DHN’s Allen reviews the Red Wings’ injury list

As noted by the Red Wings after Steve Yzerman’s presser this morning, the Red Wings’ GM stated that Andrew Copp would not make his Red Wings debut until sometime during the first week of the regular season, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen took note of Yzerman’s remarks regarding his injured players:

“I don’t anticipate (Copp) participating in the preseason games but I expect him ready to go in roughly a week, if not sooner, into the regular season,” Yzerman said as he met with media to discuss the start of training camp this week.

This Red Wings will be in Traverse City Thursday through Monday. The team will play its first preseason game next Tuesday at Pittsburgh. The following night they will play the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena.

According to Yzerman’s update, Walman will be back in the middle of November.  Fabbri and Pysyk won’t be back until after New Year’s Day.

“I anticipate — and it’s a cautious return for Robby — sometime in the New Year, sometime after Jan. 1, maybe Jan. 15,” Yzerman said.

Yzerman also said that Red Wings prospect Chase Pearson (140th overall in 2015) won’t be at training camp. “Chase is dealing with some personal things and is out indefinitely,” Yzerman said.

Continued

DHN’s Brown discusses potential fourth-line candidates

Detroit Hockey Now’s Nate Brown examines the players in the mix for spots on the Red Wings’ fourth line, presuming that Andrew Copp does return to the lineup healthily during the first week of the regular season:

Givani Smith: Smith is one of those guys who hasn’t really had a full chance to demonstrate what he brings to the table. Last season, he was one of the few Red Wings who exchanged in physical battles and was often out there doing what he could to agitate the opponents. His offensive game never really got going because he was either a healthy scratch or his role was to play “heavy” hockey.

This really feels like the opportunity for Smith to make his presence known.

Joe Veleno and Michael Rasmussen: Many once slotted Veleno in as a top six forward. The former 2018 first round pick is still only 22, but looks firmly cemented as a top nine forward. But the question around him is more about whether he’ll be on the wing or down the middle. The latter certainly seems the safer bet, but perhaps new coach Derek Lalonde sees something different.

The same goes for Rasmussen. The hulking forward really came into his own during the second half of the season and arguably was one of the best Red Wings on the roster during that stretch. He, too, can shuffle between wing and center, but seems the likelier option at this point to be anywhere from the second to the fourth line.

Continued

Video(s): Steve Yzerman’s pre-training camp press conference

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman gave a pre-training camp press conference today, and the Word on Woodward’s Daniella Bruce, Carley Johnston and Ken Kal covered the event…

But you can watch a stand-alone video of the 45-minute presser as well:

Hockey season is HERE! 🙌

📽️: https://t.co/nA17M4pHId pic.twitter.com/SPmcx0YMb2— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 21, 2022

Tweet of note: injury updates on Andrew Copp (abdominal), Jake Walman (shoulder), Robby Fabbri (ACL), Mark Pysyk (Achilles) and Chase Pearson (personal)

FYI:

Injury updates from Steve Yzerman:

➖ Andrew Copp: (abdominal surgery in off-season) back first week of regular season.
➖ Jake Walman: mid-November
➖ Robby Fabbri & Mark Pysyk: expected to return after the new year.
➖Chase Pearson: out indefinitely (personal reasons)— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 21, 2022

Tweet of note from the Red Wings: NHL.com/de’s Twitter account profiles Nicklas Lidstrom

From the Red Wings’ Twitter account comes this gem from NHL.com/de:

Der siebenfache Norris-Trophy-Winner – oder einfach “The Perfect Human”: Nicklas Lidström! 😍 #LGRW | @DetroitRedWings | #Lidström pic.twitter.com/8UvjJnR9Qs— NHL Deutsch (@NHLde) September 21, 2022

HSJ weighs in on the Globe and Mail’s report regarding vaccination requirements for entering Canada

Yesterday the Globe and Mail reported that Canada will drop its vaccination requirement for travelers entering the country on September 30th, and that’s theoretically good news for Tyler Bertuzzi, but Eric Atkins Robert Fife pointed out that the United States still has a requirement that all travelers be vaccinated upon entry. Atkins and Fife do not know whether the U.S. will waive its requirement as well.

The Wings’ beat writers are weighing on on the story, with MLive’s Ansar Khan discussing it yesterday, and the Free Press’s Helene St. James discussing it this morning:

Tyler Bertuzzi made headlines last season as the only player on the team (and one of the few in the NHL) to decline to get vaccinated for COVID-19, calling it a “life choice.” The Wings did not pay Bertuzzi when he missed team activities, such as games and practices, because of his unvaccinated status, and Bertuzzi had to pay his own airfare when he met the Wings on a road trip when they were coming back to the U.S. from Canada.

That may not be necessary any more, as it appears Canada is ready to drop the vaccine requirement at the end of September, according to a report in the Globe and Mail.

The Wings have 10 games in Canada this season. They begin camp under new head coach Derek Lalonde on Thursday in Traverse City.

Bertuzzi is among the storylines to watch this season, entering the last season of a two-year, $9.5 million deal. He has topped 20 goals three times in his career, reaching 30 last season in 68 games. If Wings general manager Steve Yzerman senses the framework for an extension for the 27-year-old is not in the making, Yzerman would seek to trade Bertuzzi rather than let him walk as an unrestricted free agent. That scenario would have been hampered if Bertuzzi were not able to play in Canada, but now it looks like a nonfactor.

Continued; we’ll see. This story isn’t as simple as it seems.

Audio: Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde speaks with the media at Centre ICE Arena

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde spoke with the media today at Centre ICE Arena. Here’s an audio clip of the interview, in which coach Lalonde outlined his plans for training camp and more over the course of a 6:44 interview with DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills, the Free Press’s Helene St. James and myself:

Update: Here’s the Red Wings’ video of the press conference:

Cross Hanas tells DHN’s Duff that his ‘Michigan’ goal was an instinctual move

Red Wings prospect Cross Hanas scored a “Michigan” goal last season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, but Hanas insisted to Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff that it wasn’t something he’d intentionally planned:

It was more instinctive in that time, because at that moment it just felt like I had the puck for more time than usual behind the net,” Hanas recalled. “No one was really coming at me, so I thought, ‘You know what, I’ll try it.’

“Thankfully it worked out. It would’ve looked pretty dumb if it didn’t work out. I just felt like I had a lot of time there behind the net.

“I saw it a few days before when Zegras and Milano did it, so I thought, ‘you know what? Maybe I’ll try this.’

hat Hanas would be the creator of such hockey magic isn’t at all surprising. After all, 60 of his team-leading 86 points for Portland last season were assists.

“I think of myself as a playmaker,” Hanas said. “I like making plays. Setting guys up is kind of what I find myself enjoying. I’ve been that way my whole life.”

Continued; here’s the goal, via Duff: