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Prospect round-up: Nikita Tyurin scores a goal in his 25-26 season debut

The Detroit Red Wings prospects’ 2025-2026 regular season got underway today as Nikita Tyurin’s MHK Spartak battled SKA-1946 in the Russian MHL, the Russian equivalent of a major junior league.

Tyurin, who gave an English-language interview to the MHL’s website a couple of days ago, scored the 5-1 goal in MHK Sprtak’s 7-3 win over SKA-1946. My Russian isn’t very good, but the stat sheet indicates that Tyurin scored and blocked 2 shots.

Per the indispensable Red Wings Prospects on Twitter:

It’s far too early to guess whether Tyurin will work his way up the ranks to Spartak’s VHL team (the Russian equivalent of the AHL) or KHL team, but at the major junior level, he posted 4 goals and 16 assists for 20 points in 50 games last season…And he didn’t turn 18 years old until July 2nd.

Tyurin isn’t overly big at 6′ and 174 pounds, but the 140th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft has some time to develop into a bigger and stronger player.

Daily Faceoff offers a Red Wings season preview

Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Trudeau has posted an in-depth 2025-2026 season preview of the Detroit Red Wings, with a projected lineup, 2024-2025 season recap, analysis of the team’s offense, defense, goaltending and coaching, a mention of the team’s potential rookies, and the following:

BURNING QUESTIONS

1. Is help on the way? Yzerman won’t dip into his draft and prospect assets unless he’s confident such a move will make the Wings an upper-echelon contender. His draft-centric “Yzerplan” was always going to take a little patience, but even captain Dylan Larkin has become frustrated by Yzerman’s unwillingness to help out the roster in the short term. For a team with more talented young players than there are lineup slots, would it be the worst idea to speed things up just a bit? The Red Wings will never win enough to “earn” a deadline buy-in from Yzerman while Seider and Edvinsson are stuck dragging around a blueline full of Yzerman’s free agency mistakes. 

2. Are Raymond and Seider Cup-winning players? The Red Wings might be moving forward at the speed of a dreadnought, but they have improved. That means the bulk of Yzerman’s most high-leverage draft selections have already been made. There’s no question he’s an excellent amateur scout, but does it rattle some nerves in Hockeytown that Raymond and Seider are so far ahead of every other young player in the organization save, perhaps, for Edvinsson? Both are great young players, but they could stand to take another jump if they’re to be the principal stars of the Red Wings’ next winner. 

3. Anyone have a playoff spot? It couldn’t have felt good for the Wings to watch the Montreal Canadiens, whose rebuild started around five seasons later than theirs, snag the last Wild Card. Montreal’s core players are younger than Larkin and DeBrincat (if not Seider and Raymond), and the team has shown a willingness to add name-brand talent like Noah Dobson and Patrik Laine to expedite their growth. The Ottawa Senators’ rebuild ran concurrently with Detroit’s for a while, but they’re also pulling away now that they have stable leadership in place; Ottawa finished seventh in the East, just a point adrift of the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. With Montreal and Ottawa on the rise, and Florida and Tampa Bay entrenched in the top three, where exactly is Detroit supposed to sneak into the postseason in a crowded Atlantic Division? 

PREDICTION

The Red Wings have reasons for optimism. Their forward group could end up outkicking expectations, especially if Kasper thrives at 2C. McLellan was the best, most proven coach on the market when Yzerman hired him. The same could be said of Gibson among the goalies available this summer. Still, it’s tough to pick a Detroit team that’s waiting on at least one more proven NHL defenseman ahead of clubs that already look fairly complete on paper. Yzerman could still swoop in for Rasmus Andersson or Mario Ferraro before Christmas, but it would be out of character. If he doesn’t, the Red Wings will end up with another ~90-point finish as the drought drags on.

Continued at length; I truly believe in McLellan’s abilities as a coach over the course of his first full season behind the bench, I fully believe that Gibson can rebound from a rough couple of seasons, and I desperately hope that the Red Wings will add a top-four defenseman and/or a top-six forward over the course of the 2025-2026 regular season, leading up to the 2026 trade deadline…

But I do feel that the odds are stacked against the Wings, both in terms of the current roster’s ability to push through the Senators and Canadiens to earn a Wild Card spot, and in terms of the “experts” suggesting that there’s no way in hell that the Wings can make the playoff cut.

We shall see. I’m optimistic but trying to be realistic as well.

‘Citizens Research Council of Michigan’ proposes an admissions tax for Detroit sports games and entertainment events

The Detroit Metro Times’ Steve Neavling reports that an independent research group is suggesting that the City of Detroit impose an “admissions tax” upon each and every one of the city’s entertainment events in order to raise revenues and decrease residential property taxes:

The Citizens Research Council of Michigan released the study Wednesday, pointing out that “Detroit is one of the few major cities in the U.S. that does not levy entertainment/amusement/admissions tax.”

Detroit has four professional sports teams downtown — the Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, and Lions. Detroit City Football Club, a professional soccer team, is building a new stadium in Southwest Detroit set to open in 2027. The city is also home to dozens of entertainment venues, such as Fox Theatre, the Fillmore Detroit, Little Caesars Arena, the Masonic Temple, Detroit Opera House, the Fisher Theatre, the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, and Saint Andrew’s Hall, among many others.

While the city has missed out on revenue from the tax, the report said Detroit can learn from its experiences.

“Several Michigan cities serve as regional hubs for culture, commerce, sports teams, concerts, and conventions,” Eric Lupher, president of the Citizens Research Council, said. “Detroit stands alone as the largest city in this role, with four major professional sports teams, concert halls, theaters, and other venues that attract attendees from throughout Southeast Michigan and beyond.”

Detroit could raise more than $50 million a year with an admission tax, depending on the rate and how it’s applied. A 3% tax on admissions would bring in about $14.1 million, while a 10% rate could generate as much as $36.9 million, according to the report.

The study broke down how much each of Detroit’s professional sports teams could contribute based on ticket sales. In the most recent seasons, an admissions tax would have generated:

  • Lions (Ford Field): $0.99M at 3% to $3.3M at 10%.
  • Tigers (Comerica Park): $1.95M at 3% to $6.5M at 10%.
  • Red Wings (Little Caesars Arena): $2.31M at 3% to $7.7M at 10%.
  • Pistons (Little Caesars Arena): $1.29M at 3% to $4.3M at 10%.

Continued; I’m not a fan of having to pay even more than a $100+ ticket and $40+ for parking in order to attend a sporting event or concert downtown.

I’m a big believer in paying one’s taxes to fund services like roads, emergency services, schools, etc. even if I don’t use them as a civic duty, but I don’t view imposing an arbitrary tax upon already-stressed sports fans or concert fans as a wise move.

Luckily…

To impose a local admissions tax, state lawmakers would need to authorize it, the report states.

Tweet of note: Axel Sandin Pellikka’s attending the NHLPA Rookie Showcase today

NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman Tweeted out a group photo from the NHLPA Rookie Showcase at the Washington Capitals’ practice facility today. The players involved, including Red Wings prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka, will take part in photo shoots and promotional activities for Upper Deck Hockey:

Dylan Larkin’s the only Red Wings representative on Daily Faceoff’s Top 50 forwards list

For what it’s worth, Daily Faceoff’s Paul Pidutti ranked the NHL’s Top 50 Forwards this morning, based upon a weighted average of the past 3 seasons’ worth of performance…

And Dylan Larkin is the only Red Wings’ representative, at #40. No Lucas Raymond at all, most likely due to his 45-point sophomore campaign.

It’s a little weird to not see Raymond, but he’s still earning respect as far as most hockey experts are concerned, for better or worse.

A very fair ranking of the Red Wings’ goaltending tandem

Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon ranks every NHL team’s goaltending tandems ahead of the 2025-2026 regular season, and…

The Red Wings rank in the middle of the pack?

18. Detroit Red Wings

John Gibson and Cam Talbot

Detroit got solid goaltending from Cam Talbot last season but were let down by the rest of the group that featured Alex Lyon, Ville Husso and Petr Mrázek as well as injuries. Adding John Gibson from Anaheim to be the No. 1 while Talbot slides into the backup role, on paper, gives the Red Wings much better overall goaltending.

Yes, injuries will need to be kept to a minimum, especially for Gibson, but when he was in the lineup for the Ducks, he was outstanding. Having Gibson, Talbot and Sebastian Cossa in the AHL gives Detroit a lot of depth. It’s just hard to ignore the injury history with Gibson and how overall inconsistent play has been for the Red Wings the past few years. If Gibson can settle everything down, maybe their playoff drought won’t hit double figures.

Continued; that’s really a very fair ranking. Gibson has to have something of a bounce-back season injury-wise for the Red Wings’ goaltending to really shine, and he’s going to need Cam Talbot’s help as the Wings will tend to work off the tandem model…

And Cossa should get at least a couple “cup of coffee” call-ups this upcoming season. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if Michal Postava saw time in Detroit’s crease on an emergency basis, either.

Overall, there are questions about Gibson’s health and consistency, there are questions about Talbot’s age (38) and consistency, and Cossa’s got pressure upon his shoulders to shine when he gets a chance to impress. 18 out of 32 seems about right.

Praise for Nate Danielson from The Athletic

The Athletic transcripted an episode of “The Athletic Hockey Show” with Corey Pronman, Max Bultman and FloHockey’s Chris Peters, and the trio discussed Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson at some length:

Peters: Then let’s talk about Cole Hutson — kidding. I’m still trying to figure out (Danielson) the player. Corey, in terms of a top‑50 prospect and where he landed, what are the things you’re seeing from him? I just haven’t seen it yet.

Pronman: One of the youngest players in the AHL last year, one of Grand Rapids’ better players, one of their better players in the playoffs. 6‑2, right‑shot center who can skate, has legit skill, plays both special teams, works hard. A lot of traits. I know the skill isn’t eye‑popping, but it’s good skill — legit skill. I think it’s second‑power‑play skill in the NHL — maybe bumper/net‑front type. He has a lot of traits that will translate and will lead to him being a highly effective NHL center for a long time. It’s hard to see him miss, frankly. He checks every box, and some with emphasis. Really natural skater, natural puck handler. He can break shifts open with his puck handling at times. The pace he plays at — he just feels like a really good hockey player. I don’t know what to say other than he doesn’t meet some people’s ideal statistical profile.

But every time I watch him — well, that’s the question I have, and I’m sure Max feels the same way because he’s watching a bunch — it feels like every time you watch him, he’s one of the most impactful players on the ice, right?

Bultman: Yes. And then you look at the score sheet and it’s, you know, one assist or no assist.

Peters: What’s a reasonable expectation?

Pronman: I think 45-55 points with penalty‑kill duty.

Continued (paywall); the thrust of the conversation involves yesterday’s Under-23 prospect rankings from Pronman.

Tweet of note: Dylan Larkin appears on Tuesday night’s Tigers broadcast

Via the Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker, Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin spoke with the Detroit Tigers’ broadcast crew for 7:05 earlier this evening, discussing the offseason, his preparations for the upcoming hockey season, and more…

Meet Travis Hamonic

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted a profile of new Red Wings defenseman Travis Hamonic earlier this afternoon, but you’re getting it now as my aunt is having a bad day, and I needed to step away from the blog for a bit to take care of somebody who’s just coming off a heavy antibiotic.

Anyway, Mills’ profile is quite good, and worth a read:

Not only does Travis Hamonic, who signed a one-year free-agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Aug. 15, want to bring a hardworking style of play to his new club in the 2025-26 season, but the veteran defenseman also hopes to make a difference away from the rink.

“I’m excited to come in,” Hamonic said in his introductory Zoom call with the media last week. “It seems like a great, very close group. I’m ready to integrate myself into the team and community. Such a storied franchise…I’ve only been a Wing for a little bit, but very proud of that opportunity to wear that jersey. Very thankful for the organization for giving me that chance, so I want to make sure that I’m ready to go and I believe that I am, and to be a positive impact through my time in Detroit and as a Wing.”

Embracing a physical, third-pair role with the Ottawa Senators last season, Hamonic finished with seven points (one goal, six assists) in 59 games while averaging 17:04 of ice time per contest.

Continue reading Meet Travis Hamonic