DHN’s Allen discusses the Wings’ three-headed goalie monster

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen filed a subscriber-only article which discusses the Red Wings’ three-goalie system, with which the team will start its 2023-2024 season:

Yzerman has three varsity goalies because they give the Red Wings the best chance of qualifying for the playoffs. To have a chance to earn a playoff spot, they must squeeze every point they can out of backup goalie starts.

Last season, the Red Wings picked up nine wins in 26 starts with their backup goalies. The Red Wings’ Alex Nedeljkovic and Magnus Hellberg picked up 21 out of a possible 52 points (40.3%). Starter Husso earned 59 out of a possible 112 points (52.6%). The Florida Panthers were 12 points ahead of Detroit for that final postseason spot. No. 1 Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky earned 51 out of a possible 98 starts (52%). Bobrovsky’s back-ups Spencer Knight and Lyon earned 41 out 66 (62.1%).

Those numbers illustrate why the Red Wings are going above and beyond to make sure their goaltending doesn’t hold them back. If the Red Wings earn a playoff spot, it will likely be by a point or two.

The original plan probably called for Reimer to backup Husso and then Lyon serving as the just-in-case goalie in Grand Rapids. Lyon would be called up in case of injury or if Reimer faltered. But the plan didn’t seem viable when the Tampa Bay Lightning lost Andrei Vasilevskiy for two months to an injury. It was speculated around the NHL that the Lightning would claim Lyon if the Red Wings put him on waivers to send him to Grand Rapids.

Continued (paywall)

Naming some of the Griffins’ more notable veteran players

TheAHL.com’s Patrick Williams posted a list of “familiar faces in new places” ahead of the AHL’s 2023-2024 season, and his list of notable Grand Rapids Griffins vets includes the following:

Forward Tim Gettinger joins the Detroit/Grand Rapids organization after five seasons with the New York Rangers, where he is joined by Nolan Stevens and Zach Aston-Reese, who signed a two-way deal with Detroit last week. Brogan Rafferty solidifies the Red Wings’ blue-line depth after helping Coachella Valley reach the Finals last spring.

Continued; players like Gettinger, Stevens, Aston-Reese and Rafferty aren’t Wings prospects (nor is Josiah Didier, for example), but the Griffins’ vets will help the Wings’ prospects grow and shine.

Promotional Tweets: ‘Time to make the [Red Wings-themed] doughnuts…’

You kids are probably too young to remember the headline, which was from a Dunkin’ Donuts ad. Instead, we’re going to Tim’s tomorrow:

Evening power rankings and whatnot

Amongst this evening’s Red Wings-related content:

  1. CBS Sports’ Austin Nivison posted a set of power rankings for the first week of the 2023-2024 season…

22. Red Wings: There is potential for the Red Wings to finish much higher than this ranking. The addition of Alex DeBrincat gives them a much-needed scoring touch at the top of the lineup, but there are still several questions about this roster. The forward depth leaves something to be desired, and the blue line is questionable outside of Moritz Seider and Jake Walman. There is pressure for the Yzerplan to come together this season, but Detroit might fall shy of a playoff spot once again.

2. USA Today’s Mary Clarke sounded similar notes in her power rankings…

23. Detroit Red Wings: Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings were incredibly active this offseason, bringing in names like Alex DeBrincat, J.T. Compher, Shayne Gostisbehere and Jeff Petry, among others. That much turnover usually results in a bit of a transitionary period as players find chemistry with one another and get used to the new systems in place. Even though these moves make the Red Wings objectively better, it likely isn’t enough to save them from a bullish Atlantic Division.

3. And the New York Post’s Larry Brooks offers this take on the Wings’ status in his preseason NHL preview, deeming Detroit to inhabit the NHL’s “mushy middle”:

The Red Wings continue to build under GM Steve Yzerman, but not with the immediate results the GM enjoyed in Tampa Bay. It’s getting a little bit late for a team that hit on Moritz Seider but whiffed like the Whammer in “The Natural,” on 2018 sixth-overall Filip Zadina, taken a pick ahead of Quinn Hughes.

Zadina, now a San Jose Shark, was drafted by Ken Holland and Tyler Wright. Steve Yzerman was not a part of the Red Wings’ organization at the time.

And it’s early yet.

Kulfan’s notebook: Wings ready to battle the heralded Devils, start proving their worth

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan took note of Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde’s comments regarding opening the 2023-2024 season against the highly-heralded New Jersey Devils…

The schedule makers gave the Wings a bit of help in that they don’t open the season until Thursday in New Jersey. So, it’s an extra three days of practice to refine things. But, you could tell the excitement to get the schedule rolling is there.

“The opening game of the year is unique,” Lalonde said. “I know there are 82 (games) of them but there is something special about that opening game.”

Lalonde is also thankful about facing a powerhouse like the Devils.

“I love the fact we are playing a team that top to bottom is a legit Stanley Cup contender,” Lalonde said. “Maybe the best team toward the second half of last season. I don’t think it’s an accident they rolled, easily to a 6-0 record (in the preseason). They have depth, play with pace and I just think it’s a real good test for us to start.”

And forward David Perron summarized the Wings’ take regarding their need to prove their critics wrong:

Perron said the Wings learned some valuable lessons last year that need to be carried over.

“We made some strides and we had those moments like we felt the games were getting bigger and bigger and then we didn’t have enough (after the trade deadline),” Perron said. “You have to put up the results, and points in the bank, and I’m not saying it’s naturally going to happen. We have everything to prove. We had a good start last year and it carried us for a while and we’ll try to do that (again) but every year is different and we have to prove it all over again.”