The Malik Report

The Detroit Red Wings have yet to make their free agency moves, but fantasy hockey experts are already looking forward to next season, and a trio of scribes posted columns which include discussions about Red Wings players.

ESPN’s Victoria Matiash rounded up the 2022 NHL Draft’s trades and picks with assessments of both parties, and she offered this take on the Ville Husso trade as it applies to fantasy hockey poolies (and she’s not optimistic about Husso’s future exploits):

Ville Husso, G, Detroit Red Wings

Superb in subbing in for a sub-mediocre Jordan Binnington though much of 2021-22, Husso will have a rougher go of it with a Red Wings club, however promising, that’s not there yet. Plus, there’s that pesky Alex Nedeljkovic to battle for Detroit’s bulk of starts – and Ned will feel extra inspired to enjoy the best campaign possible in the final year of his current contract. There are about 25 other fantasy netminders I prefer to the former Blues goalie in his current environment. Unless GM Steve Yzerman’s squad comes together quicker than I anticipate, Husso will be in tough trying to replicate his 2.56 GAA and .919 SV% from this past season. Never mind the 25-7-6 record.

On the other hand, DobberHockey’s Tom Collins gave praise to “Gritty Rookie” (as opposed to “Rookie Gritty”) Moritz Seider:

Moritz Seider: The Calder Trophy winner is already on everyone’s radar thanks to his 50 points in 82 games, making him the third rookie defenseman to reach that mark since 1993-94. However, it’s his production in peripheral categories that should have fantasy hockey general managers salivating. Not only did he put up 187 shots, but he also had 34 PIM, 151 hits and 161 blocked shots. He was the only rookie to reach 30 PIM, 100 shots, 100 hits and 100 blocked shots and led all rookie defensemen in shots and blocked shots. Add in his value in other categories (21 power-play points and two shorthanded points) and Seider is someone who can contribute in almost every fantasy category. 

Finally, the Hockey News’s Jason Chen suggests that two Red Wings stalwarts might make good fantasy hockey picks as they go into their pre-unrestricted free agency contract seasons:

Tyler Bertuzzi, LW/RW, Detroit Red Wings (159.6): Bertuzzi’s vaccination status will likely be far less of a factor going forward after being banned from playing in Canada and he scored at a 75-point pace last season.

Dylan Larkin, C, Detroit Red Wings (176.7): Larkin was one of the best value picks last season and the Wings are on a major upswing with a projected $65 million (!) in available cap space for Larkin to take advantage of. Larkin’s easily a top-100 option this coming season.

Donovan Sebrango is an affable chap. The future Red Wings defenseman has already played two seasons for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins despite the fact that he’s only 20, but he’s grounded and understands that he’s going to earn a professional paycheck by playing tough, physical hockey.

Sebrango spoke with the media today at the Red Wings’ summer development camp, and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan took note of Sebrango’s remarks:

Sebrango, 20, a 2020 third-round pick of the Wings, already has played two seasons in Grand Rapids, played 96 AHL games. When the pandemic hit, Sebrango had the option to play in the AHL and he’s taken advantage, making himself a legitimate NHL prospect.

“I’ve said it before, I came out on top of a bad situation going on in the world,” Sebrango said. “I was able to benefit from it, and I’m grateful for that. It’s still an unfortunate time going around in the world, but I was lucky enough to come to Grand Rapids.”

Because of his age, Sebrango feels he still fits nicely into this kind of camp.

“After a few minutes of being around the same age group, you kind of go back to the feeling you’re back in junior,” Sebrango said. “I feel like a veteran here, but I still feel like I’m pretty young. They’re the same age, you get a sense of bonding a little quicker.”

Continued; Sebrango’s actually going to take part in the World Junior Championship this August in Edmonton, playing for Canada, but his humility and poise while speaking with the media today were fantastic to see and hear. He’s really grounded and has a great support system.

Red Wings 2022 8th overall draft pick Marco Kasper met with the Red Wings’ media corps for the first time this afternoon, and Kasper struck me as particularly poised and sharp for an 18-year-old who’s still in high school. Kasper spoke about his experiences playing for Rogle of the SHL with the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan…

A native of Austria, Kasper made the decision to learn Swedish before beginning his junior career there.

“Because I wanted to fit in,” Kasper said of his decision to learn the Swedish language. “I was going to school right away and I just talked to the guys in the locker room, and they helped me a lot. School helped.”

Kasper feels playing in the SHL will help him at this point, before he arrives in the NHL in the next year or two.

“It’s a really structured league,” Kasper said of the SHL. “A little bigger ice, and they’re real good players in that league. It’s hard to play because of the structure.” 

But Kasper also said that he felt very happy about the fact that three members of the Red Wings (including one who I believe was in attendance today) called or texted him to congratulate his status as a new member of the Red Wings’ family:

Continue reading First impressions with Marco Kasper

Of Twitter-related note from the Red Wings’ 2022 summer development camp, per the Red Wings:

First, the Wings posted a 33-second recap of Day 2 of development camp…

Day ✌️#drwdc pic.twitter.com/C4vrQoXETn— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 11, 2022

And this is just painful:

Do you feel old yet?#drwdc pic.twitter.com/ULt0D6Ek5k— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 11, 2022

Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper spoke with The Word on Woodward’s Daniella Bruce and Art Regner regarding the Red Wings’ prospects drafted this past weekend in Montreal, and he delved into the ESPN E:60 special as well over the course of a 57-minute conversation:

When the Red Wings re-signed Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Victor Brattstrom to a 1-year extension and then signed Finnish World Championship MVP Jussi Olkinuora, Wings fans wondered aloud where Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa fit into the mix.

As Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes, it’s not certain yet whether Cossa, who spoke with the media today, will head back to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings for one more season, play for Grand Rapids, or skate for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye:

The Detroit Red Wings haven’t yet talked to prize goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa about where he might be playing next season.

“I’m assuming that will probably happen in the next couple of weeks here,” Cossa said Monday on Day 2 of the Red Wings’ Development camp. “Looking forward to that.

It’s easy to presume the Red Wings will send him to Grand Rapids to let him starting the learning process against American Hockey League competition. But plenty of NHL goalies didn’t reach the AHL until the third season after they were drafted. That list includes Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, Florida’s Spencer Knight and Philadelphia’s Carter Hart.

Jarry and Hart played two more seasons in the WHL after they were drafted before starting their pro career. Cossa has only played one WHL season since the Red Wings drafted him 15th overall in the 2021 draft. He will still be 19 when the 2022-23 season starts. Even Marty Brodeur was 20 when he started in the AHL.

“I want to play at the highest level of hockey I can,” Cossa said. “I think my game is going to do the speaking for me. The management obviously has that kind of say where I’m gonna be playing. I want to play at the highest level of hockey I can and compete at that level.”

Allen continues, and the Detroit News’s Richard Silva also posted a notebook article regarding the confident, composed Cossa:

Continue reading Cossa’s future playing spot yet uncertain, but his confidence and composure speak for themselves

An affable chap:

Per Patrick Williams on Twitter…

Grand Rapids has signed forward Cedric Lacroix, who had 76 PIM in 33 games this past season with Tucson.#AHL— PATRICK WILLIAMS (@pwilliamsAHL) July 11, 2022

And the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday signed left wing Cedric Lacroix(luh-KWAH) to a one-year contract.

Lacroix, 27, spent the majority of the 2021-22 campaign with the Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League (AHL), totaling three assists and 76 penalty minutes in 33 outings. The Shefford, Quebec, native also saw action in three games with the Chicago Wolves (AHL) last season and amassed 12 points (6-6—12) and 54 penalty minutes in 19 contests with the Indy Fuel in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).

The fifth-year pro has 49 AHL games under his belt with five points (2-3—5) and 141 penalty minutes. Lacroix has spent much of his pro career in the ECHL where he has notched 375 PIMs in 150 appearances to go along with 45 goals and 41 assists. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward garnered his best season in 2018-19 with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) when he recorded 42 points (22-20—42) and 215 PIMs in 71 games.

Before making the move to the pro ranks, Lacroix spent four seasons at the University of Maine where he registered 21 goals, 19 helpers and 155 penalty minutes in 145 contests from 2014-18. Lacroix also competed in two seasons in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers from 2012-14. In the USHL, he recorded 26 points and 296 PIMs in 107 appearances.

Lacroix’s father, Daniel, skated in 188 NHL games throughout seven seasons. Following his playing career, Daniel served as an assistant coach in the NHL (2006-09; 2010-18) and is now the head coach of the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Here are two videos of interviews with Red Wings prospects Carter Mazur and Sebastian Cossa held today at the summer development camp: