Khan outlines the Wings’ free agency plans

MLive’s Ansar Khan penned a set of updates on Friday afternoon, discussing Jimmy Howard’s status (staying around), Martin Frk’s status (may or may not be re-signed), the statuses of the team’s other restricted free agents (Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha = 3 “bridge deals,” if not 4 if Larkin is not interested in a long-term contract), coaching staff (Dan Bylsma remains a possibility as an assistant coach) and outlining the Wings’ free agency plans:

Left wing Ilya Kovalchuk is at the top of their wish list. They’d be willing to give him a two-year contract at a high salary, a source said. They believe he’s capable of scoring 25 to 30 goals.

Kovalchuk, 35, is returning to the NHL after playing in Russia for five years. He has stated a desire to play for a Stanley Cup-contending team, so it’s unlikely he’d be interested in Detroit.

The Red Wings are interested in bringing back Thomas Vanek, 34, on a one-year deal. They would trade him at the deadline for a draft pick if they’re out of the playoff race. Vanek was a good fit in Detroit in 2016-17 (15 goals, 38 points in 48 games), before being dealt to Florida at the deadline for a third-round pick.

He had 24 goals and 56 points in 80 games last season between Vancouver and Columbus.

The Red Wings want to re-sign defenseman Mike Green, offering him a one-year deal at $6 million, his salary the past three seasons, or two years at $5 million per year.

Green turns 33 in October but was the team’s lone consistent offensive threat on the blue line. It’s a particularly weak free-agent market for defensemen.

The Red Wings are eying two 32-year-old goalies – Carter Hutton of St. Louis and Anton Khudobin of Boston. Hutton, their first choice, went 17-7-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. Khudobin went 16-6-7, with a 2.56 GAA and .913 save percentage.

Khan continues at length…

 

Here are the Red Wings’ picks (officially) for the 2018 draft

The NHL released its Order of Selection for the 2018 draft in Dallas next Friday and Saturday, and the Red Wings’ picks are as follows:

1st round, 6th overall

1st round, 30th overall (from Vegas)

2nd round, 33rd overall (from Ottawa via NYR)

2nd round, 36th overall

3rd round, 67th overall

3rd round, 81st overall (from Philadelphia)

3rd round, 84th overall (from Pittsburgh)

4th round, 98th overall

6th round, 159th overall (from Montreal)

6th round, 160th overall

7th round, 191st overall

 

Duff: Fox Sports Detroit’s Wings ratings down for 2017-18 season

According to Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff, the Red Wings had a rough go in the ratings business this past season:

Missing the playoffs the past two seasons evidently has more people opting to miss the Red Wings. Broadcasts of Detroit games this past season on Fox Sports Detroit showed a 27 percent decrease in ratings, which was the third-lowest among NHL teams. Only the Chicago Blackhawks (29 percent) and New York Rangers (36 percent showed a larger decline in viewership.

Ouch!

Red Wings to play 8 preseason games

Sorry I’m late with this…ill today:

RED WINGS RELEASE 2018-19 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
… Detroit Begins Preseason Slate with Three-Straight Home Games …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced their 2018-19 preseason schedule.

The Red Wings will hit the ice for the first time in 2018-19 by hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena. That matchup starts a stretch of three home games in four days, with contests against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and the Boston Bruins on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 7:00 p.m. Detroit will then travel for four road games in a six-day span, visiting Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 23 (3:00 p.m.), Chicago on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (8:30 p.m.), Boston on Wednesday, Sept. 26 (7:00 p.m.) and Toronto on Friday, Sept. 28 (7:30 p.m.), prior to the eighth and final preseason game against the division-rival Maple Leafs on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

Tickets for all Red Wings home preseason games will go on sale on Monday, Aug. 6 and can be purchased at the Little Caesars Arena XFINITY Box Office (313-471-7575), all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) or online at DetroitRedWings.com. The complete 2018-19 preseason schedule can be found below.

DETROIT RED WINGS 2018-19 PRESEASON SCHEDULE

                        DATE  DAY                                        SITE                                        TIME (ET)
September     19        Wed.    PITTSBURGH            Little Caesars Arena               7:30 p.m.
20        Thu.     CHICAGO                  Little Caesars Arena               7:30 p.m.
22        Sat.      BOSTON                    Little Caesars Arena              7:00 p.m.
23        Sun.     at Pittsburgh               PPG Paints Arena                  3:00 p.m.
25        Tue.     at Chicago                  United Center                         8:30 p.m.
26        Wed.    at Boston                    TD Garden                             7:00 p.m.
28        Fri.       at Toronto                   Scotiabank Arena                   7:30 p.m.
29        Sat.      TORONTO                 Little Caesars Arena               7:00 p.m.

2018-19 SEASON TICKET PLANS NOW AVAILABLE

Ticket plans are now available for the 2018-19 season. Red Wings FLEX partial plans are back to give fans the opportunity to design a plan based on their schedule. Fans can purchase convenient half-season ticket plans (22 games) or new quarter-season ticket plans (11 games). Red Wings partial season ticket plans feature savings on box office prices and increased savings on premium games. Partial season ticket holders also have the opportunity to lock in their tickets before single game tickets go on sale to the general public. Additional benefits include flexible payment plans, access to the Ticket Donation Program to put unused tickets to good use in the community, presale opportunities for 313 Presents events, a dedicated personal Ticket Service Executive and much more.

In addition to the benefits of FLEX plans, full season ticket plans feature an action-packed 45-game schedule, giving fans the opportunity to see every NHL opponent at the state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena. Full season ticket holders receive a 10 percent discount on all merchandise at the Little Caesars Arena Team Store and Hockeytown Authentics in Troy, invitations to exclusive team autograph sessions and events, personalized entry on the arena’s Season Ticket Holder Interactive Touchscreen Displays, a complimentary in-game welcome on the Little Caesars Arena Scoreboard and much more.

Information on Red Wings full and FLEX partial season ticket plans can be obtained by visiting www.DetroitRedWings.com/SeasonTicketPlans or by calling the Red Wings’ Ticket Sales & Service Office at 313-471-7575.

Update: FYI:

 

Regner talks about Wings prospect Cole Fraser

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner examines defensive prospect Cole Fraser’s 2017-18 season “numbers” this morning. Fraser had an up-and-down season with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes thanks to injuries and a suspension, but his pluck and toughness are two of his best qualities:

Quotable: “He was like a lot of our players, he missed time with injuries. He received a big hit two-thirds of the way through the season and the player that hit him was suspended 10 games. So, he missed a big chunk of the second half and it didn’t leave a good taste in his mouth as he finished on an injury. It was an in-between year for him because he was in and out of the lineup with injuries. We have a new coach and the way he wants the D to play, it’s going to fit Cole nicely. He’s a big, strong, good-skating defenseman. We want the D to play up ice and be physical, which is right in Cole’s wheelhouse. We expect him to have a pretty good year. We expect him and Zach (Gallant) to be 19-year-old leaders on the team going forward.” – Andrew Verner, Peterborough Petes assistant coach (interim head coach last year from January-April).

Continued

HSJ’s mock draft: Quinn Hughes is St. James’ 6th overall pick

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a mock draft in which she picked Quinn Hughes as the Red Wings’ 6th overall draft pick, and St. James explained her reasoning for making that pick:

I selected Hughes because he’s a dynamic skater, a great puck transporter, a gifted player who held his own as the youngest player in NCAA Division I hockey in 2017-18. He was third in scoring at Michigan with 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) in 37 games, along with a plus-14 rating.

I spoke to [U of M coach Mel] Pearson about what makes Hughes so special.

“His skating is incredible,” Pearson said. “The way he uses his edges — he’s so light on feet, he can stop and change direction on a dime. He can go back and get the puck and it’ll look like there isn’t much room, but because of his ability, he escapes.  He thinks the game so well, and then with the way he can move his feet, it makes him a very special player. He brings you out of your seat.”

Before recruiting Hughes to play at the World Championship in May, U.S. assistant Dan Bylsma called Pearson to find out how Hughes handled power-play responsibilities (Wings coach Jeff Blashill, who was the U.S. head coach, also wanted to know).

“He ran our power play, ran our breakout,” Pearson said. “I talked to coach Blashill after the tournament and he said Quinn was great there.  He has a heavy shot from the point, so he’s got the makings of a really good power play specialist. And being able to get the puck in the zone, he is so good at that. He controls the play. He demands the puck, he wants the puck, he is very confident when he has it.”

St. James continues…

Ted Lindsay speaks with NHL.com’s Stubbs about ‘Ovi’s Cup’

NHL.com’s Dave Stubbs spoke with Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay regarding the award that bears his name, a.k.a. the NHL’s MVP trophy, as well as Alex Ovechkin’s winning of and celebrations with the Stanley Cup.

Lindsay offered this take on the Capitals’ celebrations:

“Alex has earned the right to his fun,” Lindsay said Wednesday from his Detroit-area home. “He’s just won the Stanley Cup and I think he realizes the meaning of that championship. He’s as good as anyone in the NHL today. Alex is an honest hockey player who gives you the same effort every night. There are different ways to judge talent: Do you produce every night, or only when you think you should?”

Ovechkin and Lindsay have the every-night work ethic in common, and a strong link beyond that. In 2010, the Russia-born forward was named winner of the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on annually by members of the NHL Players’ Association to the man deemed to be the MVP of the regular season.

The award was created in 1971 as the Lester B. Pearson Award, named for a former Canadian prime minister; Ovechkin won the Pearson in 2008 and 2009, then followed that with his natural hat trick in 2010 when he was awarded the newly named Ted Lindsay Award.

Only Hall of Famers Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens (1976-78) and Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers (1982-85) have won the award three or more times consecutively.

Oilers forward Connor McDavid won the Lindsay Award last season and is a finalist for the award at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu, to be staged June 20 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. His fellow finalists are forwards Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Taylor Hall of the New Jersey Devils.

“I’m honored that Alex has won the award three times,” Lindsay said. “And I’m happy that he’s finally won the Stanley Cup. I appreciate him very much, as I do the all of these players today. It’s altogether a different game than when I played. I don’t maybe agree with today’s game completely, but I certainly recognize the talent of these players.”

Continued, and Stubbs reports that Lindsay won’t be attending this year’s NHL awards.

Freep: Superior Fish will of-fish-ally close next week

This isn’t hard-hitting news, but it’s still Red Wings-related in an eight-legged way. The Free Press’s Robert Allen reports that the “Of-fish-al” supplier of octopi will close:

A decades-long source of octopuses for Detroit Red Wings fans is drying up.

Superior Fish Co. on 11 Mile near Main Street in Royal Oak is closing. The last day of full service is Saturday, and there’s to be a sale on frozen fish — and pieces of the store “just as they sell the seats to to Joe Louis (Arena)” — the following week.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have that relationship with our Red Wing fans,” said co-owner Kevin Dean. “We became known as the ‘O-Fish-Al Octopi Supplier,’ and we came up with the ‘Octoquette,’ which is the proper etiquette for propelling a cephalopod.”

They’d even provide a kit, with the eight-legged sea creature in a plastic bag, along with a pair of rubber gloves and hand wipes. The store, which opened at a different location in 1940, had by the mid-80s become a popular place for gutsy hockey fans who would sneak octopuses into Joe Louis Arena under their jerseys, hats or even in baby carriers, and throw them on the ice after a goal — especially during the playoffs.

Continued

Update: The Free Press also posted a primer on the Cusimano brothers’ establishment of the octopus-throwing tradition, and Kirkland Crawford offers other fish suppliers.

Grand Rapids Griffins to hold ‘Lids at the Library’ events on June 19, June 26

From the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRIFFINS TO HOST “LIDS AT THE LIBRARY” BIKE HELMET GIVEAWAYS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Two hundred children will receive a new bike helmet at no cost over the next two weeks as the Grand Rapids Griffins and Safe Kids Greater Grand Rapids host a pair of events to kick off the 15th summer of the Griffins’ “Put A Lid On It!” (PALOI) bike helmet safety program.

The fun begins with the 11th annual “Lids at the Library,” a two-day event held at branches of the Grand Rapids Public Library and the Kent District Library. KDL’s Kentwood Branch (4950 Breton Rd. SE) will be the site next Tuesday, June 19 at 2 p.m., while GRPL’s Van Belkum Branch (1563 Plainfield Ave. NE) will host the event on Tuesday, June 26 at 2 p.m.

Volunteers from the Griffins, Safe Kids and program sponsors will be on hand to properly fit these free helmets for the first 100 kids at each location. Helmets will be distributed to kids ages 1-12 (subject to availability), and a parent or legal guardian must be present for a child to receive a helmet. A variety of information from the Griffins and Safe Kids will also be available for pickup.

Every child fitted with a new helmet during “Lids at the Library” will also receive a free t-shirt and poster featuring a quote from former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt that serves as this summer’s PALOI theme: “With Freedom Comes Responsibility.”

“Lids at the Library” is the centerpiece event of the Griffins’ award-winning PALOI program, which is presented by Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. Since the program’s founding in 2004, the Griffins have worked with numerous local organizations – including police departments, pediatricians, schools, libraries, bike shops and sporting goods stores – to encourage helmet usage during wheeled sports, prevent head injuries, and reward kids who wear their helmets.

PALOI targets elementary and middle school students in a seven-county region of West Michigan. Children age 17 or younger who visit griffinshockey.com/putalidonit with parental permission and sign a pledge to always wear their helmet will be rewarded with a voucher for two free tickets to a 2018-19 Griffins game and be automatically registered for a drawing to win a new bike.

In addition to promoting helmet safety at local bike races and community events throughout the summer, the Griffins will soon distribute PALOI posters to hundreds of schools, libraries, medical offices and businesses throughout West Michigan. The Griffins have also provided their annual grant to Safe Kids, enabling that organization to purchase approximately 140 additional bike helmets for distribution through its other programs and events.

A schedule of 2018 PALOI events and additional information for parents, including tips for choosing a helmet and getting their child to wear it, are available at griffinshockey.com/putalidonit.

The “Put A Lid On It!” program is supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Centennial Securities, Huntington, Lighthouse Insurance, and Safe Kids Greater Grand Rapids. In celebration of the “Lids at the Library” kickoff on June 19 at the KDL Kentwood Branch, Huntington will have its ice cream truck on site that day to pass out free treats to library patrons.