Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith plays “two truths and a lie” this morning, and I agree wholeheartedly with his second “truth”–a suggestion that the Red Wings’ total and complete radio silence about their GM search has damaged the organization’s perception:

Truth: Red Wings’ silence has only hurt their perception

While it was typical for there to be a certain lack of communication while the team was still under Yzerman. Part of the reason that was tolerated was because of his longstanding reputation with the team and the city’s media. Yzerman was a man of few words when he was captain of the team, and he continued that tradition as GM of the franchise.

That silence wore on fans’ patience and was no doubt part of the mixed reaction to his unceremonious exit.

Now, the team has gone nearly two months without finding a new GM and they haven’t been very communicative with the search process. That’s led to an ample breeding ground for rumor mill churn and misinformation as aggregators pick up old information for new engagement.

Communicating about who they’ve interviewed, or at least where they are at in the process would do a lot to help restore confidence in team ownership.

Continued; Yzerman’s regime simply held its secrets and opinions alike very close to the vest, which is a difficult road to go in an era of better media relations by NHL Teams…

But continuing the strategy of not talking unless something happens is just not a smart option. It’s September, and the public that pays a whole lot of money to both watch the team in person and watch the team on TV/online are getting restless and worried about the product that will be on the ice later this month…

But nobody knows what’s going on with the front office. Even an, “We continue to evaluate candidates for our GM’s position” from the team would pave the road to forgiveness for radio silence, and we haven’t heard that much yet. That’s a bit dangerous as far as I’m concerned.

The Detroit Red Wings posted a 13:46 clip highlighting the offseason exploits of one Emmitt Finnie:

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin posted a list of “the top 10 Norris Trophy candidates,” and Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider finishes quite low on the list, despite his all-round acumen, because Larkin argues that Seider just doesn’t produce enough offense to be considered an elite elite defenseman:

8. Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings (+1100)

The biggest case against Seider ever winning the Norris is last season, when he was as good as any D-man on the planet and it still wasn’t enough. Seider was a monster in every facet of the game, chewing up almost 26 minutes per contest and thwarting other teams’ top players. He graded out as a 100^th-percentile defensive player and a 95^th-percentile offensive player. And yet: that sublime season only landed him fifth in the Norris vote. Having compiled 60 points and possessing more of an all-around skill set than that of a pure scoring weapon, Seider lacks the ceiling of the other perennial contenders, which makes him more of a fringe Norris threat, as amazing as he is.

Continued; I suppose that Seider is a good example of why the NHL needs a “best defensive defenseman’s” award, because the Norris Trophy has become an award for the highest-scoring defenseman since Nicklas Lidstrom retired.

Red Wings prospect and University of North Dakota graduate Dylan James was pretty much dialed into spending his entire college-eligible career playing for the Fighting Hawks as it generally takes 4 years for players to truly blossom in that particular college program.

As such, the 6’1,” 192-pound forward is starting his professional career a little later than some Red Wings prospects, but, as Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes, the Red Wings and James alike believe that the 22-year-old will be worth the wait:

Three Reasons Why James Will Play in the NHL

1. He’s a stellar penalty killer. A strong skater, James uses his speed to take away time and space.
2. James is a physical presence on the forecheck, pressuring defensemen into committing turnovers.
3. Coaches can trust his game without the puck.

What May Hold Him Back

By taking four years to develop, James is coming into his first pro season at the age of 22. His window of opportunity to move up the ladder will be shorter than some of his compatriots with the AHL Griffins.

He has the skating ability, the defensive acumen, and the 200-foot game. The question that James will need to answer to make the show is whether he can generate enough offense to be an effective player at the NHL level.

Continued; everything I’ve heard about James is positive in terms of his work ethic and skill set. As Duff suggests, it’s going to be up to James to replicate offensive numbers like his 21-goal, 32-points-in-40-games-played offensive numbers from his final NCAA season.

The Athletic’s James Mirtle posted an installment of The Athletic’s “Red Light Newsletter” today, and Mirtle asks 5 “biggest unanswered questions,” including one about Red Wings,’ well, three unanswered scenarios in their lack of a GM, Dylan Larkin’s trade request and re-signing Simon Edvinsson. So it’s a 3-in-1:

When are the Red Wings getting a GM, and what do they do with Larkin?

Detroit is the only club without a GM right now, after Steve Yzerman was removed from the role on July 15. Some massive decisions await whoever gets the gig, too: deciding what to do about captain Dylan Larkin’s trade request and getting Edvinsson under contract.

Finding a way back to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade is definitely on the agenda, too.

💬 Red Wings writer Max Bultman: “The GM search has been as quiet as it’s been long, but with the prospect tournament just over a week away, it’s nearing the finish line. Getting Edvinsson signed shouldn’t be a big issue; that’s something the new GM can get done fairly quickly — i.e., in time for Edvinsson to hit the ice with the Red Wings when camp opens Sept. 17.

“But the late timing of the hire points toward Larkin’s trade request not being resolved before camp opens. We’ll see what happens when the new GM speaks with Larkin, and what conclusions they reach in those initial conversations. Still, the possibility for some captain-related drama and distraction grows greater by the day.”

Here’s more from Max on the mess the next GM is inheriting.

RG.org posted a Red Wings season preview whose eventual focus involves the sports betting game, but the editorial desk and editor Sergey Demidov also provide some impressive facts about Detroit’s star players, rookies and lost offense (in the form of David Perron, Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk):

The most impressive individual data point in Detroit’s season belongs to its 25-year-old defenseman. Seider skated 299.85 miles, fourth-most in the NHL, blocked 180 shots, fourth-most in the league, and led all Red Wings skaters with a 53.2% share of 5-on-5 shot attempts. His hardest shot registered 98.93 mph, 93rd percentile among defensemen, and he ranked second leaguewide with 115 long-range shots on goal.

Lucas Raymond is the swing vote. He is 24, sits in the 92nd percentile in average shot speed among forwards at 60.53 mph, and produced 25 goals in 80 games — a step backward from his previous output. Detroit’s power play ranked 12th at 22.6% and fourth in the NHL in power-play offensive zone time at 60.6%, which suggests the personnel is closer than the raw goal totals imply.

In goal, John Gibson tied for 10th in the NHL with 27 quality starts and finished with a .901 save percentage and 22.04 goals saved above expected. Tarasov arrives from Florida after a 13-15-3 season with an .895 save percentage. Prospect Sebastian Cossa was traded to Utah, which leaves Trey Augustine — 24-9-1 with a 2.11 goals-against average and .929 save percentage at Michigan State — as the organizational future in Grand Rapids.

Continued (give this a read, it’s a good, coherent season preview).

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler posted a massive list of “prospect tiers” as determined by The Athletic’s prospect gurus, and 9 Red Wings players/prospects made the list, but only two were deemed to be “stars” in the making…

Trey Augustine

Augustine’s Hobey Baker finalist season and second consecutive Big Ten goalie of the year award have again helped solidify him as a top goalie prospect. Now the stoic, calm and controlled Red Wings prospect will have to prove himself in the AHL. He doesn’t have the high-end size or freak athleticism teams drool over, but he’s universally well-respected for his consistency.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka

Sandin-Pellikka’s first season in North America was a perfectly respectable one. He was one of the youngest D in the league for 68 games and scored seven goals before going down to the AHL. But there were also some speed bumps that slowed down the momentum he had coming out of a very exciting year in the SHL. Scouts like his offense and his competitiveness but naturally wonder about that next level, so low-end Star makes sense.

While the bulk of the Red Wings’ prospect pool are deemed to be “support” players:

Continue reading 9 Red Wings prospects make The Athletic’s ‘prospect tiers’ list

Of Red Wings-related note from Bleacher Report this morning:

1. Adam Gretz makes five trade predictions ahead of the 2026-2027 NHL season, including a non-trade prediction when it comes to disgruntled Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin:

Dylan Larkin Doesn’t Get Traded

Not all trade predictions have to involve an actual trade.

Sometimes it can just be the simple reality that a trade doesn’t happen.

What if Dylan Larkin’s problem with the Detroit Red Wings wasn’t necessarily a problem with the Red Wings organization itself? What if it was just a major disagreement with Steve Yzerman and the way he was running and building the team? Is it impossible to suggest? Is it too hard to believe that? Isn’t it possible that a new general manager could come in, smooth things over with the team’s captain, and get him to stay?

Stranger things have happened.

Even if Larkin does get traded, it’s not going to happen until that new general manager takes over, and even then it would almost certainly take some time for them to talk to teams, gather offers, and have a vision for what direction they want to take the team in. Larkin doesn’t seem like he is going to hold out, and all it might take is for a strong start to the season with a new vision in the front office.

The players in the locker room would almost certainly welcome him back because they are all pros and understand the business.

The fans might take some time, but winning cures everything.

Continued; I still believe that Larkin will be traded, but that’s just a gut feeling;

2. Joe Yerdon also mentioned the Red Wings this morning, suggesting that the Red Wings are one of 10 teams that will “disappoint” this upcoming season:

Continue reading 2 things: predictions from Bleacher Report regarding the Dylan Larkin situation and Detroit’s fate this upcoming season

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff profiles the six free agents invited to the Red Wings’ 2026 prospect tournament:

[Haeden Ellis is] a 5-foot-10, 191-pound right-winger who played with USA Hockey’s national team program and in the USHL before moving to the OHL Kitchener Rangers. Ellis, 19, will be playing college hockey at Northeastern.

…

A waterbug at 5-foot-6 and 153 pounds, right-winger Cooper Dennis, 19, is a teammate of Red Wings 2026 draftee Adam Levac with the OHL Peterborough Petes. The two will also be on the same team next week, wearing the Winged Wheel. Dennis is committed to the Michigan Wolverines.

Carter Hicks, 18, played for Canada at the 2026 World U18 Championship. The 6-foot-1, 183-pound right-winger for the OHL Brampton Steelheads is committed to the Connecticut Huskies.

Continue reading DHN’s Duff profiles the Red Wings’ six free agent invites for the 2026 prospect tournament

Falu Kuriren’s Ronnie Carlsson and Markus Josefsson discuss Red Wings prospect and Brynas IF forward Charlie Forslund today.

Both Carlsson and Josefsson report that Forslund is making progress while preparing for his first season in the SHL, but they suggest that Forslund may begin his 2026-2027 season in the Hockeyallsvenskan instead:

Forslund got to play with a star – may still be forced to leave

The Falu native Charlie Forslund is fighting for a place on Brynas’ SHL team.

After his game against Leksand, he was praised by coach Niklas Gollstedt.

Charlie Forslund made a breakthrough on Falu IF’s A-team two and-a -half years ago. Suddenly, he was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings and signed with Mora [of the Hockeyallsvenskan]. From there, his hockey trip went on to Almtuna before he signed with Brynas this spring – and his success continues.

“He’s been doing great this summer and is having a great pre-eason here, so he’s surprised me. I think he has been good,” says Brynas coach Niklas Gallstedt.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Brynas IF’s coach is impressed by Charlie Forslund’s SHL preseason performances