Khan, Custance: Red Wings re-sign Athanasiou to 2-year, $6 million contract

Per MLive’s Ansar Khan:

The Athletic’s Craig Custance confirms:

Here’s Khan in text form:

Athanasiou’s salary for 2017-18 was $1.3875 million, when he produced 16 goals and 33 points in 71 games after signing in late October.

Athanasiou, who turns 24 on Aug. 6, has 43 goals and 33 assists in 172 career games.

He will still be a restricted free agent when this deal expires in 2020.

The Red Wings are negotiating contracts with restricted free agents Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha, neither of whom was arbitration eligible. Mantha is expected to sign a two-year bridge deal. Larkin might sign a long-term extension, likely no more than five years, after which he would still be a restricted free agent.

Update #2: FYI:

Update #3: The Detroit News confirms:

Continue reading Khan, Custance: Red Wings re-sign Athanasiou to 2-year, $6 million contract

Three things: Profiles of Cholowski and Kivenmaki, and congrats, Manny

Of Red Wings-related note this afternoon:

1. In the prospect department, part 1: MLive’s Ansar Khan penned a profile of Dennis Cholowski:

The Red Wings’ message to Cholowski after the 2017 preseason was to be more assertive. He tallied 14 goals and 52 assists in 69 games in a season divided between Prince George and Portland of the WHL. He appeared in one playoff game with the Griffins after Portland was eliminated in the playoffs.

Cholowski said being more assertive means “quicker decisions, more aggressive, always wanting the puck on my stick and being able to be the guy that’s going to make a play to create a chance or break the puck out.

“Confidence is up, I’m skating with the puck more, moving my feet and making plays,” Cholowski said. “I’m not afraid to make mistakes anymore. Things are looking up for sure.”

He took significant strides last summer in the gym and looks to do the same this year while staying in metro Detroit, training with other Red Wings and prospects.

“You feel your body is a little bigger, you’re a little stronger and you can win puck battles easier,” Cholowski said. “I think my season was really good for that. I’m going to carry that over into camp and into the season.”

Khan continues, quoting Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff and Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon…

2. In the prospect department, part 2: Craig Custance wrote an article about the Wings’ drafting of 5’8,” 154-pound Finnish forward Otto Kivenmaki:

Continue reading Three things: Profiles of Cholowski and Kivenmaki, and congrats, Manny

Mid-day news: Marek and Friedman’s Wings-related ‘thoughts’; a merch sale and McIsaac and Zadina ‘try not to laugh’

Of very disparate Red Wings-related note this afternoon:

1. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman addressed all 31 teams’ statuses in their latest “31 Thoughts” podcast, and the gents touched upon both the Red Wings and a possible trade situation:

22:10 – Red Wings welcome back Mike Green and Thomas Vanek and they find a new goaltender in Jonathan Bernier.

Also, per Chris Nichols and WDIV’s David Bartkowiak Jr.:

2. In the merchandise department, from Hockeytown Authentics:

3. And in a humorous vein:

 

 

Regner speaks with Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon on the latest ‘Red and White Authority’

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner speaks with Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon on the latest Red and White Authority. Simon took the coaching reins while working with the Red Wings’ summer development campers, and he’s just hired his assistant coaches, so there was much to talk about over the course of a 52-minute interview:

USA, Canada’s World Junior Summer Showcase rosters released: Petruzzelli, Regula, Rasmussen, McIsaac and Veleno taking part

The World Junior Summer Showcase is being held in Kamloops, British Columbia this year, not Plymouth, Michigan, so I’m not going to be able to attend the event…

But I thought it was worth noting the rosters that have been released as they pertain to Red Wings prospects as two teams’ rosters have been released, and a total of five Red Wings prospects will be taking part (so far).

Team USA’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster came out a little while ago, and it includes Keith Petruzzelli and Alec Regula;

Canada’s World Junior Summer Showcase roster came out today, and it includes Michael Rasmussen, Jared McIsaac and Joe Veleno.

Many thanks to the WHL’s website for the heads-up.

Khan notes that Vanek, Green hope to mentor Wings’ youngsters

MLive’s Ansar Khan reeexamines the comments made on Sunday by Red Wings GM Ken Holland, Thomas Vanek and Mike Green.

Both players expressed enthusiasm about playing with the Red Wings this upcoming season, and both players stated that they hope to mentor the next generation of Red Wings players:

“I loved it there. It was a good fit,” Vanek said. “I really liked the whole culture of the organization and the guys were great. We tried to make it work last year, it didn’t work out, so I’m happy it did this year.”

Vanek believes he can mentor young wingers like Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou and, if they make the team, Michael Rasmussen and Filip Zadina.

“I’ve done that the last 2-3 years, getting to know the young guys, and if they want some advice I’ll give it to them,” Vanek said. “In Detroit, I did that with AA, Mo, Larks (Dylan Larkin). They are great players. They just need a little bit of time. I’m there to help everyone, help myself. The good, young kids we have, Rasmussen, Zadina, I’ll be there to help them as well.”

…

“I love it in Detroit,” Green said. “I love the organization, I love the culture, I love the guys. I think it’s easy at times to go somewhere else, especially with the transition that’s going on in Detroit, but I feel I can be useful in the next couple of years to help the younger guys develop quicker and speed up that process.”

Continued

Discussing Patrick Holway’s 2017-18 season

DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji examines Wings prospect and University of Maine defenseman Patrick Holway’s 2017-18 season this morning. Wakiji spoke with Holway’s coach regarding the rangy defenseman’s progress made this past season:

Quotable: “Patrick was much improved over his freshman year, which is quite obvious. He’s a big body and physical when it’s warranted. Pat has outstanding offensive skill, great poise with the puck, a good shot from the point. He was a very good power play player for us from the back end. So, he has an awful lot of tools, he’s a big guy at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. He has the body of a big NHL defenseman and he has the skill set to bloom. A very good two-way player.” — Dennis “Red” Gendron, University of Maine head coach

Continued

NHL.com’s Rosen gives Wings a B- free agency grade

NHL.com’s Dan Rosen provides an outside perspective on the Red Wings’ free agent signings via his Over the Boards mailbag:

How do you grade the Detroit Red Wings pickups on Sunday? — @Mr_Wright19

I’ll say B-minus. They’re fine. Nothing crazy. They added forward Thomas Vanek on a one-year, $3 million contract and goalie Jonathan Bernier on a three-year, $9 million contract. They also re-signed Mike Green, who did become a UFA, to a two-year, $10.75 million contract. Vanek is a scorer, so he will help the Red Wings improve from last season, when they were 28th in the NHL with 2.59 goals per game. He’ll also provide healthy competition for some of the younger players trying to earn their minutes in Detroit. Bernier paired with Jimmy Howard gives the Red Wings the goaltending depth that should allow them to compete for 82 games. They know what they’re getting from Green, who is still a good player on the power play and a threat at 5-on-5.

The Red Wings left room for further growth of their younger players including forwards Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Michael Rasmussen, Joe Veleno and Filip Zadina, and defenseman Dennis Cholowski.

 

Stan Fischler profiles Marcel Pronovost

Stan Fischler posted an article for NHL.com which discusses the career of former Red Wings great Marcel Pronovost. The venerable defenseman split his career between Detroit and Toronto, and, as Fischler suggests, Pronovost was “fearless”:

Who is the most courageous player in NHL history to be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame?

One way to answer the question is to take a Hall of Famer and compare the number of times he survived serious injuries and still managed to play at a high level for Cup-winning teams.

Perhaps the NHL’s best combination of skill and courage was Marcel Pronovost, a defenseman who excelled for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs in a career that ran from 1950 to 1970. That’s two decades worth of injuries, comebacks — and five Stanley Cups, four with Detroit and the last, in 1967, with Toronto.

“Marcel’s courage could match anyone’s in the League,” said Jack Adams, himself a Hall of Famer. It was Adams, as Detroit’s general manager, who signed Pronovost to a contract with the Red Wings.

“Marsh’s problem was the fact that he was overshadowed by our more flashy players like Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Red Kelly.”

Continued