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Evening news: on Barry Trotz and Erik Karlsson (hypothetically), Jimmy Howard’s home run derby on Friday, oodles of draft talk and Tweets of note

Of disparate Red Wings-related note this evening:

1. In the hypothetical news department, part 1: The Hockey News’s Jared Clinton wonders aloud whether the Red Wings might deviate from their Blashill plan now that Barry Trotz is available as a coaching unrestricted free agent:

DETROIT RED WINGS
The Jeff Blashill experiment in Detroit hasn’t worked out as well as the Red Wings had hoped. Sure, Detroit lost Pavel Datsyuk and some of the Red Wings’ top talent began to enter into the twilight of their careers, but Blashill’s 63-75-26 record over the past two seasons is underwhelming and there’s been little sign that things are getting better. In fact, Detroit actually took a six-point step backwards last season, which isn’t exactly the direction the franchise wants to be moving in. And while there aren’t many coaches who could get this underachieving group back on track, Trotz may be one of them. After all, he had some success with arguably less-talented rosters during his time in Nashville.

The door seems wide open for Detroit to find Blashill’s successor, too. With the departure of Todd Nelson, who joined the Dallas Stars’ staff this summer, there’s no readymade in-house candidate to replace Blashill. Trotz, though, could be just what the doctor ordered for the Red Wings. But the biggest question might be one of money. CapFriendly lists Blashill’s salary at $800,000 per season, so bringing Trotz aboard at his reported top-tier asking price would mean a sizeable increase in spending behind the bench. If they were willing to attempt to keep Mike Babcock, though, the Red Wings might also be willing to spend to bring a comparably successful coach to town.

I don’t see Ken Holland deviating from his plan, but that’s just my opinion…

2. In the hypothetical news department, part 2: the Ottawa Sun’s Chris Stevenson spun some trade scenarios regarding Erik Karlsson, including possible trades to New York or Detroit…

For the record, the NHL teams with the largest current stockpiles of top picks include the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings

The Rangers hold three first-round choices, two second-round selections and two third-round spots in this weekend’s draft. They also have a first-round selection and two second-round picks next summer. They also have the bankroll to sign a marquee name.

Detroit also has seven picks in the first three rounds this weekend, including two first-round choices. Come 2019, they, like the Rangers, own three selections in the first two rounds.

Karlsson to the Red Wings is an intriguing idea, if only because Detroit was the long-time home of Swedish superstar Niklas Lidstrom, the seven-time winner of the Norris Trophy as top NHL defenceman. He was also a role model for Karlsson.

3. In the charitable news department, Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard is holding a home run derby in Brighton on Friday to kick off his charitable foundation’s community outreach, and Howard spoke with CBS Sports Radio’s “Ferrall on the Bench” on Monday to discuss the event and some Red Wings-related topics:

Continue reading Evening news: on Barry Trotz and Erik Karlsson (hypothetically), Jimmy Howard’s home run derby on Friday, oodles of draft talk and Tweets of note

Kulfan: Wings will tab Dan Bylsma as assistant coach

This is a bit surprising, even though it’s been out there for some time. Per the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan, Dan Bylsma will likely flank one of Jeff Blashill’s shoulders this upcoming season:

The Wings are likely to fill out their coaching staff by naming Dan Bylsma an assistant on Jeff Blashill’s staff.

An opening was created when assistant coach John Torchetti was not retained after the regular season.

Bylsma, a native of Grand Haven, won the Stanley Cup as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, defeating the Wings, in 2009.

Bylsma worked on the NHL Network last season, after being fired by the Buffalo Sabres, where he coached for two seasons.

HSJ, Kulfan: Martin Frk not qualified, future uncertain

Updated at 3:48 AM: The Free Press’s Helene St. James and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan report that the Red Wings will not issue a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Martin Frk, making Frk a free agent on July 1st.

Per St. James…

Frk, 24, is a restricted free agent. He made $650,000 last season, and would have to be qualified at 110 percent of that by June 25 for the Wings to retain his rights. However, Frk has arbitration rights, and by risking going before an arbitrator, the Wings could end up paying more than $715,000 for Frk for a one-year contract.

Frk had 11 goals and 14 assists in 2017-18. However, he scored only three goals and had 10 points total the second half of the season, when games got tighter as teams fought for playoff positioning.

…

The Wings might offer Frk a contract as a free agent, but he could also explore going elsewhere. One possible destination is Dallas, where Frk’s former coach with Grand Rapids, Todd Nelson, is now an assistant coach.

Restricted free agents Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi will be qualified.

Of the team’s unrestricted free agents, the Wings have had talks with defenseman Mike Green about re-signing.

And the Detroit News’s Kulfan:

Continue reading HSJ, Kulfan: Martin Frk not qualified, future uncertain

Morning draft talk: Khan’s player profiles, plus mock drafts from ESPN’s Peters and The Athletic’s Pronman

Of draft-related note this morning:

1. MLive’s Ansar Khan has spent the past few days compiling profiles of probable Wings draft targets, including Evan Bouchard, Jesperi Kotaniemi, Noah Dobson, Brady Tkachuk and Adam Boqvist; I would imagine that Quinn Hughes’ profile will hit the wires tomorrow, but MLive’s Ryan Zuke has already penned a profile of Hughes…

2. In the “mock draft” department, ESPN’s Chris Peters has the Wings picking Hughes 6th overall in his Insider-only mock draft…

6. Detroit Red Wings: Quinn Hughes, D, Michigan (Big Ten)

Draft board ranking: No. 5

The Red Wings are expected to grab a defenseman, assuming none of the top forwards listed above drops to them. There’s not a lot of separation among the top four blueliners, and opinions on them vary greatly. That said, Hughes has game-breaking potential and offers the Wings a unique blueliner to bolster their offense. Head coach Jeff Blashill spent three weeks coaching Hughes at the World Championship and let the youngster be himself. It could be a very good match, though I’d expect Detroit also will take long looks at Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard.

And Peters sees the Wings picking the younger of the McLeod brothers with their second pick:

Continue reading Morning draft talk: Khan’s player profiles, plus mock drafts from ESPN’s Peters and The Athletic’s Pronman

Regner speaks with Craig Button on latest ‘Red and White Authority’ podcast

On the latest episode of “The Red and White Authority” podcast, DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner speaks with TSN’s Craig Button regarding the 2018 draft class:

Afternoon mishmash: on the draft, ‘GOAT’ voting, a contest, goaltending and the NTDP

Of Red Wings-related note (mostly) this afternoon:

  1. TSN’s Bob McKenzie released his final draft rankings and USA Today’s Kevin Allen posted a mock draft earlier this afternoon, picking the player that I believe the Wings will select at #6 overall:

6. Detroit Red Wings: Defenseman Evan Bouchard, London (OHL): The Red Wings desperately want a blue-chip defensive prospect, and Bouchard can be that guy. He’s 6-foot-2 and can do it all. A gifted passer who can also be an effective defensive player. He’s also a right-handed shooter. Everyone is looking for those.

Noah Dobson may have more long-term potential and Quinn Hughes is a better skater, but Bouchard, a “late birthday” player, is arguably NHL-ready…

2. In the interactive vein, the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a gallery of the 10 best Red Wings draft picks, and the Free Press’s “Greatest of All Time” Red Wings vote is still open;

3. Also of interactive note:

4. In foreign-language news, Wings signee Patrik Rybar spoke with the Slovak News Agency SITA, and the translation thereof is a bit garbled, but Rybar says that he felt that he had to take a chance on earning a spot with the Wings, even though he knows that his two-way contract comes with no guarantees;

5. Also in the goaltending department, The Hockey News’s Jared Clinton suggests that the Wings should make a bid for Washington Capitals back-up Philipp Grubbauer:

PHILIPP GRUBAUER (RFA)
It’s no secret that Grubauer has played his last game in Washington. His opportunity to usurp Braden Holtby slipped through his fingers when he faltered upon taking the starting reins to start the post-season, and now Capitals GM Brian MacLellan has made it clear that he’ll pursue trade options for the 26-year-old keeper. Teams seeking an upgrade in goal, or franchises that need a netminder to build around, could do much worse than taking a shot on Grubauer. Of goaltenders to play at least 80 games over the past three campaigns, he ranks third with a .923 save percentage and he’s ready for his chance to be a No. 1.

Already, reports have surfaced about the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes showing interest in Grubauer and with good reason. Both teams are in dire need of goaltending. One team that should really take a look at bringing Grubauer aboard, though, is the Detroit Red Wings. With no other bluechip goaltending prospects in the system, Grubauer could have the opportunity to settle into the No. 1 role and become a fixture in the Red Wings’ crease. He’ll have more long-term competition in Carolina and New York, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

6. And in more local news, The Score’s Hannah Stuart penned a superb article about the U.S. National Team Development Program, which has become an American hockey player-development machine. This isn’t Red Wings-related per se, but it’s a good read.

Monroe: What the Toledo Walleye’s “season-ending roster” means

The Toledo Walleye released their “season-ending roster” earlier this afternoon, and the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe explains what exactly that means:

The Toledo Walleye announced today their season-ending roster, a list of players that the team now has exclusive rights to sign.

Every ECHL team must submit a season-ending roster, which may include up to 20 players but can’t include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2017-18.

ECHL teams are entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight players from the list by extending a qualifying offer no later than June 30.

There 19 players on the Walleye’s protected list.

The 12 forwards are Alden Hirschfeld, A.J. Jenks, Tyler Barnes, Kyle Bonis, Colin Jacobs, Charlie O’Connor, Christian Hilbrich, Shane Berschbach, Connor Crisp, Mike Embach, Austen Brassard, and Dane Walters.

The seven defensemen are Beau Schmitz, Trevor Hamilton, Parker Reno, Ryan Obuchowski, Kevin Lohan, Simon Denis, and Jamie Doornbosch.

Toledo’s list does not include players who were under contract with the Walleye’s American Hockey League affiliate, Grand Rapids, last season. Those players include goalie Pat Nagle, forwards Mike Borkowski, Dylan Sadowy, and Zach Nastasiuk, and defensemen Kevin Tansey and Patrick McCarron.

Update: FYI:

Grand Rapids Griffins re-sign Turner Elson, Dominik Shine

From the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRIFFINS RE-SIGN ELSON AND SHINE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday re-signed forwards Turner Elson and Dominik Shine to one-year contracts.

The 25-year-old Elson tallied 21 points (9-12—21), a plus-12 rating and 49 penalty minutes in 57 games during his first season as a Griffin in 2017-18. His plus-12 rating marked a career high and tied for third on the team. Making his Calder Cup Playoff debut, Elson scored a pair of goals in five games.

Since debuting with the Abbotsford Heat at the end of the 2011-12 season, Elson has appeared in 232 career AHL contests between Abbotsford (2011-14), Adirondack (2014-15), Stockton (2015-16), San Antonio (2016-17) and Grand Rapids and compiled 87 points (43-44—87) and 193 PIM. He logged back-to-back career-high 30-point campaigns in 2014-15 with Adirondack and 2015-16 with Stockton.

A 6-foot, 195-pound forward, Elson made his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames on April 9, 2016, against Minnesota and logged his first NHL point on an assist.

Elson won the 2014 Kelly Cup as a member of the ECHL’s Alaska Aces, tallying 15 points (5-10—15) in 18 regular season games before scoring 11 points (7-4—11) in 21 postseason tilts.

A native of New Westminster, British Columbia, Elson appeared in 254 games with Red Deer of the Western Hockey League from 2009-2013 and racked up 151 points (72-79—151) and 337 PIM. He placed second on the Rebels in goals (26), assists (31) and points (57) during his final campaign in 2012-13.

Skating in his first full professional season in 2017-18, Shine, 25, accounted for 16 points (8-8—16), a plus-four rating and 54 PIM in 58 games with the Griffins. He also played in five postseason contests while making his Calder Cup Playoff debut.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound winger made his pro debut with the Griffins at the end of the 2016-17 campaign, recording three assists and seven PIM in eight appearances.

Prior to turning pro, Shine competed four seasons (2013-17) at Northern Michigan University (WCHA), where he posted 97 points (48-49—97) and 185 PIM in 131 games and served as a two-time alternate captain.

During his senior year in 2016-17, Shine paced the conference with 20 goals in 33 contests en route to his second-straight 30-point season and was named to the All-WCHA Third Team.

A native of Pinckney, Mich., Shine played four seasons for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars from 2009-13 and served as captain during his final two years. He totaled 134 career points (64-70—134) and 503 PIM in 188 regular season contests while chipping in five points (2-3—5) and 22 PIM in 15 postseason appearances.

Led by first-year head coach Ben Simon, the Griffins will begin the home portion of their 2018-19 season on Friday, Oct. 12 at Van Andel Arena with Opening Night Presented by Huntington Bank. Additional home dates confirmed by the American Hockey League include Dec. 31, Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 9 and Feb. 16.

Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public in September. Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information.

Toledo Walleye release ‘season-ending roster’

From the Toledo Walleye:

Walleye announce season-ending roster
June 18, 2018

Toledo, OH – The Toledo Walleye have announced its season-ending roster from the 2017-18 season. Information on season-ending rosters follows the list of players.

The forwards are: Alden Hirschfeld, AJ Jenks, Tyler Barnes, Kyle Bonis, Colin Jacobs, Charlie O’Connor, Christian Hilbrich, Shane Berschbach, Connor Crisp, Mike Embach, Austen Brassard and Dane Walters.

The listed defensemen are: Beau Schmitz, Trevor Hamilton, Parker Reno, Ryan Obuchowski, Kevin Lohan, Simon Denis and Jamie Doornbosch.

Season-ending rosters may include up to 20 players. Season-ending rosters cannot include any players who did not sign an ECHL contract in 2017-18.

Continue reading Toledo Walleye release ‘season-ending roster’