Author: George Malik

The World Junior Summer Showcase starts on Thursday in Plymouth, Michigan, with Team USA White and Team USA Blue facing off vs. teams from Sweden and Finland at USA Hockey Arena.

After two days’ worth of practices on Thursday and Friday, the squads will square off for four days’ worth of games on July 29th, July 31st, August 2nd and August 4th.

Red Wings prospects Trey Augustine (USA White), Axel Sandin Pellikka and Anton Johansson (Sweden) are taking part in the event, and NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman sets up the event this evening with an article discussing the WJSS’s importance to Team USA, as well as some of the bigger names to watch this week and next at USA Hockey Arena:

The event will be held at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, from July 29 to Aug. 4. It’s the first step toward those countries selecting their teams for the 2024 WJC, which is scheduled for Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Sweden.

The U.S. will have 45 players taking part, among them nine players from the team that finished third at the 2023 WJC in Halifax, Nova Scotia: goalies Trey Augustine (Detroit Red Wings), Tyler Muszelik (Florida Panthers) and Andrew Oke (2024 NHL Draft eligible); defensemen Ryan Chesley (Washington Capitals) and Lane Hutson (Montreal Canadiens); and forwards Gavin Brindley (Columbus Blue Jackets), Cutter Gauthier (Philadelphia Flyers), Rutger McGroarty (Winnipeg Jets) and Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues).

Snuggerud was second for the U.S. with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in seven games, and Gauthier tied for third with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games.

“I think experience is important,” U.S. coach David Carle said. “Those nine, for them to have that experience of coming up short a year ago, I think is a motivating factor in speaking with some of them. They are very excited to help build this team and to have the opportunity to be a part of it potentially again and try and go further and do what we want to do right.”

Carle, who is entering his sixth season as coach at the University of Denver, said what has impressed him is the speed, skill and depth of the group that will be in Michigan.

“I’m excited to get on the ice with them and to work on that and use our speed to create that transition when we don’t have the puck as well by taking away time and space, and then being able to quick-strike from those moments,” he said.

Continued

Today, Hockey Canada announced that they invited 111 players–which is a significant number of hockey players–to participate in summer meetings at the Under-17 and Under-20 levels.

The Canadians usually hold their own version of the World Junior Summer Showcase in their headquarter city of Calgary, but it looks like this year, they’ve held virtual meetings with their top prospects for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the World Under-17 Challenge, the World Under-18 Championship and the World Junior Championship.

Red Wings 2023 NHL Draft first-round pick Nate Danielson was among the 45 players invited at the Under-20 level, as explained in Hockey Canada’s press release below…

The Hockey News’s Tony Ferrari is breaking down NHL teams’ prospect pools in significant depth, discussing the stand-outs, 2023 draft classes, and strengths and weaknesses of each team’s group of next-generation NHL’ers.

Here’s part of his introduction to the Red Wings’ prospect pool:

When a team is going through a rebuild, they accumulate bountiful and diverse prospect pools. Detroit is no exception as the ‘Yzerplan’ has taken full effect. The team has a prospect pipeline with talent at just about every position, and they should have players at each position pushing for NHL jobs sooner than later.

Marco Kasper has been a revelation since being drafted. While many, including myself, questioned his offensive skill and upside, he came out this past season and routinely showed he has confidence with the puck and was creating regularly at the SHL level. Kasper has a refined two-way game and understands the nuances of playing in the center of the ice. He joined the Red Wings for one game at the end of last year before a nagging knee injury prevented him from playing more. He could compete for a job in camp.

Another player with NHL games last season was ‘Lord Elmer’ himself, Elmer Soderblom. The towering behemoth found his way onto the NHL roster until just after the New Year, playing in 21 games with the big club before finishing the year in Grand Rapids. Soderblom has incredible skill that isn’t often seen in a player who stands 6-foot-8. His ability to shoot a puck from between his legs in tight or elevate with a defender riding his back is impressive. His skating isn’t a strength, but he’s shown time and time again that he can work through it at every level.

Carter Mazur has been deemed many times as the Red Wings’ next ultra-pest scorer, and while he appreciates comparisons to players such as Tyler Bertuzzi, among others, he brings his own flair to the game. Mazur has an excellent shot and can finish from all over the ice. His hands in tight are excellent, and he works hard in the tough areas to maintain possession. He could be an excellent complementary player who brings the finishing touch to any line.

The Red Wings drafted one of the most exciting players to watch in Dmitri Buchelnikov last year as an overage pick. His skill and entertainment value are undeniable, but the translatability of his game is questionable. Another player that fits that mold is Amadeus Lombardi, who was drafted out of the OHL in the ‘lost year’ but has since exploded and dazzled with his skill and creativity. If either one of Lombardi or Buchelnikov hit, the Red Wings could have a lethal scorer on their hands.

The back end is an interesting mix of skill sets. There are offensive wizards with the puck who can create something from nothing and defensive stalwarts that can shut down an opponent’s cycle with excellent stick work or bone-crushing physicality. They’ve done an excellent job of changing things up whenever anyone has felt like they’ve nailed what Detroit is looking for on the back end.

Simon Edvinsson is the cream of the crop, bringing a combination of size, skill, offensive creativity and defensive fortitude. It was evident during last year’s pre-season that he needed to refine some of his traits to round into form, but the developmental step he took last year was exactly what the Wings wanted to see. By the time he came up to the NHL, he was a completely different player and put together an impressive nine-game stint. A shoulder surgery in May with a four- to sixth-month recovery time puts the start of his season in doubt, but we could see him establish an NHL role full-time by Christmas.

Continued; this is a long read, but it’s worth your time.

FYI:

One month away! Grab your spot on Saturday, August 26, at @MotorCityCasino for the Celebrity Roast & Toast of Tomas Holmström and Niklas Lidström. Help us raise awareness and funds to support youth substance use interventions. https://t.co/g16mPoLscA pic.twitter.com/Pt7cvXdNLk

— Jamie Daniels Foundation (@JDanielsFund) July 26, 2023

Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa spent part of his 2022-2023 season with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, and the Griffins posted a video clip of Cossa’s highlights…

As well as a “By the Numbers” review of Cossa’s season, and a set of links to Cossa-related articles:

Okay, here’s an update on what’s going on at TMR:

1. I will be attending the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan starting tomorrow, and I was hoping to raise some gas-and-food money as we’ve got about $50 in cash to nurse us until the end of the month right now. That’s simply not going to cover the gas from South Lyon and Plymouth for a week, watching Trey Augustine, Axel Sandin Pellikka and Anton Johansson at the WJSS.
2. After the WJSS ends on Friday, August 4th, we’ll be shifting the fundraising focus to paying for the server bills. It’s going to cost about $300 to renew WordPress and Jetpack, and there are some related business expenses of about $140 to deal with…
3. Then there’s the big news. I will attempt to attend the Red Wings’ fall prospect tournament and main training camp in Traverse City, MI, but this time around…I’m going to have to take the 81-year-old aunt with me. There’s just nobody in the family that’s going to volunteer to take care of somebody with AA’s health problems for two weeks, and at this point, it actually makes more sense to bring her up to Traverse City to make sure her medications are set up, to give her somewhere to be comfortable and be close by in case there are any emergencies, and to be able to give her the level of care she’s accustomed to.

Now this complicates the heck out of the prospect tournament and training camp for me, but I still believe that I will be able to deliver a strong product for you.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Tim Robinson spoke with Michigan State University coach Adam Nightingale regarding Red Wings prospect Red Savage, who’s transferring to State after two years at Miami of Ohio.

Savage is a plucky, gritty and competitive bottom-six forward, but he told the media at the Wings’ summer development camp that he wants to establish himself as a more multi-dimensional player under Nightingale:

Spartans coach Adam Nightingale coached Savage when both were part of the National Team Development Program in Plymouth during the 2020-21 season. Savage was drafted by the Red Wings in the fourth round of the 2021 draft.

“There were a lot of schools around him, and we were happy he decided to come to Michigan State,” Nightingale said. “We had a relationship. I didn’t coach him, but he knows me, he knows our strength coach, and he’s a guy who does a really good job. He’s a guy the guys (in the room) really respect. I think the trajectory of our program is one on the rise. We’re not there yet, but we’re headed in the right direction.”

Savage, whose given name is Redmond, is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound center who is a native of Scottsdale, Arizona. His hockey pedigree is extensive.

An older brother, Ryan, finished his eligibility at Miami last winter. His father, Brian, is a Miami alum who played for 12 seasons in the NHL, primarily with Montreal. Three of Red’s great-uncles, Larry, Wayne, and Floyd Hillman, also played in the NHL. Larry played three of his 22 pro seasons with the Red Wings.

Red Savage is among 15 newcomers to the Michigan State roster this season, and Nightingale is counting on him for leadership.

“That’s one of the biggest reasons we wanted him,” Nightingale said. “He definitely has those leadership qualities, and that will be important with a young group this year.”

Continued; Savage will play alongside Red Wings 2023 draft pick Trey Augustine at State.

From the Ontario Hockey League comes this 3:28 clip of Amadeus Lombardi doing scoring things:

The first 100-point season in @FlintFirebirds history 🤩@DetroitRedWings prospect Amadeus Lombardi was all over the highlight reel in 2022-23 🎥 pic.twitter.com/OSxpCtz2LE

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) July 25, 2023

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton posted a column in which he discusses whether members of the Red Wings’ current roster might make the cuts of international teams, should the NHL ever allow its players to engage in World Cup or Olympic competitions again. His “locks” are, well, “locks”:

Dylan Larkin, C, Team USA: Historically, men’s American hockey has struggled to produce great centermen.  Team USA has had its fair share of great goaltenders, defenders, and wingers, but elite American pivots have been fewer and farther between.  

The present generation of men’s American hockey doesn’t suffer from that problem.  Between Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, and Tage Thompson, there is no shortage of quality options down the middle for Team USA.

Still, despite that competition, Larkin should be a lock for the Americans, and his two-way play is his differentiating factor.  He may not be able to run and gun with a Jack Hughes or even a Tage Thompson, but his 200-foot reliability will be irresistible to whoever winds up the American coach at this hypothetical competition.

Moritz Seider, D, Germany: Seider is the surest bet of any Red Wing to make his country’s hypothetical international best-on-best tournament.  There is no German Olympic team that doesn’t feature Mo Seider in a starring role.

Since there’s not much to discuss with regards to his candidacy, I’d rather focus on the fact that Germany offers a great case as to the value of international hockey.  As a hockey country on the rise, Germany can’t match the depth of a Sweden, Canada, or USA team, but, between Seider, Leon Draisaitl, and Tim Stutzle, the Germans don’t want for star power.  

Getting the chance to see a group with those three at the tip of the spear compete with the traditional powers would be a wonderful feature of any potential men’s best-on-best in the coming years, and those players deserve the chance to re-establish Germany’s place in the men’s international heap.

Stockton continues…

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen offers a particularly optimistic look toward the 2024 offseason as it relates to the Red Wings’ projected salary cap space, extensions for Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond excluded:

The Red Wings, according to CapFriendly’s latest estimate, project to have about $33 million in cap space to spend for the 2024-25 season with about 12 players to sign. The restricted free agents who need to be signed include Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Michael Rasmussen and Jonatan Berggren. Those players could eat up two-thirds of that $33 million depending upon the length of Seider’s deal.

It’s challenging to project what they will get before we see how they produce this season. But if the Red Wings want to sign Seider long-term, it will likely cost them $9 million plus per season.

The majority of possible free agents will re-sign with their teams, but here are some players who would be of interest to most teams, including the Red Wings, next summer if they are unsigned:

Center Auston Matthews: The expectation is he will re-sign with Toronto. He is on record as saying he wants to stay in Toronto. But for a couple of years, there has been speculation that Detroit is one of the places he would like to play if he ever leaves Toronto. He did play in Michigan when he was with the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Left Wing Tom Wilson: The Capitals don’t want to trade Wilson. They want to re-sign him. It’s that simple. You would guess the Capitals will get it done, but there are no guarantees.

Wilson is exactly the kind of player the Red Wings would like to get — a top six forward with a beastly playing style. He offers the possibility of goals and prickliness.

Allen continues, listing Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Brandon Montour, Jake DeBrusk and even Steven Stamkos as targets. I’m here to tell you that, should those players reach the unrestricted free agent marketplace, the Wings will have at least 30 competitors for those teams, if not 31, their present rights-holders included.