The Malik Report

And another one.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have placed forward Filip Zadina in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 19, 2021

EliteProspects.com’s Russ Cohen posted a profile of Red Wings 2021 draft pick and U.S. World Junior Championship forward Carter Mazur:

Many in the draft and prospects sphere were caught by surprise when the Detroit Red Wings drafted Carter Mazur out of the Tri-City Storm in the third round of last July’s draft.

Few scouts, much less casual observers had seen him play live, and there were lingering doubts about his ceiling as a draft-plus-one forward that hadn’t crested the point per game mark in the USHL.

The Red Wings saw constant improvement from Mazur though, and that has carried over into this year with the University of Denver and even into Team USA’s World Junior roster camp.

The Jackson, Michigan native was happy to be back home flying from Denver to Detroit and playing once again in USA Hockey Arena. “It’s tough that my family is here, and I can’t see them. That’s tough,” Mazur told EP Rinkside. “I live 40 minutes from here. I’ve played here multiple times. It may make me feel more comfortable, but no matter where I play, I feel comfortable.”

Mazur spent a short time with the NTDP and U17 squads. His seven games with the U17 team meant he played with many of the players in this camp, including Matty Beniers and Jake Sanderson.

“You come into camp, and you usually don’t know that many people. In this camp I feel like I know everyone,” Mazur proclaimed. “I feel like I am close friends with a lot of people here and it makes you feel more comfortable knowing the people around you. You just know more about them besides their hockey game.”

Continued

The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe posted a lengthy article discussing the Toledo Walleye’s Winterfest activities at Fifth Third Field later this month:

Kyle Bonis made the walk from the locker room to the ice thousands of times during his pro hockey career, but none compared to the moment he emerged from the dugouts at Fifth Third Field onto an outdoor rink.

Bonis played for the Walleye in 2014-15 when the organization became the first ECHL team to host an outdoor game.

“I remember the feeling of walking out of the dugout and seeing the rink for the first time and thinking back to the rink in my back yard,” Bonis said. “It was the purest form of the game. Playing outside was a special highlight in my entire hockey playing career.”

Now retired, Bonis will once again play on the outdoor sheet of ice as part of the Toledo legends team that will take on a group of former Detroit Red Wings players in an alumni game on Dec. 30.

The alumni contest is part the second Winterfest, an 18-day outdoor extravaganza that will include youth, high school, college, and adult hockey games as well as a hall of fame ceremony and open skates. Winterfest, which will run through Jan. 2, will be highlighted by two Toledo Walleye games on Dec. 26 and Dec. 31.

“The excitement is as high as can be,” said Neil Neukam, the Walleye’s executive vice president and general manager. “We are so happy to be able to have fans come in from all over the region and country to be a part of Winterfest and help support the economy of our community.”

Continued

Of Red Wings prospect-related note in the Swedish Allsvenskan:

Albin Grewe did not play in Mora IK’s 3-2 overtime win over Sodertalje SK;

And Filip Larsson didn’t play in HV71 Jonkoping’s 2-1 win over Almtuna IS.

I’m very iffy on this theory because asymptomatic players who are battling COVID can still infect their teammates, family, friends and rink workers, but Steve Yzerman broached the subject today, as the Free Press’s Helene St. James noted:

The Detroit Red Wings‘ expanding list of team personnel in COVID-19 protocol prompted general manager Steve Yzerman to question the daily testing mandated by the NHL as the virus has infiltrated pro sports as it has the world.

Wings head coach Jeff Blashill and starting goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic are among seven Wings in quarantine. Around the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche, whose Monday game at Detroit was postponed, and the Florida Panthers have had their seasons shut down through the Christmas holiday break because of an outbreak of COVID. 

“What’s important to know is that all of our players, coaches, the teams around the league — nobody has experienced any significant illness in getting the virus,” Yzerman said Saturday. “It’s not more than, at this point, a minor cold.”

Robby Fabbri, Michael Rasmussen, Givani Smith, Carter Rowney, and assistant coach Alex Tanguay also are in protocol. Tyler Bertuzzi (the only player in the NHL who is not vaccinated) and Marc Staal emerged from quarantine Dec. 13, and Danny DeKeyser has also been in protocol. Yzerman said the Wings are encouraging “our players, our entire staff, to get the booster if they have not had it at this point.”

DeKeyser and Fabbri both have had the virus twice. DeKeyser said he was asymptomatic during the second time, which happened around Thanksgiving. When a vaccinated player does not have symptoms, Yzerman wondered why they are tested.

“At the end of the day — now I’m getting political — our players are testing positive with very little symptoms, if any symptoms at all,” Yzerman said. ” I don’t see it as a threat to their health at this point. I think you might take it a step further and question why are we even testing, for guys that have no symptoms.”

Continued (paywall); it’s dangerous in my opinion to other people, and one must “do no harm” to others.

No Jeff Blashill tonight. No Alex Tanguay tonight. But Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman still believes that the Wings’ interim coaching staff of Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon, Wings assistant coach Doug Houda and Griffins assistant coach Todd Krygier should get the job done, as he told MLive’s Brendan Savage:

“I think we’ll get through it fine,” Yzerman said. “Ben and Todd know our players really well. Five or six have played for them this year, actually. So, it shouldn’t be too bad of a transition. I’m curious to see how it goes.

“Myself, I’ve never really been behind the bench and been in that position with a lot of video reviews and things like that. Things are a little bit different from the NHL to the American Hockey League but I think for the most part it will be relatively seamless transition.

“Ben, Todd and the rest of them along with Jeff and our staff, I’m sure they’ve been on the phone constantly since yesterday afternoon going through all the different scenarios, talking about our players and what adjustments Jeff Blashill would make and what recommendations Ben would have.”

Blashill and Tanguay went into COVID protocol along with players Givani Smith, Carter Rowney and Alex Nedeljkovic. They joined forwards Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen in COVID protocol.

With so many players sidelined, the Red Wings recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard and forward Riley Barber from Grand Rapids.

“As long as we’re playing, we’ve got to figure out a way to win games,” Yzerman said. “Just looking at it from a hockey perspective, some guys are getting a great opportunity to play whether it’s Thomas Griess in net tonight or Riley Barber or Taro Hirose. Go out and have a positive impact. It’s a great opportunity for them to take advantage of a chance to play in the NHL.”

Continued

FYI, per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Saturday reassigned goaltender Victor Brattstrom to the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) from the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Brattstrom returns to Toledo for the second time this season, as the netminder appeared in three games with the Walleye from Nov. 20-Dec. 5. The fifth-year pro has recorded a 2-1-0 ledger with a 4.25 goals against average and a 0.829 save percentage in the ECHL. Brattstrom allowed three goals or less in two of his three appearances with Toledo. In the AHL with Grand Rapids, the Goteborg, Sweden, native has made four starts with a 5.32 goals against average and a 0.835 save percentage. Brattstrom was a sixth-round draft choice of the Red Wings in 2018 and is in the midst of his rookie campaign in North America.

The Detroit Red Wings are still going to play the New Jersey Devils tonight (8 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit/MSG+/97.1 FM) despite the Wings adding coach Jeff Blashill, assistant coach Alex Tanguay, goalie Alex Nedeljkovic and forwards Givani Smith and Carter Rowney to a COVID protocol list that already includes Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff spoke with Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman regarding the Wings’ situation, which includes calling up Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon, assistant coach Todd Krygier, goaltender Calvin Pickard and forward Riley Barber, to join Kyle Criscuolo and Taro Hirose:

Despite the absence of five players and two of the club’s three bench coaches, Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils at Little Caesars Arena is going ahead as planned.

“Other teams have gone through this earlier than us the last 2-3 weeks,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said of his team playing a game minus five players and their head coach. “We just keep adding players. As long as we have bodies, players that we can recall, we’ll ice the best team we can and go from there.”

Grand Rapids head coach Ben Simon and assistant coach Todd Krygier are coming up to work the bench along with Red Wings assistant coach Doug Houda.

According to Yzerman, Simon will be running the bench for tonight’s game.

“It’s my understanding that Ben was going to be the acting head coach and Doug would remain in his role running the D,” Yzerman said. “It is a fluid situation, so that may have changed from my last conversation with Jeff Blashill.”

Continued

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman spoke with the media after coach Jeff Blashill, assistant coach Alex Tanguay, and Alex Nedeljkovic, Carter Rowney and Givani Smith joined Michael Rasmussen and Robby Fabbri in COVID protocols:

The Red Wings will host the New Jersey Devils this evening (8 PM EST start on Bally Sports Detroit/MSG+/97.1 FM) without coach Jeff Blashill, assistant coach Alex Tanguay, goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and forwards Robby Fabbri, Michael Rasmussen, Carter Rowney and Givani Smith.

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s press conference with the media superseded the morning skate in terms of personnel-watching importance for Detroit’s media, but, well, this quip from Yzerman, who will employ assistant coach Doug Houda and Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon and assistant Todd Krygier tonight…seems ironic:

When asked if he has an option to talk to the league about postponing the game, Yzerman says he could call and give his opinion— but they’re ultimately going to make a decision on their own to protect the safety of the players and society. #LGRW— Carley Johnston (@carleykjohnston) December 18, 2021

*Makes uncomfortable noises*

Steve Yzerman thinks the league is being consistent *this season* with shutting teams down.

“We’re not there yet,” he said. Last season, when the Red Wings went winless with guys out with COVID? “I didn’t think there was any consistency.”— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) December 18, 2021

Steve Yzerman says Nedeljkovic’s positive came in today, hence the only one goalie at morning skate. Sounds like the others came in yesterday.— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) December 18, 2021

Steve Yzerman said he originally thought Lucas Raymond would need some time in the AHL. Added that he has gotten better every day since prospects tournament. Raymond through 30 NHL games has to be a pleasant surprise even for him. #LGRW— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) December 18, 2021

“The coaches don’t listen to me anyways,” Steve Yzerman said. ?

“I expect these guys to ignore me like Jeff would if he were here.”— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) December 18, 2021

When asked about the coach changes for tonight, Steve Yzerman laughs and says “the coaches don’t listen to me after puck drop anyway, so I don’t expect anything to change.” ? #LGRW @DetroitRedWings— Carley Johnston (@carleykjohnston) December 18, 2021

Yzerman said his understanding is Ben Simon will be Red Wings acting head coach tonight, Doug Houda would remain in his role running Detroit’s D, but adds it is a fluid situation.— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) December 18, 2021

I asked Yzerman about his team and their mentally going through all this for another hockey season. He said they all have been very positive. @Local4News pic.twitter.com/Yno9biR6Ol— Jamie Edmonds (@Jamie_Edmonds) December 18, 2021

Yzerman says he’s “fine with whatever everyone decides to do” RE: the Olympics. He’s a big supporter of NHLers at the Olympics, thinks it’s great for the game and league. But under circumstances says he understands league’s apprehension and player concerns over quarantines— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) December 18, 2021

Anyway, the Devils took to the ice for their morning skate at 11:30, and NewJerseyDevils.com’s Amanda Stein reported a problem:

Continue reading Red Wings-Devils morning skate Tweets II: More Yzerman presser Tweets; Devils without Blackwood (neck), Subban (COVID)