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!

Senators coach D.J. Smith tells Detroit News’s Falkner that Bobby Ryan will do well as a Red Wing

The Detroit News’s Mark Falkner spoke with Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith regarding Bobby Ryan’s signing with the Red Wings, and Smith suggests that Ryan will adapt well to his new surroundings:

It was nearly a year ago at Little Caesars Arena when Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith heard the news that forward Bobby Ryan had left the team indefinitely after the morning skate and wouldn’t be in that night’s lineup against the Detroit Red Wings.

Ryan checked himself right away into the National Hockey League/National Hockey League Players’ Association substance-abuse program on Nov. 20, 2019. Three months later, he returned and scored a hat trick in his first home game on Feb. 27, 2020.

Now, the 13-year veteran and the 2020 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner as the player who best exhibits perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication is continuing his comeback from alcohol addiction after signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Red Wings on the first day of free agency on Oct. 9.

“I wish Bobby all the best,” said Smith, who guided the rebuilding Senators to a 25-34-12 record in his rookie season last year, 23 points ahead of the last-place Red Wings (17-49-5, third-worst record in the franchise’s 94-year history).

“He played really well for us and he was a good guy in the room. It’s a fresh start for him in Detroit and I think he’ll have some success. If he gets a chance in the slot, he can score as well as anyone in the National Hockey League.”

Continued

Red Wings pay tribute to Justin Abdelkader’s tenure with the team

The Detroit Red Wings posted a Twitter video to pay tribute to Justin Abdelkader’s tenure with the team today:

Update: The Wings posted a YouTube video as a companion to their Tweets as well:

Roughly translated: Joe Veleno speaks with Hockeysverige.se

Red Wings prospect Joe Veleno has spoken with Hockeysverige.se’s Robin Olausson regarding his hopes of translating his time with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks into a spot with the Red Wings. Here’s a rough translation of his discussion:

“I want to dominate the SHL to earn a spot in the NHL”

Joe Veleno is on site in Sweden and has had his SHL debut yesterday.

Now he hopes that his time with the Malmö Redhawks will be a springboard for him to earn a spot with the Detroit Red Wings in the 2021-22 NHL season.

“I want to come here and show that I can dominate in the SHL, so that I can strengthen my chances for next season, and hopefully earn a spot in the NHL, the 20-year-old Canadian tells hockeysverige.se.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Joe Veleno speaks with Hockeysverige.se

Prospect round-up: Injuries, McCollum and Swedish prospect points

Of prospect-related note in Europe’s pro leagues today:

In the Finnish Liiga, Jared McIsaac remains sidelined as HPK lost 3-2 to Tappara;

In the ICE Hockey League, Michael Rasmussen remains out with an undisclosed injury as his Graz99ers lost 3-2 in OT to Foxes HCB;

There’s a new goaltender who’s standing in the way of Jesper Eliasson playing for the Red Bulls Salzburg–Tom McCollum, who served as the back-up today in Red Bulls Salzburg’s 4-1 loss to Kolner Haie;

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, William Wallinder had an assist and finished even in 11:58 played as MODO Hockey won 6-4 over Kristianstads IK;

In the Swedish J20 league, Elmer Soderblom scored a goal on 4 shots on goal, finishing even, and Theodor Niederbach scored a goal on 5 shots, finishing at +1 in the Frolunda Indians’ 7-2 loss to HV71.

Via Red Wings Prospects on Twitter, the reliable Antonj85 posted both Soderblom and Niederbach’s goal highlights:

Update: Kienan Draper’s Chilliwack Chiefs lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Surrey Eagles.

Kulfan profiles Jan Bednar

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan profiles Red Wings prospect goaltender Jan Bednar today:

At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he has the long body and athleticism teams covet. Scouts raved about Bednar’s ability to make outlandish, acrobatic saves – but are troubled by his tendency to get into funks where stoppable shots are missed. Still, what Bednar thinks is the strength of his game is his calmness.

“I’m a really calm goalie,” Bednar said. “I like puckhandling (and make) plays with the puck. I’m a big goalie and I like big goalies, and yes, I’m a little athletic. But it’s not the most important thing for me. I just think I’m calm in the net. (Because) I’m a big goalie, I need speed and agility and I (am) working on that this summer. I will be prepared for this season.”

Bednar’s favorites among current NHL goalies are Commerce’s Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg) and Braden Holtby (Vancouver).

Bednar played against men the last two years in the Czech pro league, competing against future and former NHL players. For a young, inexperienced goaltender, the opportunity was invaluable.

“It was a great experience,” Bednar said. “I played my first game as a 16-year-old so it was great experience for me. I would like thank Karlovy Vary (Bednar’s Czech team) for this chance and great experience.”

Continued

Khan profiles William Wallinder

MLive’s Ansar Khan profiles Red Wings second round draft pick William Wallinder today, discussing the big defenseman’s positive attributes:

“My skating is really an important thing,” the 6-4, 191-pound Wallinder said. “I try to always give 100 percent every shift, always do my best to help the team win. I’m just a good two-way defenseman that can play in every zone.”

Wallinder, 18, will need to utilize his size playing against men for Modo in Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second-highest division. That is where he spent half of 2019-20, after being promoted from the junior squad.

“He’s going to get tested night in and night out,” Kris Draper, Red Wings director of amateur scouting, said. “He knows he has to get stronger, but when you start talking about the size and the range, you look at some of the teams that were successful throughout the playoffs, they had a big D corps. That’s something we were talking about, but in the end … you’re not going to draft them just because they’re big, you want to draft them because they can skate, make a good first pass and that’s what we felt we got in William.”

Several projected Wallinder to be taken in the first round – NHL.com had him going 19th, TSN predicted he would be taken 26th.

Continued

It’s Swedish, but it’s interesting: Matias Brome engages in an interview with C More’s Niklas Wikegard while on a race track

Red Wings free agent signing Matias Brome spoke with C More’s Niklas Wikegard regarding a variety of topics today, and while the video of “Wikegard vs.” is both in Swedish and available only to C More subscribers, Brome posted a Twitter preview in which he and Wikegard race Porsches at a racetrack:

Red Wings’ Carley Johnston interviews Lucas Raymond on Instagram

DetroitRedWings.com’s Carley Johnston interviewed Wings prospect Lucas Raymond on Instagram this morning. The interview was posted on the Wings’ Instagram account, and it’s 21 minutes long:

97.1’s Burchfield profiles Red Wings prospect Jan Bednar

97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield profiles Red Wings draft pick Jan Bednar, a 6’4″ Czech goalie, this morning:

“I think I’m a really calm goalie,” he said on a Zoom call with local media Thursday, his first-ever interview in English. “I like puckhandling, (making) plays with the puck. I’m a big goalie and I like big goalies and yeah, I think I’m a little athletic, but it’s not the most important thing for me. I need speed. And I just think I’m so calm in the net.”

To that end, Bednar said he spent most of this summer working on his ‘speed and agility.’ Rebound control and active hands were two more points of focus. He played the past two seasons in the top professional league in the Czech Republic, making his first appearance at the age of 16. “It was great experience,” he said.

Bednar will spend the coming season with the Acadie–Bathurst Titan of Quebec Major Junior, after the club selected him second overall in this year’s CHL draft. He told reporters in July it will be a “good step” toward the NHL: “small rink, more shots, and many hard situations for goalies.”

There’s a lot to like about Bednar, and just as much room for Bednar to grow. He turned 18 in August and remains a long way from Detroit. He’s the youngest of a trio of goalies in the pipeline with big size and big(ish?) upside, after 21-year-old Keith Petruzzelli and 23-year-old Victor Brattstrom. They comprise the giant question mark in the crease for the Red Wings’ future.

Continued; here’s Bednar’s Zoom call: