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Two days, two harsh critiques of the Red Wings organization

Yesterday, the Hockey News’s Adam Proteau suggested that Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman might very well be fired if his team isn’t at least playoff-relevant this upcoming season. Today, Proteau is deeming Yzerman’s team to be a franchise stuck in the “mushy middle“:

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs in nine seasons. Only the Sabres have spent more time out of the post-season.

At the same time, Detroit has picked in the top five of the draft just once in the past 35 years.

It’s difficult to land a generational talent when you’re not picking in the top five. The Red Wings have managed to get lucky and draft Simon Edvinsson (sixth overall in 2021), Lucas Raymond (fourth overall in 2020) and Moritz Seider (sixth overall in 2019) in recent years, but imagine what this team would look like with a few top three picks.

Don’t expect that trend to change anytime soon.

The Red Wings’ additions this summer, which include signing goalie John Gibson, won’t move the needle for them in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. Unless something drastic changes, Detroit is almost assuredly headed for another mediocre season.

Even if they do sneak into the post-season, the Wings will probably be roadkill against superior opponents. And that means more mushy middle developments for a franchise that once was the gold standard for NHL organizations.

Continued; I’m not going to deny that the Red Wings have had a tough road back from the late Ken Holland era, in which the last few years of drafting and developing were quite poor, to building up the Wings’ currently deep pool of prospects who are at least near developing into NHL players to reinforce the roster…

But if we’re gonna call Detroit “lucky” for drafting Edvinsson, Raymond and Seider, and we’re going to call them “roadkill” if they make the playoffs…

Continue reading Two days, two harsh critiques of the Red Wings organization

Tweet of note: NHL Network names Dylan Larkin 15th-best center

Good to see:

Per the NHL Network and NHL.com:

15. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings captain is the ninth player in team history with four consecutive 30-goal seasons and the first to do it since Henrik Zetterberg from 2005-09. Last season, Larkin played all 82 games for the second time, finishing with 40 assists and 70 points, and had a goal and an assist in four games at the 4 Nations Face-Off to help the United States reach the championship game, a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada.

Continued; Larkin just turned 29, so he’s going to be a little older when the Red Wings return to playoff contention (hopefully this upcoming season?), but he should have many productive years ahead as he becomes one of the “old guard” holding up the mantle of the winged wheel.

A superb translation of a Sergei Fedorov interview with Match TV via…Uggg_uggg on Twitter

As we all know by now, Red Wings alumnus Sergei Fedorov will have his #91 raised to Little Caesars Arena’s rafters on January 12th, 2026 vs. Carolina.

Fedorov gave an interview to RG.com’s Sergey Demidov that was translated into English, and today, Fedorov gave an interview to Match-TV’s Pavel Lysenkov.

CBS Detroit’s Rachel Hopmayer noted that enigmatic Twitter user “Uggg_Uggg,” a long-time KHL follower, has given us a faithful translation of the article from Russian, and while I’m not a big believer in posting from people I don’t know…

This is a lot better than I could do with Google translate. So all the images which follow are from “Uggg_Uggg,” and are copyrighted as such.

Continue reading A superb translation of a Sergei Fedorov interview with Match TV via…Uggg_uggg on Twitter

Tweet of note via RWP, Ken Campbell: Red Savage to sign 2-year AHL deal with Rochester Americans

Via Red Wings Prospects on Twitter, the Hockey News’s Ken Campbell reports that former Red Wings prospect and outgoing Michigan State University captain Red Savage will be signing a 2-year AHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans:

Prospect preseason: Eddie Genborg scores 2 goals for Timra IK

Hockeysverige.se’s Konrad Gronlund reports that Red Wings prospect and 44th overall 2025 draft pick Eddie Genborg impressed in his first preseason game with Timra IK of the SHL, scoring two goals in an exhibition win over Skelleftea AIK.

IceHockeyGifs and Red Wings Prospects were all over Genborg’s first preseason goal:

Tweet of note: Kienan Draper named alternate captain for U of M hockey team

Red Wings prospect and University of Michigan senior Kienan Draper has been named an alternate captain for U of M this season:

Draper, 23, will face a pivotal season as the 6’2,” 209-pound right wing attempts to earn a bigger role on the Wolverines’ roster as he aims to earn a pro contract.

Khan weighs in on the Red Wings’ next retired numbers

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff weighed in on the Red Wings’ next potential retired numbers this morning, and this afternoon, MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses the same topic:

It figures to be Pavel Datsyuk’s 13 or Henrik Zetterberg’s 40, perhaps both together, which would seem fitting. Each spent his entire NHL career in Detroit, and their careers overlapped considerably – Datsyuk from 2001-02 to 2015-16 and Zetterberg from 2002-03 to 2017-18, and their statistics are similar.

Datsyuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024, his first year of eligibility. All nine Red Wings who’ve had their numbers retired, including Fedorov, are in the Hall. Zetterberg has not yet been selected to the Hall of Fame but appears to have a good chance.

Zetterberg ranks sixth in games (1,082) and fifth in goals (337), assists (623) and points (960) in franchise history. Datsyuk ranks ninth in games (953), eighth in goals (314), sixth in assists (604) and seventh in points (918) among Red Wings.

Both were top-notch defensive players; Datsyuk won the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward three times (from 2008 to 2010).

Goaltender Chris Osgood’s No. 30 is another jersey the franchise might consider retiring. Osgood ranks second to Sawchuk in games (565) and wins (317 of his 401) in club history. He won two Stanley Cups as a starter (1998 and 2008) and another as a back-up (1997).

Continued (paywall); I’m still a big believer in a “Ring of Honor” or Red Wings Hall of Fame to give players who were important to the franchise but aren’t quite headed to the rafters.

Griffins coach Dan Watson offers praise for Emmitt Finnie’s potential

Red Wings prospect and forward Emmitt Finnie doesn’t get a lot of press as he was the 201st overall draft pick in 2023, but the 6’1,” 203-pound winger has earned oodles of praise from Red Wings director of player development Dan Cleary for his professionalism and talent.

Finnie was the captain of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers last season, and he he posted 37 goals and 47 assists for 84 points in only 55 games. Then he headed to Grand Rapids, posting a goal and 4 assists for 5 points in 10 regular-season games, and he played in the Griffins’ 3-game playoff series against Texas as well.

Today, the Hockey News’s Jake Tye offers more praise for Finnie from Grand Rapids Griffins coach Dan Watson:

“I think Emmitt Finnie is a guy, he’s a seventh round pick, but every time I see him, he continually gets better and better, he gets bigger, he gets stronger,” Watson explained “[Finnie] had a great Western Hockey League career, stepped in two years ago with us and played three games and wasn’t expected to play any games but did quite well during his playing time.”

Finnie, 20, has played a limited number of games with the Griffins over the past two seasons but has made the most of his opportunities, recording a goal and four assists for five points in 13 appearances. He spent his junior career in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers, showing steady development from a slow start in his rookie year, when he couldn’t find the back of the net but recorded six assists through his first 48 games.

…

Watson noted that Finnie has been used in multiple roles and with versatility, that could open the door to more opportunities higher in the lineup. He added that he’s eager to see how the hardworking Finnie has developed over the offseason as he prepares for his first full season under Watson’s guidance. 

“He adds the ability to skate and play both wing and center so I’m excited to see how his summer went and to see what he looks like,” Watson commented “[Finnie] puts in the work he’s driven to get better and so I’m really looking forward to see what he has this year.”

Continued; Finnie definitely has to battle both the odds and the fact that he’s not the biggest fellow by today’s NHL standards, but if he continues to improve his skating and consistency, he’s going to be one of those players who “comes out of nowhere” and succeeds because of his brains and guts.

Sergei Fedorov speaks with RG.com about his number 91’s retirement, leaving Detroit, and his future

Former Red Wing Sergei Fedorov spoke with RG.com’s Sergey Demidov and Quinn Allen regarding his #91 being retired by the Red Wings, and much more:

The Detroit Red Wings will retire Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 on Jan. 12, 2026, during the franchise’s centennial season. In a wide-ranging conversation with RG, the three-time Stanley Cup champion reflects on the call from ownership, old business disputes, leaving for Anaheim, and what comes next—while Detroit’s history with No. 91 comes into full view.

The news reached Fedorov on Tuesday. It was a call from Red Wings owner and CEO Christopher Ilitch.

“The day before, I had been told to expect a call,” Fedorov said. “I understood the general idea but didn’t ask too many questions. I’ve always had a good, respectful relationship with the organization. The next day, I got a message saying that Chris Ilitch would be calling me. My heart immediately started beating faster.”

“When we spoke, we first exchanged the usual questions about how things were going, how our families were doing, and then he shared the news with me. Honestly, in the first three or four minutes of the conversation, I wasn’t 100 percent sure where it was headed. But then he started listing all of our victories, our achievements, and how long it took to get there. At that moment, it took my breath away. Memories rushed back—our struggles, our bumps along the road, and of course that unforgettable parade of emotions after winning our first Stanley Cup.

Fedorov admits that he still feels that leaving for Anaheim in the summer of 2003 was the right thing to do, though he doesn’t share the rationale for doing so…

But he also states that he was “always a Red Wing” in his heart, and he offers this regarding his potential future:

With the number retirement settled, could there be a formal tie to the organization beyond the alumni circuit? Fedorov doesn’t push, but he won’t hesitate if asked.

“That’s a fair thought. If Detroit’s management wants me involved professionally, I’d be happy to do it. I’d gladly share my experience, mentor young players, and help raise the next generation of Red Wings champions.”

“I don’t know all the details [on the ceremony] yet. What I do know is that I’ll have around 50 close friends and family with me. They’ll be coming from all over the world, not just Russia. As for the rest—that’s up to the organizers.”

Continued; Sergei has always been an enigmatic figure, and he remains one even after reading this interview.