The Hockey News’s Stockton discusses Derek Lalonde’s contributions to ‘The Coaches’ Site’s’ conference in Ann Arbor

The Hockey News’s Red Wings correspondent, Sam Stockton, took part in The Coaches’ Site’s TCS Live conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan in June, and he took note of Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde’s presentation at said conference:

At The Coaches’ Site’s annual TCS Live conference in Ann Arbor late last month, Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde delivered a talk entitled “The Simple Habits of an Effective Power Play.” 

Lalonde noted that the principles he discussed in the presentation were the same ones he advocates with the Red Wings and that the clips he used to illustrate them were the exact ones he showed to Team USA at Men’s Worlds in May, for whom he ran the power play.

Before diving into the heart of his subject matter, Lalonde offered a challenge disguised as a word of warning. “First and foremost, the power play can be very complex and can be a little bit scary,” he said. “And sometimes people run from it. I can say that confidently because at times throughout my career, I did that. [I was the] PK guy in Tampa, [I’m] the head coach now, it’s easy just to pass it off and go from there.”

Lalonde credited assistants Alex Tanguay and Jay Varady for the work they did to help the Detroit power play jump from 26th to 17th in the NHL a year ago. Though he opened with that nicety, he would go on to point out with a sheepish grin that, even if Team Canada took gold at Worlds, the Canadian unit Tanguay oversaw converted far less often than Lalonde’s American power play (21.74% to 29.17%).

However, despite the challenge of running a power play unit, Lalonde pointed out to the coaches assembled before him that embracing that challenge can equip a young coach with a “tool” to “climb the ladder.” He cited Jeff Halpern and Brett McLean, two former colleagues, as examples. 

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A bit about Larry Keenan’s Red Wings ties

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff noted that Red Wings 2023 draft pick Larry Keenan has some ties to the organization:

Detroit Red Wings prospect Larry Keenan is carrying a well-known name in hockey circles. His also hoping to carry on the legacy of that name.

His grandfather Larry Keenan would play 234 NHL games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers between 1961-72. The elder Keenan, 82, skated in three Stanley Cup finals with the Blues and for the Sabres during their inaugural NHL campaign in 1970-71.

“I know he was a pretty good player,” said grandson Larry Keenan, at 18 too young to have been around to witness his granddad’s NHL career. “He got some injuries but he scored the first goal for St. Louis. He prides himself quite a bit over that. He was also on the ice for Bobby Orr’s famous (Stanley Cup-winning) goal in 1970. He enjoyed playing.”

The Keenan name also carries some significant weight with Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper.

“His grandfather played at St. Mike’s with my dad (Bruce) back in the day,” Draper said. “He came into the interview room and said, ‘My grandfather played with your dad.’ I don’t know if he was trying to make me feel old saying his grandfather and my dad, but pretty cool story.”

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More about Filip Zadina being waived, as explained by Steve Yzerman

The Red Wings waived Filip Zadina today, and Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman informed the media that the team did so at the request of the player.

After attempting to trade Zadina, who has 2 years left on a 3-year contract, Yzerman and the Wings were unable to reach an agreement, so they acquiesced to Zadina’s desire to get a “fresh start” and a more meaningful role on another team by waiving him.

97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield took note of Yzerman’s remarks regarding Zadina…

“Am I thrilled? Am I happy to put him on waivers? No. I signed him to a three-year contract a year ago because I believed he was going to grow,” Yzerman said. “And when he signed that contract, my expectation was that he wanted to grow with us.”

Instead, Zadina came out of last season, his fifth with the Red Wings, seeking an opportunity to grow elsewhere. He requested a trade ahead of last week’s NHL Draft. And when Yzerman couldn’t find any takers, waiving Zadina was the only way to accommodate the 23-year-old’s wish.

“A couple weeks prior to the draft, through his agent, he had asked if he could potentially go somewhere else, looking for more opportunity, a fresh start,” Yzerman said. “So I’ve tried to find a place for him to play, somebody who was interested in Filip would maybe give him that opportunity. I haven’t been able to do that. So I put him on waivers today, trying to give him an opportunity to go to an organization if he wants to play more. We’ll see if that happens.”

As did the Free Press’s Helene St. James…

Continue reading More about Filip Zadina being waived, as explained by Steve Yzerman

PuckPedia: J.T. Compher has a 10-team no-trade list

Per PuckPedia on Twitter: Red Wings center J.T. Compher’s 5-year contract includes a 10-team no-trade list:

CapFriendly: Red Wings sign C Nolan Stevens

Per CapFriendly:

Stevens is 26 going on 27, and he’s a 6’3,” 190-pound center who played for the AHL’s Utica Comets this past season, posting 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 points in 48 games played.

Update: The Red Wings confirm:

Continue reading CapFriendly: Red Wings sign C Nolan Stevens

Sportsnet’s Bourne offers ‘two sentences’ on every free agent signing, including the Red Wings’ moves

Sportsnet’s Justin Bourne posted a set of comments about every free agent signing of significance this past week…

Klim Kostin, C, Detroit
Contract: Two years, $2 million AAV

I love this bet for the Red Wings, who are a team looking to turn some talented young players into a legitimate playoff team. He’s just 24 and can be the type of useful bottom-six contributor that can thrive in today’s NHL where physical players need to be able to play a bit, too.

…

G James Reimer, Detroit
Contract: One year, $1.5 million AAV

It’s pretty remarkable that, with all the great young goalies that continue to come up over the years, Reimer continues to land one of the 62 NHL goaltending gigs. I don’t say that because he’s bad – he’s not, he’s fine, though I’d bet a bottom-third goalie in the league next year – but rather because it feels like he’s been in the league for 100 years.

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D Justin Holl, Detroit
Contract: Three years, $3.4 million AAV

William Nylander has been discussed 100 times more, but Holl still may be the most polarizing Leaf over the past four or five years, given few people actually think Nylander is a bad player. Some Leafs fans have thought Holl is done, and they’ve been flat-out wrong for years about a guy who can defend the blueline against top competition.

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D Shayne Gostisbehere, Detroit
Contract: One year, $4.125 million AAV

I have no idea what to make of this guy who obviously has offensive talent, but his teams just don’t seem to trust him. He gets paid well at 30 years old to “prove it,” with “it” being that he’s actually a middle-pair, PP1 guy — because with the way he defends, if he isn’t, he’s gonna stop making so much money.

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G Alex Lyon, DetroitContract: Two years, $900,000 AAVIt’s a simple equation — play well under a bright spotlight, get paid. Lyon is serviceable enough, and at near league minimum, a fine guy on any NHL depth chart.

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C J.T. Compher, Detroit
Contract: Five years, $5.5 million AAV

I like Compher fine, but all I know is the Red Wings’ draft picks better prove themselves to be bonafide studs, cause that’s kinda how it all worked out in the end for Steve Yzerman and those Tampa Bay teams, right? Some of his longer-term UFA fill-in-the-gap deals with Detroit – Andrew Copp 5 x $5.625, Ben Chiarot at 4 x $4.75, now these Compfheer and Holl deals – are generously OK and not exactly pushing the team towards greatness.

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RW Daniel Sprong, Detroit
Contract: One year, $2 million AAV

Sneaky good signing here. No-risk cost or term and he can drive play.

Continued