Does Taro Hirose have enough ‘runway’ left to make the Wings’ roster?

Red Wings prospect Taro Hirose isn’t really a prospect any more as the 5’10,” 161-pound center is already 26 years of age, but Hirose had a spectacular season in Grand Rapids this past season, posting 38 assists and 53 points in only 56 AHL games, so Detroit Hockey Now’s Nate Brown includes Hirose among DHN’s audit of the Wings’ prospect system:

Playing 15 games this past season in Detroit, Hirose’s hand-eye can set up a slick pass and he has been known to generate offense. In Grand Rapids, Hirose was just six points shy of being a point-per-game player.

Re-signed in May, Hirose is a depth player for the organization and has shown flashes of contributing for the Red Wings.

Hirose has been a player Red Wings fans have wanted to see more of. The problem has been that roster spots haven’t been there, and as mentioned above, those spots have been reduced even more.

Where does it leave Hirose? He’s certainly a skilled forward with his vision, but his skating at times can be a hair short of what the team needs in tighter contests, be it beating an opponent to the puck, or having that needed burst of speed to open up a scoring chance. While he’s scored goals at the AHL level, it hasn’t translated with the Red Wings.

During his 26-game chance with Detroit in the 2019-20 season, he had seven points (2-5) and there wasn’t enough of an argument to bring him back for a longer stint in the following seasons. As the roster improves, it will be tougher for Hirose to find a spot to carve out.

Continued; at this point in his career, Hirose is an AHL scorer and NHL depth forward. He could squeeze his way back into relevancy as a prospect by having a strong, point-per-game campaign early in the 2022-2023 season in Grand Rapids.

ESPN’s Wyshynski lists Red Wings among seven possible destinations for Nazem Kadri

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski wrote a column for ESPN+ which discusses seven possible destinations for free agent forward Nazem Kadri, and he says the following about Detroit as a possible landing spot:

Detroit Red Wings

Cap space: $10,296,111

Does Kadri fit into the Yzer plan? Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has made some money moves in the offseason, signing David Perron ($4.75 million AAV), Andrew Copp ($5.625 million AAV), Ben Chiarot ($4.75 million), Dominik Kubalik ($2.5 million AAV) and Olli Maatta ($2.25 million AAV) in free agency and trading for goalie Ville Husso. That’s an entire starting lineup!

The Red Wings still have the flexibility this season to bring in Kadri and then have a bunch of players coming off their cap in 2023-24. If they don’t have to go too long in term with Kadri, he makes a lot of sense. Kadri slots in behind Dylan Larkin as the No. 2 center. Copp could fill that role or shift to the wing or drop down to No. 3 center — his versatility made him a trade deadline darling last season.

Perron brings a ring to the Red Wings dressing room. So would Kadri. That’s important for a young team learning how to win. But that’s also part of the consideration for Kadri: Detroit is trying to turn the corner, but is it close enough to contention for Kadri?

Continued; I don’t see a fit, but that’s just me.

DRW.com notebook: Simon Edvinsson doesn’t believe the hype

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills posted an article this morning which discusses defenseman Simon Edvinsson’s background and attempts to earn a roster spot on a stacked Red Wings blueline:

Detroit Red Wings defenseman prospect Simon Edvinsson is aware of the high expectations surrounding him. And while the 19-year-old is anxious to prove himself in North America, he’s not letting the hype distract him.

“I’ve heard it and what’s being said,” said Edvinsson, who was Detroit’s sixth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. “But it’s positive because you want to take a (roster) place and make things happen for the team. You want to be part of the team and you want to help the team win the Stanley Cup.”

Edvinsson made an impact for Frolunda HC’s Swedish Hockey League team in 2021-22, tallying two goals and 17 assists in 44 games while finishing as an SHL Rookie of the Year finalist.

“You always need to have those (experiences), especially if you’re gonna take a place in the roster,” Edvinsson said. “The SHL is a hard league. There’s a lot of good players and hard games.”

When asked where he felt he improved last season, Edvinsson believes he is a better defensive player.

“I had a great mentor in Sweden,” Edvinsson said. “Christian Folin, who is a former NHL player, helped me a lot with defensive work, how to think in all situations and how to build muscle to be able to compete against those guys.”

Continued

DHN’s Duff: Bobby Ryan suffers relapse, arrested in Nashville

Sad news from Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff regarding former Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan’s battle with alcoholism:

Former Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan, who won the Masterton Trophy in 2020 after overcoming substance abuse issues and returning to play in the NHL, apparently has suffered a relapse.

Ryan, who spent the 2020-21 NHL season with the Red Wings, spent Monday in a Nashville jail. Police ended up placing him under arrest for public intoxication at the Nashville International Airport.

According to reporting from ScoopNashville.com, Ryan was seen taking several items from an airport store without paying. Airport police were given notification of this, setting out searching for Ryan. Abandoning the stolen items on a counter, Ryan ended up entering Little Harpeth Brewing with the police in pursuit. He was found sitting at the bar, awaiting a drink he’d just ordered.

Continued; here’s hoping that Ryan gets the treatment he needs.

A bit more from Dylan Larkin at the Rocket Mortgage Classic

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin took part in the “AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble” at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit yesterday, and he spoke with the Free Press’s Chandler Engelbrecht regarding the state of his revamped team:

Larkin, who turns 26 on Saturday, was also just happy to lend a hand to the charities surrounding the event. Additionally, he said he took the time to unwind more as the Wings’ season draws even closer — something Larkin is also excited for.

“The team’s spending money on some very skilled players (and) a lot of pieces that we needed,” Larkin said at the Detroit Golf Club. “I’m very excited for the pressure going into camp. We’ve got the pieces. Now we’ve got to do something with it.”

At the NHL draft earlier this month, general manager Steve Yzerman selected forward by Marco Kasper at No. 8, and picked up six other forwards and two defensemen with their remaining picks. Yzerman also traded a third-round pick for goalie Ville Husso before the draft’s second day.

Detroit’s front office then acquired three forwards and three defensemen through free agency as the summer progressed. There are now more than 12 experienced forwards under contract for the Wings’ next season. This will help the team’s depth immediately, as forward Robby Fabbri (knee) and defenseman Jake Walman (shoulder) have been ruled out for the start of 2022-23.

“There’s a lot of new faces,” Larkin said. “We’re going to have to mesh quickly. I’ve already spoke to a lot of the new signings. Everyone’s excited, everyone’s very knowledgeable about the players we have and what we added.

“What I like most is the (new guys’) skill level … I haven’t been this excited for going into camp and going into the season in quite some time. There’s huge upside for our team, we just have to go out and prove it.”

Continued (paywall)

NHL.com’s Fantasy Hockey staff weighs in on coach Lalonde’s potential impact upon the Wings’ point-producers

NHL.com’s Fantasy Hockey staff compiled a column in which they discuss the fantasy hockey impact of the NHL’s offseason head coaching changes.

They weigh in on the players which the TEN new head coaches might affect. Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde’s potential impacts upon the Red Wings’ best players was analyzed at length:

RED WINGS HIRE LALONDE: Derek Lalonde was named coach of the Detroit Red Wings on June 30, replacing Jeff Blashill. Lalonde was an assistant under John Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning for four seasons from (2018-2022).

The Lightning made the playoffs in all four of Lalonde’s seasons, including the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past three, and won back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021. Lalonde joins Detroit during its full-fledged rebuild but has a promising opportunity under general manager Steve Yzerman, who helped build the current core of the Lightning when he was their GM from 2010-2018.

Lalonde’s experience with the Lightning’s elite talent should help the development of young defenseman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie this season, and wing Lucas Raymond. Raymond had the third-most points (57) among NHL rookies this season, and Seider was fourth in points (50) and led rookies in blocks (161). The Red Wings also signed defenseman prospect Simon Edvinsson (No. 6 pick in 2021 NHL Draft) to an entry-level contract April 24 and could see him debut as early as next season.

It’s worth noting center Dylan Larkin, who had an NHL career high in points per game (0.97; 69 in 71 games) this season, is a potential 2023 unrestricted free agent. But Larkin could have an even higher fantasy ceiling if Lalonde plays him more often on a line with valuable wing Jakub Vrana, who missed most of last season because of injury but has 30 points (including 21 goals) in 37 games over two seasons with Detroit. Additionally, Detroit signed forwards David Perron and Andrew Copp, significantly increasing the strength of their top-six forward group for this season. Both forwards had good postseason performances with Perron leading the St. Louis Blues in both points (13 in 12 games) and goals (nine) during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Copp was an instrumental part of the New York Rangers’ Eastern Conference Final run with 14 points in 20 playoff games.

DET players in top 250 rankings: Moritz Seider, D; Dylan Larkin, C; Lucas Raymond, LW/RW; Jakub Vrana, LW; David Perron, LW/RW; Andrew Copp, C/LW/RW; Tyler Bertuzzi, LW/RW; Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic, G

Continued; given how damn smart the NHL’s Fantasy Hockey staff is, I’m surprised that they don’t suggest that Larkin will remain on a line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Raymond.

Dylan Larkin speaks with Detroit News’s Silva at the Rocket Mortgage Classic

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin took part in the “AREA 313 Celebrity Scramble” today in Detroit, ahead of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Larkin spoke with the Detroit News’s David Silva regarding the Red Wings’ offseason remodel. Larkin told Silva that the Red Wings need to come to Traverse City ready to impress:

“Obviously, there’s a lot of new faces, so we’re going to have to mesh quick,” team captain and two-time All-Star Dylan Larkin said. “I’ve already spoke to a lot of the new signings. Everyone’s excited, everyone’s very knowledgeable about the players we have and obviously the pieces we’ve added.”

[Free agent signing Andrew] Copp and the rest of the free agent class won’t be the only new part of the team, of course, as Derek Lalonde became the 28th head coach in Red Wings history last month.

“We talked right away when he was hired, and it seems like he’s very excited to come in,” Larkin said of Lalonde. “Obviously, everyone knows through what Steve has said and his press conference to start, team defense is something that we’re going to really work on, and I think the guys that were on the team last year and the new signings are excited for that challenge.”

Lalonde was in Tampa Bay since 2018 as an assistant coach, helping the Lighting win back-to-back Stanley Cups.

“I haven’t been this excited for going to camp and going into the season in quite some time,” Larkin said. “There’s a huge upside for our team, we just have to go out and prove it.”

Continued; Spartans coach Tom Izzo’s group won the Celebrity Scramble, but Larkin’s had a good summer. He’s gotten engaged, he’s worked out with Lions draft pick Aidan Hutchinson, and, in theory, anyway, a new contract extension is somewhere on the horizon.

Twitter video: Sebastian Cossa sits down with BSD’s Natalie Kerwin

Here’s a 3-and-a-half-minute Twitter video of Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa speaking with Bally Sports Detroit’s Natalie Kerwin:

Our @NatalieKerwin1 sat down with 2021 @DetroitRedWings draft pick @SebastianCossa to learn more about his development since being drafted, his offseason plan and how he became a goalie as a kid.#LGRW pic.twitter.com/NU0zcQ5foL— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) July 26, 2022