Author: George Malik

MLive’s Ansar Khan profiles Red Wings 2021 draft pick Oscar Plandowski, a defenseman for the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders, this afternoon/evening. Plandowski’s father is the director of amateur scouting for the Arizona Coyotes, and his mother is a professional skating coach:

“Hockey is my No. 1 passion,” Plandowski said. “It’s been my dream to get drafted. I definitely get to see a different side of it, being able to witness it growing up, my dad preparing for drafts. Just having him has been huge. I definitely wouldn’t be anywhere without both my parents. They’ve been a huge part of my career. I’m definitely grateful to have parents in hockey.”

Plandowski said he “wouldn’t be close to where I am today” without his mother’s help.

“She taught me how to skate,” he said. “Ever since I can remember (his father) has been traveling and away a lot. She was a huge part of my upbringing, driving me to rinks, doing whatever she could to help me get better. She knew I loved the game, so she dedicated everything. So, this is all on her. I’m really fortunate to have her.”

Continued

Pro Hockey Talk’s Adam Gretz posted a set of power rankings based upon the “hot seat” levels which respective NHL teams’ coaches sit upon, and he suggests that both Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith are in the “Danger Zone”:

29. Jeff Blashill, Detroit Red Wings. Like [Senators coach D.J.] Smith it is impossible to accurately evaluate Blashill because of the rosters he has had to work with. Still, in six years the Red Wings have one playoff appearance with him and have missed the playoffs five years in a row and almost certainly going on six years. Not many coaches get to keep coaching a team that long.

Blashill was given a contract extension by Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, who keeps his cards extremely close to his chest, and I do not necessarily expect Yzerman to fire Blashill if the Red Wings demonstrate improvement over the course of the 2021-2022 regular season. Blashill has survived this long, despite pundits’ insistence that he’s been “done like dinner” for several years now. What’s to say that he may not survive longer?

McKeen’s Hockey’s Ryan Wagman published an Atlantic Division 2021 draft review this morning, and while I can’t share every part of the behind-the-paywall article, here’s the gist of his take on the Red Wings’ draft crop:

Detroit Red Wings

1 (6) Simon Edvinsson, D, Vasteras IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)

1 (15) Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton (WHL)

2 (36) Shai Buium, D, Sioux City (USHL)

3 (70) Carter Mazur, LW, Tri-City (USHL)

4 (114) Redmond Savage, C, USNTDP (USHL)

5 (134) Liam Dower Nilsson, C, Frolunda J20 (SuperElit)

5 (155) Oscar Plandowski, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

6 (166) Pasquale Zito, C, Windsor (OHL)

As General Manager of the Red Wings, Steve Yzerman knows who he wants at the top, and grabs them, no matter how iconoclastic the selection is at that point. See Seider, Moritz from two years ago. Seen as a surprising overdraft at the time, he is now one of the top prospects in the sport and seemingly ready to break into the NHL now. The Wings took an elite-skilled forward up top last year in Lucas Raymond, but returned to building from the back out this year. At sixth overall, they selected a defender who holds some similarities to Seider in Simon Edvinsson, as big, smooth skaters with men’s league experience and untapped athleticism. Edvinsson may not be as advanced now as Seider was when he was drafted, but his tools give him a slightly higher upside if he can put it all together. Not long after selecting the big Swedish defender, Detroit traded a late 1^st rounder (part of the return from the Anthony Mantha trade) to Dallas to pick up the #15 pick, which they used to select the first goalie in the draft, the towering Sebastian Cossa. Many had Cossa ranked behind Sweden’s Jesper Wallstedt, but Yzerman likes who he likes and Cossa is a Wing.

Pick shuffling was a bit of theme for Detroit in this draft, as they did it again in the second round to grab USHL defender Shai Buium, and then traded down in the fourth round in order to acquire an extra pick in the fifth round. In the end, the eight players selected by the Red Wings were nicely divided between the positions, with two other defenders taken after Edvinsson, four forwards, and the one goalie in Cossa. They drafted two out of Sweden, three college-bound players from the USHL, and one player from each of the three CHL leagues. When the final chapter of this draft class is written, it will be judged on the top three picks’ (Edvinsson, Cossa, Buium) abilities to prevent goals far more than the production numbers any of the forwards may eventually put up.

Continued (paywall); Mr. Wagman likes the Wings’ picks of Edvinsson, Cossa and Liam Dower Nilsson, but he’s not a fan of the Wings’ decision to pick Carter Mazur as highly as they did.

Red Wings prospect and 2020 draft pick William Wallinder spoke with Rogle BK’s website’s Peter Ekholm regarding his performance over the course of two Champions Hockey League games this past week. Wallinder, a defenseman, is attempting to break into the SHL as a 19-year-old, and here’s a rough translation of his interview:

William Wallinder played defense in the two CHL games last week. Now he hopes for continued confidence as Rogle prepares for road trips to Switzerland and Germany.

In the CHL games, against Zug and Munich in Halmstad (Sweden) last week, Rogle’s new acquisition, William Wallinder, was able to seriously display his hockey skills. The 19-year-old defenseman got the chance to play next to Samuel Johannesson, and he took measures into his own hands.

“It was fun to step into the CHL for the first time. It was just fun to be there and fun that we got two wins for us. My game is just moving forward,” says Wallinder.

Wallinder played just over 9 minutes against Zug, and fired a shot on goal. His playing time increased in the game vs. Munich, playing 11:34.

“He played very well overall. He’s taken some steps [forward] these past few weeks, is more involved in the game and shows a good sense of play with the puck. There are some details in his defensive game that we need to address, but we will work on that in the future. He looks good,” says Rogle’s assistant coach, David Prtintz.

Wallinder joined Rogle from MoDo [of the Swedish Allsvenskan] before this season. MoDo plays in the Allsvenskan, so the step up to the SHL and CHL level is different than what he’s been used to before.

“I try to be careful and to play simply. I don’t try to do anything risky, but instead, make simple decisions and play tough in my own zone,” says Wallinder.

During the 2020 draft, Wallinder was selected by the Detroit Red Wings, 32nd overall. Nowadays, teams follow their NHL draft picks closely. And, together with Red Wings development manager Niklas Kronwall, Wallinder and Printz are working to develop the young defensive talent here in Sweden.

“We have constant dialogue,” says Printz about the collaboration with Kronwall. “We also have similar reviews regarding what he needs to work on. I hope we can work on that every day. He must also have the drive to do a lot of the work himself. That’s what it takes to choose to become a top player.”

“We talk a lot every day. He gives me some tips, and so on. We have good communication,” says Wallinder.

William Wallinder has felt the pulse of the CHL, and if his development continues to move forward, there will probably be more of that kind of play in the future.

“He has a chance to contribute to this team and our future. Wallinder seems to have a very positive future picture,” says Printz.

Via 97.1 the Ticket’s podcast page, Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill spoke with 97.1 the Ticket from the Ilitch Charities Foundation’s golf outing at the Oakland Hills Country Club, speaking for 15 minutes.

Blashill discussed his golfing experience at the Ally Pro Challenge this past weekend, he discussed the Red Wings’ rebuilding effort under GM Steve Yzerman, and he assessed the Wings’ offseason moves as training camp looms in 3-and-a-half weeks:

NBC Sports Edge’s Corey Abbott posted a set of 2021-2022 season previews for three Atlantic Division teams over the weekend in the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, and the Detroit Red Wings. Here’s what he says about the Wings:

Strengths: Detroit has an intriguing core of young players led by Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Jakub Vrana. They could form the team’s top line in 2021-22. Suter was signed following a decent rookie year with Chicago last season. He is projected to center a second line that could feature Filip Zadina, Robby Fabbri or Lucas Raymond as wingers. Filip Hronek has displayed plenty of promise on the back end and Moritz Seider is expected to land a top-four role this campaign.

Weaknesses: The Red Wings struggled offensively in 2020-21, while placing 30th overall in goals for per game played (2.23) and 30th in power-play percentage (11.4). A return to full health from Bertuzzi and Larkin as well as a full year from Vrana will probably help change that. However, the team still needs more from Zadina and Fabbri, who have both showcased flashes of potential.

Player to Watch: Vrana was a great addition and Suter could prove to be another steal for the organization after the Blackhawks decided not to give him a qualifying offer. Leddy may also be a solid addition to pair with Seider, who is loaded with potential. However, the acquisition of Nedeljkovic is the most intriguing offseason move by the Red Wings. He starred for Carolina during his rookie season and projects to be a big part of the puzzle for Detroit moving forward. Nedeljkovic will get some help from Thomas Greiss, but should see most of the starts if he continues to impress.

So Abbott’s concerns about the Red Wings includes depth of scoring and special teams play. Sounds familiar….

According to HockeyNews.se’s staff, former Swedish Ice Hockey Association general secretary Tommy Boustedt has announced that he’ll be working as an area scout for the Detroit Red Wings this upcoming season:

Sedan januari 2021 har jag fungerat som Senior Advisor åt Danmarks Ishockeyförbund. Nu kommer jag också att arbeta för Detroit Red Wings som European Pro Scout. Jag har alltså bryr blågult mot rödvitt, och lagt pensionstankarna på hyllan. pic.twitter.com/kHn5cLPmd8

— Tommy Boustedt (@TBoustedt) August 30, 2021

Roughly translated:

“Since January of 2021, I’ve worked as a Senior Advisor for the Danish Ice Hockey Federation. Now I will also work for the Detroit Red Wings as an European Pro Scout. So I’ve cared for the blue-and-yellow [Sweden] to the red-and-white, and I’ve put my thoughts of being a pensioner on the shelf.”

Boustedt, 62, has a long history of working to revamp Swedish ice hockey’s developmental model. He’s no spring chicken, obviously, but his experience will help the Wings’ braintrust.

Update: From DetroitHockey.net’s Clark Rasmussen:

The Wings actually added Boustedt as “European Pro Scout” on their website’s “staff” page on the 23rd. Also added Eric Soltys, Corey Crocker, and Greg Hawgood. Removed Bruce Haralson, Rob Rassey, and Marty Stein.— DetroitHockey.Net (@detroithockey96) August 30, 2021

No Hawgood, Haralson or Stein = the end of the KH era, officially speaking.— George Malik (@georgemalik) August 30, 2021

Update #2: Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff has more:

Team Sweden struggled at the first scouting event for 2002-born prospects (i.e. players drafted this past summer) this season, the Under-20 Four Nations Cup in the Czech Republic, but the Hockey News’s Tony Ferrari gave a shout-out to Red Wings prospect Liam Dower Nilsson for his effort at the tournament:

The Swedes went winless in their three games over the event. Their roster was missing almost everyone expected to be on the world junior roster, with just a few notable names such as Liam Dower-Nilsson, Alexander Ljungkrantz, and Oliver Tärnström. The majority of the roster is filled with their ‘B team’ who were looking to put their name on the map.

Unfortunately for the Tre Kronor, the Swedes didn’t play well and their standouts were few and far between. Dower-Nilsson, a Detroit Red Wings prospect, had a decent showing with a few flashes of offensive flair as a passer.

Continued; here’s a clip of LDN doing his thing from Ferrari:

Sweden finally gets on the board with a powerplay goal late in the game. Nice pass from Liam Dower-Nilsson (#lgrw) for Lugwig Persson (#2022NHLDraft) who pots it back door. #FourNations pic.twitter.com/BTRvK9HdZn

— Tony Ferrari (@theTonyFerrari) August 26, 2021

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen found that EP Rinkside’s Russ Cohen believes that the Red Wings’ decision to trade up to draft defenseman Shai Buium was a wise move:

Draft expert Russ Cohen, a regular on NHL Network Radio, also thinks the Red Wings’ second rounder Shai Buium should be viewed as a first rounder. He was taken early in the second round (36th overall) by the Red Wings.

“Buium moved up the charts and he has late first round talent,” said Cohen, owner of the Sportsology website and a contributor to EP Rinkside. “Buium’s offense has been emerging. His passing is a strength. He has a knack for seeing plays develop. Finding those spaces is very important, especially if you have creative forwards to work with. ”

California-born defenseman Buium (6-foot-3, 210) posted 26 points in 50 games for Sioux City in the United States Hockey League last season. He will play college hockey at Denver this season.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a profile of Red Wings prospect and 2021 draft pick Carter Mazur, a native of Jackson, MI:

Draper knew what kind of player Mazur was [from coaching Mazur at Little Caesars Hockey], and noticed what the young player was accomplishing in the USHL. But seeing it confirmed by other Wings scouts gave Draper the reaffirmation to draft Mazur.

“The interesting thing for me was watching [the USHL’s] Tri-City [Storm] and seeing the improvement from Carter from last year to this year,” Draper said. “Our area scouts, the reports they were putting in about Carter, talking about the improvement, it was great to hear. We (drafted) Carter in a spot where he deserved it. As we were talking to our scouts, it was a pick we all wanted to make.”

For Draper personally, it was gratifying to see Mazur be drafted after watching the progress the young player made.

“He grew up playing Little Caesars all the way from 10 to U-16,” Draper said. “It’s been a lot of fun. I’m proud to watch Carter develop into the player he has. Last year he went into his first year in Tri-City and it’s a big jump. At the time he was maybe 5-9, 5-10. He’s grown two or three inches and he’s put on about 20 pounds. (But) he knows he needs to still get bigger and stronger.”

Continued