Author: George Malik

Updated at 7:53 PM: New Red Wings forward James van Riemsdyk spoke with the media today, and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan noted that the big power forward has been rumored to be coming to Detroit for multiple seasons now:

“Kind of funny, back a few years ago it seemed like it was a team that was interested in bringing me aboard,” said van Riemsdyk Wednesday in a Zoom call with Detroit media. “Going through the free-agency process, when they started showing some interest, it seemed like a good fit. The trajectory of the team, they’re trying to make a push and the playoffs next year, all the history of being an Original Six place. That was super exciting. I have a lot of familiarity with the team, too. It checked a lot of boxes.”

The Wings are looking for van Riemsdyk, 36, to supply offense in the middle of their forward lineup. Last season in Columbus, van Riemsdyk had 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points, in 71 games. He has scored at least 11 goals every year of his 16-year NHL career.

Being in the NHL that long, van Riemsdyk is confident he can adapt to whatever coach Todd McLellan needs from him.

“Especially over the last few years, as you kind of get older in your career, you kind have a calling card as a player,” van Riemsdyk said. “You have to find ways to get a bit more versatile and add value in different ways to a team, being able to contribute in different ways. I’ve been able to add different things to my game that make me play in different spots all over the lineup. You balance those things to playing your identity and calling card and being adaptable and versatile and being able to play different types of roles.”

Here’s more from 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield:

The Detroit Red Wings have confirmed the signing of center Mason Appleton to a 2-year, $2.9 million AAV contract:

RED WINGS SIGN MASON APPLETON TO TWO-YEAR CONTRACT

  … Michigan State University Product Has Skated in 400 Games with Winnipeg Jets and Seattle Kraken Since 2018-19 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Mason Appleton to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.9 million.

Appleton, 29, spent the 2024-25 season with the Winnipeg Jets, recording 22 points (10-12-22), a plus-seven rating and 22 penalty minutes in 71 regular-season games. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound forward also finished with seven assists and 14 penalty minutes in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Appleton played the 2023-24 season with the Jets and set career highs in games played (82), goals (14), assists (22), points (36), plus/minus (+16), power play goals (2), shots (122), hits (107), blocks (44) and average time on ice (16:03). He also registered two assists and six penalty minutes in five postseason contests. Originally selected by Winnipeg in the sixth round (168th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Appleton has collected 138 points (57-81-138), a plus-35 rating and 124 penalty minutes in 400 games with the Jets and Seattle Kraken since 2018-19. Appleton also tallied 99 points (37-62-99), a plus-five rating and 81 penalty minutes in 120 games with the American Hockey League’s Manitoba Moose from 2017-20, earning a place on the AHL’s First All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team in 2017-18. He was named the recipient of the 2017-18 Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding rookie after leading all freshmen in assists (44) and points (66) in 76 games.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff took note of the fact that Red Wings prospect and 2025 draft pick Michal Pradel has his “pick of the litter” after being selected by the WHL’s Regina Pats in the CHL Import draft today:

In all likelihood, he’ll be back again playing for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL.

“Yeah, probably yes,” Pradel said. “I like Tri-City so much. They gave me a lot of games in a short amount of time. So I really like it there.”

Unless . . .

“We will see what is happening also in the CHL Draft,” Pradel was adding quickly.

Well, something happened, and it happened quickly. The WHL Regina Pats made Pradel the fourth overall selection of Thursday’s draft.

Now, when it comes to his decision as to where he’ll play next season, Pradel is a young man with options.

Continued

97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield notes this about Red Wings forward Elmer Soderblom, who signed a 2-year, $2.5 million contract with the Red Wings earlier today…

A 6’8 forward who’s come a long way since being drafted in the sixth-round in 2019, Söderblom scored four goals and 11 points in 26 games with the Wings last season, earning more ice time in March and April. His size and improved skating made him an effective fore-checker. He also has some skill to make plays, which earned him a look at one point on Detroit’s top line.

It was a modest but important step forward for a player who spent all of the season prior in Grand Rapids after debuting with the Red Wings in 2022-23. When he finally got another look last season following the team’s coaching change from Derek Lalonde to Todd McLellan, Söderblom didn’t disappoint.

“It feels like my confidence got better and better during my time here,” he said at the end of the season. “I’m looking forward to next season to prove even more.”

Söderblom missed the final three games of the season with an injury, but will be good to go for training camp.

“I want to keep working on every detail,” he said. “It takes a lot of small details to play in this league. Be physical and use my size to my advantage, and keep playing my game.”

And Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff added this:

“There’s big players in the NHL,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said. “Some don’t have the hands, or the instincts, and size just becomes one-dimensional. I think Elmer has the other tools to go with it. Once he learns to use it effectively and to leverage it against defensive players while he’s looking for people to make plays to or timing, and using it and getting to the net, it can be a factor. He grew up on a different sheet of ice, game’s played a little bit differently. He’s had enough time to come over and adapt, and learn to react at the American League level.”

Soderblom believes that another factor is turning him into an NHLer. It’s learning how to be a consistent, reliable presence in the lineup.

“I think just the everyday, like the way you play every day, you have to find a way to play for 82 games,” Soderblom explained. “You have to find a way to be consistent. I think a lot of the veteran guys know how to do that. I mean, they bring something to the table every night, so I think just find a way to be consistent. It’s going to be huge for me, and I think that’s a step in the right direction.”

The Detroit Red Wings’ 2025 Summer Development Camp will end with a 4-on-4 game which will take place tomorrow at 10 AM, to be streamed on DetroitRedWings.com. The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with goaltender Rudy Guimond and forward Grayden Robinson-Palmer, who held media availabilities today, regarding their experiences at camp:

“I came in with the expectation to learn from the coaches and management staff, but also to learn from these amazing players that are here with me,” said Robertson-Palmer, a center who has gotten skating tips from Daniel Cleary. “I’ve gotten that opportunity. It’s been a lot of fun. I like it.”

Robertson-Palmer is joined at this camp by goaltender Rudy Guimond (2023 sixth round). The two Wings draft picks will be teammates in junior hockey in Moncton next season.

“I met him here for the first time and he seems a great guy,” Robertson-Palmer said. “I’m kind of excited to have that older mentor there who is familiar with Detroit. He’ll be a 20-year-old, overage (player). He’s a goalie but he can help me with advice, how to train or how to become a pro.”

Robertson-Palmer is excited to play under Moncton coach Gardiner MacDougall, who led Moncton to a QMJHL championship and was named junior coach of the year in the Canadian Hockey League.

“He’s an interesting guy,” said Guimond, who was 16-0-0 in the regular season with a .940 save percentage. “The big thing is he tailors his way of doing things toward the person that you are, so he gets the best out of all his guys. That’s really impressive.”

Goaltender Rudy Guimond and forward Grayden Robinson-Palmer spoke with the Red Wings’ media corps today:

The Detroit Red Wings have upgraded their bottom-six, signing 29-year-old center Mason Appleton, who stands at 6’2″ and 194 pounds. PuckPedia reports that it’s a 2-year, $2.9 million contract:

The #LGRW signed 29 y/o UFA F Mason Appleton to 2 year $2.9M Cap Hit Deal

Year 1 $3M
Year 2 $2.8M

Rep'd by Ritch Winter Raze

10G 22P in 71 GPhttps://t.co/sVPxiiUuhK

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 2, 2025

5:46 PM: It’s official:

UPDATE: The #RedWings have signed forward Mason Appleton to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2,900,000. pic.twitter.com/yQO7G4t24d

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 2, 2025

🍎‼️ pic.twitter.com/I8YPLCixb4

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 2, 2025

Update: Illegal Curve’s Dave Minuk speaks glowingly of Appleton:

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS SIGN JOHN LEONARD TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

  … Forward Scored 36 Goals in 72 Games with AHL’s Charlotte Checkers in 2024-25 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward John Leonard to a one-year contract with an average annual value of $775,000.

Leonard, 26, spent the 2024-25 season with the American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers and ranked among the team leaders with 36 goals (1st), 25 assists (3th), 61 points (1st), a plus-21 rating (3rd), 10 power play goals (1st), 24 power play points (2nd), five shorthanded goals (1st), eight game-winning goals (1st), two overtime goals (T1st) and 252 shots (1st) in 72 regular-season games. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound forward represented the Checkers at the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic and earned a place on the AHL’s Second All-Star Team. Leonard also recorded 14 points (8-6-14) and 18 penalty minutes in 18 postseason contests, helping the Checkers reach the Calder Cup Finals. Leonard split the 2023-24 campaign between the Arizona Coyotes and AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, netting one goal in six appearances with the Coyotes. He also tallied 32 points (12-20-32) and 24 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Roadrunners in 2023-24. Originally selected by the San Jose Sharks in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Leonard has registered 17 points (6-11-17) and four penalty minutes in 70 games with the Sharks, Nashville Predators and Coyotes since 2020-21. Leonard has also compiled 171 points (83-88-171) and 66 penalty minutes in 249 AHL games with the San Jose Barracuda, Milwaukee Admirals, Roadrunners and Checkers. He is the older brother of Ryan Leonard, who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round (8th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

A native of Westwood, N.J., Leonard played three seasons at the University of Massachusetts prior to turning professional, recording 105 points (56-49-105), a plus-30 rating and 42 penalty minutes in 106 games from 2017-20. Leonard earned First Team All-American and All-Hockey East First Team honors after leading the NCAA with 27 goals in 33 games as a junior in 2019-20. He was also named to the All-Hockey East Second Team as a sophomore after helping the Minutemen win a Hockey East regular-season championship in 2018-19. Leonard spent two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Hockey League from 2015-17, logging 43 points (24-19-43), a plus-four rating and 30 penalty minutes in 106 games. Additionally, Leonard played three seasons at Springfield (Mass.) Cathedral High from 2012-15, totaling 151 points (91-60-151) in 72 games. On the international stage, Leonard represented Team USA at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, finishing with two points (1-1-2) in four games. 

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS SIGN JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

  … 16-Year NHL Veteran Has Recorded 665 Points in 1,082 Games with Flyers, Maple Leafs, Bruins and Blue Jackets Since 2009-10 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward James van Riemsdyk to a one-year contract with a cap hit of $1 million.

Van Riemsdyk, 36, skated in 71 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season and ranked among the team leaders with 16 goals (8th), 20 assists (9th), 36 points (7th), two game-winning goals (T6th) and an 18.8 shooting percentage (2nd). The 6-foot-3, 209-pound forward played in his NHL-record eighth career outdoor game at the 2025 Stadium Series on March 1 at Ohio Stadium. Van Riemsdyk spent the 2023-24 campaign with the Boston Bruins, recording 38 points (11-27-38), a plus-seven rating and 20 penalty minutes in 71 regular-season games, in addition to five points (1-4-5) in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Originally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, van Riemsdyk has compiled 665 points (327-338-665) and 417 penalty minutes in 1,082 games with the Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Bruins and Blue Jackets since 2009-10. He has also produced 36 points (21-15-36) and 22 penalty minutes in 82 postseason games, helping the Flyers reach the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. Van Riemsdyk made his professional debut with the American Hockey League’s Philadelphia Phantoms in 2008-09, logging two points (1-1-2), a plus-two rating and two penalty minutes in seven regular-season games before skating in four Calder Cup Playoff contests.

Prior to turning professional, van Riemsdyk played two seasons at the University of New Hampshire from 2007-09, racking up 74 points (28-46-74), a plus-28 rating and 89 penalty minutes in 67 games. Van Riemsdyk earned a place on the All-Hockey East Second Team as a sophomore after tallying 40 points (17-23-40), a plus-15 rating and 47 penalty minutes in 36 games during the 2008-09 season. He was also selected to the Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team after helping the Wildcats win a Hockey East regular-season championship in 2007-08. The Middletown, N.J., native skated with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2005-07. On the international stage, van Riemsdyk has played with Team USA at two IIHF World Championships (2011, 2019), combining for six points (3-3-6) in 10 games. He also represented his country at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, picking up one assist in three appearances. Van Riemsdyk competed with Team USA at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where he recorded seven points (1-6-7), a plus-seven rating and two penalty minutes in six games. He skated with Team USA at three-consecutive IIHF World Junior Championships from 2007-09, winning a bronze medal at the 2007 tournament. Additionally, van Riemsdyk played in back-to-back IIHF World Under-18 Championships from 2006-07, capturing a gold medal in 2006 along with a silver medal and Most Valuable Player honors in 2007.

Per the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS RE-SIGN ELMER SÖDERBLOM TO TWO-YEAR CONTRACT

  … 6-Foot-8 Forward Has Recorded 19 Points in 47 Games with Detroit Since 2022-23 …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today re-signed forward Elmer Söderblom to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.125 million.

Söderblom, 23, played in 26 games with the Red Wings during the 2024-25 season, recording 11 points (4-7-11), a plus-two rating, six penalty minutes, 38 shots and 43 hits in 13:22 average time on ice. The 6-foot-8, 246-pound forward also logged 17 points (5-12-17), a plus-four rating and 29 penalty minutes in 38 regular-season games with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins in 2024-25. Söderblom spent the entire 2023-24 campaign with the Griffins, setting career highs in games played (61), goals (13), assists (16), points (29), power play goals (3), game-winning goals (3) and shots (114). He also registered two points (1-1-2) in seven Calder Cup Playoff games, helping the Griffins reach the Central Division Finals. Selected by the Red Wings in the sixth round (159th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Söderblom has tallied 19 points (9-10-19), a plus-two rating and 14 penalty minutes in 47 NHL games since 2022-23. Söderblom has also compiled 54 points (23-31-54), a plus-two rating and 47 penalty minutes in 119 AHL games with the Griffins.

Prior to arriving in North America, Söderblom played in parts of three seasons in the Swedish Hockey League with Frölunda HC, based out of his hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden. Söderblom totaled 38 points (24-14-38) and 14 penalty minutes in 90 games in Sweden’s top professional league from 2019-22. He helped Frölunda HC win a Champions Hockey League title in 2020. Söderblom also recorded 76 points (40-36-76) and 22 penalty minutes in 87 games with Frölunda HC’s under-20 squad, in addition to 53 points (26-27-53) and 14 penalty minutes in 60 games with the under-18 team and 93 points (62-31-93) and 49 penalty minutes in 78 games at the under-16 level. On the international stage, Söderblom represented Sweden at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship along with Red Wings teammates Lucas Raymond and Albert Johansson, collecting three points (2-1-3) in five games. Söderblom won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2019 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, netting one goal in seven appearances. He also captured a silver medal at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, finishing with three points (1-2-3) in five contests.