The Malik Report

The Free Press’s Helene St. James reports that the Red Wings have recalled Jared Coreau from Grand Rapids:

With Petr Mrazek gone, Red Wings bringing up Jared Coreau
https://t.co/6VbgMiLVQw via @freep

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) February 20, 2018

The Detroit Red Wings have actual games to play before the trade deadline–4 games over the course of only 6 nights.

The Wings host the Nashville Predators this evening (7:30 PM EST on FSD/FS Tennessee/97.1 FM) hoping to match their effort in Saturday night’s 3-1 victory over the Preds.

Detroit didn’t practice on Monday, taking a rest day after playing 3 games in 4 nights, but the 35-14-and-9 Predators were busy, defeating the Ottawa Senators 5-2.

NHL.com’s Robby Stanley chronicled the Predators’ win…

Continue reading Red Wings-Predators quickie set-up: Wings ‘go for the sweep’ against a back-on-track Predators team

Tuesday is going to be weird. Red Wings GM Ken Holland will be speaking to the media prior to Detroit’s morning skate at Little Caesars Arena, where it will be unknown whether Mike Green is “good to go” for Tuesday night’s game against Nashville…

Petr Mrazek is en route to Philadelphia for their morning skate ahead of their Tuesday night game against Montreal…

And I still wonder what it is exactly that Petr Mrazek did to piss off the Red Wings’ management. Mrazek has always been an arrogant kid, and Mrazek has never been a “good quote”–he’s come a long way since his 30-second interviews, but he’s still brief and briefer…

But I have no good answer as to why Mrazek was given the starter’s job, struggled, and was suddenly exposed in the expansion draft, and, we were told, wouldn’t be qualified as a restricted free agent, thus leaving the Wings after this season, one way or another.

The Wings’ media corps told us the truth–that the Red Wings were going to trade the first goalie they could trade, and stick with the goalie they could not. It’s easier to move a 26-year-old Petr Mrazek and retain $2 million of his expiring $4 million contract than it is to move a 33-year-old Jimmy Howard and a $5.29 million deal that has a year remaining, so it’s not surprising that Mrazek “went”…

But there’s something more here, there has been for the last two years. I don’t know if we’re ever going to learn what happened to sour the Red Wings on Mrazek to the point that they exposed him in the expansion draft, and to the point that they made a complicated deal with the Flyers to complete the separation process.

It’s just baffling, and it will probably remain baffling for a long time.

I never “picked a side” on the Mrazek-vs-Howard debate–they’re both good people and good goaltenders, and I just wanted “my” Wings to win.

I know that the Wings have oodles of prospects in the goaltending system, too–in Keith Petruzzelli, Kaden Fulcher, Filip Larsson, Joren van Pottelberghe, Chase Perry, Matej Machovsky, in the “older goaltender” category, Jared Coreau and Tom McCollum–but with the exceptions of Coreau and McCollum, they’re not ready by any stretch of the imagination.

What happens to the Wings’ goaltending system now? I think the Wings stick with Howard and Coreau and see how their prospects develop.

After what happened today, the Red Wings made the predicted, predictable and “easier” move…Who knows?

We may find more out when KH speaks with the media later this morning, but I doubt that we’ll ever know the underlying “why.”

The national media weighed in on the Mrazek deal, with NHL.com posting quotes from Flyers GM Ron Hextall…

Continue reading Petr III: national takes and the local scoop on the Mrazek deal

Here’s the Flyers’ press release regarding the trade for Petr Mrazek…

Continue reading The take from Philly on Mrazek

From the Red Wings:

RED WINGS ACQUIRE CONDITIONAL DRAFT PICKS FROM PHILADELPHIA FOR PETR MRAZEK
… Detroit Acquires Conditional Third- and Fourth-Round Picks for Goaltender …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today acquired a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek.

Mrazek, 26, has appeared in 166 games for the Red Wings since making his NHL debut during the 2012-13 campaign, posting a 72-58-20 record with a 2.60 goal-against average, 0.912 save percentage and 13 shutouts. The Ostrava, Czech Republic, native was 8-7-3 in 22 games for Detroit this season, alongside a 2.89 goals-against average, 0.910 save percentage and three shutouts. Prior to his time with the Red Wings, Mrazek was a 2013 Calder Cup champion with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins and appeared in 87 games with the team from 2012-15, compiling a 54-27-4 record, 2.21 goals-against average, 0.913 save percentage and seven shutouts. He also represented the Czech Republic at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey as well as the 2013 and 2017 IIHF World Championships.

The Red Wings currently hold 19 picks over the next two entry drafts: 10 for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft (with one pick in the first, fourth and seventh rounds, two picks in the second, third and sixth rounds and a conditional fourth-round pick from Philadelphia) and nine in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft (holding their own draft pick in each round, plus an additional fifth-round pick from Buffalo and conditional third-round pick from Philadelphia).

Per TSN’s Bob McKenzie:

DET guaranteed no less than a 4th round for Mrazek. If PHI makes playoffs and Mrazek wins 5 games for PHI in reg season, 4th becomes a 3rd. If PHI advances to CF, and Mrazek wins six playoff games, the 3rd becomes a 2nd. If PHI re-signs him next season, DET gets PHI 3rd in 19.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 20, 2018

So the minimum DET gets for Mrazek is a fourth-round pick, that could become a third- or a second-round pick, dependent on how Mrazek/Flyers perform. The additional pick, a third-rounder, is conditional only on Mrazek re-signing in PHI.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 20, 2018

Per CapFriendly, the Wings retain a $2 million cap hit on the deal…

In the OHL, Zach Gallant scored 2 goals, finishing at +2 on 4 shots and winning 14 of 25 faceoffs in the Peterborough Petes’ 4-3 OT win over Niagara;

Givani Smith finished at -1 with 3 shots in the Kitchener Rangers’ 3-2 win over Ottawa;

Kaden Fulcher stopped 32 of 36 shots in the Hamilton Bulldogs’ 4-3 loss to Owen Sound;

And Reilly Webb finished at -3 in the Saginaw Spirit’s 6-1 loss to Sarnia.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi broke down the trade market which presents the Philadelphia Flyers opportunities to at least temporarily replace the injured Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth…

Brian Elliott had abdominal surgery and isn’t expected to return until mid-March — and there are no guarantees he will be sharp when/if he gets back.

Neuvirth went down with an injury Sunday, and Hextall has yet to give any specifics or a timetable for his return. Even if Neuvirth can return shortly, his injury-prone nature makes it difficult for the Flyers to count on him for a long stretch.

Hence, Hextall is exploring the trade market. He is reluctant to trade one of the two first-round picks he has in June, and that is understandable. But all other picks should be in play because with the right addition, this could be a fun ride this spring.

Think of it this way: Where would the Eagles have been if both of their top quarterbacks had gone down with a season-ending injury? Would the inexperienced  Nate Sudfeld have taken them to the promised land?

Carchidi lists seven potential goaltenders as possible replacements, including two Wings netminders:

Petr Mrazek, Detroit. Hextall has reportedly had talks with the Red Wings about the 25-year-old Mrazek (2.89 GAA, .910 save percentage), who will be a restricted free agent after the season.  The Detroit Free Press said the Flyers turned down acquiring Mrazek for a third-round pick, but that was before Neuvirth’s latest injury. Hextall may circle back.

…

Jimmy Howard, Detroit. The 33-year-old veteran would bring a wealth of experience. He has a 2.83 GAA and .910 save percentage, but he has another year left on his contract ($5.3 million cap hit), so that makes him a longshot. He has a limited no-trade clause.

Carchidi continues…

And MLive’s Ansar Khan also weighs in on the possibility of Mrazek being traded to Philadelphia:

Mrazek has been playing well since mid-January and he’s in the final year of his contract at $4 million. If the Flyers acquired him and didn’t want to keep him beyond this season, they could forego making him a qualifying offer (at $4 million), making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Flyers had no interest in Mrazek last week, when the Red Wings asked for a third-round pick. Detroit also offered them Jimmy Howard, but the Flyers surely didn’t want to part with a high pick (the Red Wings want more for Howard, a first- or a second-round pick). And they wouldn’t want Howard around next season as an expensive backup ($5.3 million cap hit), when Elliott ($2.75 million) and Neuvirth ($2.5 million) are still on the books for one more season.

The Red Wings and Flyers remain in contact.

For now, the Flyers have rookie Alex Lyon, who has four games of NHL experience. They need help in net, and Mrazek would appear to be a good fit.

Mrazek, since Jan. 14, is 5-2-2, with a 2.01 goals-against average, .935 save percentage and two shutouts.

The Flyers have other options. In addition to Mrazek, Philly.com lists Antti Raanta of Arizona, Aaron Dell of San Jose, Robin Lehner (who is injured) and Chad Johnson of Buffalo and Calvin Pickard of Toronto as possibilities.

 

Among the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan’s off-day notes:

The Red Wings were off Monday after the back-to-back games, and having played three games in four days.

They have another rugged stretch coming up, with four games in the next six days — and Sunday’s game in New York against the Rangers beginning a stretch of 10 of 11 games away from Little Caesars Arena.

Kulfan also spoke with Anthony Mantha and Jeff Blashill regarding Mantha hitting the 20-goal mark:

“Obviously it feels good,” said Mantha, trying to make the best of the situation. “I don’t want to stop here, that’s for sure. I would rather get the two points (in the standings) than that 20th (goal).”

…

Blashill, a few times, has compared Mantha to Toronto power forward James van Riemsdyk, who also happened to score a net-front goal, his 24th goal this season, in Sunday’s game.

After Sunday’s game, Blashill again felt Mantha would do well to watch van Riemsdyk and pattern some of the way the Toronto forward plays.

“It’s a good step,” Blashill said of Mantha reaching 20 goals. “One of the big things, and I’ll talk to him about it, is he (Mantha) has scored lots of goals standing in front of the goalie, and when you learn to embrace that as a player, I don’t think it was a natural thing for him, they (the Leafs) got a guy in van Riemsdyk who consistently scores around 30 because he’s real good in front of the net.

“Anthony is hopefully seeing that just by being in front of the net you can increase your goal totals a ton. It’s good reinforcement of what net presence and that spot on the power play means.”

Kulfan continues, discussing trade rumors…

The Free Press’s Helene St. James spoke with Red Wings GM Ken Holland to help gauge the Wings’ trade deadline plans:

“I’m looking to the future,” general manager Ken Holland said Monday. “I’m working the phones to see what’s out there that makes sense for us.”

The Wings are rebuilding, and want to acquire early-round draft picks and higher-end prospects. Mike Green is expected to be moved, as there is interest in the offensive defenseman. He hurt his neck Thursday at Tampa, but is expected to play Tuesday when the Wings host Nashville.

Goaltender Petr Mrazek is on the market. The Wings had conversations with Philadelphia about Mrazek in mid-February, and are talking again this week since the Flyers lost goaltender Michal Neuvirth on Sunday (on top of being without No. 1 Brian Elliott for about five weeks).

Mrazek has had a turbulent season (8-7-3 in 22 games with a 2.89 goals-against average and .910 save percentage) but he has played better of late (2.01 goals-against average and .939 save percentage his past two games). He also appeals because he’s a pending restricted free agent.

Forward Gustav Nyquist could appeal to a team that needs scoring (such as Nashville). Nyquist has one year left on a contract with a $4.75 million cap hit. Both Green and Nyquist would have to approve a move, as they have no-trade clauses.

FYI:

The Wings could make more moves around the June draft. They aren’t likely to make any signings other than possibly someone inexpensive, like Thomas Vanek.

St. James continues…

ESPN’s Sean Allen penned an article discussing fantasy hockey players to pick up after the trade deadline, and Allen suggests that poolies may want to take a look at a superbly-performing Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman, should the Wings trade both Mike Green and Trevor Daley:

Filip Hronek, D, Detroit Red Wings

With Mike Green on the block and Trevor Daley also coveted for locker room presence by playoff teams, the Red Wings’ blue line could be getting thin next week. While Niklas Kronwall is playing plenty of power-play time, too, he’s not ideal in that role. In the meantime, the Red Wings have a 20-year-old Czech defenseman in the AHL who has been honing his North American game for the better part of two seasons. He finished fourth in the OHL in scoring last season and is second among rookie AHL blueliners this season. No matter what happens, the Red Wings will still have a potent forward group on the power play after the deadline and there will be an opportunity for Hronek to make a splash if he gets the call.

Allen continues, and here’s what he says about Petr Mrazek:

Petr Mrazek, G, Detroit Red Wings (up 22 spots to No. 174)

Whether he’s tending twine for the Wings, Flyers or someone else next week, Mrazek has some of his swagger back. Even accounting for that ugly seven-goal blowout against the Islanders on Feb. 9, Mrazek is seventh in the NHL for GAA and save percentage since Jan. 1 (at least 10 starts). He should be on fantasy rosters ahead of a potential move to a contender, but should even pay dividends if he stays with Detroit.