Author: George Malik

This one isn’t that difficult, but it’s fun…

Who can complete it? 🤓 pic.twitter.com/youQZOqolA

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 17, 2023

McKeen’s Hockey’s Chase Rochon offers a review of the team performances at the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, Tennessee last month, and here’s what he has to say about the Red Wings’ haul:

#20 Detroit Red Wings (C)

9 Nate Danielson (F)

17 Axel Sandin Pellikka (D)

41 Trey Augustine (G)

42 Andrew Gibson (D)

47 Brady Cleveland (D)

73 Noah Dower Nilsson (F)

117 Larry Keenan (D)

137 Jack Phelan (D)

147 Kevin Bicker (F)

169 Rudy Guimond (G)

201 Emmitt Finnie (F)

Detroit’s draft was very interesting to me because I find it hard to criticize Steve Yzerman’s picks which have been excellent in the past with some home runs to show for it. Nate Danielson and Axel-Sandin Pellika are great players who will be NHLers and good ones. They just didn’t strike me as the types of players Detroit has recently drafted with some hard nose battlers that are going to be warriors. I think it might take a while for either to become impact playoff players relative to some of the skill still left on the board, such as Oliver Moore at pick #9 and still available at #17. They pass with a C as most other picks were good, but just that they were good and not great, where teams ahead of them made some great picks.

Continued; I find it frustrating that people expect the Red Wings to do anything other than “stick to their player lists,” rankings be damned. Thus far, the Wings have made some good picks by going their own way, and they’re not about to stop for the sake of comparing players to the brighter, shinier names on the board.

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills penned an early-morning article which discusses the importance of prospect development for the Red Wings, as reflected in the comments of GM Steve Yzerman over the course of the Red Wings’ 2023 Summer Development Camp:

Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper, two of Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman’s former first-round draft selections, both made their NHL debuts in the 2022-23 season.

But according to Yzerman, Edvinsson and Kasper still need to earn a roster spot with the Red Wings in 2023-24. Like any player, the pair of highly regarded prospects must prove they belong in Detroit.

“With all these guys, we’ll let their play determine where they go,” Yzerman said on July 3. “But we don’t want to put ourselves in a position that we’re hoping that they make it because if they don’t, then what do we do? You gotta address these needs in the offseason.”

Edvinsson, selected sixth overall by Detroit in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, made his Red Wings debut on March 18 against the Colorado Avalanche and finished last season with two goals in nine NHL games.

The 6-foot-6, 209-pound defenseman spent most of his inaugural North American campaign with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, recording 27 points (5-22-27) in 52 games.

Yzerman said he has high hopes for Edvinsson but does not want to automatically slot the 20-year-old blueliner into a role that he might not be ready for.

“I don’t think it’s beyond a possibility that Simon comes in, has an outstanding training camp and preseason then simply forces his way into the lineup,” Yzerman said. “That’s what every one of us — our organization and fans — would love to see. If that happens, that’s great and we’ll figure it out. But at this stage, to say we’re gonna put him right in the top six, I’m not prepared to say that. I don’t want to do that and that’s unfair to him.”

Continued, with comments regarding Kasper, Michael Rasmussen and Joe Veleno.

The Athletic’s Max Bultman filed a lengthy mailbag feature today, and here’s a look at one pertinent question and answer:

I don’t believe I noticed anyone ask about Seider or Raymond extensions during press conferences so…. Any chance either of them sign a long term (or medium term) extension this summer? Assuming Seider more likely than Raymond. — Adrian K.

I’d be quite surprised to see Raymond extend this summer. There’s too much incentive for him to have a big season in 2023-24 before locking in with any kind of term. His talent level is so high, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if he’s a 60-point (or more) player next season.

Seider is a more interesting question, as you can make the case that there is an incentive for both sides to lock in now. From Detroit’s perspective, it would be trying to lock in a foundational defenseman for the long-term, before the cap rises. And from Seider’s perspective, well, what more can he really prove in the next year? Barring a top-10 Norris-type season, which would likely take a 60-point outburst in addition to strong defense, he’s already proven himself to be a No. 1 defenseman worthy of $8 million or more on the market. And who knows if it’s him or Gostisbehere getting the PP1 looks next season?

I haven’t heard any rumblings of an imminent extension with either, so we’ll see where it goes. But I agree that Seider is more likely than Raymond.

I’m most curious to see if the Red Wings are willing to go right to eight years with him, rather than bridging. Yzerman dealt heavily in bridge contracts in Tampa, but we’ve seen most of the game’s top-flight young defenders taking long-term deals straight out of entry-level contracts in recent years.

To me, Miro Heiskanen makes a lot of sense as a comparable. Seider actually has more raw point production at the same stage, which matters with contracts, but Heiskanen already had Norris votes to his name due to his elite defensive ability. The Dallas blueliner inked long-term for just shy of $8.5 million, which, on the projected $87.5 million salary cap for 2024-25, would be about $9 million. That, to me, would be a solid range for a long-term deal — with an $8.7 million cap hit to match Larkin as a possible logical conclusion.

Continued (paywall); Max is spot-on here. Heiskanen plays a similar game to Seider, and Dylan Larkin’s paycheck is likely the Red Wings’ “internal cap,” so if Seider signs a longer-term deal instead of a “bridge contract,” he’ll sign at the Wings’ maximum dollar amount for maximum term.

One Darryl “Dobber” Dobbs of DobberHockey.com posted a list of his “15 Most Baffling Moves of the Offseason,” and Dobber spends quite a bit of time questioning why Daniel Sprong signed with the Red Wings:

14. Detroit/Daniel Sprong – Detroit and Daniel Sprong: This ‘baffle’ is for both parties. Sprong enjoyed a great season with Seattle despite being held down the lineup by his coach – his production kept him afloat despite limited opportunity. It’s smart of him and his agent to get him signed to a contract right away. They read the market and determined that they needed to lock things down before the money dried up, because he didn’t have a strong enough foothold on a roster spot to get an NHL job even days after free agency opened. He also did well to get a $2M contract, even for one year. But…Detroit? He is genuinely risking that next contract. With Alex DeBrincat, David Perron, Robby Fabbri, Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren absolutely locking up the first five wing spots, he has to beat out both Klim Kostin and Joe Veleno (who I believe moves to the wing this year) if he wants a spot in the top nine. If he’s not in the top nine nor on a PP unit, he’s not getting a contract next year, simple as that. Seems a little risky, when other teams could have used him even if it meant taking a bit less.

And from Detroit’s standpoint? Why? Seems like the Red Wings solved their issues in adding depth on the wing by acquiring Kostin and signing Christan Fischer. And if they still need one, they can call up Marco Kasper or Elmer Soderblom. Not a huge deal, just a bit of a curiosity for me due to a lack of fit.

As far as I’m concerned, Sprong fits quite well as a 3rd line scorer, and as a 25-year-old who posted 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points over the course of only 66 games this past season, maybe he’ll give somebody in the Wings’ “top six” a run for their money.

From the Red Wings’ point of view, you have to over-build up front, because injuries are going to happen, and from Sprong’s point of view, snagging a $2 million contract is perhaps more than market value for a player who was on a 57-point pace for the first time in his career. Maybe it’s not the best fit, but it’s not an irrational move.

As for this one from Dobber…

Of brief Red Wings-related note early on Monday morning:

1. The Red Wings posted an afternoon Tweet on Sunday celebrating 88 (and now 87) days and counting until the home opener, confirming that Daniel Sprong will wear #88 in Detroit:

8️⃣8️⃣ days until #RedWings hockey. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/Fh1subK9mb

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 16, 2023

2. Also in the multimedia department, the Detroit News’s Bob Wojnowski, Oakland University basketball coach Greg Kampe and Fox 2’s Dan Miller briefly discuss the last week in Red Wings news at the 12-minute mark of a video chronicling their Sunday night sports conversation on Sportsworks:

The Red Wings chose to re-sign defenseman Jared McIsaac to a 1-year, 2-way contract yesterday afternoon. Today, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen discusses the reasons why the Wings still believe in the 23-year-old defenseman’s potential to at least contribute to the Grand Rapids Griffins’ cause:

McIsaac probably offers more value to the Griffins than he does to the Red Wings. The Griffins need a quality season from McIsaac to give them a push back into the AHL playoffs. He’s an effective AHL player. McIsaac helps both offensively and defensively.

To the Red Wings, McIsaac is an insurance policy against numerous injuries. If the Red Wings are beset injuries, he could be on the short list for promotion. His experience gives him the edge.

MLive’s Ansar Khan and Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff both posted reports regarding the comments made by now-San Jose Sharks forward Filip Zadina during his media availability. Here’s Khan’s report..

“Last couple of seasons in Detroit I’ve been hurt all the time,” Zadina said. “It was tough mentally seeing other players playing and I was in the gym and watching those games from the stands and not really being a part of the game. When I wasn’t playing, the other guys who were getting a chance to play, they played well and they earned that spot and it was tough for me to start from the bottom every season. I would rather go somewhere else to get the opportunity and prove myself that I’m still a good player as I used to be.”

The sixth overall pick in 2018 has just 28 goals and 40 assists in 190 games over parts of five seasons. He missed eight weeks last season due to a broken leg and finished with three goals and four assists in 30 games.

He cleared waivers twice because teams did not want to assume the full value of his contract. He admitted he was nervous about his decision.

“I was actually a little scared that the interest is not going to be that high as I wanted,” Zadina said. “But it turned out a lot of teams had big interest to have me on their team. A lot of teams were asking. That was making my decision even harder because there were good teams I could go to. I spoke to a bunch of GMs, a bunch of coaches, a bunch of players called me from different teams. It was really a hard time to decide but I believe I did the right decision going to San Jose.”

And here’s Duff’s report:

The Hockey News’s Carol Schram posted a list of players who she believes will “bounce back” from difficult 2022-2023 campaigns, and she suggests that the Red Wings’ newest acquisition will step up his production:

Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings

Plenty of ink has been spilled about the Ottawa Senators’ disappointing return on their one-year investment in Alex DeBrincat. But when a player’s down year delivers 27 goals and 66 points, Red Wings fans should be excited about what the 25-year-old could bring now that he’s in his preferred situation.

The native of Farmington Hills, Mich., should be embraced by the fan base from the outset. And with an opportunity to slot straight onto Detroit’s top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond and get time on the Wings’ No. 1 power-play unit, DeBrincat could hit new highs in ice time while rebounding from last season’s unusually low shooting percentage of 10.6 percent. His career average is 14.4.

By next spring, expect to see DeBrincat back in the 40-goal range while the Red Wings make a push to get back into the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

Continued; I’m a little more conservative, thinking that DeBrincat will score about 35, but that’s just me.

The Detroit Free Press posted a column from Matthew Horn of the Fremont News-Messenger, a rather small newspaper covering Sandusky, Ohio, this morning.

It’s a good column which discusses the Red Wings’ depth chart after the team’s free agency moves and the Klim Kostin and Alex DeBrincat trades, and its conclusion regarding the “State of the Yzerplan” (as it were) is an honest one, if optimistic:

Ken Holland waited too long to start the rebuild and Yzerman was left with bare cupboards.

The Red Wings were tied for the second playoff wild card in the Eastern Conference on February 25 last season. They were shut out by Tampa Bay and lost twice to DeBrincat’s Senators in demoralizing fashion.

Detroit suffered after trading defenseman Filip Hronek, Jakub Vrana and [Tyler] Bertuzzi. It missed the playoffs the last seven seasons.

[Alex] DeBrincat’s arrival can only mean Yzerman thinks Detroit is ready for a player with a paycheck to help it win. It’s the type of step you take with the postseason in mind.

Finally, the Yzer Plan includes such a venture. There are no guarantees the team wins more games.

Fans hope Yzerman knows who to trust to make it happen in Detroit again.

Continued; if I may be blunt, Yzerman surrounds himself with the best hockey minds that he can possibly find in people like Shawn Horcoff, Dan Cleary, Nicklas Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Jiri Fischer and the pro and amateur scouts…

But the person he trusts the most to make moves is himself, and that’s important. As I said almost a week ago, the “Yzer-timeline” works at its own pace, patience of the fans and especially the press be damned.

He definitely had to tear down what was left of Ken Holland’s team to start from scratch prior to last season, too, so I’d argue that we are really only in year two of the “Yzerplan” as is fully visualized, despite the fact that Yzerman is in his fourth year as the Red Wings’ general manager.

It’s hard to be patient at this point, with the Wings having missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons…

But the “Yzer-timeline” is still in its early stages, in terms of the GM having both the coach behind the bench and player personnel on the ice, so we Red Wings partisans have to remember that it takes time to both tear down and to rebuild.

I’m not saying that the concept that Yzerman’s rebuild is still “nascent,” i.e. just beginning in terms of realizing its full potential, makes it any easier to wait for the team to be competitive, but it at least makes what Steve is doing more understandable.