Author: George Malik

The Free Press’s Helene St. James has authored a morning column which discusses the probability of Simon Edvinsson making the Red Wings’ 2023-2024 roster.

It’s going to be very difficult for Edvinsson to make the Wings out of training camp due to the current shape of Detroit’s blueline, but I’ve learned over my years as a Red Wings blogger to never underestimate the ability of young players to steal a job.

Anyway, here’s Ms. St. James’ wise take on Edvinsson’s situation:

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS RE-SIGNS TRENTON BLISS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday re-signed forward Trenton Bliss to a one-year contract for the 2023-24 season.

Bliss has seen action in 33 games with the Griffins since the 2021-22 campaign, making his pro debut with Grand Rapids on April 1, 2022 against the Texas Stars. During the 2022-23 season, the 25-year-old accumulated four points (1-3—4) in 30 games with the Griffins and added 40 points (16-24—40) and a plus-27 rating in 38 regular-season games for the Toledo Walleye (ECHL). The Appleton, Wisc., native registered 14 points (5-9—14) in 13 games with the Walleye during the 2023 postseason, reaching the ECHL’s Western Conference Finals. Bliss was named the ECHL Rookie of the Month in January when he enjoyed 18 points (7-11—18) in 13 appearances.

Prior to turning pro, Bliss spent four seasons at Michigan Tech University and served as its alternate captain during his junior and senior campaigns. With the Huskies from 2018-22, Bliss tallied 42 goals, 65 assists and a plus-14 rating in 138 contests. The 6-foot-1 forward competed with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL during his junior career from 2016-18, collecting 56 points (21-35—56) in 84 games. Bliss also played high school hockey in Wisconsin for Appleton from 2012-16 and posted 1.93 points-per-game, scoring 174 times (91-83—174) in just 90 contests.

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

UPDATE: The #RedWings today signed defenseman Jared McIsaac to a one-year two-way contract extension. pic.twitter.com/782qEPNzuy

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 15, 2023

RED WINGS RE-SIGN DEFENSEMAN JARED MCISAAC TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

  … 2018 Second-Round Pick Has Skated in 141 Games With AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today re-signed defenseman Jared McIsaac to a one-year, two-way contract.

McIsaac, 23, played the entire 2022-23 season with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, recording 22 points (3-19-22) and 30 penalty minutes in 61 games. The 6-foot-1, 197-pound defenseman also spent the 2021-22 campaign with the Griffins, logging a career-high 24 points (5-19-24) and 34 penalty minutes in 70 games. He made his AHL debut with Grand Rapids in 2020-21, dishing out two assists and two penalty minutes in 10 contests. McIsaac made his professional debut with HPK in Finland’s SM-Liiga, appearing in one game on loan before the start of the 2020-21 AHL season. Originally selected by the Red Wings in the second round (36th overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, McIsaac has totaled 48 points (8-40-48) and 66 penalty minutes in 141 games with the Griffins.

A native of Truro, Nova Scotia, McIsaac played four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Halifax Mooseheads and Moncton Wildcats from 2016-20 prior to turning professional. In all, McIsaac compiled 160 points (33-127-160), a plus-89 rating and 248 penalty minutes in 205 QMJHL games, in addition to 20 points (2-18-20) and 48 penalty minutes in 36 postseason contests. In 2018-19, McIsaac was selected to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team after notching 62 points (16-46-62), a plus-33 rating and 56 penalty minutes in 53 games, along with 16 points (2-14-16) and 38 penalty minutes in 22 playoff matchups. McIsaac was also named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team in 2016-17 and captured the Raymond Lagacé Trophy as the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year. On the international stage, McIsaac helped Team Canada win a gold medal at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, tallying four points (1-3-4), a plus-four rating and eight penalty minutes in seven games. He also represented his country at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, collecting one assist, a plus-four rating and four penalty minutes in four appearances. McIsaac competed at back-to-back IIHF World Under-18 Championships in 2017 and 2018, contributing five points (1-4-5), a plus-five rating and eight penalty minutes in 10 games. McIsaac previously earned a gold medal at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, adding three points (1-2-3) and four penalty minutes in five games.

Update: Per CapFriendly:

Jared McIsaac #LGRW
1 year / 2 way (Signed his qualifying offer)

NHL: $787,500
Minors: $70,000

Represented by @CAAHockey https://t.co/fxXYazOPRl

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) July 15, 2023

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen discusses Red Wings free agent signing Daniel Sprong will fit in Detroit’s lineup:

The big question for Detroit coach Derek Lalonde is deciding what how to use Sprong. Even though he played fourth line last season, he has never been known as a strong two-way player.

Could Lalonde give him a shot on the second line with JT Compher as his center, or maybe on a middle six line with Michigan Rasmussen and Andrew Copp? Or does Detroit use him like Seattle did — perhaps going with a scoring fourth line with Jonatan Berggren and Joe Veleno?

The Sprong decision could be impacted on how Lalonde decides to use big and versatile forward Klim Kostin.

It probably makes the most sense to give him a shot initially on a scoring line, because Sprong did score 15 even-strength goals. That’s the same number that Dylan Larkin scored in 2022-23. The Red Wings signed Sprong for his scoring touch.

All we know for sure is that Sprong will [get] power power play time. He had six power play goals last [season].

Continued

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton punctuates this somewhat sleepy Saturday afternoon with an analysis of what the Red Wings’ 2023-2024 opening night lineup might look like:

Line One: Alex DeBrincat-Dylan Larkin-Michael Rasmussen

One line in and we’ve arrived at two more significant questions: which side will Alex DeBrincat play on, and just how loaded do Steve Yzerman, Derek Lalonde, and the rest of the Red Wings’ brain trust want the top line to be?

To open the season, there can be little doubt that both Larkin and DeBrincat will comprise two-thirds of Detroit’s top line.  Larkin is the franchise centerman upon whom the entire project rests, and DeBrincat is the shiny new toy meant to provide a spark to the Red Wing attack.  Maybe a time will come over the course of the season when Lalonde decides to break the two up to better disperse his top scoring options, but for night one, a DeBrincat-Larkin partnership on the top line looks like a certainty.

On his official roster page, DeBrincat is listed at right wing, but he spent most of last season playing on the left wing with Shane Pinto and Drake Batherson in Ottawa.  During his Chicago days, DeBrincat typically featured on the left wing on the same line as Patrick Kane, who would man the right flank.  With that in mind, I suspect DeBrincat begins his tenure in Detroit on the left.

That brings us to the second question: Just how offensive do the Red Wings want this line to be?

Continued

AWood40 on YouTube posted a clip of “series highlights” from the 2001-2002 Red Wings’ second-round playoff win over the St. Louis Blues:

Red Wings draft picks Liam Dower Nilsson and his younger brother, Noah are two very different players–Liam is a 20-year-old play-maker, while Noah is more of a sniper–but, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes, the Dower Nilsson brothers have a simple goal in playing in the NHL together:

“I think we have some same (similarities) the way we play the game but I’m a more offensive winger,” Noah said. “Liam is more a two-way center. I learned a lot from him through this year. We always compete against each other.”

That figures to again be the case in 2023-24. The two did get some ice time together in the SHL last season with Frolunda. This season, while Noah will remain with Frolunda, Liam is joining Bjorkloven of the Allsvenskan, the second tier of Swedish hockey.

“I’m trying to get a bigger role there and play my game and focus on my things to get better and try to come back to be the player I was in junior,” Liam explained as the reason behind the move. “I feel I have a more offensive mindset and game to show that I haven’t really shown these two years and especially this year. It’s going to be good for me.”

Detroit ws selecting Liam 134th overall selection in 2021. That year, the entire NHL entry draft was being conducted via Zoom calls. This year in Nashville, the entire Dower Nilsson family was on hand to share the moment with Noah as he was taken with the 73rd overall pick.

“It was unbelievable,” Liam said. “Never really dared to think that’s going to happen. It was an amazing feeling for me and my dad and grandpa, who was there, and for Noah.”

Continued

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted a Friday night article discussing Red Wings free agent signing Christian Fischer.

The 6’2,” 214-pound right wing earned praise from former and current teammate Shayne Gostisbehere as an upbeat fellow, and the 26-year-old believes that he has more to give after a 13-goal, 27-point season with the Arizona Coyotes:

“I know I have potential to score a lot of goals in this league,” Fischer said. “Obviously if you’re not playing power play or top-six minutes you’re not scoring 30 goals. I think I’m more confident to be around the 15-goal mark most every year.”

At the time, there’s another element that Fischer is capable of bringing to the Detroit lineup, one that might not be easily recognized from the outside. He’s a positive influence, someone who embraces all the joy that life delivers each day. When a team is in a downturn, it’s guys like that will be keeping the club from wallowing in its struggles.

“It’s just who I am,” Fischer said. “I’m a very outgoing personality. I love chatting with whoever.

His love for people is equaled by Fischer’s passion for the game.

“I think we’re beyond blessed to play this game,” Fischer said. To play in this league and do it for a living is incredible. Every day that we’re showing up to the rink should be a pretty damn good day, regardless of the situation.

“I love having fun. You’ll always see me with a smile on my face. It’s always a good day when you wake up. I love being around the boys. Obviously hockey itself, I think the team aspect is different than any other sport.”

Continued

The Detroit Red Wings re-signed defenseman Wyatt Newpower to a 1-year, $787,500 contract today (with an AHL salary of $70,000).

As the Red Wings’ fan base looks toward the bright futures of Grand Rapids Griffins defensemen Simon Edvinsson, William Wallinder, Albert Johansson, Eemil Viro and Jared McIsaac, it’s worth noting that the Red Wings have surrounded their mostly European D-corps with a couple of veterans in scoring defenseman Brogan Rafferty and two players who will keep the flies off in Newpower and AHL-contracted Josiah Didier.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen penned an article which explains why the Red Wings re-signed Newpower today:

The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe spoke with new Toledo Walleye coach Pat Mikesch after his introductory press conference this morning, and Monroe reports that the Walleye’s new bench boss is emphasizing player development as he prepares to step behind the ECHL bench…

“I’m coming to a place where they want to have big-time hockey,” said Mikesch, who spent a total of 11 seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. “They want to have a show. It’s a great opportunity for me because good players want to play here. Those are the guys I need to work with because it’s all about development for me. The question is how do we mix that individual development with team development? How do we get this group to be the best group at the end of the year?”

The Walleye have made the playoffs in seven straight seasons and have made two appearances in the Kelly Cup Finals since 2019. But the franchise, which was founded in 2009, has not yet won an ECHL title.

“The expectations are there with a fan base like we have in Toledo here,” Mikesch said. “Every team that’s right on that pinnacle, there’s always that expectation. But the fans want to see players in front of them that really care about the organization. It’s great to be part of this great organization, the sports community, and I just can’t wait to move forward.”

Joe Napoli, the team’s president and CEO, said Walleye officials conducted an extensive six-week search and interview process that included some 25 candidates before selecting Mikesch.

“His preparation was off the charts,” Napoli said. “He worked extremely hard to be well-prepared. The first interview was a video interview. He nailed it. And then in person, he was outstanding. We covered everything from culture, coaching, teaching, managerial style, and then interacting [with Grand Rapids and Detroit]. I would describe him as cocky, confident, totally engaging.”

Monroe continues, and the Toledo Blade’s David Briggs asked a simple question: Who is this guy, anyway?