Category: Uncategorized

Yzerman under pressure

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli posted an article discussing 10 players and people who face the most pressure in the NHL this upcoming season, and the picture which accompanies his article is one of Steve Yzerman’s face:

5. Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings GM

Similarly, Yzerman is now on the clock, as we are entering Year 6 of the Yzerplan and the Red Wings’ playoff drought has stretched to eight years. They’re not used to that in Hockeytown. Patience has been key – and the Wings have drafted pretty well. Mo Seider and Lucas Raymond are locked up for the foreseeable future. Simon Edvinsson should burst onto the scene this year. And Yzerman has had some wins, courting Patrick Kane twice now. But he hasn’t been able to get the Wings’ defense up to playoff-caliber yet, despite lots of money spent, and Detroit seems to be wandering the desert in search of a solution in goal until Sebastian Cossa is ready.

Continued; the Wings aren’t quite wandering in the desert with Moses here…

Two previews of tonight’s ‘skeleton crew’ game vs. Pittsburgh

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted a game preview ahead of tonight’s tilt with Pittsburgh (7 PM in Pittsburgh on Bally Sports Detroit)…

“You’re going to have some of these back-to-backs, which is fine,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said after Tuesday’s morning skate at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center. “It’s just kind of spreading them out. We’ll try to avoid some three [games] in four [days] for some guys. We’re trying to balance what we’re trying to get accomplished in camp with obviously making sure guys have their best opportunity to perform in camp and avoid some potential injuries.”

As the Red Wings continue to prepare for Opening Night against the Penguins on Oct. 10, Justin Holl said the intensity of this year’s Training Camp will prove valuable for the players when the regular season begins.

“It’s been challenging physically,” Holl said. “I feel like Training Camp is always difficult, just in the sense that you try to prepare yourself as best you can in the summer. There’s really no way to replicate what you’re doing on the ice when Training Camp starts and the amount of workload you’re putting your body under. It has been difficult, but I would expect nothing less.”

Pace and skating have been two key areas of emphasis from the Red Wings coaching staff that have stood out to Holl throughout Training Camp.

“You’re doing difficult drills where you’re going up and down the ice maybe a couple times, then it’s a hard lap in between,” Holl said. “It’s kind of the accumulation of all these things, then at the end of the skate you’re doing conditioning. It’s meant to be hard. That’s the idea, and it’s meant to test us physically and mentally.”

In 2023-24, his first season with Detroit, Holl had five points (all assists) in 38 games. The 32-year-old defenseman said he’s entering this season with a narrow focus.

Continued; here’s the Wings’ lineup:

And the Hockey News’s Connor Eargood posted a game preview that ties in well with Mills’ preview:

Continue reading Two previews of tonight’s ‘skeleton crew’ game vs. Pittsburgh

Alex Chiasson hopes to snag a spot with the Red Wings as a ‘pro try-out’

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted a profile of Red Wings free agent try-out Alex Chiasson, who underwent hip surgery last season after not making the Boston Bruins’ roster during a PTO in 2023:

“I’ve worked really hard to come back,” Chiasson said. “It’s not easy at (34) to put in the work, but you can only do this for so long, and hopefully I can show what I can do and what I’m capable of still doing and help the organization any way I can.”

Coach Derek Lalonde called the 6-4, 208-pound Chiasson a natural net-front type.

“He’s got good instincts,” Lalonde said. “He’s hard to play against, he’s a bit of a bigger body. The two PTOs we have (Chiasson and Austin Watson), the way we’re built, I don’t think it’s an accident they’re bigger bodies to completement some of our other players.”

Lalonde said Chiasson is a little ahead of where he expected him to be after missing a year of hockey.

“He’s a smart hockey player, he’s experienced,” Lalonde said. “It’s crazy watching some practice video, see those older guys, we’re trying to teach younger guys neutral-zone coverage, proper angle from in-out, stick positioning. You can see those older guys are there already.”

Chiasson realizes this could be his last opportunity in the game.

“I know my game, I know my role, how I can help a team,” he said. “I can help my linemates just go out and do what I do best and the rest, we’ll see where it goes.”

Continued (paywall); Chiasson faces long odds in terms of earning a Red Wings contract, but he could bolster the Griffins’ lineup.

Tweets of note: Red Wings Alumni Association to play STAHLS on Friday, November 15th in Saint Clair Shores

Per the Red Wings Alumni on Twitter:

Tweets of note: St. James, Custance publishing hockey books this fall

If you are interested, the Free Press’s Helene St. James and The Athletic’s Craig Custance and are both releasing books this fall:

Red Wings-Penguins rematch, morning skate Tweets: It’s a Bally Sports Detroit game; Pens hit the ice first

Updated 2x at 11:22 AM: The Detroit Red Wings will attempt to battle back from an 0-1-and-1 performance last night as they face a stacked Pittsburgh Penguins lineup tonight in Pittsburgh (7 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit).

This is indeed Bally Sports Detroit’s first of three preseason telecasts…

Continue reading Red Wings-Penguins rematch, morning skate Tweets: It’s a Bally Sports Detroit game; Pens hit the ice first

Waiving Lyon?

The Athletic’s Jesse Granger believes that, should the Red Wings waive a goaltender and attempt to send him down to Grand Rapids, they’re going to pick Alex Lyon:

Alex Lyon, Detroit

The Red Wings carried three goaltenders for most of last season, but general manager Steve Yzerman said this summer he prefers to move forward with only two on the roster. That means one of Ville Husso, Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon could be waived, and whoever it is likely would be the top target for any team looking for help in the crease.

Husso has the biggest cap hit of the three, entering the final season of his deal with an average annual value of $4.75 million. Yzerman signed Talbot to a two-year contract worth $2.5 million per season just this summer, so his spot on the NHL roster should be secure.

That leaves Lyon, who is also entering the final year of his deal but carries a cap hit of only $900,000. That figure, combined with his wealth of experience, could make him an attractive waiver claim. Lyon had 44 NHL stars last season, posting a .904 save percentage (just above the league average). There were stretches last season when Lyon appeared to be the Red Wings’ best goalie, and he’s only two years removed from starting playoff games in Florida ahead of Sergei Bobrovsky, so the talent is evident. He also showed well in his two starts for Team USA at the World Championships this summer.

As is the case with most goalies looking to establish themselves as NHL starters, consistency is the issue for Lyon. He ended last season on a 3-10-3 run with a .887 during that span. Perhaps Yzerman ends up reluctantly holding three goalies again, but if not, I could see Lyon getting claimed before making it down to Grand Rapids.

Continued (paywall); I just don’t see the Wings waiving Lyon until the goaltending situation sorts itself out after the first month of the season, presuming that he loses out to Husso or Talbot.