From DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner…
#RedWings‘ goaltending coach Jeff Salajko is our guest on Episode 79 of The Red and White Authority. He offers an overview of the organization’s goaltending situation and evaluates the Wings goalies of the past, present and the future –> https://t.co/BpdXrnPC6y pic.twitter.com/5AvZr1Rfnd
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 17, 2018
The Toledo Walleye have added a big body to their defense today:
Walleye continue to bolster defense with Kotyk
(Toledo, OH) – Defenseman Brenden Kotyk has agreed to terms with the Toledo Walleye for the 2018-19 season.
Kotyk, a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, spent his first pro season mostly in Greenville appearing in 51 contests with seven goals, 10 assists and 41 penalty minutes. He also spent time in the AHL with Hartford, skating in seven games for the Wolfpack, scoring once with an assist. Kotyk showed his offensive ability during a five game stretch in November (4-17) in which he scored three times with two assists.
“We are looking forward to adding Brendan to our defensive mix,” said Head Coach Dan Watson. “He has terrific size and the skill to match from the blue line.”
The 6’5”, 225 pound defenseman spent three years (2014-2017) at the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he performed at a plus 25 in 97 contests. Twice he reached three goals in a season and posted a career-best 13 points (3G, 10A) over 41 games in 2016-17, helping the Bulldogs to a NCHC Championship. Kotyk also collected 57 penalty minutes in that same season. The 26 year old was a member of the NCHC All-Academic team during the 2016-17 season and finished his college career with 97 games, seven goals, 16 assists, 25 points and 85 penalty minutes.
The Grand Rapids Griffins have posted a video spotlighting forward Trevor Yates:
Niklas Kronwall spoke with Hockeysvergie.se’s Sixten Funqvist regarding several Red Wings-related topics. Here’s a rough translation of his conversation:
The city has done it–and now the Red Wings will rise
When the city of Detroit almost collapsed at the end of the 90’s, it was sports, and especially hockey, that gave the residents hope. The sports united the city and gave people an identity. The city of Detroit, at least, is on its feet again. Now the Red Wings’ journey begins.
Niklas Kronwall is 37 years old. He’s been on the absolute top, a Stanley Cup title and hard-won playoff series.
During his 14 NHL seasons, he’s also experienced how Detroit was a city that fell and is now rebuilt, much better:
“Even before everything crashed, people didn’t go downtown unless you were going to hockey or baseball. You just didn’t. Now people go in and have dinner, one goes out. It’s become a whole new city. It’s crazy. The city of Detroit has a good reputation now,” says Niklas Kronwall when we meet in Stockholm.
Continue reading Roughly Translated: Niklas Kronwall speaks with Hockeysverige.se
As part of a promotion in which the NHL Network will discuss the “Top 20 wings” in the NHL via a 1-hour TV special this Sunday evening, NHL.com asked its writers to name 10 young players who may join the list in short order, and Mike G. Morreale picked Filip Zadina as a potential quick-riser:
Filip Zadina, RW, Detroit Red Wings — It remains a mystery to me how one of the finest goal-scorers of the 2018 NHL Draft fell to the Red Wings at No. 6. Zadina (6-foot, 195 pounds) will prove to be one of the steals of this draft class as the 18-year-old challenges for an NHL roster spot as early as this season. He’s a playmaker with hockey sense, great on special teams, and has a wicked wrist shot. In his first season in North America, he was named the top professional prospect in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after finishing first in rookie scoring with 44 goals and 82 points in 57 games for Halifax. — Mike Morreale, staff writer
MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses Jimmy Howard’s 2018-19 season outlook this morning:
2018-19 outlook: Howard started strong last season but lacked consistency from mid-November until the end of the season. If he stays healthy, he’s in line for another heavy workload, possibly 50-plus games. But he’ll be pushed for playing time by veteran free-agent signee Jonathan Bernier.
Howard’s performance will determine whether he earns another contract from the Red Wings. If he plays well, they’ll likely re-sign him to a short-term deal (two years). It’ll be a few years before any of their prospects (Filip Larsson, Keith Petruzzelli, Joren Van Pottelberghe, Kaden Fulcher) is ready to challenge for an NHL roster spot.
If Howard doesn’t perform well enough, he could be shopped at the trade deadline if there is a market for him.
Expressen’s Magnus Nystrom and Johanna Dahlen spoke with several NHL’ers regarding concussions, using Johan Franzen as a prime example of outmoded policies and player attitudes toward head injuries, and Niklas Kronwall is consulted regarding his teammate’s career-ending injury:
Brutal–I get goosebumps when I think about it”
Johan Franzen has not been able to play for three years. The Swedish hockey star still suffers from the symptoms after concussions–and his fate has been shaken in the NHL.
After a series of serious brain injuries, several significant pros are now trying to get rid of the ‘game culture’ from the ice:
“It’s tragic that it had to get to this level at this moment,” says Gabriel Landeksog.
“I think the league and NHLPA players have set up good guidelines in recent years, it feels like there have been fewer ugly hits,” says Niklas Kronwall.
Johan Franzen has two years left on his contract with the Detroit Red Wings, but he can’t play ice hockey. He hasn’t been able to do so since 2015.
Then, the Swedish star was hit by Rob Klinkhammer, and had a serious hit to his head that forced him to finish his career.
Niklas Kronwall is still significantly affected when he speaks about the fate of Franzen:
“It’s brutal, I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” says Kronwall, who continues:
“He got a brain injury and was forced to step off, and then you think…that’s it.”
Twitter provides information for your hockey-watching needs! Via a question from Wingnut289, here’s the answer to your question, “Hey George, when does the annual MSU Pro Camp at Munn Arena take place?” via MSU Hockey:
Spartan Hockey Pro Camp Begins Monday
Annual camp will take place at Munn Ice Arena.
Aug. 16, 2018
EAST LANSING – The Michigan State hockey program’s annual Pro Camp will take place next week at Munn Ice Arena. The camp will run Monday, Aug. 20 — Friday, Aug. 24 with players skating from 10 a.m. — noon on Monday — Thursday, and then 9 — 11 a.m. on Friday. The camp is open and free to spectators.
The longtime camp, run by MSU director of hockey operations Brad Fast, goaltending coach Jason Muzzatti and former Spartan assistant Tom Newton, helps the players prepare for their upcoming training camps with their respective professional teams. MSU had players in the NHL, American Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League and in various European leagues last season. As in past years, several pros that did not play collegiately at MSU will also attend the camp.
Justin Abdelkader usually leads the list of Red Wings who participate in the camp, and next week is very busy for hockey fans as the Joe Kocur Foundation’s softball game will take place on Saturday the 25th, with Dylan Larkin’s Stars and Stripes Showdown to take place on Sunday the 26th.
Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom is well-regarded among the Red Wings’ Swedish players–to the point that when Nordstrom calls players after games, they pick up and hold conversations with Expressen’s NHL scribe from the team bus or tarmac–so when he speaks about the Wings, it’s important to pay attention.
This evening, Nordstrom penned a column about Henrik Zetterberg’s health, and while he offers no blockbuster revelations, he does reinforce the belief that Zetterberg’s ultimate future won’t be determined until sometime this September, at the earliest:
Here are his comments, roughly translated from Swedish:
Anxiety around Henrik Zetterberg–is his career over now?
Los Angeles. Can he play another season?
That’s the big question regarding Henrik Zetterberg’s future with the Detroit Red Wings.
The answer won’t be known for a few weeks.
Soon, the 38-year-old forward and team captain will test his troubled back when he comes to Detroit at the end of August.
Then Zata will make the decision if he can play this season.
The information comes from related persons to Henrik Zetterberg. The Hockey Star does not provide interviews right now.
The reason is that he doesn’t know how this thriller ends.
Summer training at home in Sweden has not given him a decisive answer.
It’s no secret that Zata went through the last NHL season with back pain.
But he is a fighter and played all 82 games in the regular season last winter.
And not only that, Zata was also consistently the Red Wings’ best player.
Continue reading Expressen’s Nordstrom weighs in on Henrik Zetterberg’s uncertain status
The Hockey News’s Jared Clinton offers a set of goaltenders who may usurp their teams’ starting goaltender’s spots, and while Jimmy Howard’s health is always of concern…I think that Clinton is writing Howard off to his peril:
JONATHAN BERNIER, DETROIT RED WINGS
As he enters the final season of a six-year contract with the Red Wings, it can safely be said that the writing is on the wall for veteran netminder Jimmy Howard. Long considered as a trade chip for Detroit, albeit one that they’ve been unable to move, the Red Wings went out and brought in some insurance for the oft-injured keeper this summer when they inked Bernier to a three-year, $9-million pact. And while Bernier might not seem a sizeable upgrade over the incumbent Red Wings netminder, the numbers suggest differently.When Howard, 34, has been healthy over the past few seasons, he has managed a halfway decent .912 save percentage and 2.68 goals-against average across 123 games. But Bernier, though in a backup role, has been just as solid with a .912 SP and 2.75 GAA of his own. The difference? Bernier has more consistently average than Howard, who has only eclipsed a .910 SP once in the past five seasons. Bernier, meanwhile, has only one season below the .910 SP mark.
The two are all but certain to split time out of the gates, but if or when Howard stumbles — and if or when he falls injured — the crease is likely to fall into Bernier’s hands and it could remain that way for the next few seasons.
Continued, and Petr Mrazek makes Clinton’s list, too. Mrazek was also supposed to send Howard to the recycling bin.
I like Bernier, but it’s not going to be easy for him to knock off the Wings’ incumbent #1.
