Trying to keep the fundraising faith

As we near the departure date for the prospect tournament and training camp, today is a particularly nerve-wracking, because I’m going to receive the estimate as to how much it will cost to repair.

That repair bill might cut into the hotel money, and we haven’t been able to raise the full $2,925 in the GoFundMe yet–we’re about $300 short today–so we’ll be going up uncertain whether we can cover our costs without exhausting what little discretionary income we might have.

Our fundraising drive has been absolutely blessed by a couple of high-profile donors and some real die-hard fans, but I get the feeling that some of you are holding off for one reason or another. So we’re crossing our fingers that, once I produce some product, those of you who remain on the fence might find value in what you’re reading.

However, we’re at where we’re at in terms of overall fundraising and trying to break even somehow, and the grind of doing this has not been pleasant. In an era where every cause has a GoFundMe, and it’s not really hockey season yet, I suppose that it shouldn’t be that surprising that we’ve struggled thus far, but it is discouraging.

That being said, optimism must prevail to get us up to Traverse City, so:

If you can lend a hand with our overall expenses, we have an old-fashioned GoFundMe here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-george-annie-attend-prospect-tournament, you can use PayPal at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport, Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2, Giftly by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com. And you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check. I’m also on Cash App under “georgeums.”

Tweet of note: Wings will stream prospect tournament games

Red Wings play-by-play announcer Ken Kal confirms that the Wings will be streaming their three prospect tournament games:

Panning Steve Yzerman’s signing of J.T. Compher

The Score’s Josh Gold-Smith offers a list of 5 offseason moves which served as “head-scratchers” this morning, and Gold-Smith is not a fan of the Wings’ signing of J.T. Compher:

Steve Yzerman is not the same GM with the Detroit Red Wings that he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The first major hint came in July of last year when he signed overachieving Michigan-born free-agent forward Andrew Copp to a five-year deal at $5.625 million annually.

Copp found his game as a multi-positional offensive contributor over parts of two seasons – his final ones with the Winnipeg Jets – before they traded him to the New York Rangers at the 2021-22 deadline. He posted over a point per game with the Blueshirts down the stretch of that regular season and then had a great postseason, too. But after cashing in with the Wings, the local boy collected only nine goals and 33 assists while posting subpar underlying numbers over 82 games last season.

Fast-forward to July 1, 2023. Yzerman signed eight players that day, but he gave the most money and longest term (five years, $25.5 million) to J.T. Compher, a similarly versatile but limited forward. Compher came off a career year offensively, having produced 52 points in 82 games with the Colorado Avalanche. He’s a fairly dependable second-line center and proved he can play on the top line when necessary.

But the Red Wings now pay their middle-six pivots, Compher and Copp, more than $5 million each for five and four more seasons, respectively. Yzerman traded for and extended Alex DeBrincat eight days later, but handing out significant term and money to middle-of-the-lineup players like Compher could haunt the GM if Detroit eventually develops into a contender.

Continued; I’m of the opinion that Yzerman overpaid a bit for both Copp and Compher, but I don’t believe that either move will “haunt” the Red Wings.

Reviewing Lucas Raymond’s sophomore season through his own words

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills reviews Lucas Raymond’s 2022-2023 season this morning, noting that Raymond expects more from himself going forward:

“Experience is something you can only get by time,” Raymond said in his end-of-season media session. “I grew a lot (in 2022-23). You learn about yourself more and more, what you need to do to be prepared, what your body responds to, etc. It felt good. You try to find these things that help you get better and that only comes with time.”

Selected fourth overall by Detroit in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Raymond recorded 57 points (23-34—57) in 82 games in 2021-22 and followed that up with 45 points (17-28—45) in 74 games last season.

“I felt like my play was pretty consistent,” Raymond said about his second full NHL campaign. “But production could come in bunches sometimes. Of course I wanna be a consistent player. That’s something you wanna be. It’s just about figuring out what you need to do to be that and continue to grow.”

 After finishing as one of only three NHL rookies to play all 82 games two seasons ago, Raymond missed eight contests in 2022-23 because of a lower-body injury he sustained in mid-February.

The 5-foot-11, 176-pound forward said that playing though his “first injury in the NHL” was a learning experience.

“Obviously you’re eager to get back on the ice and help the guys, especially the position we were in,” Raymond said. “At the same time, it’s part of it – to learn how to overcome it. You’ll never feel 100 percent, so it’s just about doing what you can to try to play as good as possible every night.”

Continued

Tweet of note: It’s a Henrik Zetterberg promotional Global Series appearance

Henrik Zetterberg offers a promotional Tweet regarding the Red Wings’ NHL Global Series games in Stockholm this upcoming November:

Tomas Holmstrom did the same thing a couple of weeks ago:

Some surprising praise for the Red Wings’ offseason overhaul

The Score’s Josh Wegman posted his offseason grades for Atlantic Division teams today, and he gave the Wings a very solid mark:

The Red Wings were among the busiest teams in the NHL this offseason, and we love Steve Yzerman’s pursuit to help his squad take the next step. The Compher and Holl contracts could wind up being regrettable one day, but they’re not egregiously bad.

The DeBrincat addition is an obvious home run. This team needed more star power up front, and locking up the two-time 40-goal scorer at a fair cap hit through his prime years without sacrificing the future was some tidy business. The 25-year-old hailing from Michigan is a plus, too.

Adding Petry, another Michigan native, at a reduced cap hit was another savvy move. He’s 35 now, but he’s still a capable top-four defenseman. We also like the high-upside bargain signings of Kostin and Sprong – both of whom flashed potential in depth roles last season.

It remains to be seen if this’ll be enough to propel the Red Wings to the postseason, but they’re headed in the right direction.

Grade: A-

It’s nice to read somebody not pan the Wings for their offseason makeover.

Kulfan profiles Christian Fischer

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan reexamined Red Wings free agent signing Christian Fischer’s remarks from his introductory press conference on Thursday afternoon, noting that Fischer’s ties to the Wings were the reason that he signed with Detroit:

After talking with Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, and assistant coaches Bob Boughner and Jay Varady— both of whom have worked with Fischer in the past — the Wings seemed like a natural fit.

“I have a personal relationship with both of them,” Fischer said after signing a one-year deal with the Wings worth $1.125 million. “I know they’re not going to cookie-cutter it for me. They’re going to tell me exactly what they’re looking for and why they wanted me and why they thought I’d be a good fit.

Varady, who was a Coyotes assistant from 2018-22, appears to have clinched the decision.

“He reached out and we spoke for a good 10-20 minutes,” Fischer said. “Something about that phone call really just resonated with me. It kind of felt like the right pick. After speaking to Jay and talking to Steve, I was really motivated, and it felt right. I feel like I can help this team win.”

The comfort level doesn’t end with the assistant coaches, either.

“I know Dylan Larkin pretty well through the USA (hockey development) program. (Shayne) Gostisbehere is a really close friend of mine (from time with the Coyotes). I know the (Andrew) Copp family well,” Fischer said. “I’m familiar with Detroit and know how well the organization is run from top down. It feels right here.”

Continued; Fischer is a middle-to-bottom-of-the-lineup penalty-killer and physical presence, but you need players who want to excel in supporting roles to succeed as a team at any and every level.

A bit more about GM Steve Yzerman’s take that his team will not take a ‘playoffs-or-bust’ mentality

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman discussed his team in a speech made to the West Michigan Sports Commission on Wednesday, and he’s gotten a bit of flak for suggesting that making the playoffs this season is not his first priority for the Red Wings. 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield isn’t among that field, suggesting that Yzerman’s remarks were in fact pretty darn measured and wise:

Indeed, it’s been four years since the Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons or Lions made the playoffs, the longest drought among U.S. cities represented in each of the big four North American sports. It’s been seven years since Detroit won a playoff game — the Red Wings, in 2016 — and 10 years since it won a playoff series — the Tigers, in 2013. Yzerman is well aware. But no, he doesn’t feel “any extra pressure” to end this drought, because merely making the playoffs isn’t his goal. That would be selling this town — Hockeytown, anyway — short.

“We would love to make the playoffs (this season),” Yzerman said. “But is it playoffs-or-bust? Internally, no.”

The Lions may well take care of the playoff drought themselves. Favorites in the NFC North, they’re poised to break through this year under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. Yzerman says the optimism around them is “well-deserved.” But if the Lions live down to their own standard, the Red Wings are Detroit’s next best shot at a playoff team. After another active offseason, headlined by the acquisition of Alex DeBrincat, this is by far the deepest and most talented roster of Yzerman’s five-year tenure as GM.

If that leads the Wings back to the playoffs, great. Their seven-year drought is the second-longest in the NHL and tied for the longest in franchise history. If it doesn’t, well, fine. Asked if making the playoffs is something that “has to happen” this season, Yzerman said, “I wouldn’t put it in those terms.”

“Our goal isn’t just to make the playoffs. Our goal is to build a championship team, a team that can compete for a championship,” he said. “So the moves we’re making along the way aren’t necessarily designed toward, ‘Oh my god, we gotta make the playoffs this year, or playoffs-or-bust.’

“No, again, we’re trying to build a nucleus of a young team that’s going to be together for a long time that can compete in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup, and we’re sticking with that path.”

Continued; I’m not going to lie as a Red Wings partisan; I want the team to make the playoffs as soon as possible.

That being said, I understand that Yzerman’s long-term approach is likely to pay off in the long run. I just don’t like to admit the fact that the Red Wings are still in the middle of their real Yzerman rebuild, not trending toward a completed end thereof.

Mills reviews Jake Walman’s 22-23 campaign

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills looked back at Jake Walman’s first full season with the Red Wings on Thursday afternoon, noting that Walman expects to continue to improve as he continues forward, presumably paired with one Moritz Seider:

 Then the Detroit Red Wings acquired Walman at the 2022 trade deadline, marking a new opportunity for the 27-year-old blueliner to prove himself. After playing 19 games with Detroit in 2021-22, Walman emerged as a top-pair defenseman last season and set career-highs in goals (nine), assists (nine), points (18) and games played (63).

“I did a lot of things that I put my mind to,” Walman said in his end-of-season media session. “The people that have been riding with me, family and close friends, they’ve known that I had it in me. I just needed a chance to show it.”

Walman was rewarded for his breakout campaign with a three-year contract extension on Feb. 28.

 “All the stuff I’ve been through and the adversity I had to get through to get here, I think I was ready for the challenge,” the 6-foot-2, 215-pound blueliner said. “For me, I’m just gonna keep running and going with it.”

Continued; I hope that Walman is correct regarding his ascendant play.

A bit of fantasy hockey praise for Alex DeBrincat’s ‘fit’ in Detroit

ESPN’s Sean Allen gives Alex DeBrincat a nod as a “mid-tier” fantasy hockey pick for poolies to snag, suggesting that DeBrincat’s return to his hometown Red Wings should probably pay off with a rebound season:

Alex DeBrincat, W, Detroit Red Wings: Ranking 32nd and 18th in the two seasons prior to last season’s 73rd place for fantasy points, DeBrincat screams right player, wrong fit when it came to his time with the Senators. Now with Detroit, there are even some suggestions of late that Patrick Kane is going to engineer a reunion. Either way, DeBrincat is a top finisher who should benefit from the change of scenery.

Continued; it’s just a bit of a snippet here, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

And no, I don’t see Patrick Kane coming to Detroit.