Audio from Day 4 of the Red Wings’ summer development camp ’18: David Pope, Jack Adams, Joren van Pottelberghe

The Red Wings’ prospects wrapped up their practices and fitness testing at LCA’s BELFOR Training Center just after 1 PM today, and the media headed downstairs to speak with players who participated in Team Lindsay’s activities.

We first spoke to David Pope, who discussed his split off-season focus between continuing to improve his skating and goal-scoring while rounding out his game somewhat as Pope prepares for a fall in which the 24-year-old turning-pro forward believes he’s still got a solid chance of making the Wings’ roster:

As it turns out, Jack Adams’ current collegiate employer, Union College, employs a full-year, trimester curriculum, so the 6’5″ goal-scorer spoke about his desire to get back to school and work with his coaches as the massive right-shooting winger hopes to continue building both his physique and intellect:

Finally, goaltender Joren van Pottelberghe spoke with the media about his hopes of earning the uncontested starter’s job with HC Davos of the Swiss League, a league he says is becoming more competitive every day. JvP discussed his adjustments to smaller-rink size and the benefits of platooning his goaltending with co-starter Gilles Senn over the past two seasons. This year, JvP hopes to earn starting jobs with both Davos and the Swiss national team:

HSJ on the Wings’ free agency plans: Detroit’s talked with some familiar faces

The Free Press’s Helene St. James penned a list of five players with whom the Red Wings have spoken during the NHL’s free agency wining-and-dining window, and among them are the following:

G Carter Hutton

Why: The Wings need a proven NHL-caliber goaltender. Hutton is their top target, having gone 17-7-3 in 2017-18 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in 32 appearances with St. Louis. Hutton, 32, has played around 30 games each of the past two seasons. That’s a good workload and would alleviate Howard, who played 60 games last season because the Wings lacked a reliable No. 2.

G Jonathan Bernier

Why: Bernier spent 2017-18 with Colorado, where he went 19-13-0 with a 2.85 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in 37 appearances. A former starter in Toronto, he turns 30 in August. He is coming off a season that saw him miss time with injuries ranging from upper-body to two head injuries and an infection.

F Valtteri Filppula

Why: The Wings would have re-signed center him five years ago had he been willing to keep playing under then-coach Mike Babcock. Now he’s 34, and looking for work. Filppula is a good, two-way center, a good faceoff guy who can be trusted in his own zone and a guy who’ll put up in the 30-point range. He makes sense if the Wings are worried about Henrik Zetterberg, who turns 38 in October, though he has played three straight 82-game seasons.

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Wakiji: nutritionist Lisa McDowell aims to give Wings’ players an edge

The Red Wings keep their players busy during development camp’s “down times” via seminars on social media, sleep and nutrition, and team nutritionist Lisa McDowell’s nutrition course tends to take the cake in terms of having an impact upon the players’ behaviors. DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji penned an article about McDowell’s crash course in advanced nutritional techniques:

McDowell has learned that you can teach these kids a thing or two about foods and their impact on their performance on ice, things that show up when they test the players’ blood.

“One of my favorite stories goes back to Luke Glendening,” McDowell said. “When he was at development camp, he told me that he ate out often. He just didn’t have the skills and he learned them and he learned real simple recipes and his markers are amazing. So I think it does make a difference. When I can take their lab results back to them and sit with them and show them where opportunities are and now they’ve seen the foods. They’ve seen spinach, they’ve seen kale, they’ve seen beets, they’ve seen tart cherries, oatmeal. We did build overnight oats that will soak in almond milk. I don’t know that they would ever do that at home but now they know, geez, I literally made oats in minutes and I can make a week’s worth, put them in the fridge and have them every morning and get that blood sugar control so they can preserve their glycogen stores on the ice.

“So they’re lessons that are so tangible. They can apply them and then they can feel them when they skate.”

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Walleye announce jerseys, format for 2019 All-Star Game

According to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, the 2019 All-Star Game in Toledo will involve the Walleye team taking on the Eastern Conference’s All-Stars at the Huntington Center:

There’s more information regarding what will be a 3-on-3 tournament and skills competition at the Walleye’s website.

 

Audio from the morning of day 4 of the Wings’ summer development camp ’18: Patrik Rybar, Lane Zablocki, Luke Morgan

The Red Wings’ prospects engaged in their last full day of practicing on Friday, with Team Howe taking part in the dreaded skating test in front of what is a Holiday Weekend’s worth of jam-packed stands at the BELFOR Training Center.

The players were absolutely gassed after completing 3 circuits of the rink after 3, 2, and then 1 minute’s worth of rest, so I was only able to nab a couple of players during their media availability:

Continue reading Audio from the morning of day 4 of the Wings’ summer development camp ’18: Patrik Rybar, Lane Zablocki, Luke Morgan

St. James posts 6-minute video of chat with goalie coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson

The Free Press’s Helene St. James spent 6 minutes speaking with Red Wings goaltending development coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson:

Update: St. James spoke with goaltender Filip Larsson as well:

Update #2: St. James spoke with Filip Zadina regarding, “What Marvel Superhero Is Like Him”:

 

Regner on Keith Petruzzelli’s freshman season

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner spoke with goaltender Keith Petruzzelli’s coach at Quinnipiac University to discuss and review Petruzzelli’s up-and-down freshman campaign:

Quotable: “Keith came in with a high expectation and a lot of hype, so to speak, being a third-round pick by Detroit with a lot of excitement, but I think lost in that was the fact he was 18 years old and a true freshman, which is rare for college hockey at times, especially for goaltenders. So, there was a big adjustment period in terms of how hard the shots are, the pace of the game, just how grueling it is physically at the college level on a daily basis. It took a lot of adjusting and hard work on his part.

No question he struggled early on with that, so there had to be a reassessment of where he was with our goalie coach Jared Waimon and our staff. From that point on he made steady progress and his was putting time in until the end of the year where our other goaltender went down with an injury and he took over for the playoffs and did a real good job in our sweep of Yale and we hung in there in the second round with Cornell and a lot of that was because of him.

There was just a big maturity jump for him to realize what it takes to be successful at this level and as he gets into camp with Detroit, he’ll see it’s different at the pro level. The next step for him is to physically and mentally be a year older and more mature and handle adversity a little bit better and all the work he’s going to put in will pay off in his skill level. For him it’s about being a true college goaltender this year and winning the No. 1 job on our squad. Keith has a lot of potential and that’s why he was brought in – to eventually have that job.” – Bill Riga, Quinnipiac University associate head coach.

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Three Rasmussen things: an article about and two interviews with ‘Ras’

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. MLive’s Ansar Khan penned an article about top prospect Michael Rasmussen, and Rasmussen earned Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon’s praises:

Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Ben Simon, who’s running drills at development camp, said Rasmussen has a “presence to him.”

“He’s got a little bit of a swagger to him, he’s got a confidence that a lot of elite players have,” Simon said. “He’s confident in himself and his abilities and a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger. With that confidence you can see he’s making plays, he’s moving his feet, he’s shooting the puck well. From a year ago to when I saw him, he’s made tremendous strides, so he’s on the right path for sure.”

Khan continues…

2. Also: Rasmussen appeared on yesterday’s “Shep, Shower and Shave” show on WDFN…

3. And DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner posted a clip of Rasmussen and Gustav Lindstrom speaking with the media as Regner’s latest “Red and White Authority” podcast:

Two Things: Krupa speaks with KH regarding the defense; Kulfan on Michael Rasmussen

Of Red Wings-related note late this evening:

1. The Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa spoke with Red Wings GM Ken Holland and director of player evaluation Jiri Fischer regarding the next generation of Red Wings defensemen. Holland envisions the Grand Rapids Griffins’ blueline forming the bedrock of the Wings’ future defense:

“We’re going to have Brian Lashoff as a captain and (Dylan) Mclrath as a veteran,” Holland said. “And then we are looking between (Libor) Sulak, (Joe) Hicketts, (Vili) Saarijarvi, (Filip) Hronek and (Dennis) Cholowski. I’m planning on one of those guys is going to be in Detroit, and the rest of those guys will be playing regularly in Grand Rapids. We are creating opportunity.”

As for the development, Jiri Fischer, the director of player evaluation, the Red Wings’ approach is evaluated continuously.

“I think things are analyzed daily, and we’re aware of what we are trying to do,” said Fischer, who directed player development until Shawn Horcoff succeeded him before last season.

“It’s hard to find elite defensemen. So, hopefully, in this development camp, here, we’ve got a few guys coming. We’re hoping our guys will develop quickly and have a great internal competition in camp, as soon as fall comes.”

Krupa continues, noting that college prospects like Kasper Kotkansalo (for one) hope to add their names to the mix…

2. And the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Michael Rasmussen regarding big Ras’ belief that he’ll make the Wings’ roster this upcoming season:

Continue reading Two Things: Krupa speaks with KH regarding the defense; Kulfan on Michael Rasmussen

Jeff Blashill appears on The Huge Show for a summertime chat

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill appeared on WBBL’s Huge Show this afternoon, speaking with Bill Simonson for over 14 minutes regarding the Wings’ summer development camp, the draft, the hiring of West Michigan native Dan Bylsma and more: