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!

Ugh

I don’t want to post this story, but I would be remiss if I did not share it with you. The Free Press’s Violet Ikonomova reports that Red Wings/Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch is divorcing his wife, Kelle, and there are some concerns among the public that the Red Wings or Tigers’ ownership may be affected by said divorce:

Whether the Ilitch couple’s separation will have bearing on the hockey club or the baseball operation will largely depend on Chris’ ownership stake and whether legal documents are in place to prevent their being considered marital assets, such as a pre- or post-nuptial agreement, experts said.

The Red Wings are owned by Ilitch Holdings and the Tigers – according to Forbes and Crain’s Detroit Business – are in a family trust. Chris Ilitch is listed as Tigers CEO and chair and Red Wings governor, president and CEO.

Experts said a family with the wealth and business savvy of the Ilitches would likely have protections in place preventing their teams and other major assets from being subject to split.

“Could (Chris Ilitch) be forced to sell his interest if he needed cash in the event of a huge divorce settlement or obligation? Could it strip the franchises of their cash flow and prevent them from signing players? It could, but not likely,” said James Quigley of Chicago-based Beermann LLP, a firm handling high-asset divorces. “These franchises are so valuable and the ownership or transfer of them in the family is going to be so closely guarded that even a loving spouse of 20-something years is going to be kept out of that.”

The Red Wings are valued at $2.1 billion and the Tigers at $1.45 billion, according to the latest calculations by Forbes.

Lowell Friedman, a family lawyer and founding member of Friedman Law Firm in Royal Oak, agreed it’s unlikely either team would be affected, but said it’s possible Kelle Ilitch was given a stake.

“Should anyone be concerned about how the company or teams are going to be run? The answer is sure,” said Friedman. “In a long-term marriage, everything is going to generally be considered as marital property … until and unless a party can demonstrate why a particular asset should not be considered a marital asset.”

Continued; long story long, there is nothing to worry about, Red Wings or Tigers fans. I just hope that their divorce is relatively amicable, and that the two parties continue on their respective ways.

Update: From MLive’s Evan Woodbury:

Attorney David Mendelson issued a joint statement from the couple that said the divorce would not impact any of the businesses.

“After thoughtful consideration, we will be transitioning into separate lives and do so with love, friendship, and a commitment to our children,” the statement read. “We have settled this matter and it will have no impact on the ownership or operation of the Ilitch businesses.”

Times two from the Detroit News’s Kara Berg and Breana Noble:

Continue reading Ugh

Video: Raymond, Seider and coach McLellan speak with the media ahead of Red Wings-Kraken game

The Detroit Red Wings and Seattle Kraken held their respective morning skates at Climate Pledge Arena ahead of tonight’s game between the two teams (10 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/KHN/KONG/97.1 FM), and it appears that Cam Talbot will oppose Joey Daccord in goal this evening.

After the teams’ skates, the Red Wings’ players and coaches spoke with the media:

Red Wings-Kraken morning skate Tweets: Talbot vs. Daccord in goal as Wings aim for 7th straight win

The Detroit Red Wings battle the Seattle Kraken this evening (10 PM EST start on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/KHN/KONG/97.1 FM), with the Red Wings looking to extend their winning streak to 7 games.

The “Sound of Hockey” followed the Kraken’s morning skate, which started at 10 AM local time…

Again, it doesn’t look like Eberle will play tonight…

Continue reading Red Wings-Kraken morning skate Tweets: Talbot vs. Daccord in goal as Wings aim for 7th straight win

Praise for the Red Wings’ goaltending

MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the Red Wings’ goaltending in terms of earning victories in the “race to three goals” over the course of Detroit’s 6-game winning streak:

“I’ve said it probably for the last six games — you don’t go on a winning streak without outstanding goaltending,” [Red Wings coach Todd] McLellan told FanDuel Sports Network after a 3-2 overtime victory at Vancouver Sunday. “We’ve been lucky enough to get it from two goaltenders, which is a real good thing.”

Cam Talbot is 9-1-0 in his past 10 starts, posting a 2.46 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. Alex Lyon is 5-1-1 over his past nine appearances, with a 2.03 GAA and .926 save percentage.

“In my opinion, you need to have two (good goalies) in the NHL to win,” McLellan told media after a 3-1 win at Calgary Saturday. “You can’t just ride one guy anymore. The game is too intense. There’s volume shooting, so the numbers are going up in the 30s and 40s. The travel, as you can see what we’re going through, is too hard on a single goaltender.

“To have both of them playing the way they are is a good sign but often that’s a reflection of the group around them, too, doing some of the things they need to, whether they’re sacrificing around the net or blocked shots or whatever it might be. It’s usually a group effort. Every now and then the goalie just completely steals you one, but I like the way the group is committing to each other.”

Continued

Talking Red Wings trade turkey

Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco suggests that the Red Wings should “become buyers” as far as trade acquisitions are concerned:

Detroit’s offense has improved quite a bit under McLellan, so I look at the defense as a point of concern. Especially in light of the Jeff Petry injury, the Red Wings could use some help on the back end; an addition back there may help contribute to the offense, as well. Aside from Simon Edvinsson (20) and Moritz Seider (32), no Detroit defenseman has reached the 20 point plateau this season.

As Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin wrote about a few weeks back, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen could make sense for the Red Wings. The 30 year old does have two years remaining on his contract at an AAV of $5.1 million, so the Red Wings would have to be prepared to absorb a non-rental; I also have no indication that the Flyers would entertain retaining salary on Ristolainen, either. Ristolainen isn’t exactly an offensive dynamo – though he has gotten power play time as of late – so I’m not sure if he is exactly what the Red Wings need, but his uptick in defensive play would help them on that end of the ice. His recent injury will also surely play a factor.

Up front, the proof is in the pudding: the Red Wings need an offensive jolt. Beyond Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond, there are no Detroit forwards who are on pace to crack 40 points. In a league that is as offensive as ever, that is something that absolutely needs to be addressed if Yzerman hopes his group can be competitive in the playoff race until the end of the regular season. The power play has drastically improved since McLellan arrived, but the 5-on-5 scoring needs work.

I do think an addition down the middle of the ice would be optimal for the Red Wings. Larkin aside, there is not a lot of offense coming from that area of the ice. Problem is, most of the league is looking for a center help, and most of the pickings are slim.

Does Brock Nelson make sense? Perhaps, but as a rental and the top trade target on Frank Seravalli’s board, I don’t think he fits the portfolio for what the Red Wings are looking for. Buffalo Sabres pivot Dylan Cozens would make a lot of sense with significant term left on his deal, but it still sounds like GM Kevyn Adams is reluctant to move on from the workhorse from Whitehorse. 

The next few weeks will determine if the Red Wings can keep pace in the ever crowded Eastern Conference playoff race, but Yzerman would be best served looking to bring in reinforcements should he actually have playoff aspirations for his group.

Continued; meh. The Red Wings aren’t going to spend assets for rental players, and teams like the Flyers and Islanders are still within Wild Card rival territory, so I don’t see them doing business with the Red Wings unless Detroit is willing to add a premium prospect to the mix.

I hope that Yzerman is conservative as we head toward March 7th.

Fundraising for the pixels

Why fundraise? It’s pretty simple. I operate a blog with Red Wings coverage that has no advertisements. And you, the reader, are asked to–only if you are able and willing–provide funds to ensure that this blog and blogger can continue providing this service.

Most of the money will go toward paying the hockey subscription bills, which are substantial these days, and some of the money will go to paying the bills that my aunt and I face every month.

So, now that you know:

The Malik Report needs your support to function. You receive quite a bit of information “for free,” but providing that information is not done for free. As such, we would like to ask that you kindly contribute to our monthly expenses.

If you’re willing to lend a hand, 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…

And in the banking options, you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check, or “Zelle” me via my email, rtxg@yahoo.com.

It’s my pleasure to provide you with as much information as I can give, but this is also a job, and it requires money, time, energy and effort (a.k.a. work). If you are willing or able to support this endeavor, it is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Red Wings-Kraken preview: Seattle hopes to rebound from loss(es) while Detroit aims for 7th straight win

The 27-23-and-5 Detroit Red Wings will attempt to earn their 7th straight win when they face the 23-28-and-3 Seattle Kraken this evening (10 PM EDT on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/KHN/KONG/97.1 FM).

Seattle sits 10 points behind the Calgary Flames for the 2nd Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, and they’ve lost 3 of their past 4 games and 4 of 6, including a 3-2 loss to the aforementioned Flames on Sunday night.

SeattleKraken.com’s Bob Condor reports that the Kraken believe that they can build upon the their play over the second half of Sunday’s game against Calgary.

Condor also hints at a pair of goal reviews which helped determine the course of Sunday’s game:

Continue reading Red Wings-Kraken preview: Seattle hopes to rebound from loss(es) while Detroit aims for 7th straight win

We’re just not going to see a ‘front office overhaul’ in Detroit, and that’s okay

Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson suggests that 5 NHL teams “need a front office overhaul,” including the Red Wings, and as you know by now, I disagree with this theory:

DETROIT RED WINGS: Steve Yzerman was one of the greatest players in Detroit Red Wings history, leading them to three Stanley Cups in one of the most successful eras in franchise history. As general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, he laid the foundation for their back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.

Yzerman missed those Stanley Cup parades in Tampa Bay, returning to Detroit to become the Red Wings’ GM in 2019. The Wings were at their nadir after missing the playoffs for three straight years and were rebuilding in earnest when he took over.

During his introductory press conference, Yzerman forewarned Red Wings fans there was a lot of work to do, telling them it would take time to turn this team into a Cup contender again. The denizens of Hockeytown bought in, remaining patient with the rebuilding process.

The Wings came tantalizingly close to reaching the playoffs in 2023-24, prompting anticipation they were poised for their long-awaited breakout campaign. This season, they’re jockeying with several teams for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

However, Max Bultman of The Athletic conducted a poll last August showing Red Wings fans were losing faith in their front office. Confidence in their roster building, salary-cap management, drafting, trading, free-agent signings and vision for the future was down compared to the previous season.

Yzerman will remain a beloved figure among Red Wings fans and in Detroit’s sports history. Nevertheless, another missed postseason will make it nine straight, far exceeding the previous franchise-worst of seven in the 1970s. That could prompt ownership to consider front-office changes, beginning with the general manager.

Continued; again, Yzerman and the Wings’ management team do not have a perfect record in terms of their free agency decisions, and every Red Wings fan feels that it’s been far too long since the team made the playoff cut…

But we all know that as long as Mrs. Ilitch and Chris Ilitch are in charge of the team, Steve Yzerman can consider himself the Red Wings’ GM for as long as he wants to work in that role.

So you look at the good and the bad of Yzerman’s tenure with the Red Wings, you assess whether his belief that the Red Wings are in the middle of a 10-to-12-year rebuild is correct (and it is), and here we are, halfway through the rebuild.

That’s just where we are, and it makes us all frustrated, from GM SY on down, but we have every right as the paying public to expect more, and we’re seeing that “more” through coach Todd McLellan.

For now, the Red Wings are still in their rebuilding phase, and it may take a little while longer before we can count upon the team to make the playoffs on a regular basis. But between the draft picks, the few free agency hits and the new coach, there is finally promise in the team as far as its performance is concerned, and that’s progress enough for me, especially from a GM-for-life.

Sandin Pellikka’s presence helps Wings climb to 5th-best position in The Athletic’s prospect rankings

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler ranks the Detroit Red Wings as the 5th-best group of prospects in the NHL, despite his suggestion that the Red Wings have no “true star forward prospect.” Wheeler lists his top 15 Red Wings prospects and he goes in-depth in discussing each player this morning:

The Red Wings have a pretty unique pool in that the pools that typically rank in this range have a true star forward prospect; they have several very good ones but none that project to play on a first line. Instead, their star prospects are on defense and in net, with one of the top D prospects in the sport and two of the top goalie prospects in the sport supporting strong depth up front.

Axel Sandin Pellikka’s emergence as a potential top offensive defenseman moved the Red Wings from more of a top-10 pool to No. 5 for me.

2024 prospect pool rank: No. 2 (change: -3)

1. Axel Sandin Pellikka, RHD, 19 (Skellefteå AIK)

Sandin Pellikka has had a brilliant run in the SHL the last two seasons, producing at near-historic rates as a teenager in both, winning an SHL title, winning back-to-back directorate awards as the top defenseman at the World Juniors (he was Sweden’s youngest defenseman the first time he did, too) and emerging this season to play 20 minutes per game and become one of the league’s most productive defensemen regardless of age.

Sandin Pellikka is an individually talented, competitive 5-foot-11 defenseman with natural scoring instincts and the tools to execute. He’s got really good edges and mobility and has shown improved speed in straight lines to pull away from chasers (with more room for growth there still). He walks the line to get shots through at a high level, wants the puck in the offensive zone and has the skill and shot to make things happen when teammates find him off the point or as the trailer off the rush (which he often activates into). He keeps his head up in the neutral and defensive zones and is a confident puck carrier on exits and entries. Though he’s not big, he’s athletic and he plays hard and physical and engages in battles in the defensive zone with some sneaky strength. He’s got a good stick. He does a good job maintaining gaps and matching opposing forwards step for step skating backward and times his close-outs and pinches effectively. He can really shoot it with a pinpoint accurate shot, a wrister that comes off hard and an eagerness to put pucks on net from the point. He’s got comfortable handles. He walks the line looking for his shot and chances to take space off it to attack into better spots, but he’ll find open teammates cross-ice through seams as well and is seeing the ice better and better. There are times when he can wait too long to make his decisions and I wouldn’t call him super creative or a highlight reel type, but he’s very talented, he makes good choices more often than he’s careless and he has progressed really rapidly.

He projects as a high-end offensive defenseman and defensively capable second-pairing one at five-on-five. When he’s on, he can control the game in all three zones and really drive shot creation.

Continued (paywall)