Author: George Malik

The Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker asked several Red Wings players how the team will react to this summer’s loss of free agent forward Patrick Kane to his previous employer in the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane was a true “rink rat” in the most positive sense of the term, and he leaves a lasting legacy of hard work and self-improvement impressed upon the Red Wings’ players:

“Unbelievable hockey player, great person, great mentor for a lot of guys in this room,” said J.T. Compher. “We wish him the best, obviously going back to an organization that he means a lot to… he’ll be missed.” 

Defenseman Moritz Seider acknowledged that while Kane’s departure was difficult for the Red Wings, he understands why the veteran forward ultimately chose to return to Chicago. 

“Hard, but obviously I can’t really blame the guy,” Seider said. “It’s an unreal contract he got offered, and I’m really happy for him. It’s really cool for me personally to see him back in his original colors, but I think he took a lot of time to think about coming back, and it just shows how much this organization means to him, and how much the locker room meant to him. Of course we’re going to miss him, but we’ve got great additions and a really good team.”

Wings coach Todd McLellan also weighed in…

“He’s Patrick Kane,” said coach Todd McLellan. “He is a sure-fire Hall of Famer; he’s a winner. He does things a certain way; he practiced as hard as he could, and he was really good in the locker room. He was a tremendous teammate. That’s why he keeps prolonging his career. Chicago wanted him back, and good for him and good for Chicago to recognize that.”

With McLellan telling Whitaker that the departures of Kane, James van Riemsdyk, Travis Hamonic and David Perron leave a leadership void which must be filled internally:

“That’s a lot of years and a lot of experience that people, players, even coaching staff, leaned on and looked to,” McLellan said. “It’s time for some change and time for Razor (Lucas Raymond), (Alex) DeBrincat, Mo (Moritz Seider), Simon (Edvinsson) – these guys to take more of it on. They’re the veterans now; they’re done being kids. They’re men, and they need to take more of it on. We need to have a group of people pushing that from the level that we’re at right now, plus from underneath. And we hope we’re going to get that from the group.”

Of evening Red Wings-related note from the Free Press’s Helene St. James’ Friday training camp notebook:

1. Red Wings coach Todd McLellan had this to say about Simon Edvinsson’s presence at training camp despite #77’s status as a restricted free agent:

“I give that young man a lot of credit,” coach Todd McLellan said. “He could be at home in Sweden, waiting and biding his time. He came over and he wanted to be with his teammates. He’s not signed right now. That’s not his fault. We haven’t had a lot of ability in the organization to get all that stuff done. So give him credit. He’s come over. And now it’s time for our organization to work fast with him, and fair.”

…

“We see the size of his skating ability,” McLellan said. “He’s got a real good shot. He jumps in at the right time. His hockey IQ has improved a lot. He reads plays better. He kills plays faster. He’s a little quicker in and around the net. And I would say if he had those, the disaster moments that we all have, whether it’s coaches or players, they’re fewer and far between. So he’s come a long way, really, when you think about it.”

Edvinsson, listed at 225 pounds on the camp roster, described himself as being, “probably in the best shape I’ve been in my life. I’m a little bit heavier and I feel like I got more control now over the movements and I feel like that can make me a better threat on the offensive blue line and I feel like that can make me a better threat to come out of the home zone as well so it’s just small things but I think in general it feels pretty good.”

2. Moritz Seider also spoke with St. James regarding the explosion in terms of salaries being paid to young players in the NHL:

Red Wings coach Todd McLellan wants the Wings to become “harder and firmer” to play against, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen reports that three players, one new to the organization and two young prospects, might accentuate a game that’s more crash-and-bang:

“Now we’ve got to get some other guys that are on our roster that can provide us that and become heavier and harder to play against,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “Then collectively we might score more by doing that.”

The Red Wings ranked 22nd in the league in scoring last season and 29th at just over 17 hits per game. More hitting also creates a mental edge, undermines an opponent’s puck-moving and forces turnovers. Turnovers brought about by a heavy forecheck can lead to goals.

“If I can do what I can do and bring that role, I think guys can feed
off it well,” [Keegan] Kolesar said.

Kolesar has averaged 262 hits per season for the past five seasons. Physical play has always seemed contagious.

“I would hope so,” Kolesar said. “I think there’s a room full of proud guys in here that want to turn things around. Maybe the first step is bringing what I can, and see who wants to follow along. The Red Wings do have some young hitters, like Marco Kasper (who led the team in hits), Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, Emmitt Finnie, plus veteran Ben Chiarot.

Prospects Carter Mazur and particularly Michael Brandsegg-Nygard could both add prickliness to the lineup.

“Nygaard’s going to make our team harder, assuming he makes the team, which I think he can,” McLellan said. “He’s going to make our team play a little harder.”

Continued; a little “heaviness” can’t hurt.

According to the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan, new Red Wings forward Keegan Kolesar and goaltender Daniil Tarasov have acclimated to their new surroundings:

Forward Keegan Kolesar, acquired during the summer, is a big open-market fan, along with his girlfriend. The two went out last weekend and visited Eastern Market. But on Sunday, during a Lions game day.

“Wrong day to go,” said Kolesar, noting the Lions were playing. “She messed up. She got Saturday and Sunday mixed up. We’ll try it again Saturday. We walked around a bit. It wasn’t my first tailgate in the NFL, but it certainly was hers.”

Goaltender Daniil Tarasov, signed as a free agent on July 1, arrived in Detroit early this summer and has been working out regularly with Wings players.

“(He) got his family here, so he’s comfortable with his surroundings,” McLellan said. “Our goalie coaches were able to sit and talk to him and look at his game. He’s very receptive to coaching, which is a nice thing. He’s had some really good years and then maybe other years that he’d like to have portions of them back. But we’re going to have to count on him.”

Continued

WDIV Local 4’s Hobie Artigue spoke with Red Wings coach Todd McLellan regarding the team’s decision to not go with a captain to start the 2026-2027 season. This 1:21 clip is particularly insightful:

The Red Wings are starting the season without a captain in 2026-27.

I asked Todd McClellan about not having someone wearing the "C" in training camp, and the message it sends.

The #LGRW HC said leadership will take the entire team with different guys stepping up.

🎥@Local4News pic.twitter.com/ubia5wtetr

— Hobie Artigue (@HeyItsMeHobie) September 18, 2026

Updated with Khan at 4:48 PM: Red Wings restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson showed up for training camp without a contract, and as such, he’s not participating in full-contact scrimmages, but Edvinsson is optimistic about being ready for and under contract during the 2026-2027 regular season.

Edvinsson spoke with the media about his situation on Friday, including the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan…

“I don’t see the reason for me to sit at home,” Edvinsson said Friday, Sept. 18, after a workout. “We are going into a new season and (it’s important) everyone is linked together. Everybody needs to be on the same page. That’s my reasoning to come over here.”

The fact Edvinsson chose to get to Detroit and participate in training camp spoke volumes to coach Todd McLellan.

“He could be at home, waiting and skating, and he’s going to be well conditioned,” McLellan said. “But he wanted to come over and be with his teammates. He’s involved. He’s not signed right now but it’s not his fault. We haven’t had a lot of ability in the organization to get that stuff done. Give him credit, he’s come over and now it’s time for our organization to work fast with him and fair.”

The Wings named Shawn Horcoff interim GM earlier this week, replacing Steve Yzerman, who was removed from the post in mid-July. Horcoff took over day-to-day operations at that point, but didn’t have the power to negotiate deals.

From the Detroit Red Wings:

DETROIT RED WINGS ANNOUNCE BROADCAST DETAILS AHEAD OF INAUGURAL SEASON ON DETROIT SPORTSNET 

Duo of Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond celebrate their 30th season as the iconic voices of Red Wings hockey

Deepened partnership with Major League Baseball features production enhancements,including a custom-built Red Wings graphics package, expanded camera complement, and more 

In-market streaming available on a dedicated Detroit SportsNet tab within the MLB App       

DETROIT – Advancing into a new era of Detroit Red Wings telecasts, the team today announced details ahead of its inaugural season on Detroit SportsNet, presented by Bet365. This includes the return of fan-favorite on-air talent, tune-in information, and meaningful production enhancements for a telecast already ranked as one of the league’s best.

Introduced earlier this year in partnership with Major League Baseball, Detroit SportsNet serves as the year-round local television home for Red Wings hockey and Tigers baseball. Aside from games selected for national telecasts, games of both teams previously carried by FanDuel Sports Network Detroit can now be watched on DSN.

Fans have two options for watching all locally available Red Wings games on DSN throughout the team’s home market.

The best in the biz is back!

Details: https://t.co/vQju9DuBzd pic.twitter.com/CTyWDTGAGx

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 18, 2026

My apologies for this one being late. I was doing telehealth therapy to stay sane.

How to tune in next week!

📺 + 📻 » https://t.co/XB0y9fqeRs pic.twitter.com/UKLxfWpTmT

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 18, 2026

Anyway, the Red Wings released the following press release today:

RED WINGS DETROIT SPORTSNET AND AUDACY ANNOUNCE 2026-27 PRESEASON BROADCAST SCHEDULE

  … Detroit Opens Four-Game Preseason Schedule on Monday, Sept. 21 at Columbus Blue Jackets …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings, in conjunction with Detroit SportsNet and Audacy, today announced the Red Wings’ local television, streaming and radio schedules for the 2026-27 preseason. This schedule is subject to change.

Detroit’s preseason road games against the Columbus Blue Jackets (Monday, Sept. 21 at 7:00 p.m.) and Pittsburgh Penguins (Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7:00 p.m.) will be streamed live on DetroitRedWings.com, free to watch for fans in the Red Wings’ television territory (state of Michigan + Lucas County, OH). Detroit SportsNet begins its production of Red Wings games by airing preseason home contests against the Buffalo Sabres (Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7:00 p.m.) and Blue Jackets (Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:00 p.m.).

Detroit SportsNet is the new television home of Red Wings hockey. Fans in the Red Wings home market can watch games on DSN through their cable/satellite provider, or direct-to-consumer streaming on the dedicated DSN tab within the MLB App. To learn more, check availability of DSN in your viewing area, or purchase a streaming subscription, fans are encouraged to visit DetroitRedWings.com/DSN.

Additionally, all four preseason games will air on the Detroit Red Wings Radio Network. WWJ Newsradio 950 will cover preseason games against the Blue Jackets (Monday, Sept. 21 at 7:00 p.m.) and Penguins (Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7:00 p.m.), while 97.1 The Ticket will air preseason matchups against the Sabres (Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7:00 p.m.) and Blue Jackets (Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:00 p.m.)

The Red Wings posted a gaggle of interviews with Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson…

And then Marco Kasper, Keegan Kolesar and coach Todd McLellan:

The Red Wings have been a little tardy with their videos today, but the Free Press’s Helene St. James has already posted a 4-minute video of an interview she conducted with restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson. Give it a look…

MLive’s Ansar Khan, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan and The Athletic’s Max Bultman also pose questions to Edvinsson about his contract and the fact that he’s “never been through this kind of summer before.”

He also admits that he has seen the groundbreaking high-cap deals and thought about them, but his agent is the one who’s negotiating with the Red Wings right now, and Edvinsson says that he’d feel much more nervous if he was back in Sweden right now.

He says he’s on a pro try-out (PTO) jokingly, and states that he’s in the best shape of his life right now.