Audio: 97.1 the Ticket debates whether the Red Wings are a playoff team

Per the “Stoney and Jansen with Heather” show:

Tweets of note: A DeBrincat highlight clip, and quotes of note

The NHL posted an Alex DeBrincat highlight reel…

And the Red Wings posted this:

More DeBrincat trade analysis from EP Rinkside

EP Rinkside’s Dmitri Filipovic breaks down the DeBrincat trade from an analytical perspective:

When we wrote up our main takeaways from July 1st’s spending spree recently, I was rather critical of how the Red Wings were going about their business. For the second straight summer, they were aggressively dipping into the free agent market and investing legitimate resources in players that didn’t really make sense for their purposes. 

It wasn’t even a critique of the players themselves in isolation, it was purely a question about the awkwardness of how they fit within big-picture plans. Detroit isn’t nearly good enough right now, nor are they close enough to seriously competing in the immediate future to justify that sort of team building approach. Tying up money years down the road on players who already aren’t legitimate difference-makers into their late 20s and early 30s is an easy way to limit your upside for growth as an organization, and to make sure that you’re stuck in the purgatory that is the mushy middle in the NHL.

DeBrincat is an entirely different story however. Even when applying the context of where the Red Wings are currently at as an organization, it’s still nearly impossible not to like this deal from their perspective. He turns just 26 a couple of months into the season, and they now have him for his 26, 27, 28, and 29-year-old campaigns. They essentially managed to get him for the remainder of his most productive seasons, without having to pay for any of the stuff at the back end that you’d typically pinch your nose about and attempt to justify as the price of doing business. 

Not only is he a really good player, but he’s also conveniently one who possesses the type of the skill that the Red Wings are desperate for in the worst way. To put it bluntly, their offence last year was awful. 

At 5-on-5 Detroit finished 28th in scoring, 31st in high danger chances generated, and had this monstrosity of a shot chart. 

The area where he’ll help provide a much needed shot in the arm most specifically is off of the rush. Regularly creating quality looks in today’s game has become largely dependant on your ability to attack in transition, so it’s no surprise that a team like the Red Wings struggled so mightily offensively in 2022-2023. 

Continued (paywall)

Toledo Walleye submit qualifying offers to seven players

Per the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye:

The Toledo Walleye announced today its list of players that have received qualifying offers for the 2023-24 season. Information regarding qualified players is listed below.

Forwards Gordie Green, Carson Denomie, Lukas Craggs, Brett McKenzie and defensemen Cole Fraser, Adrien Beraldo and Riley McCourt have received qualifying offers.

Each team was entitled to reserve the rights to a maximum of eight qualified players. Of the eight qualified players, no more than four could be veterans (260 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2023-24 season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded.

The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until July 22 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.

Continue reading Toledo Walleye submit qualifying offers to seven players

DobberHockey discusses DeBrincat’s fantasy hockey value

DobberHockey’s Ian Gooding discusses the fantasy hockey ramifications of the Alex DeBrincat trade this morning:

Fantasy players impacted: DeBrincat is a huge get for the Red Wings, who had only one 30-goal scorer last season (Dylan Larkin) with no other player reaching 25 goals. DeBrincat has two 40-goal seasons under his belt in addition to another 30-goal season over his six NHL seasons. He immediately upgrades the Wings scoring and should boost Larkin’s value should the two line up on the top line and first-unit power play. Lucas Raymond, a frequent linemate of Larkin’s last season, also stands to benefit, especially if the Wings run a first line of DeBrincat – Larkin – Raymond.

The Red Wings power play should likely include the aforementioned first line plus David Perron and Moritz Seider. That means the likelihood of the Wings running a 3 F – 2 D power play with Shayne Gostisbehere on the point is also reduced. Or perhaps recent signing J.T. Compher was penciled in as that fourth forward, but he should get bumped by DeBrincat. At this point, it’s nothing more than an opportunity cost for Ghost and Compher and more reflects what could have been instead of a straight points deduction. Perron has recorded at least 20 power-play points over each of his last four seasons, so he probably isn’t going anywhere and could also stand to benefit in a small way.

In his one season in Ottawa, DeBrincat seemed to split time with Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson on the other wing with a variety of centers, most often Shane Pinto. These were his three top Even Strength Best Linemates, according to Frozen Tools. In addition, Batherson was often on the first-unit power play with DeBrincat, so he stands to lose the most out of any Senators player. Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle could also see a mild deduction in power-play points as well.

Continued

Daily Faceoff’s Larkin grades the DeBrincat trade

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin grades the Alex DeBrincat trade this morning, and here’s what he has to say about the Red Wings’ one-player haul:

The Red Wings haven’t even had a 35-goal scorer in 14 years. The last to do it was Marian Hossa, who had 40 in 2008-09, the year before he embarked on his long and fruitful tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks. DeBrincat instantly becomes Detroit’s top pure goal-scoring threat since Hossa. DeBrincat owns a pair of 41-goal seasons, he’s a three-time 30-goal scorer and he’s scored at least 27 goals in five of his six NHL seasons. His “down” 2022-23, in which he slipped from 41 to 27 goals after the Blackhawks traded him to Ottawa, came while playing most frequently with rookie Shane Pinto as his center. In Detroit, DeBrincat should get frequent ice time with captain and strong play driver Dylan Larkin. Because DeBrincat and Raymond also both have the ability to play either wing, coach Derek Lalonde will have the option of loading up for a super line, too.

So we have a team trying to break through as a playoff contender, desperate to improve its offense, snatching one of the league’s better goal-scorers away from the team that finished directly above them in their own division. The Wings, flexing their extreme leverage in this situation, get DeBrincat and only have to lose middle-six winger Dominik Kubalik from their current starting lineup in the process. And best of all, they get DeBrincat at a reasonable AAV that will pay him through the rest of his prime.

I almost have no notes, here. Finally, Detroit adds a legitimate top-line NHL forward, and the cost was extremely reasonable.

Continued; the Wings earn an A and the Sens get a C-.

Update: Daily Faceoff’s Nick Alberga also weighs in on DeBrincat’s fantasy hockey value:

Continue reading Daily Faceoff’s Larkin grades the DeBrincat trade

Detroit Hockey Now, Chicago Hockey Now compare teams’ respective rebuids

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen offers a link to a fine article by Chicago Hockey Now’s Nate Brown, who compares the statuses of the rebuilds of the Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks:

Chicago Hockey Now writer Nate Brown is comparing Chicago’s rebuild to various NHL teams going through rebuild. Today, Brown compares the Blackhawks and Red Wings rebuild scenario.

Brown writes: “The way Detroit fell into a rebuild was strikingly similar (to Chicago): Once a contender, early playoff exits, poor drafting, and an inability to move on from players past their prime.

Of course, the most major difference in their rebuilds is the Blackhawks won the lottery and landed a generational player in Connor Bedard. The Red Wings have had no luck in the lottery whatsoever.

Brown says the Blackhawks should be thankful for their lottery luck.

The Red Wings, dating back to 2017 when they first qualified for a lottery shot, have either stayed even or fallen in every draft,” Brown writes. “That includes the 2020 one, where the league changed lottery rules as a result of the wailing over Detroit falling three spots after having a historically bad year. Yzerman literally started from scratch.

Continued