Category: Uncategorized

Re-signing Raymond and Seider wasn’t exactly ‘bizarro’

The Athletic’s Sean McIndoe consistently reviews teams’ offseason moves each September, pondering how strange the moves might be via a “bizarro meter.” He discusses the Eastern Conference today, and McIndoe seems a little surprised that the Red Wings managed to get their offseason work done before the end of training camp:

Detroit Red Wings

The offseason so far: At a high level, pretty much the same offseason Steve Yzerman has had for the last few years, as the Wings added a few interesting players without doing anything that really made you think they’d take a significant step forward.

But their strangest story was: Getting the Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider deals done, although it took until the last few days for it to happen. Still, both deals were reasonable and could even be bargains, so Yzerman clearly played it well.

Bizarro-meter ranking: 3.8/10. Pour one out for the theory that Seider’s agent was playing the long game to get his payback against Yzerman and the Wings. Ah well, the Yzerplan marches on.

Continued (paywall); yadda yadda, Yzerplan in neutral, yadda yadda, Claude Lemieux vs. Steve Yzerman, etc. etc.

I was disappointed that I wasted chunks of my summer worrying when or whether Raymond or Seider would re-sign, given that the team’s methodical GM simply utilized time and the potential of missing games to extract fair deals from J.P. Barry and Lemieux, respectively…

But my therapist got a laugh out of me pondering when Raymond and Seider might re-sign as an anxiety trigger, and the Red Wings’ management group made the inevitable happen.

That’s not bizarre. It’s Yzerman and company grinding away until the job was done.

Duff discusses the Red Wings’ reinforced roster

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff discusses whether this year’s Red Wings team is better-prepared for a successful playoff push, arguing that Detroit’s “bottom six” forwards are better-prepared to check, check and check some more…

Andrew Copp, Michael Rasmussen and Christian Fischer established their credentials as a top-notch shutdown checking unit. A fourth line that could very well be comprised of Joe Veleno, Tyler Motte and Jonatan Berggren will still be capable of producing offense. But in grinders like Motte, Veleno and Fischer, there are players in that bottom six group who will also be meting out physical punishment on a consistent basis.

“We talked about maybe this lineup slotting a little more natural than our teams have looked in the past going into the season,” [coach Derek] Lalonde said.

And Duff suggests that the size and strength which the Red Wings now possess on the blueline–and in goal–should help the team:

The top four of Moritz Seider, Ben Chiarot, Edvinsson and Jeff Petry are at least six-foot-three. Each weighs over 200 pounds.

In goal, at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, newcomer Cam Talbot looks more like today’s NHL netminder. He’s also a workhorse, twice starting 67 or more games in an NHL season. An NHL All-Star last season, Talbot would start 52 times for the Los Angeles Kings.

“Again, we’re trying to take some steps from where we were last year,” Lalonde said. “It’s just guys understanding the roles, understanding their identity. I think that is successful to any team that’s trying to win hockey games. Again, it’ll be work in progress in the preseason, but I think we’re all excited to see it.”

Continued; I’m not certain whether the Red Wings are going to make a playoff push this season, but I do agree that the Wings are better-slotted in terms of their forward lineup to have a scoring “top six” and a checking “bottom six.”

As far as the defensive corps is concerned, it feels like a work in progress to me, but I do believe that Talbot should improve the team’s goaltending on an overall basis.

We’ll see how things shake out, as coach Lalonde suggests, over the course of the preseason and the first 10 games of a very busy 20-day stretch in October.

I’m crossing my fingers.

Tweet of note: It was ‘content day’ at LCA

It’s usually called “media day,” but the Red Wings are calling today’s events at Little Caesars Arena “content day” as the Red Wings’ players and goaltenders shot promos for their TV, online and in-house broadcasts. Cue the montage!

Kulfan’s notebook: on Wings-Tigers connections and the exhibition grind

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan filed an interesting-to-read evening notebook article (of the subscriber-only variety), sharing some of coach Derek Lalonde’s remarks on the fact that the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings are “sister organizations” as the Tigers make their playoff run…

The Ilitch family owns both the Red Wings and Tigers, and there is a level of camaraderie and cooperation between the organizations. Both have undertaken patient rebuilds, relying on draft picks and young talent, to fuel the rebuild.

“Analytics is a big part of it,” Lalonde said. “We’re a fluid sport and it’s different, but of course, what a resource to be owned by the same group, same umbrella, and to be able to lean on those guys. We share the same ownership and even some internal growth beliefs and approach on some things. It’s been pretty cool what they’ve done.”

Kulfan asked coach Lalonde what the lineup might look like tomorrow when the Red Wings travel to the Windy City to pla. Chicago (8 PM EDT start on DetroitRedWings.com), a game in which the Blackhawks plan on icing a very NHL-heavy lineup…

Continue reading Kulfan’s notebook: on Wings-Tigers connections and the exhibition grind

Engaging in a little thought experiment on the alumni front

Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Trudeau engages in a thought experiment this evening, wondering what might happen if the Eastern Conference’s teams could bring back one retired veteran who’s a “fan favorite” or “All-Star” who would benefit his team the most:

Detroit Red Wings: Niklas Kronwall, D (2003-19)

The second Original Six team to jump back in time has several options to fix its uninspiring blueline. Vladimir Konstantinov might have ended up in the Hall if not for the limousine accident that cut him down in his prime. Reed Larson was a lock for 20 goals a season and is one of the most underrated offensive D-men ever. Both are right-handed, though, as is Mo Seider, the foundational piece of the Red Wings’ defense. Kronwall made his living with a devastating hip check on Nick Lidstrom’s left, and, later, as top dog himself. He and Seider would provide the modern Wings with a true top pair to build around.

Continued; the Red Wings’ blueline is what it is until the team addresses the need for a physical, shut-down player via the trade market…Or until someone like Simon Edvinsson or Albert Johansson steps up and fills a hole on their own.

For now, the Wings have what they have. I happen to believe that, by the trade deadline, they’ll be adding someone to fill the void to help spell Seider of some of those hard match-up minutes. We’ll see what happens over the course of the next six months.

In the interim, I sure miss “Kronner” every day.

Raymond, Seider are ready to bear the weight of 8 million expectations

Updated at 6:37 PM: As new members of the Red Wings’ $8 million dollar-salary club, Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider realize that there will be significant pressure upon them to perform at higher levels than they’ve already achieved in their NHL careers (thus far).

Over the course of a subscriber-only article, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff discusses the fact that Raymond and Seider face the kinds of expectations to deliver on a Dylan Larkin-like level–as the Red Wings’ coach and captain already know:

“It’s a reality of it,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “People are aware of it. Knowing the person and whether it weighs on them or not, it’s just the reality of it and just like any other individual it’s just being aware of it.”

Larkin found this out when he was agreeing to terms on an eight-year pact with an AAV of $8.7 million toward the end of the 2022-23 season. He was choosing to embrace the additional expectations, to use the pressure to be driving himself and the team forward. And he’s still seeking to accomplish more.

“Still pushing myself to see if . . . I know I have a next level and I would like to see what I can do,” Larkin explained. “I’d like to be a dominant player like I have been when I’m healthy. And that’s a big thing for me, is staying healthy this year and trying to dominate and not do too much. Just play my game and be a good playmaker, someone that makes everyone around me better.”

Without revealing the text of the entire article, Raymond and Seider have told Duff that they’re embracing the pressure from without as well as the pressure that comes from within. For Seider, it’s about expecting more of himself…

“I think the expectations change,” Seider acknowledged. “For a lot of other people expectations are different. I don’t think I feel more pressure. I want to be good every single night. That shouldn’t be a matter of how much you make.”

And for Raymond, it’s about accentuating the positive:

“There’s obvious areas I want to keep growing in, keep developing, taking bigger strides, taking more responsibility and getting higher expectations on myself,” Raymond said. “So for sure that’s the goal. I’m still 22, so hopefully I have a lot of, development to still do.”

Continued (paywall); and the Hockey News’s Connor Eargood noted that Seider’s taking a more defiant tone (on the day that The Athletic declared that Larkin has peaked, Raymond is a complementary player, and that Seider’s not doing enough to embrace the challenges thrown at him):

Continue reading Raymond, Seider are ready to bear the weight of 8 million expectations

Seider on his new deal (per Khan): ‘there are other guys thinking this contract is not right, so I’m ready to prove them wrong again’

I’ve tried to leave the Moritz Seider press conference-related articles in a single post, but I guess this is rule-breaking day, because this quip from Seider, noted by MLive’s Ansar Khan, deserves its own post:

Seider’s first contract after his entry-level deal makes him the team’s second-highest player, slightly below Dylan Larkin’s $8.7 million AAV. But it won’t add any more pressure on him.

“I want to be good every single night,” Seider said. “That shouldn’t be a matter of how much you make.”

He added, “I think there are a lot of people who thought I was a reach (when drafted sixth overall in 2019), and I had a chance proving them wrong, and there are other guys thinking this contract is not right, so I’m ready to prove them wrong again.”

Seider celebrated by taking his parents and his agent and agent’s family to dinner in Germany before hopping a flight to Detroit. He and his buddy Lucas Raymond, who signed an eight-year pact with an $8.075 million AAV a few days before, are sure to spring for a team dinner during an early season road trip.

“It’s great to give back now,” Seider said. “The team helped us a lot to get there at this point and obviously we’re excited to get on the road, play at home, play in front of the fans again and I think we’ll have a good time. I’m just really happy to wear that jersey for a very long time now.”

Continued; given that The Athletic’s Luszczyszyn, Gentille and Goldman ranked Seider in a very middling tier of players this morning, because, and I quote…

For Seider to reach Tier 3 and beyond, he needs to prove he can handle the heat — as hot as it is — much better than he currently has.

Maybe it’s a good thing that Seider’s still got a huge chip on his shoulder.

Tweets of note: Axel Sandin Pellikka with an ‘ankle-breaking’ deke and goal

Three Red Wings prospects are taking part in games being played in Sweden right now–Noah Dower Nilsson is playing for Frolunda HC as they’re tied with Rogle BK 3-3 in the 3rd period, Anton Johansson’s Leksands IF is getting blown out 5-1 by Lulea Hockey late in the 3rd, and Axel Sandin Pellikka’s Skelleftea AIK is leading HV71 Jonkoping 2-1 late in the 3rd period…

But I’m going to break my protocol of waiting to share highlights until all the games are done, because Sandin Pellikka scored a highlight goal of highlight goals. As always, many thanks to IceHockeyGifs and Red Wings Prospects for sharing this:

Final stats: I was writing this up, Skelleftea AIK held their lead and won 2-1 over HV71. Sandin Pellikka had a goal on 2 shots, finishing at +1 with a penalty taken in 20:29 of ice time;

Anton Johansson finished at -1 in only 4:35 of ice time as Leksands IF lost 5-1 to Lulea with Johansson playing on the 4th D pairing (not great news there);

And Rogle BK won 4-3 lead over Frolunda HC, and that game started late because Frolunda’s bus got stuck in traffic. Right now, Noah Dower Nilsson has an assist and a +1 with 1 shot in 11:30 of ice time on the 3rd line.

Tweet of note: Take them out to the ballgame

The Red Wings are watching the Detroit Tigers game today:

Update: The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton offers this from Derek Lalonde:

A few hours earlier, coach Derek Lalonde—himself a western New Yorker by birth—expressed his enthusiasm for the sports synergy he’s found in his adopted home town of Detroit.  

“I sound like a broken record when it comes to the [Detroit] sports,” Lalonde said after today’s two practices concluded.  “Very excited today because my Buffalo Bills looked really good [last night], so I had a little more jump in my step in the locker room.  Bills are in a good spot because Patrick Kane [from Buffalo] was half on board.  I asked him to be more invested this year, so no surprise we’re 3-0.  Of course, I watched the Lions.  They’ve made me fans [sic].  Obviously, Detroit is personal.  We share the same ownership [with the Tigers].  Even some internal growth and beliefs in approaching some things.  It’s been pretty cool what they’ve done.  I like the Tigers.  I lost my baseball team, the Expos, back in the day, so I’ve kinda been a free agent, and that logo D is tough not to like.  It’s been fun to watch.”