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Summarizing the narratives regarding Ville Husso’s waiving so that Detroit may call up a ‘veteran guy’

Of Red Wings-related note from today’s optional practice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center:

  1. Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde told the Wings’ media corps that Christian Fischer (upper-body) and Jeff Petry (upper-body) are both out for Monday’s game against the Rangers, and, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes, the Wings would waive a player. That turned out to be Ville Husso:

“We probably have to do some moving around,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said of the club’s 23-player roster. “Potentially send someone through waivers to get a body available.”

Husso was the most logical candidate to go on waivers.

Now that we know it’s Husso who is going, the next question is who’s arriving?

Don’t get your hopes up that it will be 2020 first-round draft pick Marco Kasper. Since it’s likely only to be a short-term need, veteran pros such as Austin Watson or Sheldon Dries are probably the more likely fit.

“Being a short term call up, might be a more veteran guy,” Lalonde admitted.

2. Why Husso? Because the Wings gain $1.15 million in cap space by assigning him to Grand Rapids, even temporarily, and as the Red Wings are only carrying 12 forwards, they need to clear some cap space to call up that “more veteran guy,” as the Hockey News’s Sam Stockton noted:

“We probably have to do some moving around, potentially send someone through waivers to potentially get a body available, because I think both [Fischer] and Petry…will not be IR candidates,” added Lalonde, as to the team’s short-term plans.  In other words, because neither Fischer nor Petry is expected to miss more than a week, Detroit can’t free up a roster spot by simply moving one or both to injured reserve.

As it stands, the Red Wings have 11 healthy forwards and seven healthy defensemen.  Lalonde noted that Detroit could potentially go with an 11-seven lineup tomorrow night, though it appears a roster move is likely coming nonetheless.

Justin Holl is the only Detroit defenseman who could be sent down without clearing waivers (because he did so earlier in the week, thus giving him a 30-day window in which he can pass freely), but without Petry, Lalonde values having Holl as an additional right-shot defenseman in the lineup.  Therefore, to get an extra spot to add a 12th forward to the roster, the Red Wings elected to waive goaltender Ville Husso this afternoon.

Husso’s season got off to a disappointing start Thursday night, and, because of his $4.75 million cap hit, he is unlikely to be claimed on waivers.  Clearing waivers would allow Detroit to send him to Grand Rapids to call up an extra forward.

Now I would encourage you to not write off Husso or the Red Wings’ concept of utilizing a 3-goaltender system just yet. Justin Holl spent all of a couple of days in Grand Rapids before being called up, and he’s back in the lineup, contributing positively; it’s entirely possible, if not probable, that Husso might do the same.

3. Who might that veteran forward be? MLive’s Ansar Khan considered a few more names, and two of them aren’t veterans…

Possibilities include veteran Austin Watson, signed last week to a one-year deal, or prospects Carter Mazur or Marco Kasper. Kasper, their top pick in 2022, had a terrific camp and preseason, but for a short-term recall, the Red Wings might look to bring up a veteran.

4. While the Free Press’s Helene St. James put the situation bluntly:

Husso landing on waivers isn’t a great look for the 29-year-old former No. 1 netminder, but he didn’t help his case when he allowed four goals on 14 shots in some 25 minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Free-agent signee Cam Talbot, meanwhile, stymied the Nashville Predators on 42 shots in Saturday’s 3-0 victory.

Husso is also coming off an injury-plagued season which limited him to 19 games in 2023-24.

With the Red Wings being a “cap team” this year, I do not anticipate this being the last time that Husso or Holl find themselves on waivers and/or assigned to Grand Rapids.

That’s okay. It’s not bad general managerial skills by Steve Yzerman–it’s just the cost of survival in the NHL when your roster is at the salary cap’s upper limit.

Red Wings waive Ville Husso

Per Elliotte Friedman:

Husso will probably clear waivers and head to Grand Rapids for as long as the Wings need an extra forward…

Field Level Media scouts the Rangers

Field Level Media has already posted something of a “character sketch” of the Red Wings and New York Rangers ahead of this week’s “home-and-home” series between the two teams. Here’s what FML has to say about the Rangers:

The New York Rangers began their season with an impressive blowout and then followed up by making defensive miscues that prevented them from keeping pace in a high-scoring affair.

Coming off two different outcomes to start the season, the Rangers host the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.

The Rangers opened up with Wednesday’s 6-0 rout at Pittsburgh when Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves. They followed it up with a 6-5 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday in their home opener — a game they tied three times but never led.

Artemi Panarin scored New York’s first two tying goals, and K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider and Will Cuylle also scored. Adam Fox added three assists but Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider were a combined minus-6 in a game when the Rangers allowed 26 shots on goal — five fewer than their season opener.

New York’s offense was not enough when it committed a defensive lapse that resulted in Clayton Keller scoring with 54.9 seconds left in overtime.

“We probably should have won the game,” Kreider said. “We come into the game tonight thinking that we’re going to win the game if we play the right way, have a chance to win a game. And there are stretches where we didn’t (play well). We’re lucky to get one (point).”

…

The Rangers swept last season’s season series, winning each of the three games by two goals or fewer. New York is 9-1-2 in the past 12 meetings since the start of the 2019-20 season.

Ugh.

Video: Justin Holl and Derek Lalonde address the media after Sunday’s optional practice

The Red Wings held an optional practice on Sunday, ahead of a home-and-home series with the New York Rangers on Monday and Thursday.

After practice, coach Lalonde told the media that Christian Fischer is out on Monday, and that the Wings may have to waive a veteran in order to bring up a forward to replace Fischer, presuming that the team doesn’t go with 11 forwards and 7 D on Monday. He also declined to name a starting goaltender for Monday night’s game.

Jeff Petry is also still out with his “upper-body injury.”

Here are coach Lalonde and Justin Holl speaking with the media, per the Red Wings:

Also:

Post-optional practice Tweets: Christian Fischer out Monday

The Detroit Red Wings held an optional practice ahead of tomorrow night’s game against the New York Rangers (7 PM EDT start on Bally Sports Detroit/MSG/NHL Network).

Detroit hopes to build upon their 3-0 victory over Nashville on Saturday as they open a two-game series against the Rangers this week; the 1-0-and-1 Rangers lost a very strange 6-5 OT decision to Utah last night, so they’re looking to bounce back at the Red Wings’ expense.

After practice, coach Derek Lalonde spoke with the Red Wings’ media corps, and he reported that Christian Fischer is out for tomorrow:

Update: For what it’s worth, the Predators posted a recap of last night’s game…26 minutes ago…

As noted in the Tweets-from-practice post, the New York Rangers held an optional skate today as well, and their record is 1-0-and-1 as they lost 6-5 in overtime to the Utah Hockey Club last night.

Update #2: FYI tomorrow night’s game is an NHL Network exclusive “out-of-market,” so the game won’t be streamed. It’s only Bally Sports Detroit in MI and MSG Network in NY.

Sunday fundraising

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Praise for Albert Johansson’s debut

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen wonders aloud whether Albert Johansson did enough in his NHL debut to play on Monday night vs. the Rangers, regardless of whether Jeff Petry is ready to return from his “upper-body injury”:

“As a forward, it’s good when you don’t notice a D,” [forward Andrew] Copp said. “It’s probably a good thing. So he was good back there for sure.”

The 23-year-old Swedish defenseman, a left shot, logged 11:57 on 18 shifts in a 3-0 win against the Nashville Predators. He was part of a defensive effectiveness  Saturday that the Red Wings are trying to achieve on a regular basis this season. He had two hits and one blocked shot. Goalie Cam Talbot boasted 42 saves and Detroit blocked 31 shots.

Johansson got his chance because  coach Darek Lalonde scratched Erik Gustafsson.

“Solid. Made some really simple, nice plays with the puck,” Copp said of Johansson who comes to the NHL with 119 games of AHL experience. He logged 141 games in the Swedish Hockey League.

Continued; I agree with Copp–it was good that Johansson faded into the woodwork so regularly, because you rarely see a defenseman integrate so seamlessly into the defensive corps. If the Wings want to use Johansson, he’s ready to go.

Tweets from Sunday’s practice: Red Wings ‘take an optional’ ahead of Monday’s game vs. the Rangers

The Detroit Red Wings hope to build upon their 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators as they begin a home-and-home series with the New York Rangers tomorrow night in Manhattan (7 PM EDT start on Bally Sports Detroit/MSG/NHL Network).

MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that the Wings are taking an optional skate today:

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton reports that two of the Wings’ three goaltenders are taking part in the skate:

And The Athletic’s Max Bultman said, “Hello”:

Meanwhile, in New York, the Rangers are also holding an optional skate…But it’s not so optional:

Continue reading Tweets from Sunday’s practice: Red Wings ‘take an optional’ ahead of Monday’s game vs. the Rangers

Morning Khan: Red Wings happy with their effort against the shot-happy Predators

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Saturday night, and MLive’s Ansar Khan adds a few more quips and quotes to the mix this morning.

Despite surrendering 42 shots and a staggering 89 shot attempts, 34 of which were blocked by the Wings, the team was satisfied with its defensive performance:

“Obviously much more committed defensively for a sustained amount of time,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “That’s a really good team. I don’t see them getting shut out many times this year, so that was a pretty good effort. Obviously, starting with our goalie and then the team defensive play.”

Moritz Seider, as usual, led his team’s block party by getting in front of seven shots.

“As a goaltender, you appreciate that more than anything,” Talbot said. “These guys don’t have the padding that I do, and they’re putting their bodies on the line. There’s some huge ones throughout the entire night, a lot on the PK, six-on-five. I mean, they’re just diving in front of everything, so the dedication and sacrifice from the guys in front of me won the game tonight.”

Andrew Copp made a particularly interesting remark regarding the Red Wings’ preparation for the Predators’ scoring power:

“I think we had a good plan for the way that they attack, based on their hands and obviously the Stammer one-timer,” Andrew Copp said. “We did a really good job of digging in on draws. I thought we got in shot lanes pretty well. We cleared it when the puck was on our stick, but it was just kind of an intensity and a complete desire from the get-go. I think you saw that in the amount of blocked shots. You saw that in maybe a few more won battles, stick battles, ready to jump your check just a hair quicker. I think that desperation, that sense of urgency was really important.”

Alex Wood also posted a two-part set of highlight clips from last night:

Prospect round-up: Bantle 1+1 in Walleye exhibition win; Finne 1G, 2A in WHL; Augustine 32 sv, Savage 1G for MSU; James 2G for UND

Of Red Wings prospect-related note on Saturday evening:

In the ECHL, Carson Bantle had a goal and an assist and Carter Gylander stopped 19 of 23 shots as the Toledo Walleye won a 5-4 exhibition decision over the Kalamazoo K-Wings. Bantle and fellow Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted forward Gabriel Seger earned praise from the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe:

The line of newcomers Carson Bantle and Gabriel Seger, as well as returner Mitchell Lewandowski, looked very good.

Bantle scored his second goal in as many nights, notching a power-play goal on assists from former Cincinnati star Jalen Smereck and Lewandowski just 1:21 into the game.

Both Bantle and Seger, who have good size and skill, were assigned to Toledo from its AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids this week. Bantle scored the first goal of the preseason and Seger gave Toledo a 2-1 lead on Friday. They both had the primary assist on each other’s goals, as well.

Bantle (6-foot-4, 194 pounds) who was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL draft by the Arizona Coyotes, played three seasons at the University of Wisconsin. He looked mobile and skilled, finishing with a goal and an assist.

Seger (6-4, 209) played at Cornell University and had 44 points in 35 games as a senior. Lewandowski had a goal and an assist. The rookies were paired with forward Conlan Keenan on Friday.

Elsewhere, in the WHL, Emmitt Finnie scored a goal and 2 assists, finishing at -1 with 4 shots and a 13-for-26 faceoff record as the Kamloops Blazers lost 5-4 in overtime to the Tri-City Americans;

In the USHL, Rudy Guimond stopped 35 shots, but his Cedar Rapids Roughriders lost 5-3 to the Sioux Falls Stampede, whose Austin Baker had an assist, finishing even with 4 shots;

NCAA Hockey: Trey Augustine stopped 32 of 35 shots and Red Savage scored a goal, finishing at +1 with 4 shots and a 16-and-6 faceoff record as the Michigan State University Spartans won 4-3 over Boston College;

Kienan Draper finished at -1 with 1 shot and a 3-for-6 faceoff record as the University of Michigan Wolverines tied Arizona State University 3-3;

Owen Mehlenbacher didn’t play in the University of Wisconsin Badgers’ 3-2 win over Lindenwood;

Dylan James scored 2 goals on 3 shots, finishing at +1 in the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks’ 5-2 win over Providence;

Larry Keenan finished at +1 with 1 shot as the UMass Minutemen won 5-1 over Air Force;

Max Plante remains sidelined with an upper-body injury as his Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs’ lost 4-1 to UMass-Lowell;

John Whipple finished even with 1 shot as the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers lost 2-1 to Nebraska-Omaha;

And Brennan Ali had an assist, finishing at +1 with 3 shots as the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish won 5-2 over the Clarkson Golden Knights.