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DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills spoke with Red Wings defenseman Albert Johansson recently, discussing Johansson’s desire to help contribute to a Red Wings playoff push, his sense of self after becoming a full-time regular defenseman in 2024-2025, and his training routine back in Karlstad, Sweden:

“We made a push and didn’t get in, and when you’re back home and you see the [Stanley Cup Playoffs] are still going on, you want to be there,” Johansson recently told DetroitRedWings.com. “You want to play in the playoffs. With the team we have, I know all the guys in the room are very excited and want to get there. For the fans too, because it’s been a long time. It’s a hunger.”

In 2024-25, Johansson registered nine points (three goals, six assists) in 61 games. The 24-year-old defenseman was a sponge during his rookie campaign, absorbing as much as he could from his veteran teammates and gaining a strong sense of what it takes to succeed as an NHL regular.

“I know the League now,” Johansson said. “I know what I must improve. This is a big summer for me. I want to take that next step too. I’m just trying to get stronger, be in good shape, come back here and have a successful year next year.”

Johansson will have an opportunity at this year’s Training Camp to show head coach Todd McLellan and the entire coaching staff everything that he’s been working on this summer.

“Everyone wants to take that next step, get in the playoffs and play those important games,” said the former second-round pick (No. 60 overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. “I’m super excited about getting back for Training Camp, seeing all the new guys and those who were there last year too. We can start working together again to reach that goal.”

Continued

NHL.com/de’s Oliver Jensen offers a list of his top 5 NHL rookies of the 2024-2025 season, and it should come as no surprise that Austrian Marco Kasper makes his list. Here’s what he has to say about Kasper–and what Moritz Seider has to say about the 21-year-old Kasper:

Marco Kasper (Detroit Red Wings)

With Marco Kasper, Austria has an absolutely exceptional talent again. Picked eighth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, he played his first season for the Red Wings last season. Over the course of 77 games, the 21-year-old center possted 19 goals and 18 assists. He made his NHL debut in the 2022–23 season, but he only played in one game at that time. After playing in the AHL in 2023-24, the top performer’s next logical step was the NHL.

His teammate Moritz Seider, who is from Germany, praised the development of Kasper in conversation with NHL.com/de: “He brings good and fresh energy to our locker room. He is a person who expects a lot of himself and he shows it. That is exactly what we need. We do not need anyone to hide or wait for others to take over the initiative. He is someone who is taking the lead in practice. That is what we need.”

DobberHockey’s Puneet Sharma offers a list of 10 players who could possibly hit the 40-goal mark over the course of the upcoming NHL season, and Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin makes his list:

6. Dylan Larkin – Detroit Red Wings

What stands out most about Larkin is that he is already doing a lot right. His shot volume is healthy at 233 SOG and his ice time is right where you want it, over 20 minutes a night with prime PP deployment. He is also the engine of Detroit’s offense, however, his 5v5 xG% has hovered around 50%, which means he is not consistently out-chancing the opposition. That said, Larkin does not need a huge leap in production, if he pushes his shot total to 260+ and maintains or slightly improves his shooting percentage, he could hit that milestone.

Continued; I don’t see Larkin hitting 40 goals unless the Red Wings upgrade their top-six forward corps, but 35 is within reach.

The Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak wrote an intriguing article this morning, attempting to discern when the Red Wings might be able to make a sustained playoff push while building from within:

I estimate that the Red Wings’ next contention window will start in 2028. That’s when they’ll have the most players in their prime and sufficient depth.

During this time, they’ll have a top six that consists of Kasper, Brandsegg-Nygard, and Lucas Raymond, plus other players who could potentially contribute high in the lineup, including Larkin, Danielson, and Dmitri Buchelnikov. It’s possible DeBrincat is still around and producing at a middle-six pace as well. Bear, too, if he moves through the ranks quickly.

The blue line is especially promising, with Seider, Edvinsson, and Sandin Pellikka fully in their prime. Cossa and Augustine should be quality NHLers at this point, too.

Continued; Wolak’s theoretical exercise is a “good read.”

I really dislike betting odds, mostly because I’m not a sports bettor–or a believer in the concept that the betting odds are the be-all-end-all predictor of a team’s performance.

That being said, it doesn’t hurt to take a peek at said odds from time to time, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen reports that the Red Wings will enter the 2025-2026 season as significant underdogs:

As of this morning, FanDuel odds of Detroit winning the Stanley Cup are +11000. That’s 110/1 in fractional terms. Only seven teams own worse odds. The Chicago Blackhawks are the biggest longshot at +50000 (500/1).

Detroit’s odds of qualifying for the playoffs are +235. That’s an implied probability of 29.85%. Only seven teams have worse odds for that bet as well.

And by the way, it sure seems like Gibson’s arrival will improve Detroit’s goaltending. But his odds of winning the Vezina Trophy are +25000 (250/1).

Apparently, FanDuel believe Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka has a reasonable chance of playing for the Red Wings this season. His odds for winning the Calder Trophy are +3100. Only 10 players have better odds.

Continued; as I suggested in the previous entry, my hopes for the Red Wings making a trade to bolster their top-six forward group and/or top-four defensive group are waning as the summer progresses.

If the Red Wings run “young and lean” this October (i.e. without making any summertime trades), fans will be treated to a set of prospects coming up from Grand Rapids to play critical roles on this year’s Red Wings team, but they’re also be watching a Detroit team that has to prove a ton of experts wrong.

There have been rumors linking the Red Wings to Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell since early July, with Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski attempting to assess the Penguins’ probably high asking prices for the two forwards last week.

You guys, gals and in-betweeners know by now that I’m not one for posting trade rumors for the sake of posting trade rumors, even in mid-to-late July…

But Bleacher Report’s reputable Adam Gretz offers a slate of 5 teams to which Rust might be traded, and Gretz’s first landing spot for the 33-year-old native of Pontiac is Detroit:

Detroit Red Wings: This might be one of the most sensible options for several reasons.

For one, Detroit needs to do something significant this offseason. The Red Wings have been way too quiet for a team that should be desperate to make the playoffs, and they could really use a player with Rust’s two-way ability.

They also have more than $12 million in salary cap space just sitting there, while Rust is from Michigan. The Red Wings also have a nearly full cupboard of draft picks and a solid prospect pool that could be enticing to a Penguins team that is looking to add more young talent.

The Red Wings missed on pretty much everybody in free agency and have not made any major trades.

Rust would be a great way to change that if they could pull it off.

Continued; as I’ve said for a while now, the 5’11,” 192-pound Rust is a better net-front guy, but I’m a bigger fan of 32-year-old Rickard Rakell as he’s a more dynamic play-maker and scorer. Rust doesn’t have Rakell’s wheels, and Rackell is a little heavier at 6’1″ and 203 pounds, too.

Ironically enough, both players have similar cap hits, with Rust in the 4th year of a 6-year contract with an AAV of $5.125 million (per PuckPedia), and Rakell is in the 4th year of a 6-year contract with a $5 million cap hit.

As July drags along, I’m less and less hopeful that GMSY and the Red Wings’ management will make any trades to supplement the Red Wings’ top-six scoring and/or top-four defensive group, but we can always hope, and there are realistic “fits” for the Wings and Rust or Rakell.

The summer is full of bullshit rumors and made-up stuff, but there are legs to this particular set of rumors, and reputable hockey people are examining how and why Rust and Rakell might fit in with the Red Wings.

The World Junior Summer Showcase is being held in Minneapolis, Minnesota this year, from July 25th to August 2nd.

Red Wings prospects John Whipple (a defenseman from the University of Minnesota) and Max Plante (a center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth) taking part with Team USA, and Eddie Genborg (a winger for Timra IK) is participating with Sweden.

This morning, Red Wings Prospects on Twitter reminded us of the imminent pre-World Junior Championship tournament between Team USA’s White and Blue teams, and teams from Sweden and Finland, all taking place at the University of Minnesota’s Ridder Arena.

Eddie Genborg(2nd Round’25) will take part in the WJSS #LGRW https://t.co/XjxpjSKOxv

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) July 21, 2025

The Athletic’s Harman Dayal and James Mirtle report that The Athletic’s fan respondents have named the Detroit Red Wings’ NHL broadcast the league’s best:

1. Detroit Red Wings

The Broadcast: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit carries Red Wings games with Ken Daniels calling play-by-play and Mickey Redmond handling most games as the color analyst.

Local score: 4.96 [out of 5] (1st)

National score: 3.83 [out of 5] (1st)

Last season rank: 1

The results: It’s been a tough go for the Red Wings on the ice, and sometimes that can make life difficult for the broadcasters. No matter how many times they miss the playoffs in Detroit, however, fans still love this duo, who have been together nearly 30 years now.

Redmond, 77, has had multiple serious health setbacks over the years — including lung cancer — but continues to offer one of the most entertaining perspectives of any broadcaster in the league.

Fans praised this team’s ability to offer insights into opponents and the league in general, as well as their encyclopedic knowledge of the Red Wings.

“Mickey Redmond and Ken Daniels are Detroit legends who have more chemistry than Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in ‘Grease.’”

“They provide great play-by-play calling and team/player insights. They have fun when they do their broadcasts. Ken Daniels does a great job of keeping the energy up regardless of who scores a goal.”

“Just give them the award now.”

Continued (paywall); no surprise here.

Ken and Mick are as professional as it gets in terms of balancing hometown coverage (they are employees of the Detroit Red Wings’ organization, after all) with a measured perspective, and their chemistry, cooperation and ability to capture the “spirit of the thing” is unmatched.

I’d argue that Ken Kal and Paul Woods (and the rising superstar that is Daniella Bruce) are among the NHL’s best radio broadcasters as well.

The best in the biz ❤️🤍

Congratulations to Ken, Mick, and the rest of our @DetroitRedWings TV crew on being ranked #1 in the annual NHL broadcast rankings from @TheAthletic. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/XOHeL5LKrB

— FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (@FanDuelSN_DET) July 21, 2025

The Free Press is naming “All-21st Century Teams” celebrating each and every one of Detroit’s sports teams.

This morning, the Free Press’s Helene St. James posts her “All-21st Century” Red Wings team. Her team leans heavily upon the Red Wings’ 21st century glory days, surrounding their 2002 and 2008 Stanley Cups:

In selecting players from the past 25 years, I considered not just tenure, but what impact they had on the team. All stats used are within the time frame of 2000-25, meaning we’re not considering the numbers put up in the 1990s, when the Wings won two Cups and made three Finals in four seasons.

First-line forwards: Pavel Datsyuk (2001-16), Sergei Fedorov (1990-2003) and Henrik Zetterberg (2002-18)

From Datsyuk’s arrival in fall 2001 to his departure in 2016, this Russian magician and Euro Twin electrified teammates and fans with his ability to dangle the puck and make opponents look foolish. With totals of 918 points in 953 games, his 0.96 points-per-game average leads all Wings during the quarter-century. Fedorov, his fellow Russian, was one of the best skaters in the game and a force to behold before departing in free agency in July 2003. In just 236 games this centuty, he put up 220 points, a 0.93 points-per-game average. His 0.878 playoff points average is a franchise best this century – narrowly ahead of Zetterberg’s 0.875. The other half of the Euro Twins (so nicknamed by Kris Draper), meanwhile, was the steadiest, most grounded and gifted performer among this team’s forwards. Zetterberg is the franchise’s 21st-century leader in points (960) and games played (1,082) and captained the team from 2013 to his retirement in 2018.

Second-line forwards: Lucas Raymond (2022-25), Brendan Shanahan (1996-2006) and Steve Yzerman (1983-2006)

Continued (paywall), with four full lines’ worth of forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders’ worth of “All-21st Century” players.

This is an obvious question, but what does your “All-21st Century” team look like? St. James mostly makes no-brainer picks, but there are some eyebrow-raising selections as well.

The Detroit Red Wings Alumni are busy all year round. On Saturday, the Alumni headed to the University of Notre Dame to take part in a charity hockey game.

South Bend, Indiana’s WSBT 22 reports that the Wings’ alums took part in a charity game to raise funds for Pucks for Autism and Camp Millhouse, a camp for special-needs kids:

Last Year, they raised $10,000 for Camp Millhouse & $3,000 for Pucks for Autism, and this year they want to do it again.

“The funds that come in are helping support the activity of the Pucks for Autism, and they offer so much to the people with disabilities in different programs, whether it be Millhouse here in Indiana or other programs in other states,” said volunteer David Pierce.

Pucks for Autism is a non-profit organization that hosts various adult hockey games and tournaments to help raise acceptance and support for children and adults on the Autism spectrum.

They also held a vendor Market & a Sports Card/Pokémon Trade Show inside the Compton Family Ice Arena from 12 pm-7 pm.

This year, the tournament has raised over $40,000.

It’s good to know that the Wings’ alums are still skating for charity in the middle of July!