Author: George Malik

Of Red Wings-related note from The Athletic this morning:

1. The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted an article in which he attempts to discern the Red Wings’ level of offseason improvement by Game Value Score Added, and here’s the introduction to said article:

NHL.com is posting offseason updates on each and every one of the NHL’s 31 teams, and this morning, NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika discusses the Red Wings‘ changes:

The Detroit Red Wings made several changes after they had a .275 points percentage last season (17-49-5), the worst in the NHL since the salary cap was introduced in 2005-06.

“We’re looking to upgrade every aspect of our team,” general manager Steve Yzerman said.

The additions were one- or two-year commitments to players who bring experience: forwards Bobby Ryan and Vladislav Namestnikov; defensemen Jon Merrill, Marc Staal and Troy Stecher; and goalie Thomas Greiss.

The idea was to improve in the short term and maintain flexibility for the medium and long terms. Early in their rebuild, the Red Wings want to buy time for prospects to develop with the NHL salary cap remaining at $81.5 million this season.

“I think we’re just trying to move cautiously,” Yzerman said. “The climate we’re in, with uncertainty with our salary cap in years to come, we just felt like this is a good way to go. We’re prepared to sign players to longer-term contracts, including our own players, but we’re going to just move slowly for the time being and be careful about handing out long-term deals.”

Continued

You and I both know that Tyler Bertuzzi and the Red Wings made it to salary arbitration today, but between the last CBA and the slightly sketchy wording of the NHL and NHLPA’s Memorandum of Understanding, you may have questions as to where things go from here. That’s where the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan comes in:

Under the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement, an arbitrator must decide within 48 hours of the hearing’s conclusion. But unlike in years past, the team and the player are no longer permitted to continue negotiating after the session begins.

The arbitrator’s decision will be for a one-year deal, and not necessarily what the team or player submitted; it could be somewhere in between. Bertuzzi will be a restricted free agent again next offseason.

Bertuzzi was the first player to have his case get to the actual arbitration process this season. Sam Reinhart (Buffalo), Ilya Mikheyev (Toronto) and Jake Virtanen (Vancouver), were notable restricted free agents who worked out new contracts with their teams.

Kulfan also notes that Anthony Mantha and Dmytro Timashov remain restricted free agents, though he’s reporting that there are rumblings that Timashov will play in Russia. The last I heard, Timashov, who is a Ukrainian-born Swede, is in fact training with Djurgardens IF in Stockholm, Sweden.

The reason he hasn’t signed with Djurgarden is that the SHL is requiring players who ink deals with their teams to remain there through the duration of the SHL season, regardless of whether the NHL actually gets down to playing this year.

As for Bertuzzi’s ruling, my best bet is that it comes down tomorrow, because I have to take my uncle in for a bone marrow test at Beaumont at 11 AM. I’ll be on the road from about 9 till 3 or 4, though MOONSHOT will be coming with me.

Red Wings prospect Moritz Seider spoke with Hockeynews.se’s Mattias Persson today regarding his situation playing with Rogle BK of the SHL as an alternative to waiting for the German league to start up. What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:

Moritz Seider: “It’s the prfect solution to preapre me for the NHL”

He is seen as one of the Detroit Red Wings’ biggest hopes for the future, and he is expected to be an up-and-coming big defenseman in the NHL.

But first, 19-year-old Moritz Seider will make an impression in the SHL and Rögle.

“I think I’m getting the the best possible preparation here, he says to HockeyNews.se.

Of European prospect-related note this morning:

In the ICE Hockey League, the game between Jesper Eliasson’s Red Bulls Salzburg and the Bratislava Capitals was cancelled due to coronavirus issues…

Just as last night’s BCHL game between Kienan Draper’s Chilliwack Chiefs and the Surrey Eagles was postponed due to a positive test on Surrey…

And no Red Wings prospects play on Linkopings HC, but Aftonbladet reports that the SHL team has been struck by at least 20 coronavirus cases, which will affect upcoming games vs. Red Wings prospects;

In actual hockey news, in the Swedish J20 league, William Wallinder registered a goal and an assist as MODO Hockey won 7-5 over Mora IK;

And Theodor Niederbach had a goal and 3 assists in the Frolunda Indians’ 5-4 win over Vaxjo. Niederbach has 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points registered over the course of 15 games played for Frolunda’s J20 team;

Per AntonJ85, here’s Wallinder’s goal for MODO…

From Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman:

Told no settlement between DET and Tyler Bertuzzi. As per new rules, there cannot be one after the hearing begins.— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 25, 2020

The arbitration hearing between the Detroit Red Wings and Tyler Bertuzzi is currently ongoing – it started at 9am ET.

As a reminder, the Red Wings filed for $3.15M and the player filed for $4.25M. https://t.co/BnmUVKdI4j— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) October 25, 2020

I spent my Saturday working in shifts, starting at 9 AM, covering the exploits of the Red Wings’ European-playing prospects, and then watching Twitter for news regarding Tyler Bertuzzi’s imminent arbitration hearing with the Red Wings.

I did not assume that Bertuzzi and his agent, Todd Reynolds of Uptown Hockey (per PuckPedia), would actually get to the point that they’d head to a Zoom-facilitated arbitration hearing against the Red Wings tomorrow at 9 AM, but as of Saturday at 10:30 PM, it appears that the Bertuzzi and the Wings will be presenting briefs to support their arbitration “asks” unless there’s a contractual agreement in the next 11 hours.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported both sides’ positions on Thursday:

The New York Post’s Larry Brooks spoke with a source regarding yesterday’s NHL General Managers’ conference call, and Brooks’ source reports this regarding the shape of training camp for the 2020-2021 season–and he adds a note regarding the NHL’s not-playoff teams (like the Red Wings):

Training camp would be 14 days and include a maximum of 35 players (skaters plus goaltenders).

A nine-day conditioning camp including up to 35 players (skaters and goaltenders) for draft selections, entry-level players and tryouts, may be scheduled prior to camp. Players participating in conditioning camp must also be invited to the main camp.

The seven clubs that did not make the 24-team summer tournament, and thus have not been on the ice since the mid-March pause of the 2019-20 season, will be granted an additional week-to-10 days of camp.

The plan is to play three or four exhibition games per team.

Continued

Of prospect-related note on a busy Saturday afternoon:

In the SHL, as noted in .gif form earlier today: Jonatan Berggren dominated Skelleftea AIK’s 5-4 loss to Moritz Seider and Rogle BK, but Rogle prevailed with a late goal. Berggren registered 3 assists, 1 shot and a +1 in 16:42 for Skelleftea; Seider scored a goal and added an assist for Rogle, finishing at +3 in 18:23 played:

Aftonbladet’s Mats Wennerholm posted a column praising Red Wings prospect Jonatan Berggren for his fast start in the SHL this season. Here’s a rough translation thereof: