Red Wings rank “below average”:

Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp

Contracts: Larkin $8.7 million AAV, eight years left; Copp $5.625 million AAV, four years left

Larkin has hovered just shy of the point-per-game mark the last two years. This could be the year he breaks through now that he’s got a linemate of Alex DeBrincat’s caliber. Larkin profiles like an average No. 1 center, but whether it’s Copp or J.T. Compher, the Red Wings are below-average in the second-line center position.

Copp has bounce-back potential as he was returning from abdominal surgery last season, but he was underwhelming, as his usual sturdy defensive numbers fell off a cliff while scoring a modest 42 points.

Long term, Detroit will be leaning on Marco Kasper and/or Nate Danielson to round out the top-six center group.

Continued; etc. etc. etc.