Sunday practice stories on Monday morning

The Red Wings practiced on Sunday prior to flying out to San Jose for tonight’s game (10:30 PM on FSD/NBCSN Bay Area/97.1 FM), and here are some of the storylines from said practice:

1. According to Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff, Frans Nielsen skated with the team on Sunday, and Nielsen is hoping to return sometime during the Wings’ upcoming 4-game road trip:

“I don’t anticipate him ready tomorrow (at the San Jose Sharks),” Wings coach Jeff Blashill told Detroitredwings.com. “I anticipate him being ready for Thursday (at the Los Angeles Kings), but we’ll see. I think it’s good that he seems to be progressing fast here.”

Nielsen is also feeling confident that the end of his idling is near. He was able to skate with the team on Sunday and hopes to ramp up his on-ice participation during Monday’s morning skate.

Continue reading Sunday practice stories on Monday morning

City of Detroit trying to determine redevelopment plans for Joe Louis Arena

The Detroit News’s Louis Aguilar reports that the City of Detroit is trying to find ways to redevelop Joe Louis Arena, which isn’t easy given how isolated the site is from the rest of downtown Detroit:

A study done for the city and private land owners near the arena shows there are talks to find the money and create a consensus to tear down major structures, including a freeway exit, along with the vacant arena later this year. New pedestrian links to the West Riverfront area and possibly nearby streets would be created, according to a copy of the study obtained by The Detroit News.

“We are looking at the demolition of Joe Louis Arena as way of turning around the site, from what’s now considered the back door of everything, to the front door of the West Riverfront area,” said Maurice Cox, director of the city’s Planning and Development Department.

The city is in talks with major land owners — including the authority that controls the adjoining Cobo Center, the company that acquired the Joe Louis property during the city’s bankruptcy and DTE Energy — to come up with funding to “create a holistic development framework,” according to the study. The area being looked at is generally bounded by Cobo Center to the east, West Riverfront Park to the west, Lafayette Street to the north and the Detroit River to the south.

Joe Louis Arena is slated to be razed later this year. There also is an effort to get rid of some of the infrastructure around the 5.1 acres of land occupied by the arena.

Continued

 

Khan’s mailbag reveals Mike Green’s injury

MLive’s Ansar Khan reveals the reason why teams didn’t trade for Mike Green in a weekly mailbag feature:

New deal looming for Mike Green?

Two Things: A Griffins Game Day Preview video and one Tweet from Practice

Of Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins-related note this afternoon:

  1. Here’s the Griffins’ Game Day Preview ahead of this afternoon’s game against Hershey…

2. And it appears that the Red Wings did practice ahead of their flight out west to San Jose, though only one person caught it:

Morning news: “On the Forecheck,” a podcast of note, NCAA free agent talk and a spotlight on Hronek

Of brief Red Wings-related note this morning:

  1. The Red Wings posted an “On the Forecheck” video in which Manny Legace and Carley Johnston discuss the Wings’ upcoming opponents:

 2. The Red Wings also posted their latest “Red and White Authority” podcast, in which Wings goaltender development coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson speaks with Arthur J. Regner for over an hour:

 3. In the tangentially-Red Wings-related category, ESPN’s Chris Peters penned an Insider-only article discussing the top NCAA free agents and their possible “fits.”

4. On Twitter…

5. Also in the Grand Rapids Griffins category, GriffinsHockey.com’s Jason Pearson penned an article about Filip Hronek for TheAHL.com:

Hronek currently ranks in the league’s top-20 defensemen in points, goals, assists and plus-minus rating, and he’s on pace to post one of the top-three highest-scoring seasons by a Griffins first-year blueliner.

“I’ve been impressed with the way he’s learned the game, produced for us and how he’s progressed,” Griffins third-year head coach Todd Nelson said.

Hronek’s first full professional season and second year in North America began with its share of bumps. Scratched eight times in the team’s first 31 games, Hronek was filtered in and out of the lineup, partly due to inconsistent play and partly due to the Griffins’ roster; the team had eight rostered defensemen. Ryan Sproul was traded on Oct. 21 to bring the defensive lineup to a much more manageable number of seven, and as the season marched through its third month, Hronek developed a steadiness to his game play.

The 6-foot, 178-pound Hronek has been a mainstay in the lineup since Dec. 29, during which Grand Rapids’ 20-6-0-2 record has vaulted them into position for a sixth straight Calder Cup playoff bid. He’s spent considerable time throughout the year on the man-advantage, verified by 14 power play points, the most among team defensemen.

“After the trade for Sproul, he got an opportunity to get in the lineup on an everyday basis and he really took advantage of that,” assistant coach Bruce Ramsay said. “His work on the power play has become elite. He’s running the first unit right now and doing a great job. His defensive capabilities have grown.”

Hronek posted a particularly effective 17-game stretch from Jan. 12-Feb. 25, posting 15 points (5-10—15) and a team-best plus-14 rating.

“I try working hard every day,” Hronek said. “I think I’m getting better at things. Last couple of games, I’m getting better at everything.”

Continued

Prospect round-up: Griffins lose to Pens; Walleye win over Quad City; Rasmussen 2G; NCAA playoffs yield eliminations galore

In the AHL, the Grand Rapids Griffins lost 2-1 to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Griffins’ website posted a recap:

Continue reading Prospect round-up: Griffins lose to Pens; Walleye win over Quad City; Rasmussen 2G; NCAA playoffs yield eliminations galore

HSJ’s mailbag: on Holland’s future

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a mailbag feature this afternoon, and among her answers to reader questions is this estimation of Ken Holland’s future plans:

’ve talked to a lot of people around the hockey world, and no one has heard anything one way or the other. Owner Chris Ilitch parried the question when he spoke to reporters at Detroit Tigers training camp, saying he was there to talk baseball. He did give Holland a vote of confidence after last season, saying coach Jeff Blashill’s future was in Holland’s hands.

Holland wants to continue to work, in Detroit or elsewhere. He has been working on rebuilding the team, keeping first-round draft picks since 2013 and last year and this year, stockpiling picks. Does he continue as GM? Does he slide into an advisory role like Jimmy Devellano did? Do the Wings part ways with Holland? We should find out soon after the season ends.

St. James continues…

Three things: Morning Z, a disagreement on direction and coming attractions

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. Fox Sports Detroit posted a belated clip of Henrik Zetterberg discussing the Wings’ 3-2 loss to Columbus on Friday:


2. You’ll have to excuse me for calling this a logical fallacy. I respect Keith Gave to no end, but the former Free Press scribe and The Russian Five author took an easy way out with this Twitter comment:

Larkin. Mantha. Athanasiou. Rasmussen and Cholowski on the way. A bunch of goalie prospects down the line, and so many “sleeper picks” that at least one or two of them has to develop into a good player.

The rebuild probably will take a couple of years, but the right free agent signings, restricted free agent re-signings and  solid hits in the draft will accelerate the rebuild. I just don’t believe that the Red Wings are in for an Edmonton or Toronto-like decade of pain.

That’s just, like, my opinion, man, but I believe that the prospects will eventually take over, and I believe in their potential.

3. And in the coming attractions department, one Red Wings team is holding a “Zombie Night” tonight…

And the Grand Rapids Griffins are on the road this evening:

The Wings’ alums are in Brighton today, too:

Toledo Walleye clinch ECHL playoff berth

From the Toledo Walleye on Twitter…

And via the interweb:

WALLEYE CLINCH KELLY CUP PLAYOFF BERTH

TOLEDO, OH– For the fourth consecutive season and sixth time in their nine-year history, the Toledo Walleye are the first team in the Western Conference to secure a spot in the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Walleye clinched postseason play on Friday night with an 8-0 shutout against the Mallards.

T-Town Hockey fans are supporting the Walleye at the Huntington Center in record fashion this season, with 22 of their home games being sold out so far, which is a new single season record for the franchise.

ECHL 2018 KELLY CUP PLAYOFF SERIES DATES

(Specific game dates are not finalized)

  • Division Semi-Final Series: Best-of-Seven series from April 11 through April 25
  • Division Final Series: Best-of-Seven series from April 27 through May 9
  • Conference Final Series: Best-of-Seven series from May 11 through May 23
  • Kelly Cup Finals: Best-of-Seven series from May 25 through June 6

Playoff tickets are on sale at the Huntington Center box office, by calling 419-725-9255 or ordering online at www.toledowalleye.com/playoffs.

USA Today’s Allen doesn’t believe the Wings have a ‘coaching problem’

Red Wings fans have been clamoring for Jeff Blashill and Ken Holland’s heads for a while now, but USA Today’s Kevin Allen doesn’t believe that the Red Wings’ coach is “on the hot seat” because he’s bad at his job:

Jeff Blashill, Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings have a personnel problem, not a coaching problem. The Red Wings have a new arena and selling tickets isn’t as easy as it once was. Firing a coach is viewed as a team embracing a new direction. No one is sure what is going to happen with general manager Ken Holland, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

If Blashill is fired, it will be under the banner that the team’s younger players need to listen to a different voice.

Allen’s list continues, and this is just me talking, but I believe that a perfect storm of mediocre personnel, bad management and mediocre coaching are why the Red Wings are where they are…and I don’t expect things to change for another year or two.