Author: George Malik

Updated at 11:16 AM: The Detroit Red Wings embark upon the most difficult part of their preaseason schedule this evening, when they kick off a stretch of 3 games over the course of less than 36 hours by hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit Plus/97.1 the Ticket).

The Wings then head to Pittsburgh for a 12 PM-starting matinee game against the Penguins, and they head right back to Little Caesars Arena to host Chicago on Monday (7:30 PM on BSD/97.1 FM), so this is definitely the reason why Detroit’s still carrying such a large roster–they need all those bodies to get through the next three days.

MLive’s Ansar Khan Tweeted out the roster for tonight’s game at 10:34 AM:

#RedWings lineup for tonight’s preseason game vs. Columbus at ⁦@LCArena_Detroit⁩ 7 pm on Bally Sports Detroit Plus. Looks like Larkin will make preseason debut (on line with Zadina and possibly Raymond) but not Bertuzzi. pic.twitter.com/9BMiaqhPRl— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) October 2, 2021

DetroitRedWings.com’s Ethan Sears checked in…

DetroitRedWings.com’s Ethan Sears filed a notebook article ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets (7 PM EDT start on BSD+), and he discusses the Red Wings’ desire to restart their sputtering power play:

We didn’t see much of the Red Wings’ power play during Wednesday’s preseason opener, but on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres, there were five chances. And, during a three games in three days stretch that begins on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, it will continue to be a focal point.

The Red Wings didn’t score on the power play against Buffalo, but they did create chances with a consistency they sometimes lacked last season, when they converted just 11.41 percent of their chances on the man advantage.

“You’re creating opportunities,” [Nick] Leddy said. “I think the ultimate goal, too, obviously is to score. But create momentum for your team and the team will respond to that as well.”

[Coach Jeff] Blashill said that during the preseason, it’s hard to evaluate the power play unit as a whole – he looks more at individuals who are fighting for spots. Leddy, Seider and Filip Hronek are currently in contention to run power play units, though Blashill said the Red Wings could try Hronek on the flank as well.

“What you’d like for certain,” Blashill said, “if you have the righty on the flank and the righty up top, someone that’s running it on the other side, with a righty in the middle and then a lefty. And now you’ve got righty options, or (go) down and then he’s got all righty options. And so that’s what you’d love. And vice versa if you run it off the other unit.”

Continued

The Red Wings’ four members of the “Grind Line”–Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Joe Kocur and Darren McCarty–were honored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame on Friday, named a “Michigan Treasure.” Maltby and McCarty spoke with MLive’s Ansar Khan regarding their line’s success:

“I get asked, ‘When did you think you made it?’ I guess you never really do, but it really felt like I belonged when Scotty started us in the opening game against the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final,” Kirk Maltby said. “We have Stevie and Sergei and Shanny sitting on the bench, and you got me, Darren and Drapes starting in the Stanley Cup Finals Game 1.”

The Grind Line played a key role in the Red Wings’ success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with its speed, energy, physicality and checking ability. It featured Kris Draper at center, Kirk Maltby at left wing and, initially, Joe Kocur and later Darren McCarty at right wing.

The four were honored Friday as Michigan Treasures during the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the MotorCity Casino Hotel Sound Board.

“It just goes to show you hockey is one of the ultimate team sports because as much as you need the Steve Yzermans, the (Nicklas) Lidstroms, the Shanahans and Fedorovs, you still need those guys that can do some of the lug work, kill penalties, sacrifice physically and things like that,” Maltby said. Scotty would be like, ‘Grind Line, go!’ That would be our cue to go over the boards. We had a lot of fun with it. It was something we never expected, but it was great.”

Continued

The Free Press’s Helene St. James wrote a subscriber-only article regarding the Red Wings’ power play, discussing the individuals who might make the Wings’ special teams work:

Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi haven’t appeared yet in exhibition season, but Blashill said they’re cleared for contact (Larkin suffered a neck injury in April; Bertuzzi hasn’t played since January and underwent back surgery in April) and that “we’d like to get those guys in a game here soon.”

That’s two spots accounted for. There’s also Pius Suter (a newcomer who looked dangerous on his unit Thursday), Robby Fabbri, Filip Zadina and Sam Gagner. Presuming he earns a contract, add Bobby Ryan. (That’s all the more likely with Jakub Vrana sidelined at least through January because of shoulder surgery.)

Michael Rasmussen, Adam Erne and Givani Smith are candidates for the net-front spots. Lucas Raymond and Joe Veleno, recent first-round draft picks, skated with the Grand Rapids group Friday, a sign that’s where they are likely to start the season. 

In addition to Leddy and Seider, Filip Hronek has run a power-play unit, but Blashill indicated Hronek may not play the point.

“At some point we’ll try Hronek on the flank, where he shoots the one timer,” Blashill said. “So we could have a unit with two D, potentially.”

Defenseman Jordan Oesterle is also slated to get a look running a unit.

St. James continues (paywall), discussing the importance of “sorting out” the power play before the regular season begins because it was so terrible last season.

Of prospect-related note in Major Junior hockey:

In the QMJHL, Jan Bednar stopped 23 of 25 shots as his Acadie-Bathurst Titan won 4-2 over Moncton;

Oscar Plandowski had an assist, finishing at +1 in the Charlottetown Islanders’ 4-2 win over Saint John;

In the OHL, Pasquale Zito had two assists, finished at +2 and went 6-for-14 on faceoffs as the Windsor Spitfires lost 5-4 to Oshawa;

In the WHL, Sebastian Cossa stopped 35 of 36 shots in the Edmonton Oil Kings’ 4-1 win over Red Deer;

Alex Cotton’s Lethbridge Hurricanes won 9-3 over Calgary;

Cross Hanas posted an assist, finishing at +1 with 8 shots as the Portland Winterhawks lost 5-4 in a shootout to Tri-City;

And in the BCHL, Kienan Draper scored a goal, finishing even with 2 penalties taken in the Chilliwack Chiefs’ 6-3 win over Coquitlam.

Red Wings prospect Filip Larsson pitched a 24-save shutout for HV71 of the Swedish Allsvenskan today, and he spoke with Aftonbladet’s Simon Norberg after the game regarding a number of topics, from beating AIK to his status as having gone back to Sweden after a rough couple of years in North America.

Here’s a rough translation of the relevant part of their conversation:

How did it come to be HV71 [as your team]?

“Now I wanted to come to a team that believes in me, gives me security. Now I know I’ll be in one place. It’s been back and forth a lot. I have had to work hard with the goaltending coach and have been a part of the team from the start, which I haven’t been in for two years. It feels really good. I have played good games in the preseason. I’m glad it turned out the way it did.”

What kind of dialogue do you have with Detroit?

“No dialogue at all.”

[What’s the situation with] your contract with the team?

“It’s the last year, so we’ll see. My focus is on here, and I just want to do as well as I can in the HV jersey.”

Despite the fact that he’s only played seven games for the Red Wings’ farm team during his [three-year] contract period, as well as another seven starts in the ECHL, Filip Larsson can add up a total of approximately 2.5 million Swedish Kronor [$285,330] in a signing bonus from the team by the time the agreement expires.

Larsson is right on the border line in terms of his status as a Red Wings prospect. If the Wings don’t re-sign him, the 23-year-old will become a free agent, and probably stay in Sweden, where he can make more than he would in the AHL or ECHL. If he does well enough with HV71 this year, he can “become relevant” again.

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan updates the respective injury statuses of Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi and Jonatan Berggren in his Friday notebook:

Blashill said forwards Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi have been cleared to play, and will likely be in the lineup soon. Exactly when remains to be seen. There is a chance both could play Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“We’d like to get those guys in a game here soon,” Blashill said.

Larkin suffered a neck injury late last season, while Bertuzzi is coming off back surgery. Both have been brought along gradually in training camp.

Forward Jonatan Berggren, who was injured during the prospects tournament, has begun practicing. He worked with the Grand Rapids Griffins’ group Friday. Blashill is hopeful Berggren will play at least one game this exhibition season.

“He’s moving toward being able to take contact,” Blashill said. “He said he’s feeling good so we’re hoping that he can move into the full practice. Then we’ll potentially try to get him into a game or two.”

Continued, with discussion of Nick Leddy’s role on the team, Vladislav Namestnikov’s desire to bounce back from a disappointing campaign, and the Wings’ practice lines

Maybe we can all agree that what happened to Jalen Smereck, a Detroit native, in the Ukrainian league, sucks. WXYZ’s Brad Galli and Jeanna Trotmann have more on the situation, including a conversation with Smereck:

As some of you on Twitter, Facebook, and of course the comments have noted, the Red Wings’ intrepid media corps, who are also called by the “Deep Diggers” by the brilliant Bill Houlihan of Abel to Yzerman, have more or less greased the wheels for this story to happen, and The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek believes there’s a logical fit for Bobby Ryan to return to the Red Wings for a second season, too:

The news that Jakub Vrana would require shoulder surgery and miss up to four months after getting injured in practice was devastating news for a Red Wings team that was counting on him for first-line production this year. But Vrana’s absence will almost certainly enhance the chances that Bobby Ryan will stick with the team, after joining them on a professional tryout. Ryan’s popularity in the dressing room makes him a logical signing at this stage.

Continued (paywall), with really good observations regarding the necessary evil that is preseason player evaluation against uneven competition…

MLive’s Ansar Khan filed a three-subject notebook article this afternoon, and in his article, he discusses new Red Wings defenseman Nick Leddy’s status as something of a mentor to his defensive partner, one Moritz Seider:

“My biggest message to Nick is just be who you are, be a great pro,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think talking is fine, but what really helps us is when you have great models, great examples that young guys follow.

“Seids has a lot of qualities of being a great pro in terms of his preparedness, his approach. He wants to be a great player. So, I don’t think he needs a ton of mentorship, but it’s certainly good to have a little balance of that.”

The pair made their preseason debut Thursday in a 6-2 victory over Buffalo, each logging more than 21 minutes in all situations while furthering their chemistry.

“We all know how special a player he is,” Leddy said. “He’s got size, he’s got a ton of skill, good skater, really good at making that first play. For me and him, it’s just talking out plays, communicating on and off the ice and really creating that chemistry together so we know what each other is going to do in certain spots throughout the ice and the game.

“I remember when I first got to Chicago looking up to Duncan Keith and all the stuff he’s taught me over the years. It was an older team when I got to Chicago, looking up to all those guys and learning from them was huge for me.”

Continued, with Larkin/Bertuzzi talk and practice lines…

Khan also reports that Saturday’s game is a Bally Sports Detroit Plus game, not a regular BSD game.