The Malik Report

Here’s newly-acquired Red Wings forward Keegan Kolesar meeting with the Detroit Red Wings’ media corps:

Love to hear it

Full 🎥 » https://t.co/j0QSWwrYxd pic.twitter.com/KOA8U1uzr9

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 2, 2026

Red Wings free agent signing Viktor Arvidsson spoke with the Detroit media corps today, one day after signing a 2-year, $10 million contract with the Wings:

Update:

Viktor Arvidsson: "Growing up watching the Red Wings and Avalanche go at it, all those players, Forsberg and Zetterberg and Datsyuk, Yzerman and Draper, talking to Drapes last night, it was almost like, I’m really talking to you. I played as you in video games. Pretty surreal."

— Will Burchfield (@burchie_kid) July 2, 2026

Happy to have ya!

Full 🎥 » https://t.co/KDzaR1DcLs pic.twitter.com/aaCCrLUbew

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 2, 2026

The Detroit Red Wings’ prospects are currently returning home after the Red Wings’ 4-day Summer Development Camp ended this morning.

As such, the Red Wings posted a short interview with 2026 1st round draft pick JP Hurlbert…

But Daniel Cleary, who works actively as the director of player development, spoke for almost 14 minutes:

The Red Wings’ social media team “mic’ed up” Carter Bear, and this morning, they posted a 2:51 clip of Bear on the ice with his fellow Summer Development Camp participants:

🐻 on the mic!@campingworld pic.twitter.com/QHiC7qDAm4

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 2, 2026

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen issues Red Wings grades in an assortment of categories this morning, and some grades are better than others:

Handling Larkin Situation

Essentially, the Red Wings are in the same place they were at when Dylan Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson, informed the Red Wings his client would like to be traded.

Larkin has a no-trade clause and there are conflicting reports about how many teams he is willing to accept as a final destination.

What we know: The Florida Panthers have no interest in giving up young center Anton Lundell, plus they don’t have other desirable assets they are willing to move. They are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They have no urgency to deal for Larkin. A Minnesota Wild source tells us that they don’t believe they have the assets to make a Larkin deal. (One report said the Red Wings would take Matthew Boldy in a Larkin deal, but the Wild are not interested). There’s no trade fit with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Continue reading A set of early Wings summer grades from DHN’s Allen

The coverage of this year’s Summer Development Camp has just been so-so, but the Red Wings themselves are still pumping out content. This morning, they posted a 1:12 clip of very literal on-ice footage from this week’s activities:

Smooth with it pic.twitter.com/a2Omjm9fNT

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 2, 2026

The Athletic’s Harman Dayal examines the best unrestricted free agents remaining on the marketplace. He has this to say about Patrick Kane, who has pluses and minuses, but still brings star power:

Patrick Kane

Kane will turn 38 in November, but he still racks up points and provides legitimate secondary offense. The iconic American scored 57 points in 67 games, which translates to a 70-point pace prorated over 82 games. He’s still a prolific producer at both even strength — his 2.03 points per hour at five-on-five ranked second best among Detroit Red Wings forwards — and on a team’s first-unit power play due to his vision, hands and creativity.

There’s a decent chance his even-strength production will taper off a bit next season; his line scored on 12.1 percent of its shots at five-on-five, which is unlikely to repeat itself. He’s also a drag defensively, which needs to be factored in. He still has plenty of game left to help a team offensively, however, provided the lineup and power-play fit are right.

Continued; again, Patrick Kane’s agent, Pat Brisson, happens to be Dylan Larkin’s agent, which has me assuming that Kane will sign elsewhere.

That being said, he’s had a positive impact upon the Wings’ young players in leading by example both during games and especially during practices (Kane is a “rink rat” for sure, and his preparation skills were tremendous).

The Wings are a better team for having had Kane on their roster, and they would be a better team if he re-signed.

Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon examines 10 notable players who might become unrestricted free agents at this time next summer, and two of his more prominent players are Red Wings players. Yerdon includes both 41-goal-scorer Alex DeBrincat…

Alex DeBrincat, Detroit Red Wings

While a few of the players we’re discussing here very likely won’t make it to free agency, we can’t really say that about Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat.

The seemingly awkward spot the Red Wings are in with Dylan Larkin’s trade request comes at a tough time with DeBrincat entering a contract season. It would be difficult for the Michigan native DeBrincat to commit to staying in Detroit if their leader and top player goes elsewhere. That is, of course, if DeBrincat stays in Detroit himself.

DeBrincat’s ability to score goals would be in high demand on the open market as well as his ability to contribute to the power play. At 29 years old, he’d be in prime position to cash in well and after seeing other players around that age already score big contracts, it wouldn’t be any different for him. After scoring 41 goals this season, another 40-goal season would make him one of the jewels on the free agent market next summer.

And Yerdon notes that goaltender John Gibson will be a free agent next summer, too:

Continue reading ‘Next summer’s unrestricted free agent’ class could include DeBrincat and Gibson

In Grand Rapids, the trade of Sebastian Cossa to Utah and the exits of Antti Tuomisto (who signed with Vegas) and Eduards Tralmaks (who signed with Edmonton) caused disappointment as three beloved Grand Rapids Griffins bid the organization farewell.

As such, Fox 17’s Andy Curtis asked The Athletic’s Max Bultman to weigh in regarding the Cossa trade to figure out why the Wings would move the 6’7″ goaltender:

 “You know, they have significant depth in their goalie pipeline,” said Max. “You saw Michal Postava start every playoff game for the Griffins this year. He’s only like nine months older than Sebastian Cossa, so he had a great season. Trey Augustine, one of the top goaltenders in college hockey last year at Michigan State, he turned pro last year. Now Sebastian was the most advanced. He was going to need waivers if he was not going to be in the NHL next year.” 

And from all accounts, an NHL appearance with the Wings from Cossa was not likely. Even with two AHL All-Star appearances and gaudy goaltending statistics, Detroit felt it was best to move on. 

Continue reading Fox 17 asks Bultman why the Red Wings moved on from Sebastian Cossa

The Red Wings’ trade for Vegas Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar was made because the Golden Knights needed to make salary cap space.

As such, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Danny Webster reports that Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon expressed regret about having to trade a long-time “misfit”…

Kolesar became a full-time NHL player during the shortened 56-game season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and has been one of the Knights’ more reliable and durable players since. He played in 439 games as a primary fourth liner, scoring 120 points in six years.

“I think we’ll have a friendship forever,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Wednesday. “I hope he does great. I’ll be the first guy to come shake his hand in the dressing room when we play Detroit. These are decisions that have to be made that aren’t easy.”

Kolesar was a key enforcer during the Knights’ Stanley Cup championship run in 2023. He’s played in 207 consecutive regular season games. His Knights tenure ended as a healthy scratch in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Kolesar had two years remaining on a three-year, $7.5 million contract he signed in December 2024. That season, he scored a career-high 12 goals and 30 points.

The move gives the Knights $6.175 million in cap space. This doesn’t account for winger Victor Olofsson reportedly returning to the Knights.

And this morning, the ever-opinionated Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press gives Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman rare praise for adding to “team toughness” through the Kolesar trade and the addition of free agent forward Viktor Arvidsson.

Monarrez believes that the trade an signing show an assertiveness that’s usually absent from Yzerman’s managerial moves:

Continue reading Kolesar trade, Arvidson signing earn praise from Monarrez, but the Red Wings’ scoring issues hinge upon Kane re-singing, Larkin trade