Author: George Malik

The Hockey News’s Adam Proteau posted a lengthy article today, “taking stock” of the Atlantic Division’s 8 teams, including the Detroit Red Wings:

4. Detroit Red Wings. Games Played: 31. Record: 15-13-3.

What went right: The Red Wings surprised many observers by racing out to a solid-enough 7-5-2 record to start the season. People have been waiting for them to go through adversity, and they’ve emerged from it with relatively few scars. Captain Dylan Larkin’s already-considerable game has improved. Blueliners Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond have shown they’ll be core members for a very long time. And GM Steve Yzerman has more than $11 million in cap space, which should allow him to accelerate the rebuild in Motown.

What is cause for concern: Detroit’s record since Nov. 9 is a pedestrian 8-8-1. Alex Nedeljkovic has posted good numbers in net (.917 SP, 9-7-3 record, 2.78 G.A.A.), but backup Thomas Greiss (6-6-0 record, .893 SP, 3.52 G.A.A.) has not. The Wings’ special teams are lousy. Offense does not come easily for them. Boston is three points behind them for fourth in the Atlantic, but the Bruins have five games in hand on them.

Rest-of-season outlook: The playoffs always were going to be a challenge for this squad, and that’s likely to continue. This isn’t to say they can’t outlast the Bruins and the top teams in the Atlantic, but Yzerman’s rebuild isn’t close to being done. More tweaks, and who knows, maybe bigger moves, are ahead for Detroit this year.

Continued; I think that the Red Wings will be active at the trade deadline, but whether they add or subtract will depend on where they sit in the standings at said time.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen examines the Red Wings’ key performers, as well as those who need to step up for Detroit:

Right wing Filip Zadina: He started out playing on the second line. But he has been dropped to a bottom six role because he has one goal in his past 12 games. Zadina was drafted as a scorer, but he hasn’t yet proven he can do it at the NHL level. He has 19 goals in his first 116 NHL games. He’s one of the Red Wings in COVID-19 protocol.

The Red Wings haven’t given up on him. They think he is putting too much emphasis on scoring and not enough on being an effective player. He is -10 over his past seven games.

Defenseman Nick Leddy: On balance, the Red Wings are happy with Nick Leddy’s contributions this season.  But he’s -6 in his last four games and has one point in the past 10 games. He has played less than his usual 20+ minutes in the past two game.

Left wing  Givani Smith: He’s playing under nine minutes per game and has four. He’s had a few good games, but it’s fair to say the Red Wings have been looking for him to have more impact.

Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon spoke with the media today, and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted an article noting Simon’s remarks regarding his NHL debut on Saturday as the Red Wings’ interim coach:

“There’s a lot going on, a lot of moving pieces,” Simon said Monday during a Zoom call with media. “A little anxiety, panic, excitement. I knew going up it wouldn’t be a very long, and knowing how prepared the people in Detroit are, they’re great people, it was going to be a great experience, regardless.”

Saturday proved to be a memorable experience for Simon, as he coached the Wings to a 5-2 victory.

The Wings were minus six players to protocol, and Blashill and Tanguay were unavailable, but with Dylan Larkin scoring three goals, Tyler Bertuzzi two goals, and goaltender Thomas Greiss making 32 saves, the Wings found a way to win.

And for Simon, it was an evening he will not soon forget.

“It’s a little different because you’re not expecting it,” Simon said of the call up to the NHL, under whatever circumstances, for a coach. “That’s not your goal here. Your goal is to make it to the highest level, but as a coach, you’re really worried about your group and how you’re improving your group on a daily basis.

“When you get the call it’s not expected. But again, it was what it was, you get a little excited and it’s kind of cool. Not a lot of guys can say they’ve sat behind an NHL bench and whether it’s one game for me, or it turns into thousands of games over the course of my life, it was a great experience and to do it for Detroit was pretty cool.”

Continued

On the heels of his NHL debut as an interim coach for the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday vs. New Jersey:

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins comes news regarding this past weekend’s postponed games against the Toronto Marlies:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The American Hockey League on Monday announced that the two recent Grand Rapids Griffins home games that were postponed due to league COVID-19 protocols affecting the Toronto Marlies have been rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 24 and Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Van Andel Arena. Both games will start at 7 p.m.

All tickets for the scheduled Saturday, Dec. 18 game will be valid for Jan. 24, while tickets for Sunday, Dec. 19 will be valid for Feb. 2. Fans do not have to do anything if they choose to keep their tickets for the rescheduled game dates.

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday signed left wing Max Humitz to a professional tryout.

A second-year pro, Humitz joins the Griffins for the fourth time this season. The left winger has seen action in seven games with Grand Rapids this year, totaling one assist and a plus-three rating. Throughout his career, Humitz has appeared in 15 AHL contests, compiling six points (3-3—6) and two penalty minutes. A native of Livonia, Mich., the forward skated in eight outings with the Griffins a season ago, registering five points (3-2—5) and two penalty minutes. Humitz has competed in 12 games with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) this campaign and places sixth on the roster with 11 points (8-3—11) and a plus-one rating.

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Monday reassigned forwards Riley Barber, Kyle Criscuolo, and Taro Hirose and goaltenders Victor Brattstrom and Calvin Pickard to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Barber joined the Red Wings for the first time in his career and made his NHL season debut on Dec. 18, registering two shots and a plus-one rating. A former sixth-round draft choice of the Washington Capitals, the forward has skated in 13 NHL games with nine of them coming with Montreal during the 2019-20 campaign. Barber is yet to register his first point in the NHL and has two penalty minutes and an even plus-minus rating. With the Griffins this season, the seven-year-pro is tied for third on the roster with 16 points (7-9—16) while his four power play goals are tied for fifth in the AHL. Barber rattled off a six-game point streak (4-5—9) from Oct. 30-Nov. 13 and is currently in the midst of a three-game stretch (2-1—3) from Dec. 6-11.

Criscuolo joined the Red Wings for the third time this season on Dec. 15 and earned his first NHL point (0-1—1) on Dec. 18 against New Jersey. Criscuolo has appeared in 11 NHL games, with nine of them coming with Buffalo during the 2017-18 season. The Harvard University graduate is currently enjoying a seven-game point streak (7-7—14) from Nov. 20-Dec. 6 with the Griffins, which is a new career high for the center. Criscuolo’s three-game goal streak (Nov. 20-26, Dec. 3-6) tied Jonatan Berggren (Oct. 30-Nov. 5) and Turner Elson (Dec. 6-11) for the longest on the team this season. The sixth-year-pro registered a four-game assist streak from Nov. 20-28, which is a season high for Grand Rapids.

Hirose made his NHL season debut on Saturday against the Devils, logging an even plus-minus rating and two penalty minutes. The left winger appeared in 26 outings with Detroit in 2019-20 and amassed seven points (2-5—7). The former Michigan State Spartan has 10 penalty minutes and 16 points (3-13—16) in 43 NHL games. After leading the Griffins in assists a year ago with 23, Hirose has picked off right where he left off as he has bagged 15 helpers in the opening 22 games, which is a team high and tied for eighth in the league. The Calgary, Alberta, native’s 19 points (4-15—19) this season pace the Griffins.

Brattstrom returns to the Griffins after being reassigned to Toledo on Dec. 18 but did not see any game time with the Walleye. The netminder appeared in three games with Toledo from Nov. 20-Dec. 5, recording a 2-1-0 ledger with a 4.25 goals against average and a 0.829 save percentage. Brattstrom allowed three goals or less in two of his three appearances with Toledo. In the AHL, the Goteborg, Sweden, native has made four starts with a 5.32 goals against average and a 0.835 save percentage. Brattstrom was a sixth-round draft choice of the Red Wings in 2018 and is in the midst of his rookie campaign in North America.

Pickard has appeared in 113 NHL games throughout his career, with his most recent contest coming on May 8, 2021 against Columbus. The netminder has posted a 34-53-10 record in the NHL with a 3.01 goals against average and four shutouts. The 10-year-pro has seen action in 19 of the 22 games this season with Grand Rapids, including 15 straight. He set a new AHL career high for consecutive games played (14) on Dec. 10 at Manitoba and made his 11th straight start on Dec. 11, which tied his career best. Pickard currently places 12th in the AHL with a 2.47 goals against average while his 0.926 save percentage is tied for fifth.

Enjoy:

#WorldJuniors ROUND TABLE: Team Canada’s goalies explain why Mason McTavish & Connor Bedard have been the most impressive shooters so far. Brett Brochu, Dylan Garand & Sebastian Cossa also offer a goalie’s perspective on the ‘Michigan assist’ – https://t.co/CiWnzZeK6g#TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/2RWLMUUmAY— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) December 20, 2021

From TheAHL.com’s Patrick Williams:

Grand Rapids head coach Ben Simon fresh off his “recall” to Detroit, where he coached several of his players this past Saturday night:
“You go through the grind here in Grand Rapids,” and then get to share the moment in Detroit.#AHL pic.twitter.com/TxD2VhQ2CG— PATRICK WILLIAMS (@pwilliamsAHL) December 20, 2021

Just to be proactive and on the safe side, Simon also voluntarily held himself out of today’s practice in Grand Rapids to allow for an extra day after returning from Detroit.— PATRICK WILLIAMS (@pwilliamsAHL) December 20, 2021

Pretty cool:

Dylan Larkin (@DetroitRedWings), Vladimir Tarasenko (@StLouisBlues), Nikolaj Ehlers (@NHLJets) named “Three Stars” for the week ending Dec. 19.#NHLStats: https://t.co/585aHPRdTT pic.twitter.com/uxhWWIaF5d— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 20, 2021

The stars are shining bright. ✨

Cast your #NHLAllStar Fan Vote ballot now ? https://t.co/JOMxUndKd8 pic.twitter.com/wlDKtJkhRf— NHL (@NHL) December 20, 2021

⭐ @Dylanlarkin39 led the NHL with five goals and seven points in three games last week for the @DetroitRedWings, including his first career hat trick and four-point outing in a 5-2 W vs. NJD on Dec. 18.#NHLStats: https://t.co/585aHPRdTT pic.twitter.com/OMkKkzWIZU— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 20, 2021

Number 71 in your programs…
Number 1 star of the week in the @NHL!

DYLAN LARKIN!!!

??? pic.twitter.com/PVK7z57I0j— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 20, 2021

Update: Here’s the press release: