Roughly translated: Peter Forsberg praises Lucas Raymond’s development

HockeyNews.se’s Linnea Andersson spoke with Peter Forsberg regarding his impressions of Team Sweden’s 1-and-2 record at the Four Nations Face-Off, and Forsberg gave praise to a member of the Red Wings:

The Four Nations Face-Off is over for Sweden.

Peter “Foppa” Forsberg has been impressed by a Swedish duo – and says that one of them has grown into a superstar.

The Tre Kronor will finish third in the group, with as many points as Canada, after a 2-1 victory against the United States last night. Canada continues because of head-to-head wins, and for Sweden, the tournament is over.

Peter “Foppa” Forsberg has watched the tournament in person, and he chooses to pay tribute to a particular player – Lucas Raymond.

“He’s grown up and become a superstar of sorts. He’s not afraid of a nickel, anywhere on the ice. He’s taking the ice for himself. He doesn’t look who’s coming in behind him, he’s driving on. He does good things, he comes from outside the corners,” Forsberg said.

Forsberg thinks Raymond was lined up and used properly during the tournament. Having Raymond in a line together with Joel Eriksson Ek is something that the hockey icon likes to see.

“Eriksson Ek helps him. He takes his defensemen on target and stands in front. He’s obscuring when Lucas shoots, and then Lucas can do his things a little further out in the corners. Then Joel gets to stand there in front and blue paint and hold on. I think they fit great together, even though they may not have scored 100 goals this tournament, they have created offense,” says Forsberg.

In Detroit, Raymond has averaged one point per game. In total, there were three assists from Raymond in the tournament.

“This player we will get to benefit from in the Swedish national team for a good many games after this,” Forsberg said.

Via A2Y: Not a fan of the David Savard ‘rental’ situation

Via Paul Kukla of Abel to Yzerman: Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff discussed the Red Wings’ potential pursuit of Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard, as suggested by Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson, and I’m in the “not gonna happen” category:

Why Savard To Detroit Isn’t Likely To Happen

Savard is a top-four defenseman and Detroit isn’t going to want to break up the Moritz Seider-Ben Chiarot and Simon Edvinsson-Albert Johansson top-four pairings that have proven so effective during the club’s hot streak. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes reportedly desires a first-round draft choice in exchange for Savard. Yzerman won’t be paying that price.

Traditionally, Yzerman also isn’t a GM who looks to trade for rental players. As much as the Red Wings want – perhaps even need – to make the playoffs this spring, Yzerman isn’t going to be looking to make a short-term move that will have a negative impact on his long-term plans for the team.

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Panning and praising Raymond and Larkin’s Four Nations performances on Monday night

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin and Team Sweden forward Lucas Raymond were both held off the scoresheet in Team USA’s 2-1 loss to Sweden last night in Boston, and several pundits weighed in on the teams’ player performances.

Sportsnet’s Sonny Sachdeva was not impressed with Raymond’s performance…

Lucas Raymond: 6 / 10
The young Detroit Red Wings talisman left much to be desired on the Americans’ lone goal, with a half-hearted backcheck that left Chris Kreider open to bury the game’s first tally 35 seconds into the game. But aside from that early stumble, he came up with some quality moments, once again looking calm and collected with the puck on his stick. He finishes the tournament as Sweden’s highest-scoring forward, with three points through three games.

But Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler gave Larkin a better grade…

Dylan Larkin 7/10
Larkin’s had an eventful tournament, and on Monday night brought a jolt of energy early to a lineup that needed it. He generated a handful of scoring chances in the first frame, and while he was held off the scoresheet, Sullivan should be happy with his efforts.

And Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis had this to say about Larkin:

#21 Dylan Larkin, C (Detroit Red Wings): Play him more! Every single game, the puck has spent significantly more time in the offensive zone than the alternative. Larkin has had such a positive impact on this team, with his Corsi being completely on his side all night long. Larkin is USA’s secret weapon, and he’s going to be important in the final.

Trey Augustine named a finalist for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award

Red Wings goaltending prospect Trey Augustine has been named a finalist for the 95th AAU James E. Sullivan Award, and you can vote for Augustine here:

Datsyuk, Lidstrom named to Daily Faceoff’s ‘Top 25 players of the last 25 years’ list

Daily Faceoff’s writers named their “Top 25 players of the last 25 years” today, and two Red Wings made the list:

20. Pavel Datsyuk, C

The Magic Man could do everything. He had some of the most dizzyingly beautiful stickhandling the game has ever seen, regularly producing did-you-see-that highlights. He’s one of the best defensive forwards of all-time, having won three consecutive Selke Trophies at one point. He was also one of the sport’s classiest players, winning four consecutive Lady Byng Trophies. It’s particularly impressive to play such a gentlemanly game when you’re a premier shutdown center.

…

4. Nicklas Lidstrom, D

Try and picture Lidstrom making a mistake. Good luck with that. He was about as close as you’ll ever find to a perfect hockey player, almost robotic in his poise and precision. He set the standard for a modern style of defending, outsmarting his opponents with positioning and anticipation rather than bludgeoning them. He took home an incredible seven Norris Trophies, bested only by Bobby Orr’s eight, and if you had to craft one starting lineup featuring every player in the NHL’s 108-year history, you’re probably putting Lidstrom out there with Orr.

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Buchelnikov remains dominant for Vityaz Moscow Region

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff spotlights several Red Wings prospects this morning, leading off with one Dmitri Buchelnikov’s stand-out performances for a middling Vityaz team:

Dmitri Buchelnikov’s team may be sinking, but the Detroit Red Wings prospect just keeps on trucking. Riding a four-game point streak, Buchelnikov was dishing out an assist Monday as Vityaz fell 4-2 to Dinamo Minsk in KHL action.

On this day, the future Red Wings player – Buchelnikov was Detroit’s 52nd overall selection in the 2022 NHL entry draft – was being outshone by a former Wings defenseman. Xavier Ouellet collected a goal and two assists in leading Dinamo Minsk to victory.

Vityaz is 1-6-2 over the past nine games. The club has fallen 15 points out of a KHL playoff spot. Buchelnikov, though, is leading the team in scoring with 13-31-44 totals through 54 games.

Bultman’s Red Wings player poll: GM Showtime

The Athletic’s Max Bultman conducted an informal and lighthearted “player poll” with the Red Wings’ players recently, and Patrick Kane earned 11 of 18 votes as to which player might become an NHL general manager one day:

This one was a runaway. Copp got a couple of votes here, too, likely for the same reasons as the coaching answer, but Kane is the player most Red Wings players feel could have a future in a front office.

“He’s been around the league for long enough to know good players and bad players, I’d say,” one teammate said.

“He’s probably one of the smartest players of all time, at least like offensively, IQ wise,” another added. “Hard to argue. I feel like he loves the game and is always watching, paying attention.”

One teammate said something similar about Kane in explaining his vote for “Showtime” as the best coach — but since he also picked him for best GM, we’ll use the answer here: “Just his hockey knowledge. He’s been around, he’s seen every aspect of the game. He thinks the game on a different level. All those reasons. Knows how to win.”

Another added a perhaps underrated component beyond Kane’s knowledge of the game: “I feel like he has a lot of connections.”

But one voter wanted to take the question in a different direction: “Not Benny Chiarot,” they said, “I’ll tell you that.”

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Justin Abdelkader’s become a ‘hockey dad’

Former Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader told the Local Sports Journal’s Tom Kendra that he’s readjusting to post-hockey life some two years after playing in his last professional hockey game:

Justin Abdelkader now spends a large percentage of his time in an “Uber Dad” role, driving and also coaching his two young sons at hockey tournaments around the state.

And when he’s home? This time of year, he’s usually in the backyard of the family’s suburban Detroit home with a hose in his hand, working on the outdoor skating rink.

“Oh absolutely, I have come full circle,” Justin said with a laugh.

…

Abdelkader played his last competitive hockey game in Switzerland in March of 2023, and since that time has dealt with the often difficult transition for professional athletes back to normal life by going in “100 percent” to his new job as a father.

Abdelkader and his wife, Julie, are expecting their third child in February (a girl).

 His role as dad hasn’t left a whole lot of time for him to reflect on his hockey career but, when he does, he will look back on a journey which featured championships at almost every stop.

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Twitter video: TNT interviews Dylan Larkin

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin spoke with TNT’s hockey panel after Team USA’s 2-1 loss to Sweden at the Four Nations Face-Off, looking forward to Thursday’s final between the U.S. and Canada: