HSJ’s mailbag: on the logjam on defense

Among the Free Press’s Helene St. James’ mailbag questions and answers:

HSJ: When I spoke to him at locker clean out day (April 10), Niklas Kronwall sounded like a guy eager to return. He missed the first three games of 2017-18, but played every game after that. He’ll turn 38 midway through next season, and he’s got hard miles on his body, but he is still a smart player, and a team leader. So barring some offseason setback, I see him playing out the last year of his contract.

That said, I’d still expect there to be an opening — there are six regulars under contract for next season, but that includes Xavier Ouellet, who no longer seems to fit into the Wings’ plans. So I do think there there will be at least one fresh young face on the next season’s defense.

St. James continues…

The Athletic’s Shapiro reports that Todd Nelson will join Dallas as an assistant coach

Per The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro:

The Grand Rapids Griffins then Tweeted this:

Update: The Athletic’s Craig Custance confirms:

Ben Simon would be a logical replacement. He’s been vocal and visible as a strong assistant coach over the past couple of years.

Also, from the Grand Rapids Press’s Peter J. Wallner:

Last year, he was a finalist for the position with the Arizona Coyotes after the Griffins won the Calder Cup.

Nelson, 48, has taken the Griffins to the playoffs all three seasons, going 22-11 with the AHL championship last season.

Add in his four full seasons with Oklahoma City and Nelson’s teams have made the playoffs eight consecutive seasons.

The one exception was in 2014-15 when he left the Barons to become interim coach with the Edmonton Oilers for his only taste of the NHL. He went 17-22-7 in 46 games.

He has a 309-189-16-47 (.607) regular-season record in seven-plus seasons as an AHL coach, including 133-78-4-13 (.621) with the Griffins.

Update: The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan has weighed in:

Todd Nelson appears headed to the NHL.

The successful head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings’ minor league affiliate, will reportedly be named an assistant coach for the Dallas Stars.

Nelson didn’t respond to text messages Wednesday, but several reports out of Dallas indicated he will be named an assistant on new head coach Jim Montgomery’s staff.

Montgomery, who left the University of Denver, was named the Stars’ coach in early May.

Comments on comments III: 24 hours

It has become evident that my constructive criticism of the comments section went in one ear and out the other, and as such, I am incredibly disappointed in the community’s behavior of late.

I have been approached by several people who have asked me to make changes because they don’t feel comfortable joining the community as it is currently constructed.

The people who have asked me to make changes are long-time members of the community and are long-time contributors to the blog. I value their input, and they have been adamant that both my community and my business are suffering because the zoo has gotten out of hand.

A current member of the community has reached out to me as well, and I will take their comments into account as I move forward.

If you feel that you’re being targeted or have concerns about the community as currently constructed–including your participation in said community–I need you to contact me via email, Twitter or Facebook over the next 24 hours, because I am going to “prune the tree,” and I’m not going to be subtle about it.

I still believe that this community can work, but I don’t believe that it is working right now, and as reluctant as I have been to make changes, you’ve left me with little choice but to be heavy-handed.

Morning news: A bit about Zach Gallant; Howard highlights, Tweets of note and more Nosek talk

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. Red Wings prospect and Peterborough Petes forward Zach Gallant had an injury-truncated 2017-18 season, and his injuries yielded some statistical hiccups over the course of 54 games played (he posted 16 goals, 15 assists and 31 points over the course of those 54 games). DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji penned an article regarding Gallant’s campaign:

Quotable: “He had a breakout season the year before. We expected a natural progression but he was in and out of the lineup with injuries and finished the year on an injury. It was frustrating for him, for sure. He was still one of the best face-off guys in the league even though he didn’t play as much as he would like. He’s a big, two-way centerman, that would be his projection as a pro. He’ll be a point-a-game centerman for us (next year), playing against the other team’s top line, a net-front guy on the first power play. He’ll be the captain or assistant captain. He was drafted to be that guy as a 19-year-old. We finished early and he’s already in great shape, he got right in the gym. We expect a big year for him.” — Andrew Verner, Peterborough Petes assistant coach (interim head coach last year from January-April)

Wakiji continues…

2. In the multimedia department, AWood40 posted a clip of Jimmy Howard’s better moments from the 2017-18 season:

Continue reading Morning news: A bit about Zach Gallant; Howard highlights, Tweets of note and more Nosek talk

“Roughly Translated”: Expressen’s Nordstrom speaks with Niklas Kronwall, Nicklas Lidstrom regarding Johan Franzen

Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom spoke with Johan Franzen’s former and current teammates regarding Mrs. Franzen’s blog post about her husband’s continued battle with post-concussion syndrome.

Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall told Nordstrom that Franzen has suffered in silence for a long time now (and what follows is roughly translated from Swedish):

Continue reading “Roughly Translated”: Expressen’s Nordstrom speaks with Niklas Kronwall, Nicklas Lidstrom regarding Johan Franzen

Trevor Daley appears on NHL/NHLPA/Players’ Tribune series about playoff hockey

The NHL has teamed up with Hulu to produce visual content for the Stanley Cup Final.

As part of their “content strategy,” the NHL has teamed up with the NHLPA and The Players’ Tribune to produce round-table discussions in which Kevin Weekes speaks with Corey Perry, Mark Giordano, Drew Doughty, James van Riemsdyk and Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley regarding “what it takes to survive in the postseason.”

Here are the first two episodes of “What It Takes”:

 

DetroitRedWings.com’s Regner speaks with Shawn Horcoff in the latest “Red and White Authority” podcast

Via the Red Wings…

WXYZ: Everything must go in the Joe Louis Arena auction, including the JLA signs

Per WXYZ:

 

Joe Louis Arena has been closed for over a year now and ahead of the demolition, many parts of the arena are up for auction.

That includes the outdoor sign that says “Joe Louis Arena” above both of the entrances.

Pre-bidding started on Tuesday morning and the auction date is on June 5. The lettering is about 5-feet tall, according to the auction website, and buyers will have to pay a 19 percent premium on top of a 6 percent sales tax.

It’s part of phase one of the Joe Louis Arena sellable assets auction which also begins on June 5. Pre-bidding is now open for those lots as well.

Other items up for bid include signs, railings, ramps, scaffolding and more.

To view all of the items up for bid, click here.

To see the specific Joe Louis Arena sign bid, click here.

Two Things: Praise for Fulcher; Griffins’ Elkins headed overseas

Of Red Wings-related note this afternoon:

  1. The Hockey News’s Ryan Kennedy lists Kaden Fulcher among his “Prospect Need to Know” listed players in terms of  Memorial Cup participants:

Kaden Fulcher, G, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL): It’s not Fulcher’s fault the Bulldogs failed to advance to the Memorial Cup final; he had the best goalie stats of the tournament. The Detroit Red Wings prospect put up a .918 save percentage and 2.27 goals-against average in four games, using his size to his advantage. NHL arrival: 2021-22

2. In the alumni department, “Pucks and Recreation’s” John Morton reports that Corey Elkins will not return to the Grand Rapids Griffins this upcoming season:

While Elkins got to play in the Red Wings organization this past year, he has since made plans to play for the Grizzlys Wolfsburg in Germany next year. Perhaps another trip to the Alps is in store for him and his family.

Update: number 3: AWood40 posted a clip of Jimmy Howard’s 2017-18 season highlights: