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Why bring back the scrimmages?

MLive’s Ansar Khan affords Red Wings coach Todd McLellan the column space to explain why the team has brought back daily training camp scrimmages after a 9-year absence, even though the players can accumulate wear and tear over the course of the 3 days’ worth of high-intensity intra-squad battles:

“We always kind of wanted to get to it right in camp,” he said. “Maybe I’m selfish, but I’m thinking if I got to go in and play Chicago on Tuesday and I haven’t scrimmaged or been involved in any type of ful- ice, five-on-five action where there’s some actual contact and some competitiveness. I don’t think I’’m ready to play that game. And we’re also evaluating them and how they can play. Everybody here will get at least one scrimmage as long as health allows. Exhibition game No. 1, now they played against real competitive players. They should be ready to go.”

Line combinations are fluid, McLellan said. Elmer Soderblom skated on the wing on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on Day One.

“I mentioned to Elmer today if I’m coming to camp and the coach dropped me in there, I’m not giving that spot back one bit,” McLellan said. “So, we’ll give him a chance, and we’ll work different people through there.”

…

McLellan stressed three things he’s looking for at camp.

“Individuals have to find their game quickly,” he said. “So individually, you have to feel good. You have to find your legs and your pace and your tempo and your skillset. And then secondly, they have to find that in a group environment. So, we’re also working on our systems and our structure. And I told them yesterday they’re as fit as they’re going to be all year, they’re as healthy as they’re going to be all year. But they’re as bad as they’re going to be all year with game situations, game management, remembering how we do certain things because they’ve been playing summer, and you hear us talk about summer habits, turning away from the puck, not stopping on loose stuff, trying stuff that really doesn’t exist in our game. And there’s nothing wrong with that in the summer, but it doesn’t work now. And then the team has to come together. Nobody knows, including Steve (general manager Yzerman) and I, who’s going to be on the opening roster. That’s why we have camp.”

Continued (paywall)

Prospect round-up: Genborg 1A, Anton Johansson 24:36 played in the SHL

Of Red Wings prospect-related note this afternoon:

In the KHL, Dmitri Buchelnikov finished with 2 shots in 14:24 played as CSKA Moscow lost 5-1 to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl;

In the SHL, Noah Dower Nilsson didn’t play in Frolunda HC’s 2-1 win over Orebro Hockey;

Michal Svrcek didn’t play in Brynas IF’s 4-0 win over HV71;

Anton Johansson finished even with 3 shots in 24:36 played on Leksands IF’s top pairing as Leksand lost 5-4 to the Malmo Redhawks;

And Eddie Genborg had an assist, finishing at +1 in 16:04 played (with one hit) as Timra IK’s 2-1 win over the Vaxjo Lakers.

The captain is ready to begin a better season in 25-26

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin regarding becoming a father this summer, as well as his outlook for the Red Wings team:

Larkin feels just as positive about the Wings, with training camp beginning and the Wings aiming to end a nine-year playoff drought.

The acquisitions of goaltender John Gibson, forwards James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton, and defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Travis Hamonic possibly weren’t the splashiest around the NHL, but filled Wings needs. With those veterans, and the continued development of young players on the Wings’ roster such as Marco Kasper and Elmer Soderblom, and Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson, the Wings are hopeful of internal improvement on the roster and in the standings.

“Just keep growing from within, and we made some good additions to the roster,” said Larkin, who was particularly excited about Gibson’s arrival to strengthen the goaltending overall. “With the young guys continuing to take a step, that’s what it’s all about. I’m excited for this year.”

What also gives Larkin reason for optimism is the relative stability of the roster. Sure, there were additions and subtractions on the roster, but nothing too major, and comparatively smaller than in the earlier years when general manager Steve Yzerman took over. For the most part, the core of this roster has now been together at least three seasons — some even more — and that should be a positive going forward.

“It’s Day One and who knows on opening night what the roster looks like,” Larkin said. “But we’ve talked about it, with the guys coming back into town, there’s more familiarity I feel with our group than in years past. There’s not as much turnover with the roster. It feels like more familiarity and guys have been around longer.”

Continued with discussion of John Gibson’s addition and Lucas Raymond’s outlook as well…

‘Getting better between the ears’

The Athletic’s Max Bultman discusses the resumption of scrimmaging on the first day of the Red Wings’ 2025 training camp:

“For a Day 1 scrimmage, I thought that it was very tight-checking and intense,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. “I think Todd set the tone with that, and his opening meeting.”

Based on the schedule, it won’t be the only one, with scrimmages on the docket each day in Traverse City before the Red Wings head to Grand Rapids for the Red-White game.

McLellan said his thinking with going right into the scrimmages stemmed from getting the players ready for their first preseason game Tuesday, but added, “We’re also evaluating them on how they can play.” His pre-camp message at the team’s meeting Wednesday centered on how important camp was for the group, and the need to take advantage of it. He also stopped practice to correct players and plays while it was ongoing, not letting bad habits or missed reads go unchecked.

The team surged under McLellan when he arrived the day after Christmas last season, winning seven straight games after the head coach’s first practice to revive their season. Detroit ultimately fell short of the playoffs for the ninth straight season, though, in part due to a miserable showing in March, after the 4 Nations break.

For a group that has struggled to stop the bleeding in recent years, it was no surprise to hear McLellan emphasize the need to get better “between the ears” as well. That type of re-wiring may take some time, but hearing it emphasized on Day 1 speaks to its importance for Detroit’s season.

“That comes from us,” McLellan said. “They’re going to read off our body language and our demeanor. It comes from leadership. It comes from practice. We can put them in stressful situations and then push them, and if we see signs of them rolling over — and I mean that professionally, they don’t quit — but maybe letting up a little bit, we’ll push them even more. There’s going to be times in the game where they verbally got to get jolted because you can feel it coming. And we’ve got to grow out of it. It’s not an easy thing to do. But we will.”

Continued (paywall)

On scrimmaging, Elmer Soderblom’s opportunity, James van Riemsdyk’s absence and Guralnick’s gallery

Of Red Wings-related note this afternoon:

  1. The Free Press’s Helene St. James reports that the Wings’ players enjoyed the return of scrimmaging hockey…

The difference was noticeable on the first day, as coach Todd McLellan furthered his imprint on the Detroit Red Wings.

Divided into two main squads, NHL regulars and prospects scrimmaged for more than an hour on Thursday, Sept. 18, at Centre Ice Arena; one squad had a 45-minute practice beforehand, and the other, afterwards. It made for a change from the practice-heavy schedule run by former coach Derek Lalonde, and players loved it.

“I really enjoyed the format – it’s new to me, the scrimmaging every day,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “It was good to be back competing. There were some nerves early but guys settled in and I thought it went well.”

Continue reading On scrimmaging, Elmer Soderblom’s opportunity, James van Riemsdyk’s absence and Guralnick’s gallery