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Red Wings beat writer Ted Kulfan discusses the impact of the NHL’s economic issues on the Wings and their ownership, and he interviews former NHL referee Paul Stewart (who is no fan of Steve Yzerman) over the course of the Detroit News’s latest OctoPulse podcast:

Via The Score’s Josh Wegman, Red Wings prospect Donovan Sebrango was among the final cuts from the Canadian World Junior Championship squad today. He will return to the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, whose 2020-2021 season start time is uncertain.

Of prospect-related note for Friday:

In the Czech Extraliga, Filip Hronek scored the game’s first goal in Mountfield HK’s 4-3 win over HC Energie Karlovy Vary. Hronek finished at +2 with 3 shots in 26:00 played:

Filip Hronek scores to extend his goal scoring streak to 4 games ? #LGRW pic.twitter.com/jX7zBmeYUh

— Jay (@hwcJay) December 11, 2020

Filip Zadina finished even with 3 shots in 14:38 played as HC Ocelari Trinec lost 2-1 in overtime to Ceske Budejovice;

Also in the Czech Republic, via GriffinsNest on Twitter, Red Wings prospect Jan Bednar has been named one of three goaltenders for the Czech preliminary World Junior Championship team:

Continue reading Prospect Round-Up: Hronek scores another goal; Bednar makes Czech WJC team roster; Eliasson capitalizes on rare start

The Swedish World Junior Championship team named Anders Eriksen and Joel Ronnmark the team’s interim head coaches today, stepping into the coaching shoes of coronavirus-positive Tomas Monten and Adam Almqvist Andersson.

According to HockeyNews.se’s Henrik Sjoberg, one of the team’s on-ice coronavirus losses may give Theodor Niederbach the opportunity to center a line of Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz (and what follows is roughly translated from Swedish):

Karl Henriksson has been the center between Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz since the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton 2018, when Junior Crowns went to the final against Canada. Henriksson tested positive for covid-19 just before training camp in Sundsvall, and during the camp in Sundsvall, Theodor Niederbach has received the chance to replace him on the top line.

The 18-year-old from Bjästa has played in eleven SHL games in Frölunda during the autumn, and at the same time scored 35 points (13 goals + 22 assists ) in 19 games in the J20 league.

“Theodor has gone there now. We will see what we land in now when we start working towards finished lines. We know that we have the last [coronavirus] test on Saturday and after that we know one hundred percent which players we have available. But they are skilled together,” says Eriksen.

On Sunday, the Junior Crowns travel over to Canada and on December 26th, they play in the World Junior Championship premiere against the Czech Republic.

Sweden plays two exhibition games on site in Edmonton, against Canada (20th) and Switzerland (21st).

DobberProspects Nick Richard filed an article discussing the Red Wings‘ prospect pool this morning, and he speaks positively regarding a pair of pint-sized prospects:

Jonatan Berggren – RW: The Red Wings had high hopes for Berggren after selecting him 33^rd overall in 2018 but after having much of his last two seasons stolen by various injuries, there were concerns about his development being derailed. Berggren has erased those concerns so far this year, becoming an offensive force for Skelleftea of the SHL. He has been a playmaking machine and his 23 points are currently tied for third most in the league. After dealing with adversity for the last couple of years, Berggren has staked has place as one of the organization’s top prospects.

Otto Kivenmaki – LW: The Red Wings took a flyer on Kivenmaki, selecting him in the seventh round of the 2018 draft following a season in which he put up 37 points in 37 games at Finland’s U20 level. He followed that up with 35 points in just 23 games at the same level the following season, earning his first taste of Liiga action with Assat. Though his offensive production didn’t take a gigantic leap in his first full season at the men’s level, Kivenmaki has established himself as one of Assat’s most important forwards this season and currently has six goals to go along with eight assists through 20 games. Now a key member of his Liiga team and still just 20 years old, Kivenmaki has gone from being a late round project to a legitimate prospect.

Continued

This is really good stuff from SB Nation College Hockey’s Chris Dilks, who examines video related to the NCAA debut of University of Denver defenseman and Red Wings prospect Antti Tuomisto:

It was less heralded, as all picks outside the first round are, but Yzerman’s second pick with the Red Wings was a similar gamble [to Moritz Seider]. At 35th overall, the Red Wings selected Finnish defenseman Antti Tuomisto, a big defender that most scouting services had ranked as a mid-third to early-fourth round pick.

After playing a second year of U20 hockey in Finland, Tuomisto moved over to North America, and is now a freshman playing for the University of Denver. It was a fairly unconventional move for a top European prospect, but Tuomisto’s father Petri played college hockey for Alaska-Anchorage in the early ‘90s, so there was a familiarity with the NCAA system. And for a prospect that was considered fairly raw when he was drafted, the longer development time afforded by the NCAA system could be beneficial.

Tuomisto’s freshman season has begun inside the NCHC Pod in Omaha. I took a closer look at Tuomisto in Denver’s first handful of games this season, to get a better sense of his style of play and how he is progressing as an NHL prospect.

Continued (with video)

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a list of 10 possible December or January additions to the Red Wings’ roster via trade or free agent signing, and I’d argue that these players aren’t necessarily bargains–though they would certainly be valuable additions:

►Tyler Johnson, F, Tampa Bay: The top three players on this list will be Lightning property, the three most likely to be dealt, as the Stanley Cup champions need to get rid of two likely to get under the salary cap. And with Yzerman having been GM of the Lightning, and now having some cap flexibility in Detroit, it makes so much sense there could be some sort of trade.

Let’s start with Johnson, who has a $5 million cap hit for four more season. Johnson, 30, has seen his production drop each of the last three seasons, (31 points in 65 games last season, and seven points in 25 playoff games). If the Lightning attach picks or prospects, the Wings could be interested in acquiring Johnson, then exposing the Spokane native in the expansion draft next summer to Seattle.

►Alex Killorn, F, Tampa Bay: Killorn, 31, is an assistant captain, and scored a career-high 26 goals last season. With three more years at a manageable $4.45 million cap hit, Tampa could get decent value for Killorn, though the Wings may not be an ideal fit. A playoff contender might be interested, if it has some cap space. Killorn, with his leadership ability and playoff success, might be a good acquisition for a team closer to the Stanley Cup than the Wings.

►Yanni Gourde, F, Tampa Bay: You might be doing Tampa a big favor taking Gourde’s contract off their books. Gourde, 28, has five more seasons at a $5.166 million cap hit, after falling to 10 goals and 30 points last season (though he did have a good playoffs, with 14 points in 25 games.) The production drop is a concern, but some scouts feel Gourde would be a good addition for many teams. Certainly, the Wings have the cap space to do it.

Continued; got any favorites?

Great news for the Toledo Walleye today, per the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe:

The Toledo Walleye have re-signed goaltender Billy Christopoulos, who returns after starting his pro career with the ECHL organization.

Christopoulos, 26, played in 29 games and produced a stellar 24-3-3 record for the Walleye last season.

In his first pro season, Christopoulos led the ECHL with a .932 save percentage and posted a 2.30 goals-against average, which was the sixth best total in the league. His 24 wins ranked third most in the ECHL.

“We are very fortunate and excited to have, in my opinion, the best young goalie in the ECHL back in Toledo,” Walleye coach Dan Watson said.

Continued

Of prospect-related note from a busy Thursday:

In the Belarusian League, Kirill Tyutyayev scored a goal, finishing at +1 with 3 shots in Yunost Minsk’s 5-1 win over Mogolev;

In the SHL, the Albert Johansson-less Farjestads BK won 5-1 over Linkoping;

Albin Grewe (coronavirus) didn’t play in Djurgardens IF’s 5-2 win over Orebro Hockey. Matias Brome had an assist and finished even with 5 shots in 20:13 played for Orebro;

Moritz Seider had an assist and finished at +1 with 1 shot in 20:47 played as Rogle BK defeated Skelleftea AIK 5-2. Jonatan Berggren had an assist but finished at -2 in 15:32 played for Skelleftea…

One of the game’s big stories was Seider getting slashed in the nether regions by Oscar Moller…Moller was ejected and got 25 minutes in penalties for the major offense:

Continue reading Prospect round-up: A ballsy sort of day for Moritz Seider

Per Hokej.cz’s Vaclav Jachim, Filip Hronek and Filip Zadina were named to the Czech Republic’s team which will take part in the Channel One Cup in Moscow from December 12 to 20th.