Kulfan provides a free agent update: Bernier, Filppula (Vanek?) and Green likely targets

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan provides a Red Wings free agency update this evening, confirming that the Wings are likely to sign Jonathan Bernier as Jimmy Howard’s back-up…

Bernier, 29, helped lead the Avalanche into the playoffs after Semyon Varlamov was injured and missed the remainder of the season. Bernier was 19-13-3 with a 2.85 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.

It was expected the Avalanche would keep Bernier, but they acquired Washington’s Philipp Grubauer, leaving Bernier free to explore the market.

And Kulfan also confirms the MLive’s Ansar Khan and The Athletic’s Craig Custance and Pierre LeBrun’s suggestion that Detroit may be bringing back some old friends at forward:

They’re rumored to be extremely interested in bringing back either of two forwards — Valtteri Filppula or Thomas Vanek.

Filppula, 34, appears to be the preferred choice. He had 11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games with Philadelphia, and his versatility would be beneficial, as the Wings continue to have doubts regarding Henrik Zetterberg’s aching back.

The Wings also hope to re-sign defenseman Mike Green, a prospective UFA, to a 2-year contract.

Update: Here’s more from Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff:

An NHL source told Mlive.com that defenseman Mike Green was close to signing a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings to stay with the team and was likely to do so before Sunday’s July 1 kickoff to the NHL’s free-agent frenzy.

The Wings tabled a two-year pact worth a reported $5 million a season to Green at the conclusion of the 2017-18 NHL season, but Green opted to wait until this week’s chance to speak to other teams leading up to the free-agent signing window opening. It would appear that he has decided there isn’t anything out there that trumps the Detroit offer.

Green made it abundantly clear during the season that he would prefer to remain a Red Wing.

“I love it in Detroit,” Green said. “It’s a great organization. I hope I stay.”

Two things: on Zadina’s inevitable signing and Rasmussen on FSD

Of brief Red Wings-related note this afternoon:

1. The Free Press’s Helene St. James did confirm on Twitter that the Red Wings are going to sign Filip Zadina to an entry-level deal in July, which makes sense given that he may make the team in October…

2. And Fox Sports Detroit’s Trevor Thompson conducted a sit-down interview with fellow likely Wings forward Michael Rasmussen:

 

Khan updates the Wings’ free agent doings: Green, Bernier, Filppula and Vanek on the radar

MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that the Red Wings may end up bringing in Jonathan Bernier as their back-up goaltender, and he confirms that the Wings have been “kicking the tires” on Valtteri Filppula:

The Red Wings have had productive talks with defenseman Mike Green and are expected to sign him to a two-year contract, perhaps before Sunday, a source indicated.

Jonathan Bernier has emerged as the leading candidate to fill their back-up goaltending position, likely on a three-year deal. There is interest in Carter Hutton, but it appears he’s leaning toward the Buffalo Sabres. Robin Lehner no longer is a possibility.

The Red Wings also will add a forward, quite possibly a familiar face in Valtteri Filppula, 34, on a two-year deal. He would provide some insurance at center in case Henrik Zetterberg’s troublesome back forces him out and can also play on the wing. And despite their hopes that No. 1 draft pick Filip Zadina will make the team, the Red Wings still are pursuing Thomas Vanek on a one-year deal.

Khan continues, concluding with the following:

The Red Wings had offered Green $10 million on a two-year deal – he was making $6 million a season. He’s expected to return, unless another team indicates it will give him three years.

Audio from the afternoon of the 3rd day of the Wings’ summer development camp ’18: Patrick Holway, Chase Pearson, Malte Setkov and Filip Zadina

The Red Wings’ summer development camp has been a whirlwind of activity thus far, but the media got a little lucky in that Team Howe (see: Zadina and Rasmussen’s team) had a long day of fitness testing, and so their post-practice video session didn’t go on as planned. As a result, the locker room was opened up, and:

I got two great interviews with University of Maine defenseman and Maine captain Chase Pearson, with both players discussing their past collegiate seasons, addressing what they need to improve as they continue their journey toward professional athletes, and in Pearson’s case, we talked about his status as the co-captain of the team. The gents addressed the fact that they’re investing in themselves as NCAA players who pay their own way as well. Both gents gave great interviews:

Continue reading Audio from the afternoon of the 3rd day of the Wings’ summer development camp ’18: Patrick Holway, Chase Pearson, Malte Setkov and Filip Zadina

Khan on Green possibly staying, LeBrun on Ouellet possibly going to MTL

FYI from Twitter:

 

HSJ on Dennis Cholowski and Seth Barton

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an article and a video this afternoon, first discussing Dennis Cholowski’s bid for a roster spot this upcoming season…

“You can see just from a year and a half, he’s matured physically,” Griffins head coach Ben Simon said. “He looks bigger. He’s got a little bit more of a presence to him. He practices like a pro. He’s got very good practice habits and hopefully that correlates to game situations. He’s put a lot of pressure on himself to make the Wings out of camp. If that doesn’t happen, we are excited to have him.

“He’s a tremendously smart, intelligent hockey player and his skating ability is one of his biggest attributes as well. Once he gets the puck, he makes good decisions with it, he can get up ice and contribute offensively. For Dennis, it is going to be the defensive side of things and closing quickly, using his size and closing quickly, and if he can do that against bigger, stronger opponents at the pro level as opposed to juniors, then he’s going to see a little bit quicker progression.”

Cholowski, 20, has the skill set to boost the Wings: he skates beautifully, makes a good first pass, can run a power play. When he practices, he is moving his feet and making passes and working on details. He takes it as “a big compliment, ” he said, when he hears himself praised as practicing like a pro, confident those habits will translate into games.

St. James continues, and she posted a video of defenseman and 2018 draft pick Seth Barton’s comments to the media today:

Update: St. James spoke with Filip Zadina, too:

 

Wakiji on Ben Simon’s coaching hat

DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji filed a mid-day notebook in which she discusses the diminutive Otto Kivenmaki, Filip Zadina’s Instagram popularity and new Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon’s first couple of days “on the job” as the man in charge:

“I got a whistle and everything this year, it’s crazy,” Simon said after the second day of camp. “It’s exciting for me, to get back to running practices and designing practices and helping teach guys. It’s been fun for me, getting the rust off and putting the big boy hat back on.”

Simon said he isn’t the only one getting rid of some offseason rust.

“They’re excited, a lot of them haven’t skated in a while, so just getting used to their equipment and shaking the rust off,” Simon said. “I thought (Wednesday) went a lot better than the first day. Guys are a little bit tired, but I thought overall it’s been pretty good so far.”

Simon said he welcomes the challenge of helping develop some of the next generation of Red Wings, especially on the blue line.

“When they’re with us in Grand Rapids, it’s develop, it’s teach, that’s through video, through on-ice,” Simon said. “There’s no better development tool to teach than playing, so these kids are going to be forced to play a lot of minutes, give them a lot of responsibility and see who can accept that the most. If they’re not playing, we’re going to work them off the ice, we’re going to work them on the ice. The next 3-4 years is something Grand Rapids is going to be judged heavily on, how these young defensemen are developing.”

Wakiji continues…

Audio from the third day of the Red Wings’ summer development camp ’18: Kaden Fulcher, Seth Barton

The Red Wings’ summer development campers had a short interview window after they engaged in skating and agility drills during Thursday’s practice, and as a result, there are only two interviews to share with you this morning.

Goaltender Kaden Fulcher spoke with the media for 5 minutes, discussing his hopes to turn pro this upcoming season, his need to improve his leg strength, the development camp as a learning experience and his impressions as he tries to “be a sponge.” Fulcher said that as a free agent signee, his advice to first-year draftees and free agents is actually to “stay loose” and enjoy themselves instead of letting nerves get to them.

At the other end of the developmental spectrum, 3rd round draft pick Seth Barton, a BCHL graduate defenseman who’s heading to UMass-Lowell, spoke for a couple of minutes, discussing his draft experience as he stayed home, his impressions of the development camp thus far and his decision to head to UMass. Barton stands at 6’3″ and maybe 174 pounds, and he’s just coming out of the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL, so the right-shooting rearguard is going to need to develop significantly over the course of his college career. Nice kid, though:

Update: In the video department, the Free Press’s Helene St. James posted clips of Kasper Kotkansalo and Gustav Lindstrom’s interviews from Wednesday:

Continue reading Audio from the third day of the Red Wings’ summer development camp ’18: Kaden Fulcher, Seth Barton

Did the Red Wings ‘just draft their new top prospect?’

ESPN’s Chris Peters suggests that the Detroit Red Wings picked their new top prospect–as did 8 other teams–during the most recent NHL draft. Here’s Peters’ take on the drafting of Filip Zadina:

Detroit Red Wings: Filip Zadina, RW

How happy was GM Ken Holland when Zadina dropped to the Red Wings at No. 6? There’s no way they could have expected him to be there, but then there he was. Zadina is far and away the top prospect in a system that is improving rather quickly. Detroit’s 2018 draft probably couldn’t have played out much better with the skill players the Wings were able to add with their first three picks, but Zadina is the true difference-maker.

Having seen what he did in the QMJHL and World Junior Championship last year, you’d have to expect Zadina to slot right into Detroit’s lineup with a chance to make a top-six impact very quickly. He has the speed, the skill and the shot to make Detroit better right away, but his ability to combine all of that with unrelenting energy is why I think he’s going to be a fan favorite for years to come. I really believe the Red Wings have a new star on their hands here.

Continued (Insider-only)…