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!

THN’s McCaig ranks Thomas Greiss the 19th-best goalie in the NHL

The Hockey News’s Sam McCaig ranked the NHL’s 31 probable starting goaltenders this morning, and McCaig believes that Thomas Greiss will out-duel Jonathan Bernier for the Wings’ starting spot:

19. Thomas Greiss, Detroit Red Wings
Plenty familiar with platoon duty after playing with Lehner and then Varlamov on Long Island, Greiss gets a chance for full-on No. 1 status in Detroit – provided he can hold off Jonathan Bernier, who was one of the Wings’ few good-news stories last season.

Continued

HSJ believes that the Red Wings should delay naming a captain

The Free Press’s Helene St. James suggests that the Red Wings delay naming a captain for another season this morning. St. James argues that the pandemic would take away from the magnitude of an event that deserves to be celebrated:

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman may want to change the plans he made last May, because his decision is worth more pomp and circumstance than the pandemic allows.

Yzerman, the longest serving captain in NHL history, has wanted to put a “C” on a Wings player before the start of the 2020-21 season, but that seems unlikely as COVID-19 continues to dominate every aspect of our lives.

It isn’t even so much that 2021 will be a shortened season, but that the announcement can’t be garner the attention it deserves.  If it’s done at a news conference, it will be via Zoom. If it’s before a game, there’ll be few — if any — fans to cheer the team’s first captain since 2018.

Continued (paywall)

Prospect Round-up: Niederbach scores, Seider avoids an injury scare

Of prospect-related note:

In the SHL, Lucas Raymond’s Frolunda Indians won 3-2 over Moritz Seider’s Rogle BK.

On the Frolunda side, Theodor Niederbach scored his first goal, finishing at +1 with 4 shots in only 6:34 played…

Also for Frolunda, Raymond finished even with 1 shot in 15:20, facing off against Seider most of the night; for Rogle, Seider finished at -1 with 1 shot, 1 penalty taken in 18:13, and he survived a very close call as he was checked at the goal line, falling into the end boards as a result. Seider would emerge unscathed, but the uncalled trip and collision was quite scary:

Continue reading Prospect Round-up: Niederbach scores, Seider avoids an injury scare

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill discusses pandemic-related preparedness practices with Eisenhower Eagles high school team

The Macomb Daily’s George Pohly reports that Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill reached out to a local high school hockey team to discuss ways in which to deal with the pause in Michigan’s high school athletics recently:

Prep hockey players got a surprise when they joined a state-wide online meeting to talk about the pause that hit their season just as games were about to begin. Jeff Blashill, coach of the Detroit Red Wings, shared ideas about how the players could cope with what’s supposed to be a three-week shutdown.

“He talked about the focus that makes good players great,” Bob Hall, the Eisenhower coach, said Tuesday. “He had so much good insight. He talked about the importance of pushing to be successful and what to do in this down time.”

After the meeting, Hall asked his players to tell him via text message one tip they picked up from Blashill.

“I was bombarded with fantastic information,” Hall said. “My players really took it to heart and listened to Jeff Blashill’s message. It was an awesome exchange. It was fun to be a part of it.”

Continued

Prospect Round-up: Hronek scores, Zadina 2A, Lindstrom 2A, Rasmussen with 8 shots on a busy day in Europe

Of prospect-related note from earlier today:

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Gustav Berglund had an assist, finishing at +1 with 4 shots in 17:25 played as Vasteras IK won 4-1 over MODO Hockey. William Wallinder finished at -1 with 2 shots in 20:37 played for MODO:

Gustav Lindstrom had 2 assists, finishing at +3 with 1 shot and 6 penalty minutes in 22:01 played as Almtuna IS won 8-5 over Vita Hasten. Filip Larsson served as the back-up goaltender.

Lindstrom got 2 for charging and 2 for abuse of officials on the same play:

In the ICE Hockey League, Michael Rasmussen had an assist, finishing even with 8 shots in the Graz99ers’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Red Bulls Salzburg. Jesper Eliasson was the back-up for Salzburg;

In the Czech Extraliga, Jan Bednar was the back-up goaltender in HC Energie Karlovy Vary’s 4-3 win over Bili Tygri Liberec;

Filip Zadina had 2 assists, finishing at +1 with 1 shot in 15:45 played as HC Ocelari Trinec won 4-2 over HC VERVA Litvinov:

Continue reading Prospect Round-up: Hronek scores, Zadina 2A, Lindstrom 2A, Rasmussen with 8 shots on a busy day in Europe

DetroitRedWings.com’s McWethy annotates Shawn Horcoff’s ‘Red & White Authority’ appearance

Red Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff spoke with DetroitRedWings.com’s Art Regner last month, addressing a number of topics on The Red & White Authority podcast, and DetroitRedWings.com’s Brett McWethy posted an article annotating some of Horcoff’s comments:

On Filip Zadina
“It’s important that Z’s playing. He’s a guy that really developed a lot last year, and it was important for us to have him get reps. Get out there, play in the game. He put a lot of good effort in this offseason. He put on strength, and his skating looks better. He’s scored some nice goals over there. So it’s good that he’s playing, and he should be in a lot better situation coming into Training Camp.”

On Filip Hronek
“We’re happy that he’s playing. He’s playing very well. He plays on the National Team, and did very well for them. One of the best defensemen in the tournament. So he’s progressing nicely.”

On Michael Rasmussen
“Rass is another guy that we found a place for him to play, because he really, this offseason, found a new dedication to himself, to his game, wanting to get better. He’s ready, he feels like he’s ready to make that next step. Put a lot of work in on skating and off the ice. It was important for him to get into a league, into a competitive situation playing games. He’s doing that now.”

On Moritz Seider
“In my opinion, he’s playing in the best league in the world. He’s stepped right in and played top minutes, all situations, and has done very, very well. That’s not easy to do at his age. Mo continues his progress, and we’re excited about his development.”

Continued

Elmer Soderblom’s World Junior Championship status is in danger due to another injury

HockeyNews.se’s Mattias Ek and Henrik Sjoberg posted an article explaining that Red Wings prospect and Frolunda Indians forward Elmer Soderblom, who is attempting to return from a foot injury prior to the World Junior Championship, had to leave Frolunda’s Friday practice.

Frolunda coach Roger Ronnberg would only tell Ek and Sjoberg that Frolunda’s medical team will determine whether Soderblom can play tomorrow; Rakapuckar’s Henrik Leman also reported that Soderblom had to leave practice early, and that Soderblom texted that he’s “day to day” with whatever injury is bothering him.

Long story long, Soderblom, who Ek and Sjoberg duly note tantalizes with his 6’7″ size, is battling another injury, and that seems to be the case fairly regularly for the big middle-six forward.