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!

On the realm of possibility

If you look at the Red Wings’ depth chart after the Travis Hamonic signing, Detroit has Ben Chiarot, Erik Gustafsson, Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson and William Lagesson as left-shooting defenders–though Albert Johansson plays the right side–and Moritz Seider, Justin Holl, Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker as right-shot defenders.

Long story long, the Red Wings are now 4 NHL defensemen deep on the left-D side, and 5 NHL defensemen deep on the right-D side.

As such, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan made the following assumption about one Axel Sandin Pellikka‘s immediate playing future…

Friday’s signing likely erases any chance of Axel Sandin-Pellikka, the Wings’ 2023 first-round draft pick, of making the opening-night roster. The offensive defenseman turned pro last spring and played three playoff games with minor league affiliate Grand Rapids.

But the 5-foot-11, 176-pound Sandin-Pellikka likely needs more time, and develop more strength, to play the more physical and faster North American pro game.

While Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen offered a slightly more optimistic tone on Sandin Pellikka’s chances of “stealing a job” on defense:

Continue reading On the realm of possibility

Pavel Datsyuk represents the Red Wings on the NHL Network’s Quarter-Century Team

NHL.com has posted its “Quarter-Century Team” as determined by the NHL Network–with players who debuted after January 1st, 2000 eligible–and Pavel Datsyuk is the only Red Wings representative (unless you count Patrick Kane):

Pavel Datsyuk: The center ranked second in games played (953), goals (314), assists (604) and points (918) for the Detroit Red Wings in the quarter-century. He won the Stanley Cup in 2002 and 2008, the Selke Trophy three straight times from 2008-10, and the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and playing ability four seasons in a row from 2005-06 to 2008-09. Datsyuk finished his career plus-249, the sixth-highest total in the quarter-century. Datsyuk was named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players.

Travis Hamonic may or may not be a liability, but he’s going to be a fine depth guy from a character standpoint

The Hockey News’s Steve Warne adds some context to the Red Wings’ signing of depth defenseman Travis Hamonic to a 1-year, $1 million contract today:

Last season was a turbulent one for both [Jacob Bernard-Docker and Hamonic]. Bernard-Docker overcame a serious leg injury at practice early in the season and thought he might find a new opportunity with the Sabres. But they healthy-scratched him for over two weeks after he arrived. He played the final 15 games in Buffalo, but the Sabres chose not to re-sign him.

Hamonic did a bit of everything here last season. He started in the bottom pair, then got some top-four minutes after an early injury to Artem Zub. Hamonic had more healthy scratches than any veteran pro would like, but he always made himself available to the team’s young defenders, particularly during the rookie seasons of Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven.

It quickly became clear after the Senators’ 2024-25 season ended that Hamonic wouldn’t be part of the club’s future plans. The team immediately re-signed Matinpalo to a two-year deal, brought former first-rounder Lassi Thomson back from Sweden, and traded for L.A. Kings defenseman Jordan Spence at the draft. With that logjam on the right side, including former first-rounder Carter Yakemchuk pressing for NHL work, Hamonic’s exit was inevitable.

When asked about his season at the year-end media availability in May, the classy veteran took the high road and didn’t dwell on any of the negatives.

“I just, quite frankly, tried to do whatever was needed from me and whatever was asked,” Hamonic said. “And I kind of played a little bit of everything this year, I think, a little bit of different roles here and there. And just tried to do that as best I could and have as much fun as I could with it. Because we are blessed to play this game and do what I do for a living. So I just tried to show up with a smile on my face and let the chips fall where they may every day.”

Continued; Hamonic doesn’t stand to be much more than an NHL veteran to replace William Lagesson as the Wings’ #7 or #8 defenseman, but his character isn’t in question.

Hamonic had this to say to Warne about his status as having fallen out with the fans by the end of the 2024-2025 season:

Continue reading Travis Hamonic may or may not be a liability, but he’s going to be a fine depth guy from a character standpoint

Tweet of note: Grand Rapids Griffins partner with Texas Stars to raise funds for Texas flood relief

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

Red Wings sign Travis Hamonic to 1-year, $1 million contract

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

Hamonic is 35 as of tomorrow, he’s 6’2″ and 205 pounds, and he posted 1 goal and 6 assists for 7 points, with a -16, over the course of 59 games with the Ottawa Senators last season.

Update: Here’s the Wings’ press release:

Continue reading Red Wings sign Travis Hamonic to 1-year, $1 million contract

Regarding Anton Johansson’s auspicious SHL preseason start

As the European leagues’ preseason games continue, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes this regarding Red Wings prospect and Leksands IF defenseman Anton Johansson:

Earlier this week, Red Wings Prospects reported that Anton Johansson (105th, 2022) was on Leksands’ first defensive pairing. Undoubtedly, the Red Wings (and their fans) would prefer to see Johansson in the AHL this season. However, he can still grow his game in the SHL. The only issue is that Johansson is a physical player and playing for the Griffins would have allowed him to explore that ability more than the SHL.

Leksands IF won 2-1 over Djurgarden yesterday, and while you and I may not get much from it, their website posted a clip of Johansson speaking with the media:

Press release: Griffins offer more details regarding Red vs. White Game

From the Grand Rapids Griffins:

MORE DETAILS FOR DETROIT RED WINGS’ RED & WHITE GAME ANNOUNCED

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings’ Red & White Game at Van Andel Arena on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. will feature a pre-game autograph session with Red Wings legends such as Dan Cleary, Kris Draper, Jiri Fischer, Niklas Kronwall, Kirk Maltby, and Darren McCarty (lineup subject to change).

From 2-3 p.m., fans will have the opportunity to receive autographs from some of their favorite Red Wings alumni on the arena concourse. Photo cards will be available for fans to get signed, but patrons are welcome to bring their own items. There will be a strict limit of one autograph per fan from each Red Wings alum.

The game format, which is subject to change, will consist of two 20-minute, stop-time periods with a full intermission. Following the second period, which may include scheduled power-play and penalty kill segments, a dry scrape of the ice surface will precede a shootout featuring a select number of players from both the Red and White teams.

Tickets for the Red & White Game are available to the general public through griffinshockey.com. Group ticket packages may be ordered by calling the Griffins’ office at (616) 774-4585 ext. 4 or visiting griffinshockey.com. 

Red Savage set to test unrestricted free agent marketplace on Saturday

Today is the last day for NHL teams to sign college-age draft picks drafted four years ago. Several 2021 draft picks will walk as unrestricted free agents if their NHL rights-holders don’t sign them today, and Wings pick Red Savage appears to be one of them.

As Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes, the Red Wings sounded like they were going to sign 5’11,” 185-pound center and Michigan State University captain Savage to some sort of two-way NHL or AHL contract in July, but as of today, it appears that Savage will test the unrestricted free agent marketplace tomorrow:

The Red Wings made center Red Savage the 114th overall pick of the 2021 NHL entry draft. He was playing with the USNTDP in Plymouth, Michigan, at the time. The son of former NHL forward Brian Savage went on to play college hockey at Miami (Ohio) and Michigan State. He completed his final year of eligibility with the Spartans in 2024-25.

Earlier in the offseason, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman wasn’t ruling out getting Savage’s name on a contract.

“We’ve had some discussions on potentially Red remaining in the fold on some type of contract,” Yzerman said.

As the clock ticks toward the deadline, it would appear that those talks didn’t come to fruition.

Continued; as of early July, Yzerman suggested that Red Wings assistant GM and Grand Rapids Griffins GM Shawn Horcoff would be in charge of signing Savage, and again, it appeared that the Wings were looking to sign Savage to an AHL deal. That’s unlikely now.

I’m a little disappointed that the Wings probably won’t hammer out a deal with Savage, because he’s a doggedly hard worker bee of a heart-and-soul player, but the Red Wings have several examples thereof in the organization already.

PuckPedia also has a full list of the players who will become unrestricted free agents if they don’t sign with their rights-holders today…

Another ‘Mount Rushmore’ for the Red Wings’ Quarter Century team

Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson has compiled a list of the “Mount Rushmore” fours for each and every one of the NHL’s 32 teams over the course of the last quarter-century, and his picks for the Red Wings’ foundational players are, for the most part, empty-net tap-ins:

Nicklas Lidström, Defense

Steve Yzerman, Center

Pavel Datsyuk, Center

Henrik Zetterberg, Center

Lidström won the James Norris Memorial Trophy seven times from 2000-01 to 2010-11 and was the first European to captain an NHL team to the Stanley Cup (2008).

Yzerman is the franchise assist leader (1,063) and captained the Wings to three Stanley Cups, including his last in 2002. Both are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Datsyuk is also in the Hall of Fame, winning four Lady Byng Memorial Trophies and three Frank J. Selke Trophies between 2005-06 and 2009-10.

Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2008 and is fifth among the franchise leaders with 337 goals, 623 assists and 960 points.

I’m not certain whether I’d have Yzerman as one of the Wings’ Quarter Century icons as his career was a little more prolific in the 90’s, but that’s just a small quibble.