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Prospect round-up: Setkov posts assist for Malmo; steady as she goes for Ocelari Trinec

Of prospect-related note this afternoon:

In the SHL, Malte Setkov had an assist and 2 shots in 17:45 of ice time as his Malmo Redhawks lost 5-3 to Leksands IF. Red Wings Prospects on Twitter posted a clip of Setkov’s assist:

And in the Czech Extraliga, the Filip Zadina-less Ocelari Trinec won 6-3 over HC Verva Litvinov. Ocelari had to dress an emergency back-up after starter Jakub Stepanek got hurt.

Via A2Y: Garrioch updates non-playoff teams’ hopes regarding holding a preseason tournament

This news comes to you via Paul of Abel to Yzerman on KK: the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch provides an update regarding the status of non-playoff teams’ attempts to hold a preseason tournament in order to shake off rust:

The seven teams that didn’t take part in the post-season, including Detroit, Los Angeles, San Jose, Anaheim, New Jersey and Buffalo, have all appealed to the league to at least be allowed to have a longer training camp than the other 24 teams that took part in the post-season.

The word amongst league executives is the initiative is being led by Anaheim GM Bob Murray and he’s been the one dealing with the NHL head office about the possibility. All seven teams have made it clear they feel it’s important because of the length of time between games for their players.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly indicated in an email Monday afternoon that teams like the Senators, Wings, Kings, Sharks, Ducks, Devils and Sabres could be granted a longer camp if the NHL Players’ Association agrees to it.

“Yes, we have been talking with the union about giving the seven clubs additional days of mandatory training camp period prior to the opening of the main camp,” Daly wrote to Postmedia from Edmonton. “Timing would be tied entirely to the opening of training camp so remains uncertain.”

An excellent profile of Manon Rheaume

The Detroit News’s Mark Falkner wrote an excellent article profiling hockey pioneer Manon Rheaume. The article’s a subscriber-only piece, but it explains Rheaume’s journey to playing an exhibition game for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1992, as well as her present-day status as a coach for the Little Caesars hockey program:

It was this week in 1992 (Sept. 23) when the 5-foot-7, 135-pound Rheaume stopped seven of nine shots in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues in Tampa, Florida. No other woman has played in any of the four major sports: the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB.

“It took me years to figure out that my story inspired people,” said Rheaume, now 48, living in Northville and in her fifth season as head coach of the girls’ under-12 team and female hockey coordinator with the Little Caesars’ program.

“When I was in Tampa Bay, I thought it was just a hockey story but it’s a story about having a passion for something and never giving up and breaking barriers and going after dreams, even if all the odds are against you.”

Rheaume was back on the ice and coaching at Oak Park Ice Arena this past weekend, wearing a black protective COVID-19 mask instead of her familiar goalie mask. She’s won four straight state titles and half of the players on the nationally ranked under-16 team which she coached in 2016 have commitments to play Division I hockey.

Continued (paywall)

The Athletic’s Mirtle joins the ‘buy out Justin Abdelkader’ chorus

On Monday, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox suggested that the Red Wings should bite the bullet and buy out Justin Abdelkader, even though his buyout would stay on the Wings’ contractual books for six long years, and today, The Athletic’s James Mirtle also suggests that the Wings buy Abdelkader out:

10. Justin Abdelkader, Detroit

Abdelkader had no goals and three points in 49 games last season while getting decent depth minutes. The Red Wings may be rebuilding and, as such, may not put a premium on having extra cap space right away, but surely there has to be a better use for these extra dollars they could free up than having him on the ice. Maybe they can take on some other bad contracts in exchange for getting assets? That would make sense. Unlikely this deal.

Existing cap hit: $4.25 million for the next three years
Buyout cap hit: $1.81 million next season, $2.31 million the following two years and $1.06 million the subsequent three years

Continued (paywall); I understand the concept of buying out Abdelkader for the sake of giving younger players ice time, but the Wings don’t actually save a lot of money by buying him out, and they could very well send him to Grand Rapids to play with the next generation of Red Wings.

In other words, I’m iffy on buying him out.

Jesper Eliasson’s bouncing around again

In my cursory glance at the international press this morning, I found an article on Hockeysverige.se in which Oscar Leibsch reports that Red Wings prospect netminder Jesper Eliasson is on the move again.

After playing for the Vaxjo Lakers’s SHL and under-20 teams, IK Oskarshamn of the Allsvenskan, Vaxjo’s under-20 team again, Vaxjo’s SHL team, and then Almtuna IS of the Allsvenskan, all over the past 2 seasons, it was assumed that he’d earn at least back-up work with Farjestad BK.

According to Leibsch, Eliasson is on the move again. He’s been loaned to BIK Karlskoga of the Allsvenskan for a week as BIK’s starter is hurt.

Eliasson needs some stability if he is to develop as a goaltender.

ESPN’s Peters forecasts first two rounds of the 2020 draft

ESPN’s Chris Peters posted a mock draft covering the 2020 edition of the “entry draft’s” first two rounds via an article for ESPN+. Because the Red Wings have 4 picks over the course of the draft’s first and second rounds, Peters lists four possible candidates that the Wings might draft:

Detroit Red Wings

4. Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw (OHL)
32. Justin Barron, D, Halifax (QMJHL)
45. Martin Chromiak, RW, Kingston (OHL)
56. Theodor Niederbach, C, Frolunda Jr. (Sweden Jr.)

For me, the players who sit at Nos. 4-12 on my board don’t have a ton of separation. If GM Steve Yzerman went defense, forward or even took a swing on the goaltender at No. 4, I wouldn’t bat an eye. But Perfetti is going to be the best player available in this range and offers a dynamic skill set the Red Wings desperately need.

In the second round, Detroit could definitely package things to trade back up into the first round if there’s a player it really likes — but there is still value to be had. Barron might not slip to the second round, but I think he’s a talented all-around blueliner. Chromiak and Niederbach are longer-term prospects who are going to need some nurturing, but their ceilings are quite high.

Continued (paywall); once again, Cole Perfetti is linked to the Wings…

Khan begins ranking the Wings’ top prospects

MLive’s Ansar Khan is taking on the task of ranking the Red Wings’ “Top 20 prospects,” and this morning, he discusses his 16th through 20th-ranked players. I would argue that #19’s development is absolutely critical to the future of the Wings’ goaltending position:

19. Keith Petruzzelli, goaltender

Height/Weight: 6-5/185

Drafted: Third round 2017 (No. 88)

2019-20 club: Quinnipiac (ECAC)

2019-20 stats: 34 GP, 21-10-2, 2.01 GAA, .920 save percentage

Tall, lanky goaltender who got better in each of his three seasons in college. He matured physically and mentally since being drafted and improved his work ethic, realizing the kind of commitment needed to have a chance to reach the next level. NHL Central Scouting rated him as the No. 2 North American goalie in his draft year and Red Line Report praised his quickness, athleticism and fundamentals, noting that he has learned to use his size to his advantage and not scramble as much.


Continued

Two tidbits as to where the Red Wings may be leaning at the draft, via Ottawa Senators scribes

The Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators are going to be inextricably linked in the 2020 NHL draft for a simple reason: Detroit’s 4th overall pick is sandwiched between two Senators first-rounders, at 3rd and 5th.

Just as the Senators will take “whoever the Kings don’t pick” 2nd overall–i.e. Tim Stuetzle or Quinton Byfield–the Senators will also be taking “whoever the Red Wings don’t pick” 4th overall.

As a result, we’re getting some hints as to who the Red Wings might be leaning toward drafting per Ottawa scribes.

The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch penned an excellent draft summary which suggests that the Red Wings are going to go with defenseman Jamie Drysdale at #4…Maybe…

Continue reading Two tidbits as to where the Red Wings may be leaning at the draft, via Ottawa Senators scribes

Kyle Quincey will talk about painkillers in a TSN special

Former Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey will be among the featured guests in a TSN special airing at 7 PM EDT on Tuesday (in Canada), The Problem of Pain. TSN’s Rick Westhead will discuss the issue of painkillers and pain management in a league where everybody is playing hurt at one point or another:

A little help from my friends = An interesting Jacob Markstrom rumor

Take this for what you will: Via TSN 1260 Edmonton’s Jason Gregor and NHL.com/InGoal guru Kevin Woodley, and posted via my Twitter pals Mike “The Vyrus,” Ryan Hana and the excellent Winged Wheel Podcast…

This hit the wires while I was taking my pre-game nap:

Markstrom is 30, and the 6’6,” 206-pound goaltender posted a 2.73 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage over the course of 44 games, going 23-16-and-4, all while earning $4 million on a $3.66 million cap hit. He went 8-5-and-1 in the bubble as well…

I’m not sure that the Red Wings need to spend $6 million on a goaltender when they have Bernier emerging as a starter, but having a platoon system of Markstrom and Bernier as 1A/1B is intriguing to me.

Woodley doesn’t screw around when it comes to rumors, and he’s Vancouver-based, so this is a reliable tip.