NHL.com’s ’32 in 32′ series previews the Red Wings’ 2023-2024 season

NHL.com will focus on the Red Wings Friday as part of their “32 in 32” series of season previews. This evening, their articles hit the wires a little early, starting with NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika’s “Inside Look” at the team:

The Detroit Red Wings hope to take another step in their rebuild this season after making several offseason additions, highlighted by two-time 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat.

“You see a team that’s maybe frustrated with being in a rebuild and wants to get out,” DeBrincat said. “I’m excited to be here and kind of join that and hopefully be part of the solution to get out of that. I’m just really excited to join these guys, and I definitely see the potential in this group.”

The Red Wings have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for seven straight seasons, tying the longest drought (1970-77) in their 97-year history.

But after bottoming out with 39 points in 71 games in 2019-20, their first season under general manager Steve Yzerman, they have improved steadily season by season. They had 48 points in 56 games in 2020-21, 74 points in 82 games in 2021-22 and 80 points in 82 games last season.

They held the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference on Feb. 23 last season before finishing 12 points behind the Florida Panthers.

Detroit was active in the offseason, adding DeBrincat, forwards J.T. Compher, Daniel Sprong, Klim Kostin and Christian Fischer; defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Justin Holl; and goalie James Reimer.

Cotsonika continues, and he asks three important questions regarding the team’s performance this upcoming season…

Continue reading NHL.com’s ’32 in 32′ series previews the Red Wings’ 2023-2024 season

DHN’s Allen discusses ten Red Wings prospects who could ‘steal jobs’ this upcoming season

Despite the fact that the Red Wings turned over somewhere between a quarter and a third of their roster this summer, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted an article in which he discusses ten Red Wings prospects who will try to “steal a job” on the roster come September and October:

Simon Edvinsson (Drafted 6th, 2021): On one hand, he showed his potential in his brief trial with the Red Wings. On the other hand, Yzerman signed veteran defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Justin Holl. Detroit has six veteran defensemen.

Plus, he is coming off surgery.

What Yzerman said last month after signing two defensemen: “We have high hopes for Simon. I’m not prepared to put him on the team in a top-six role. Certainly, I don’t think it’s beyond a possibility that Simon comes in and had an outstanding training camp, and outstanding preseason and simply forces his way into the lineup. That’s what every one of us – our fans, our organization – would love to see. And if that happens, that’s great.”

If Edvinsson starts in Grand Rapids don’t fret, NHL teams always have injuries. Edvinsson is going to end up in the Red Wings’ lineup in 2023-24.

Marco Kasper (Drafted 8th, 2022): Just based on his one NHL game, you want to believe he will get a chance this season. This is a serious young man with serious ability. But his chance may not come at the start of the season.

Unless he performs like Raymond did in his first NHL preseason, it makes too much sense for him to pick up some AHL experience. He will benefit from that.

But if he looks sharp against AHL competition, he will get his chance at the NHL.

Allen continues; there’s no doubt that the Red Wings will give their prospects long looks based upon their performances during the prospect tournament, training camp, and the exhibition season.

Some of that will be out of necessity, as injuries tend to happen, and a prospect hierarchy tends to naturally form, but a player or two may be able to swipe a regular player’s job from a veteran.

We’ll have to see how the roster develops over the course of the regular season, and who stands out in Grand Rapids as the season progresses.

Reminder: Jamie Daniels Foundation’s ‘Roast and Toast of Tomas Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom’ to take place on Saturday, August 26th

Just as a reminder, the Red Wings’ latest Email newsletter posted a link to the Jamie Daniels Foundation‘s “Roast and Toast of Tomas Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom,” which takes place on Saturday August 26th at the MotorCity Casino in Detroit.

“Champion” tickets are $300 and require cocktail attire, but come with hors d’Oeuvers, dinner, and access to an auction; “after glow” tickets are $125 and come with upper-bowl seating, but if you’re hungry, there are concessions available.

Woodward Sports’ Foster: If Barry Sanders can be immortalized in Bronze, how about Yzerman, Lidstrom or Fedorov?

With the Detroit Lions revealing a Barry Sanders tribute statue on September 16th at Ford Field, the Woodward Sports Network’s Terry Foster suggests that Detroit’s other major sports teams ought to consider honoring their modern-era players, starting with the Detroit Red Wings:

Now maybe this will give the Pistons and Red Wings a kick in the pants. How come there is no Steve Yzerman statue at Little Caesars Arena? How come there is no Nick Lidstrom? Or Sergei Fedorov? On the Pistons side an Isiah Thomas statue, was rumored to happen, but I’ve been told that has been put on hold mostly because the Pistons do not own the arena and are simply a tenant.

Yzerman should be next in line, but is so humble he probably is holding up his own statue ceremony. He should be next in line. He was the captain for many years, helping the Wings to four Stanley Cup titles, and he is trying to bring more as he rebuilds the Wings from the ground up as General Manager.

Continued; I don’t disagree at all. If Barry Sanders can be immortalized, it’s time to give Yzerman, Lidstrom and yes, Sergei Fedorov their place in history before the gentlemen hit 60.

Monroe: New Walleye signing Bradon Kruse looking excited about playing for Walleye

Per the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe:

Among the reasons former Bowling Green State University forward Brandon Kruse wanted to return to northwest Ohio was the chance to play at the Huntington Center.

Kruse, a highly-skilled winger who averaged nearly a point per game in a four-year career at BG, signed with the Toledo Walleye last month. The native of Saline, Mich., played against the Walleye while with the Newfoundland Growlers last December.

“For me, it was pretty cool. I was excited. So many friends and family were there,” Kruse said. “As an opposing team, it’s a little intimidating. But at the same time, I can say it’s really easy to get up for games there. You live for those moments and those crowds. It’s pretty easy to play in those environments, because you’re just so jacked up.”

Kruse had two assists for the Growlers in a 6-4 loss to the Walleye on Dec. 27. It was a sizable turnout of 8,072 fans for a rare Tuesday night game.

“It’s definitely a great atmosphere, and I can’t wait to play there all season,” Kruse said.

Continued

Toledo Walleye release 2023-2024 promotional schedule; single-game tix on sale

Per the Toledo Walleye comes a promo for the team’s 2023-2024 season promotional schedule, as well as the announcement that single-game tickets are on sale today:

THN’s Stockton discusses Bob Probert’s complicated legacy

The Hockey News’s Sam Stockton posted an essay regarding former Red Wings and Blackhawks enforcer Bob Probert’s legacy as a “tragic hero” who paid the hard way for being the NHL’s premier enforcer, perhaps of all time:

Perhaps the most succinct description of Probert’s game comes from one of his contemporaries, enforcer Chris Kotsopoulus: “He was like a battleship cruising the ice ready to take on all comers. Plenty of guys were just simply scared sh–less of him.”

But for Probert, hockey never seemed to exist in a vacuum. Booze, drugs, and addiction were close at hand away from the rink, and on the ice, it’s not that his work wasn’t appreciated, but its cost didn’t become clear until it was too late.

A tragic hero if ever there were one, Probert battled addiction and legal trouble throughout his NHL career. There were car and motorcycle accidents, DUIs, an arrest for cocaine possession at the Windsor-Detroit border, and several stays at rehab.

Then, as is so often and so cruelly the case, Probert paid the greatest price for the enforcer’s lifestyle once he’d entered a new era of his life—as a family man. At the age of 45, the father of four died of a heart attack suffered while boating on Lake St. Clair between Michigan and Ontario.

Posthumous examinations of his brain at Boston University revealed that he had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (better known as CTE), a by-product of his years as a professional bare-knuckle brawler.

The tragedy of Bob Probert makes irrefutably clear the connections between the role of the enforcer, hockey culture, substance abuse, and head trauma. Once the toughest man in the NHL, Probert’s life ended well before his time because of the physical abuse he could absorb and mete out on a hockey rink.

Continued; in a way, I remain in awe of what Probert accomplished as a combination power forward and power enforcer on the ice, but I’m incredibly grateful that the hockey culture is changing and moving away from accepting the kind of shit he had to deal with off the ice.

A bit of WJSS praise for Trey Augustine

FloHockey’s Chris Peters attended the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan last week, and he posted a set of evaluations of each and every one of Team USA’s defensemen and goaltenders who participated in the week-long event, including Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine:

Trey Augustine, Michigan State (DET): The presumptive starter for Team USA at the tournament after getting starts at last year’s WJC, Augustine did little to dissuade anyone from that status. He’s a contained, smart goaltender who doesn’t waste a lot of movement in the net and reads plays exceptionally well. None of the goalies in camp had spectacular numbers and Augustine never played a full 60-minute game as USA’s brass wanted more looks at other goalies. In three appearances, Augustine gave up five goals while making 34 saves in about 90 minutes of ice time.

Continued