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!

Talking about the Red Wings…Totem pole and/or leadership hierarchy

Red Wings coach Todd McLellan was asked to weigh in on Dylan Larkin’s press conference comment that he’s now “on the bottom of the totem pole” in terms of the team’s hierarchy after having relinquished the captaincy due to his trade demands.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith took note of coach McLellan’s response:

‘We’re all on the totem pole, and there can only be one guy on top. Is it Mo? Is it Cat?,’ Said McLellan, ‘Is it Razor? We can be interchangeable pieces on the top and everywhere else on the pole… Other guys have to step up in moments and provide that leadership.’

The Red Wings and Larkin find themselves in an odd transitional period as they await a new general manager, and potentially a new home for Larkin. Where that leaves the rest of the Red Wings roster is still in flux. But one way or another, the team will need to sort its own problems out over the NHL’s newly shortened training camp schedule.

‘I think I said this in the past- We do pick the team, but we don’t really pick the team,’ Said McLellan, ‘The players do. They’re going to sort themselves out, and we need the best version of the Red Wings we can possibly find.’

Continued; everybody’s going to have to row the boat in the same direction, Larkin included for as long as he’s here, or the Wings will go nowhere, fast.

Then there’s this:

Video: Ben Chiarot, J.T. Compher and coach Todd McLellan speak for 29:35

The Red Wings posted a 29:35 super-cut of Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot, forward J.T. Compher and coach Todd McLellan all speaking with the media on Thursday afternoon:

Update: The Free Press’s Helene St. James did post an 8:40 clip of coach McLellan’s press conference, too.

Keeping an eye on Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson

The Score’s Kyle Cushman makes suggestions as to which prospects fans should keep a close eye upon during the NHL’s truncated preseason, and Cushman zeros in on Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson as Detroit’s representative to watch:

Detroit Red Wings

Nate Danielson. The 2023 ninth overall pick played 28 games with Detroit last season but was sent back down in January. The forward needs to play his way into the Red Wings’ lineup soon.

Danielson turns 22 on September 27th, and the 6’2,” 187-pound center does need to take a step forward after suffering a hip injury and/or stress fracture which truncated last season.

‘You don’t want to get hated on by that fanbase; there’s another fanbase that will love you’

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin spoke with a host of players taking part in the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour at the start of September, and Larkin addressed the fact that more and more NHL players are demanding and/or asking for trades, including disgruntled Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin.

Alex DeBrincat was asked to weigh in on the sticky wicket, and he offered this commentary:

The public-opinion element is very real, and it’s one reason DeBrincat supports Larkin. DeBrincat wasn’t popular in Ottawa after he decided the Senators were no longer the right fit for him, so it’s only fair he sympathizes for Larkin.

“The backlash is a part of it, but you can block it out,” DeBrincat said. “Obviously you want to do anything for your family or yourself to make yourself happy. You’re not just going to sit somewhere you’re not happy with for X amount of years just because you don’t want to get hated on by that fanbase. There’s another fanbase that will love you. It’s not always that easy, but I don’t think you can totally take just the fans’ words for it. You feel their frustration. You know why they’re frustrated. It’s not the easiest thing for you going through, but it is ultimately what you felt you needed to do at the time, and you’ve got to live with that.”

Continued at length, including some comments from NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly; this is a very, very good examination of the “player empowerment” phenomenon. At least some of the players seem to understand that it’s a two-way street.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard enters his sophomore season as highly-regarded by Griffins coach Dan Watson

Red Wings prospect forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard had an up-and-down 14-game stint with Detroit last season, posting 1 assist in 14 games…But MBN headed down to Grand Rapids and posted a 20-goal, 44-point season for the Griffins over the course of 60 games played.

Heading into his sophomore season, it’s believed that the Red Wings will give Brandsegg-Nygard a better shot to create offense and physicality after losing Patrick Kane’s services and declining to re-sign James van Riemsdyk…

And Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen reports that MBN comes highly recommended and highly-regarded by Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson:

“He should be ready, in my opinion,” Watson said during the NHL Prospects Tournament. “He was our best player in the playoffs, and he has the ability to play physical hockey.”

The hard-hitting Norwegian may not need Watson’s support because the man making the final roster decision is Detroit’s interim GM Shawn Horcoff. He was GM of the Griffins team last season. Horcoff appreciates that MBN’s toolbox could be an asset for this Red Wings group. Plus, Horcoff seems inspired to change the look of this team.

Brandsegg-Nygard delivers goals and hits. The Red Wings are looking for help in both of those categories this season as they try to find a formula that will return them to the playoffs.

Continue reading Michael Brandsegg-Nygard enters his sophomore season as highly-regarded by Griffins coach Dan Watson

Time to hit the ‘reset’ button?

Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon offers his first set of power rankings as training camps open today, and I guess I can’t disagree with the spot in which he places the Wings, all things considered:

25. Detroit Red Wings Until there’s resolution on Dylan Larkin’s future, it’s hard to know what to make of the Wings. Detroit is thin down the middle with Larkin and, obviously, it gets way worse — depending on the return — if he leaves. Hard as it is for playoff-starved Wings fans to hear, a small reset might be in order. 

Continued; I’m not certain whether fans can stomach another reset, never mind a rebuild.

Dylan Larkin and Shawn Horcoff speak with the Red Wings’ media corps, reveal absolutely nothing

Updated 8x at 1:27 PM: Here’s 12:41 of an uncomfortable press conference (if you want a shorter version, the Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a 6:57 clip):

Update #4: Here’s the Free Press’s Helene St. James in text form:

Asked what triggered the request, Larkin said that, “There’s a lot there. A lot of personal stuff. To be honest with you − I’m going to try and be honest with you guys today. And that’s as far as I’ll go on that.

“I understand that there’s answers that fans and people that care about this organization around the world want to know. But I’m really not ready to go there. It’s maybe something that I may never be. And it wasn’t easy to get to that decision. It was very hard. It wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. I don’t take what I did lightly. I got to that point and, you know, I’m not quite ready to talk about it.”

Continue reading Dylan Larkin and Shawn Horcoff speak with the Red Wings’ media corps, reveal absolutely nothing

Tweets of note from the first day of the Red Wings’ 2026 training camp: Edvinsson present as camp gets underway

Updated 7x at 1:58 PM: The Detroit Red Wings hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena for the first day of their 2026 training camp this morning.

Here are the Tweets/X posts of note from this morning and early afternoon.

This post will be updated repeatedly, so “stay tuned!”

(training camp is supposed to start at 10 AM each day, but the goaltenders tend to work with goalie coaches starting around 9:30 AM)

Also: no surprise here:

Continue reading Tweets of note from the first day of the Red Wings’ 2026 training camp: Edvinsson present as camp gets underway

Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond can still improve this upcoming season

The Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak posted an article which discusses Red Wings players who have the opportunity to step up and provide Detroit with depth and scoring “pop” this upcoming season.

Three of the players who Wolak profiles are younger prospects–Marco Kasper, Axel Sandin Pellikka and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard–but one player is already an integral part of the roster:

Lucas Raymond

Only 24, Lucas Raymond has already established himself as one of Detroit’s most important offensive players. Now, he needs to prove he can carry that responsibility regardless of what happens with Dylan Larkin.

Raymond has shown he can produce alongside an elite center, but the next step is demonstrating that he can consistently drive offense himself. If Larkin is no longer in Detroit, Raymond could become the team’s most important offensive catalyst. To do so, he needs to demonstrate that he can create chances, facilitate offense, and make the players around him better – in addition to scoring more himself.

His shot volume will also be worth monitoring. Raymond’s shots per 60 at five on five declined from 7.1 in 2024-25 to 6.2 in 2025-26, which raises the question about whether he can consistently put pressure on opposing defenses. He has the skill to be a high-end offensive player, but 2026-27 represents an opportunity to show he is a complete, healthy, and well-rounded forward capable of being the centerpiece of Detroit’s offense.

Continued; Raymond had his best season statistically last year, posting 51 assists and 76 points, but Raymond also dropped from 31 goals in 2023-2024 to 27 in 2024-2025, and then 25 goals last year.

Everybody around him, including Red Wings coach Todd McLellan, agrees that Raymond’s been deferring to his excellent passing skills instead of shooting enough to return to his 30+-goal form, and firing one or two more shots on the net per game will truly afford Raymond the ability to drive play on his own.