The Malik Report

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen has penned an article discussing the items of note that aren’t going superbly this exhibition season, and two of the five topics he covers are particularly intriguing to me:

Nedeljkovic Off to a Leaky Start: It’s preseason. The games don’t matter. Players are more in preparation mode than a competitive mode. Coach Jeff Blashill said he’s not concerned about Nedeljkovic because he works hard. He sweats the details.

But Nedeljkovic hasn’t looked like the goalie who posted a 1.90 goals-against average with a .932  save percentage. He looks leaky.

He has surrendered six goals on 42 shots. That’s an .842 save percentage. That’s not .932. It’s not even .900. The season starts in eight days. You would expect Nedeljkovic to look more buttoned up in his next start.

Givani Smith Needs to Rise Up: Does anyone remember Givani Smith making one memorable play in his three preseason games?  He has a big opportunity this season. He is out of options. The Red Wings want him on the team because they need a physical presence.  He has the blend of toughness and skill that earns you a place on the third line.

But he really hasn’t done anything this preseason to distinguish himself.  As much as the Red Wings want him to make it, he still needs to earn it.

Continued; I’m not particularly worried about Nedeljkovic, but I don’t think that he’s going to have an easy time adjusting to Detroit’s style of play and defensive scheme…

And Smith just hasn’t been very good. He’s an ideal power forward/instigator when he’s on top of his game, but he hasn’t been even very good most of the time, and I’m afraid that he may be waived and sent to Grand Rapids if he clears as a result.

The Grand Forks Herald’s Brad Elliott Schlossman examined the 20 players which he believes will shine as freshman in the NCHC conference of NCAA Division 1 hockey, and he picks three Red Wings prospects in his top 10:

2. Carter Mazur, F, Denver (DET, 3rd, 70th): Mazur can be a Swiss Army Knife for Denver. He can play all three forward positions. He’s scrappy, hard-nosed and tenacious, but he also has an offensive touch. When Tri-City needed a goal last season, Mazur was on the ice. When Tri-City needed to protect a lead, Mazur was on the ice.

…

5. Red Savage, F, Miami (DET, 4th, 114th): The NCHC defensive forward of the year award has been handed out eight times. All but one winner has gone on to play in the NHL. Savage, who captained Team USA at the World Under-18 Tournament, may some day win it on his way to the NHL, too. He’s an outstanding defensive centerman, great on faceoffs, great on the penalty kill and creates offense through hard work.

…

7. Shai Buium, D, Denver (DET, 2nd, 36th): Buium is high risk, high reward. It might take him some time as he transitions to college, but once he finds his footing, he will be a top-end blue liner in the NCHC.

Continued

Per HometownLife.com’s Brandon Folsom:

This weekend is a chance for you to see former Detroit Red Wings players and help a local charity. 

​AlphaUSA, a manufacturing company in Livonia, and Livonia City Councilman Brandon McCullough have teamed up to host a Red Wings alumni game at 1 p.m. Sunday at Eddie Edgar Ice Arena, 33841 Lyndon. 

Former Red Wings players and personnel will take on an all-star team of community members from around Livonia, Northville Township and Novi. 

Tickets are $10 each and are available for purchase at Livonia UPS Store, 37637 Five Mile Rd., and Jack E. Kirksey Recreation Center, 15100 Hubbard St. 

​Money raised during the game will benefit Livonia Kids & Families, a nonprofit ​that works to better the lives of children and families through various community initiatives such as its food pantry and job shell program, which gives working experience to moderately cognitively impaired students. 

Continued (with both teams’ rosters)

Here’s episode 3 of “The Winged Wheel,” which focuses on training camp, premiering now on YouTube:

Two quick Swedish things:

1. GP.se posted an article about Simon Edvinsson, who’s earning praise from Rasmus Dahlin, but it’s stuck behind a paywall…And IceHockeyGifs on Twitter posted a quick set of highlights from said article:

“It’s a lot of fun watching Edvinsson! He’s looking mean in the defensive zone- and plays poised with the puck.”-Rasmus Dahlin

“Both Rasmus and Simon are fantastic defenders who are almost unreal in their development for their age.”- Roger Rönnberg https://t.co/YlpFE8b4Eq— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) October 5, 2021

2. According to Hockeysverige.se’s Robin Olausson, Frans Nielsen has turned down an offer from the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks to play for the Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL instead.

This one is weird. Red Wings Prospects on Twitter reports that Ilves Tampere of the Finnish Liiga has released 20-year-old Albin Grewe outright after 5 point-free games for the Liiga team:

Albin Grewe has been released by Ilves. #LGRW https://t.co/LbyJnoQouO— Red Wings Prospects (@DRWProspects) October 5, 2021

Ilves’ press release just says that Grewe didn’t post a point in 5 games, and that his 1 year +1 year-option contract has been terminated. This is more or less what the GM has to say (roughly translated):

“We would like to thank Albin for the work done for Ilves and wish him luck in his new challenges,” comments Ilves’ Sports Director Timo Koskela .

Winging It in Motown contributor Kyle McIlmurray’s beloved friend, a Boston Terrier named Butters, is going to lose his left eye to glaucoma, and Kyle had to take out a loan to pay for Butters’ care.

I’m not afraid to ask you to help me raise funds as a commercial-free blog, but I think this is a lot more important right now, so if you can lend a hand to Kyle, please consider doing so:

Hey friends. Unfortunately I had to take a loan out to get Butters the best care and ophthalmology team as quickly possible. If you can help at all, it would mean a great deal to us. ❤️https://t.co/rOPoitKfgG— Kyle M. (@KyleWIIM) October 5, 2021

He’s in good spirits. He’s in good hands. Thank you all so much. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WDgSrGk8vl— Kyle M. (@KyleWIIM) October 5, 2021

You can donate to his GoFundMe here. I gave some of the Traverse City $ to Kyle if that’s okay.

The Athletic’s Sean “Down Goes Brown” McIndoe and Scott Wheeler published two very different articles this morning, with “DGB” discussing potential divisions for NHL teams based upon their predicted performances (in which the Wings qualify as “Bottom Feeder” stock)…

Detroit Red Wings

Last season: 19-27-10, -43, missed playoffs

Their offseason in one sentence: It was another relatively quiet offseason for Steve Yzerman, although he did land Alex Nedeljkovic for a third and get him signed to a reasonable deal.

Why they’re here: Like a few other teams on this list, the Wings are still in rebuild mode and don’t seem to be in a huge hurry to make a push back into the playoff picture. Given their top-heavy division, that’s probably wise. It’s certainly possible Nedeljkovic lives up to the high expectations, as he looks to follow his excellent rookie year with, uh, another excellent rookie year. Look, the Calder eligibility rules are weird, you’re just going to have to trust me.

(Yes, a quiet offseason for a team that jettisoned half-a-dozen veterans, brought in half-a-dozen new players, and is giving Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond opportunities to make the team)…

And Scott Wheeler breaks down probable Canadian Hockey League (i.e. Major Junior team finishes, with this rather smarmy remark regarding Sebastian Cossa probably finishing as the WHL’s goalie of the year:

Top goalie: Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings)

This one probably isn’t going to be close. Cossa scared me a little with his spotty play in Calgary and Traverse City, but he’s the best goalie in the league and he gets to play behind its best team.

He had one horrible game. ONE game. Oy.

Updated at 10:03 AM: MLive’s Ansar Khan and the Free Press’s Helene St. James both posted articles discussing Lucas Raymond’s dominant preseason performances this morning, with Khan discussing how Raymond is making it hard for the Red Wings to send him to Grand Rapids…

The fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft has been one of the main storylines in each of his three preseason games – for the right reasons. He contributed a goal and an assist in Monday’s 6-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena and leads the team with six points (two goals, four assists).

“My mindset was to do whatever I can to make the team and do the things I can control and impact and then it’s up to the staff to decide,” Raymond said.

Raymond will get at least one and possibly two more exhibitions before the Red Wings make their final cuts and set their 23-man season-opening roster.

“Obviously, we don’t have to make that decision yet,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He’s played good in the games he’s played so far and that’s all he can do, take the challenges he has ahead of him and do a good job. He’s got a mature game for a young guy, and he’s obviously got talent. Let’s keep evaluating.”

Raymond will only stick around if he is logging decent minutes on a top-two line and playing on the power play.

Jakub Vrana will miss at least four months due to shoulder surgery. That creates an opportunity for a skilled player. It could prompt the Red Wings to sign veteran Bobby Ryan, in camp on a tryout. But that wouldn’t necessarily preclude the team from keeping Raymond around.

And St. James discusses similar themes in a subscriber-only missive:

Continue reading Khan, HSJ, Bultman discuss Lucas Raymond’s preseason performances

The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe reports that the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye inked a scoring forward two weeks before the start of the ECHL season:

The Toledo Walleye have signed Matt Berry, a forward who has averaged nearly a point per game in the ECHL in five seasons.

Berry, a native of Canton, Mich., has amassed 165 points in 171 career ECHL contests. Berry has scored 67 goals to go along with 98 assists. The 29-year-old has played for Utah, Florida, and Kalamazoo in the ECHL. He has also a plus-minus rating of plus-54 in those games.

Berry also has played in 62 games in the American Hockey League, producing 22 points (7 G, 15 A).

Walleye coach Dan Watson said Berry will bring an offensive touch to the team.

“He will be counted on heavily to play against other teams’ top players, contribute on the power play, and provide leadership,” Watson said.

Continued