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!

Tweet of note: Talbot and Lyon’s Stadium Series masks

From CBS Detroit’s Rachel Hopmayer:

Video: Copp, coach McLellan speak with the media after Wednesday’s practice

The Red Wings continued their “mini-camp” at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center on Wednesday morning, with Lucas Raymond (who should return tomorrow) and Dylan Larkin (who won’t return until Saturday’s game vs. Minnesota) still absent.

With only a week-and-a-half before the Stadium Series game against Columbus, the Red Wings have been breaking in their gloves, pants and helmets for that game…

But Detroit will have four games to be played before their Saturday, March 1st outside game against Columbus–including the front half of a home-and-home series with the Blue Jackets–as well as a back-to-back set of games (vs. Minnesota and Anaheim) this weekend.

Ultimately, the Red Wings will play 8 times in the 15 calendar days before the March 7th trade deadline, and that’s a fair amount of games to undertake.

After the Red Wings’ practice today, Andrew Copp and coach Todd McLellan spoke with the media:

More on 11-year-old Scott Hart’s visit with Tyler Motte and the Red Wings

The Michigan Chronicle’s Amber Ogden reported that the Red Wings hosted a 10-year-old hockey whiz who happens to be from Detroit at Tuesday’s practice, and today, DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills has more about Scott Hart’s visit with Tyler Motte:

A native of Detroit’s westside, Hart started playing hockey roughly six years ago. Hart’s love for the game has only grown since then, prompting his parents to build him a backyard rink that the family has maintained for the past four winters.

For Motte, who was born in St. Clair, Mich., hockey also was a big part of his childhood.

“The few Red Wings games that we got down to in Detroit were always important and awesome,” Motte said. “Growing up, watching great teams but getting into other hockey like college hockey and the [Port Huron Prowlers]. Going to those games and getting signed sticks, pucks and all that goes a long way. I remember being [Hart’s] age and what it meant to me and is part of my hockey career.”

Before wrapping up their combined post-practice media session, Hart told Motte that he hopes “you guys can make it to the playoffs.”

The 29-year-old forward smiled.

“We’ll do our best for you, buddy,” Motte said. “We look forward to seeing you at the game.”

An accurate ‘Mount Rushmore of defensemen’ for the Red Wings from 1990-2025

Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson compiled a list of every team’s “Mount Rushmore of defensemen” over the last 35 years, and his picks for the Red Wings are no-brainers:

Nicklas Lidström spent his entire 20-year career with the Detroit Red Wings, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy seven times, named to the First All-Star Team eight times, winning the Stanley Cup four times and the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2002. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.

Chris Chelios spent 10 of his 26-season NHL career with the Red Wings. He helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2002 and in 2008, and was a finalist for the Norris Trophy in 2002. Chelios is third all-time among Wings defensemen in plus/minus (plus-158) and eighth in games played with 578.

Niklas Kronwall spent his entire 15-season career with Detroit. A heavy-hitting defenseman, he’s tied with Pavel Datsyuk for ninth in games played with 953, sitting third among their blueliners in that category and in points with 432 points.

Vladimir Konstantinov spent only six seasons with the Wings before his playing career was tragically cut short following their 1997 Stanley Cup victory. He was named to the All-Rookie Team in 1991-92. Konstantinov is second among their defensemen in plus/minus (185) and 10th in points with 175.

Continued; easy picks, good summaries.

Tweet of note: FanDuel Sports Network inks deal with Prime Video

Per FanDuel Sports Network Detroit:

Per FanDuel Sports Network:

Continue reading Tweet of note: FanDuel Sports Network inks deal with Prime Video

Tweets from Wednesday’s practice: ‘mini-camp’ continues at LCA

The Detroit Red Wings took to the ice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center at 11 AM for a practice as the team’s “mini-camp” continues…

Raymond doesn’t have to report until Thursday…

And it’s hard to believe, but the Stadium Series is just over a week away…

Continue reading Tweets from Wednesday’s practice: ‘mini-camp’ continues at LCA

The plan for Larkin and Raymond

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen reports that Red Wings coach Todd McLellan has a plan for reintegrating Four Nations Face-Off participants Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin into the Red Wings’ roster ahead of a difficult stretch run schedule:

Coach Todd McLellan is treating practices this week like it’s a four-day training camp before Saturday’s ABC game against the Minnesota Wild. That means he’s sprinkling videos around the practice sessions. Lucas Raymond has checked in with coaches. The team won’t see Dylan Larkin until Saturday.

“I’m not too worried about that,” McLellan said. “Him and Razor have been skating so much. I’m going to connect with Razor. He’s reached out and wants to know what the plan is. I want him to get some rest and be able to put his feet up a little bit and get ready for this next push. With Dylan we have no option, he comes back and plays. But we’ll be well aware of his need for some time off, some days off.”

Continued

Bultman on Larkin and Raymond’s Four Nations springboards

The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted a column which discusses Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond’s respectively strong Four Nations Face-Off performances, as well as their importance to the Red Wings’ attempts to make a run for the playoffs:

Red Wings forward J.T. Compher has a long history with Larkin predating their time in Detroit. Back in 2014-15, they were teammates at the University of Michigan and on the U.S. World Junior team that season — which also took place at Bell Centre in Montreal.

“He had a big goal against Canada on New Year’s Eve, and it brought me back to that moment,” Compher said. “Because after that, he kind of took off at Michigan, gained a lot of confidence from that. And he’s been doing it for us all year, and last year, and every night. So to see him come up big in a big moment — we see it all the time. It was good the rest of the league got to see it.”

…

And he’s not the only Red Wing who had that kind of tournament. Raymond was one of the youngest players at the event, still a month shy of turning 23. But he ended the tournament tied with Erik Karlsson as Sweden’s leading scorer with 3 points, all assists. His line with Joel Eriksson Ek and (for most of the tournament) Jesper Bratt was the team’s most noticeable and consistent. Swedish legend Peter Forsberg went as far as to say that Raymond had become a superstar, according to Hockeynews.se.

…

When both players return to the Detroit lineup Saturday for a matinee against the Minnesota Wild, they’ll be kicking off a home stretch that will decide whether the Red Wings can finally snap the franchise’s eight-year playoff drought.

And after coming within a point of doing so last year — and now seeing two of their stars impress on the big stage over the last week — it’s easy to get excited about what that playoff race could look like in Detroit. If things go according to plan, there could be more big moments to come.

“A lot of guys that were here last year know what shoes we were in,” Detroit forward Joe Veleno said. “And hopefully we can take whatever we could from last year, and learn from it, and bring it into this stretch of the year. I think with Larks and Ray … you see with Ray, becoming a little bit more of a leader and wearing a letter this year on his jersey. And I think Mo (Seider) and a couple of those guys stepping up this year, I think our leadership has grown, and I think we’re all excited here for the stretch.”

Continued (paywall); after Thursday, things will get very busy for the Red Wings. They’ll need the best that Larkin and Raymond can give ’em.

Tweet of note: Red Wings doing a Q and A with Jonatan Berggren for mobile app

FYI, in the promotional category: