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!

Press release: Toledo Walleye sign F Carson Denomie

The Toledo Walleye have signed forward Carson Denomie:

Here’s the press release:

Forward Carson Denomie has agreed to terms with the Toledo Walleye for the 2023-2024 season.

Denomie, the native of Regina, Saskatchewan, spent the majority of last season with the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL, appearing in 52 games with 20 points (5G, 15A) and 23 penalty minutes. He also spent ten games in Orlando and another six with Jacksonville with a pair assists in total. He spent the entire 2021-2022 campaign in Tulsa, scoring 13 goals with 24 assists in 63 games for the Oilers.

The 23-year-old had four years in the WHL prior to making his pro debut with Tulsa in October of 2021, totaling 222 contests with 109 points (49G, 60A). His best year came in 2019-2020 when he posted career-bests in goals (21), assists (29), and points (50) between Moose Jaw and Regina.

Video: Konstantinov, 18,000 Michigan car crash victims receive good news from the Michigan Supreme Court

This is a difficult and politically-charged story, but it brings good news for Vladimir Konstantinov and everyone in Michigan who’s suffered a catastrophic injury in car crashes prior to June 1st, 2019 (to the tune of about 18,000 people, per the Associated Press):

Michigan Radio and Bridge Michigan provide good reports regarding this development from the Michigan Supreme Court.

Tweet of note: Western Michigan University makes Ethan Phillips transfer official

Red Wings prospect Ethan Phillips has officially transferred from Boston University to Western Michigan University for his senior season:

Phillips, 22, is 5’9″ and 154 pounds per EliteProspects, and he’s played parts of four seasons for the Boston University Terriers, posting 28 points in 89 games played.

Tweet of note: THN’s Stockton reports roster re-shuffling at the WJSS

Per the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton, Team USA coach David Carle is shaking up the rosters of Team USA Blue and Team USA White ahead of Wednesday’s match-up between the two teams at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan:

Team USA Blue will take on Augustine and Team USA White at 4 PM on Wednesday; Sweden will battle Finland at 1 PM.

Not hockey, not hokey: Grand Rapids Griffins to hold ‘bike rodeo’ for kids 10 and under this Saturday

This is not hockey-related per se, but the Grand Rapids Griffins are holding a “bike rodeo” for kids this upcoming Saturday near Van Andel Arena, and it helps kids learn how to ride bikes safely, and the Griffins will also be handing out free bike helmets.

My generation learned the hard way that you’ve got to protect your noggin, so I want to give this one a shout out for safety’s sake:

A bit of discussion about Lucas Raymond’s (fantasy hockey) value

In the fantasy hockey department, DobberHockey’s Michael Clifford discusses Lucas Raymond’s usage by the Red Wings as Alex DeBrincat joins the fold, and, well, Clifford doesn’t believe that Raymond’s successful rookie season was the product of his own hard work:

Lucas Raymond: Anyone that reads my Ramblings knows that I’m not a big fan of Raymond and think he may be a bit overvalued. Of course, he’s still a young player, but he’ll turn 22 years old during the season and will crest 200 career games after Christmas (if he stays healthy). It would be nice to see him start showing signs of pushing the play rather than just relying on Dylan Larkin to feed him in a shooting position.

With that said, Raymond’s share of Detroit’s PPTOI rose as the season went on, hovering around 50% before pushing closer to 60%. The team tried a lot of different combinations as they were holding onto faint playoff hopes, but Tyler Bertuzzi moving on helped in this regard.

Competition is obviously an issue here. Alex DeBrincat is now in the fold, Larkin isn’t going anywhere, and it’s hard to see them leaving David Perron off that top quintet. Robby Fabbri was earning heavy PP ice time in certain stretches, J.T. Compher showed some man advantage prowess on an injured Colorado roster, and there are a handful of young guys that’ll push the veterans. That is not great for Raymond but if he can take that step forward, it’ll be hard to deny him that top PP role. He’s flirted with 20 PPPs in his brief career, and seems poised to finally get there in 2023-24. He will have to earn it, though, given the replacements that are waiting. Detroit may even run two even-ish PP units for large chunks of the season.

Continued;

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and the expression thereof.

I would like to believe that Raymond can be more than a simple sniper who chips in passes fed toward him on a tee, and I don’t believe that the Red Wings’ youngsters will replace Raymond on the power play, but we are free to disagree.

Does he need to drive play more, and generate more of his own scoring chances? Sure, I’ll suggest that Raymond needs to take that kind of criticism and listen to it, especially when it comes to consistency of effort on a game-by-game basis. But that’s where I’d leave it.

A quip from Klim Kostin via DHN’s Duff

In early July, I mentioned that Klim Kostin gave an interview the YouTube show “Cherkas Atlant,” but that it was a Russian-language video. Today, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff shares a snippet of the interview:

Shortly after Klim Kostin was being acquired by the Detroit Red Wings from the Edmonton Oilers, the big forward was signing a two-year contract with his new club. The pact will be paying the Russian center an AAV of $2 million.

That’s much more than what the average NBA mascot is earning, a fact that brings a smile to Kostin’s face.

It wasn’t all that long ago when he was barely earning more than someone who gets paid to dress up in a costume on game night and entertain children. That was in 2017. Taken 31st overall in the NHL entry draft by the St. Louis Blues, Kostin would ink an entry-level pact with the Blues.

“Did I say that I’m ready to stay in the NHL even for a bowl of soup?” Kostin explained on the YouTube channel Cherkas Atlant. “I was young. The NHL is a dream, of course.

“For example, I signed a $750,000 contract with the St. Louis that year. The minimum contract in the NHL. I know that mascots who jump before NBA games get $650,000. And I, an NHL player, have $750,000. We have a difference of one hundred thousand.”

Continued; Kostin’s an outspoken fellow.

Impressions from Day 5 at the World Junior Summer Showcase

The World Junior Summer Showcase’s first set of games took place on Saturday, and a more fan-friendly set of start times (4 PM and 7 PM) afforded more spectators the ability to watch Team USA Blue take on Finland, with Team USA Blue winning 4-1, and Team USA White battled Sweden, with Team USA White winning 10-1.

The crowd turnout ended up being fairly good for a Monday afternoon in late July (though I’ll readily admit that black track jacket-clad NHL scouts made up a significant minority of the paying customers, especially in the early game), so I wonder whether future WJSS tournaments may adapt this particular schedule.

After Tuesday’s very early practices, Wednesday will provide the brightest match-ups of the entire WJSS in Sweden vs. Finland at 1 PM EDT, and Team USA Blue vs. Team USA White at 4 PM.

On Friday, the tournament will conclude with USA Blue facing Sweden at 1 PM EDT, and USA White battling Finland at 4 PM.

Today’s assessments of the Red Wings prospects participating in the Showcase build upon Thursday, Friday and Saturday’s comments, but I should note that today was Axel Sandin Pellikka’s first game, and that…

One must keep in mind that I’m watching players at a competitive exhibition hockey tournament in late July, and that these young gentlemen are still at an early point in their respective journeys toward professional hockey.

Continue reading Impressions from Day 5 at the World Junior Summer Showcase

DHN’s Duff profiles big, mean Brady Cleveland

The Red Wings selected big defenseman Brady Cleveland with the 47th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff profiles the 6’5,” 209-pound incoming freshman at the University of Wisconsin:

The mean inside of Detroit Red Wings draft pick Brady Cleveland is definitely above average.

“That’s kind of what I pride myself on,” acknowledges Cleveland. “I like to be that guy who’s mean and physical and get up in your face and be hard to play against. It doesn’t matter what game, what scenario, I’m going to be out there and make it a nightmare for you.”

Looking to the future, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman was setting out an agenda to grow his team’s size and also to create a roster that will be a handful for the opposition. Cleveland checks off all those boxes.

“He’s just an element that we like,” Red Wings assistant GM and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said of the 6-foot-5, 211-ound Cleveland. Detroit made him the 47th overall selection of the 2023 NHL entry draft.

“He can skate, he can defend hard,” Draper said. “He has a bit of a mean streak and obviously he’s a big kid. It was somebody that we decided to go with there.”

Continued; Cleveland racked up 105 penalty minutes in 55 USHL games last season. That’s a LOT of penalty minutes for that league.