Category: Uncategorized

The Hockey News’s Adam Proteau suggests that Patrick Kane won’t win a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings, and as such, the last “shot at glory” he could earn is a gold medal win if and/or when he makes the U.S. Olympic hockey team:

At 36, Kane can still be a solid contributor, posting 21 goals and 59 points last season. But Kane signed only a one-year, $3-million contract for this coming year on a middling Red Wings team that will compete hard just to try to make the playoffs. If Kane sticks with the Wings for the rest of his career, it’s unlikely he’ll have a chance of winning the Stanley Cup for the fourth time.

So Kane’s last chance at hockey glory could come on the international stage, if he makes the U.S. team at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Kane doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. His career totals of 492 goals and 1,343 points in 1,302 regular-season games, on top of his three Cup wins with the Chicago Blackhawks, make him a lock to be a Hockey Hall of Famer when he hangs up his skates.

But given that the Red Wings will be picked by many to miss the playoffs this coming season, you can see how Kane needs to make the most of his status as a U.S. icon and help lead Team America to a gold medal win at the 2026 Games in Milan, Italy.

That said, Kane isn’t guaranteed to make the American roster. Indeed, in this writer’s projected U.S. roster for the Olympics, Kane was not on the team.

“The one thing that’s kind of missing is a gold in best-on-best, right?” Kane told NHL.com last week at the Americans’ Olympic orientation camp. “It would be fun to have that opportunity.”

U.S. GM Bill Guerin has a very deep talent pool from which to draft a roster, and he may choose to go with a youth movement and select young wingers like Utah’s Clayton Keller, Minnesota’s Matt Boldy, Buffalo’s Tage Thompson and Montreal’s Cole Caufield at right wing. So Kane will have all the motivation in the world to come out of the starting gate strongly this season and nudge one of those aforementioned young players out of a roster spot for the Olympics.

If Kane does make the U.S. roster, who’s to say he won’t have one more place in the sun and one final chapter he can hang his hat on as an all-time great?

Continued; I’m gonna be mean here and suggest that Kane won’t be included on the 2026 U.S. Olympic team because Guerin does indeed show a preference for younger players and/or regular participants in the World Championship.

Guerin himself said this to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan recently:

Continue reading This time it’s Patrick Kane who has an uphill climb to make the U.S. Olympic team

Red Wings prospect defenseman Brady Cleveland, a 2023 47th overall draft pick, has bounced around thanks to the NCAA transfer portal, playing for the University of Wisconsin during his freshman season, Colorado College as a sophomore, and now he’s headed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth as a junior.

The Hockey News’s Jake Tye suggests that Cleveland’s multiple transfers are somehow the Red Wings’ problem, and that Cleveland’s situation is representative of a developmental system in crisis:

Cleveland was a high draft pick by the Red Wings, and the organization is hoping he can finally find his footing and grow into a player worthy of an NHL contract. He still has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining, including this upcoming season, which means Detroit still has time to come to a decision. Once his college career is over, they will have a 30-day window to decide whether to sign him or allow him to become a free agent. The hope is that he can develop within a stable system in Minnesota-Duluth that has produced top NHL defensemen like Justin Faulk, Neal Pionk, and Carson Soucy.

What the Red Wings can’t afford is another situation like Red Savage, a fourth-round pick who ultimately went unsigned and wasted a fourth-round pick. For General Manager Steve Yzerman, continuing to miss on a second-round picks is something he can’t afford to continue. Other recent second-round selections, like Andrew Gibson (2023), Theodor Niederbach (2020), and Robert Mastrosimone (2019), have failed to make an impact and are no longer with the organization.

While Detroit has seen some success with their top picks like Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Marco Kasper, those hits can’t overshadow the issue that has become the inability to draft impact players and developing talent from within. A lack of productive prospects from the AHL and below may be one of the reasons the Red Wings have now missed the playoffs for nine straight seasons. Cleveland’s trajectory could be used a symbol of a greater issue within the organization that has been if the team truly on the right path, or are its development issues holding it back?

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers have built up championship teams not just with star talent but players that excel in their roles even in the bottom six of their lineup. The Bolts had drafted and developed players like Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat and Ross Colton into impact players that weren’t superstars like Nikita Kucherov or Steven Stamkos but still played a pivotal role in the team’s success. The Red Wings will need to look to do the same if they want to eventually find success.

Continued; in NCAA hockey, players have a say in their developmental paths, and while Cleveland’s multiple transfers may have set his developmental path back a bit…

He’s going into his junior year of eligibility as a stay-at-home defenseman who plays mean hockey. And it is NOT the Red Wings’ problem that he’s transferred several times.

Moreover, the Red Wings have accumulated a very solid number of picks and prospects over Yzerman’s tenure with the team, and after leaning on their 1st round picks for the first few years of the Yzerman regime, they’re beginning to see players like Albert Johansson, Carter Mazur, Elmer Soderblom and Jonathan Berggren either push for jobs or plain old win them outright, there are more players to come from the AHL level…

And as much as I really liked Red Savage, losing a 4th line center with a tremendous work ethic to a 2-year AHL-level contract is not a tragedy here.

There is nothing to panic about here, and the reality of developing players is that not everyone you select pans out. The Red Wings are getting more and more out of their mid-round picks as the years progress, so I just cannot manufacture significant worry regarding someone like Cleveland not “sticking” should he not pan out.

It’s not the Red Wings’ fault that the young man has transferred three times, and it’s not the Red Wings’ fault if he doesn’t succeed at making it to the NHL. Player development is a two-way street, with the team equipping prospects with the best possible skill sets in terms of on-ice skills and off-ice responsibilities, and the players attempting to deliver in terms of their mental, physical and on-ice developmental curves ascending to a successful peak all at the same time.

It ain’t as easy as willing things to happen.

Per the NHLPA:

2025 NHLPA ROOKIE SHOWCASE, HOSTED BY NHLPA AND UPPER DECK, SET FOR SEPT. 3

…Matthew Schaefer, Beckett Sennecke, Ryan Leonard and Zeev Buium, among group of more than 30 prospects and rookies scheduled to attend the 15th annual event with sports collectibles leader Upper Deck at MedStar Capitals Iceplex

TORONTO (Sept. 2, 2025) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association and Upper Deck will host the 15^th annual NHLPA Rookie Showcase on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia, with over 30 NHL® prospects and rookies scheduled to attend. This unique event provides Upper Deck – the official trading card partner of the NHLPA and the NHL – with an opportunity to capture photographs and videos of many of the game’s top young prospects and rookies in their official NHL team uniforms. The content collected will be used by Upper Deck to create the players’ first NHL and NHLPA licensed rookie trading cards, as well as additional promotional materials throughout the season and beyond.

2025 NHLPA Rookie Showcase Scheduled Attendees:

Frederic Brunet (BOS), Zeev Buium (MIN), Berkly Catton (SEA), Igor Chernyshov (NJD), Ben Danford (TOR), Sam Dickinson (SJ), Karsen Dorwart (PHI), Jordan Dumais (CBJ), Jack Finley (TB), Marc Gatcomb (NYI), Konsta Helenius (BUF), Quinn Hutson (EDM), Tij Iginla (UTA), Joakim Kemell (NSH), Ryan Leonard (WSH), Oliver Moore (CHI), Alexander Nikishin (CAR), Jani Nyman (SEA), Zayne Parekh (CGY), Gabe Perreault (NYR), Francesco Pinelli (LA), David Reinbacher (MTL), Axel Sandin-Pellikka (DET), Gracyn Sawchyn (FLA), Matthew Schaefer (NYI), Beckett Sennecke (ANA), Jimmy Snuggerud (STL), Cam Squires (NJ), Matthew Wood (NSH), Brayden Yager (WPG), Carter Yakemchuk (OTT)

The Athletic’s Max Bultman attempts to predict what the 2028-2029 Detroit Red Wings’ roster might look like at forward, on defense and in goal this morning:

Forwards

Carter Bear (21)	Dylan Larkin (32)	Lucas Raymond (26)
Alex DeBrincat (30)	Marco Kasper (24)	Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (23)
Max Plante (22)	Nate Danielson (24)	Carter Mazur (26)
Elmer Söderblom (27)	Emmitt Finnie (23)	Jesse Kiiskinen (23)

When we did a similar projection one year ago, there was a glaring need at the top of the Red Wings’ future forward corps. That gap has been filled with Detroit drafting Carter Bear in the first round of this summer’s NHL Draft.

Bear projects as a top-six winger who brings significant offensive ability as well as sandpaper to complement the skilled players already playing at the top of Detroit’s lineup. And even though he’ll be just 21 on opening night in 2028, he should be in the NHL by this time, and Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond would be a great pair of linemates for him to break in with.

Larkin is one of the most interesting pieces of this projection. The Red Wings’ captain will be 32 in 2028, likely at the tail end of (or perhaps even beyond) his prime. Could that mean one of Marco Kasper or Nate Danielson is manning the 1C slot by then? Possibly. And one of those two young centers ascending to that level is arguably Detroit’s best path to true contention. But for now, we’re going to stick with Larkin until we see one of the younger pivots show they can produce true top-line offense. The good news is, Kasper and Danielson certainly look capable of being strong centers at the levels they’re slotted here.

Kasper’s production and underlying numbers from Jan. 10 (when he entered the top six full-time) through the end of the season were strikingly similar to those of Sam Bennett, the No. 2 center on the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers, in the same span — and not far off some of the other second-line centers on some of the league’s elite teams.

Continued at length (paywall)

FYI: The Detroit Red Wings have launched an online “team store” at https://shophockeytown.com/, and they’re offering a 10% discount off one’ first order if you sign up for their text SMS list.

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRIFFINS 2025-26 SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE ON SEPT. 4

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Single-game tickets for each of the Grand Rapids Griffins’ 36 regular-season home games at Van Andel Arena will go on sale to the general public this Thursday, Sept. 4 through griffinshockey.com/tickets. Fans can sign up for the Griffins Nation newsletters to receive early access to various ticket pre-sale opportunities.

Under third-year head coach Dan Watson, the Griffins will begin the home portion of their 72-game slate on Friday, Oct. 17 against the Manitoba Moose with Opening Night presented by Huntington Bank.

Griffins tickets can be purchased through the following methods (all purchases subject to a convenience charge):

• Online through griffinshockey.com/buytickets;
• On the Griffins app, available for iPhone and Android;
• In person at The Zone at Van Andel Arena, beginning Sept. 4 (open 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday-Friday);
• By phone at (616) 774-4585 or (800) 2-HOCKEY.

New this season, the Griffins are introducing the Pick ‘Em Plan, giving fans the chance to create their own lineup by choosing three or six games to bundle together. Starting Thursday, this plan allows fans to save money, secure priority seating for their selected games and experience the season in their own way.

Continue reading Press release: Grand Rapids Griffins single-game tickets go on sale September 4th

The Grand Rapids Griffins posted a unique Tweet on Sunday to promote their, well, their promotional schedule for the 2025-2026 AHL season:

Introducing ➡️ GRG City! Just a little something while we wait for the season to load 🤩🏢 #GoGRG

SZN 30 >> https://t.co/0Kbvpw7P1f pic.twitter.com/5NL8oLAMay

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) September 1, 2025

I had to crash over the course of Sunday afternoon an all of Monday, so I apologize for the lack of content during that time. Here’s a digest of what Red Wings-related happenings were posted during that time:

1. As Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff noted, when Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson took a 5-minute major penalty for boarding in Leksands IF’s first exhibition game vs. Linkopings HC, he missed the opportunity to play in a full game with his brother Victor Johansson, who’s a 19-year-old left defenseman. As you probably know by now, Anton and Victor’s father, Thomas (or “Tjomme”) is Leksands IF’s GM.

Per Duff:

The two were forming a defense pairing on the weekend as Leksands was facing Linköping in SHL preseason action. However, the pairing didn’t last long. Anton was assessed a match penalty for boarding eight minutes into the game.

“I told him afterwards it was fun that I got to play with you,” Victor told Swedish website Falu-Kuriren.

“We had of course hoped to play more together now that we started together. But that’s what happens.

“I hope for more minutes (together) in the future.”

Anton’s older brother, Simon, plays for Ilves of the Finnish Liiga. He was in the Minnesota Wild’s system for several seasons.

2. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen also took note of several exhibition games’ results on Sunday:

Continue reading Catch-up post: Sunday and Monday’s Red Wings news

The Athletic’s Corey Pronman lists his top prospects in the NHL this morning, all 172(?) of them…

And he lists Nate Danielson #42nd, Simon Edvinsson #46th, Marco Kasper #52nd, Axel Sandin Pellikka #54th, Carter Bear #66th, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard #68th, and Sebastian Cossa #137th.

Pronman is bullish on Danielson…

Danielson’s production in Grand Rapids wasn’t amazing this season, but he played huge minutes and was often highly noticeable, a trend that’s followed him the last few years. He has excellent one-on-one skills, he skates well and his ability to create chances in transition will make him dangerous in the NHL. He’s a strong passer and shooter who can make a lot of things happen inside the offensive zone. Danielson is also a diligent two-way center. I get the concerns about his production, and at some point, he’s going to need to produce points consistently, but when I’ve watched him, I think his skill is legit and that he can be a top-six forward.

But a little less psyched about Axel Sandin Pellikka…

Sandin Pellikka had an excellent season, posting huge numbers in the SHL for a teenage defenseman, and was the best defenseman at the World Juniors. ASP is a highly skilled and poised defenseman. He looks calm and intelligent with the puck, making a lot of great plays, and has the soft touch of a power-play quarterback. ASP can beat teams with his skill, but also his shot, as he has a bullet one-timer from the left circle that projects to be a legit weapon versus NHL goalies. He’s not that big, but he’s mobile and wins a surprising number of battles for a guy his size. He projects as a top-four defenseman who should be OK defensively in the NHL while being able to run a first power-play unit.

Trey Augustine doesn’t make his list at all, with Pronman believing that the 6’1,” 194-pound Augustine is too small to stick in the NHL, per the embedded audio clip.

5’10,” 170-pound Dmitri Buchelnikov probably misses the list due to his size as well.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff shares the highlights of a paywalled interview from iDnes.cz’s Patrik Czepiec as part of a larger article in which Duff profiles Red Wings prospect Ondrej Becher:

Detroit chose Becher 80th overall on draft day a year ago. That was following a 32-goal, 96-point season for Becher with the WHL Prince George Cougars.

Becher also collected 19 points in 15 WHL playoff games that spring. Red Wings’ bird dogs got plenty of chances to put their eyeballs on the Czech forward. His club wound up squaring off against Portland, the team of Detroit’s 2023 first-round pick Nate Danielson, in the WHL conference finals.

“His skating is something that when you watch him play, he has that extra gear,” Detroit assistant GM and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said. “You watch him and he’s able to bring that speed and skill set.”

Slowed by an ankle injury at the start of last season, Becher would manage to accumulate 10-10-20 totals in 59 AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Similar to his time in Prince George, Becher, 21, was left to earn every minute of his ice time with the Griffins. And he’s fine with that.

“I had to fight for it,” Becher said. “I started on the third and fourth lines. The beginnings were very difficult, but I worked every day and earned my place.”

Continued; the Red Wings had to ink Becher to a 2-way contract as he “aged out” of the WHL this past season, but the 21-year-old center appears to have the patience necessary with which to maximize his developmental time in Grand Rapids.

He’s plucky, for lack of a better term, and having a strong work ethic in addition to a strong skill set affords him an attempt to buck the odds against him.