The Malik Report

Red Wings 2022 8th overall draft pick Marco Kasper met with the Red Wings’ media corps for the first time this afternoon, and Kasper struck me as particularly poised and sharp for an 18-year-old who’s still in high school. Kasper spoke about his experiences playing for Rogle of the SHL with the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan…

A native of Austria, Kasper made the decision to learn Swedish before beginning his junior career there.

“Because I wanted to fit in,” Kasper said of his decision to learn the Swedish language. “I was going to school right away and I just talked to the guys in the locker room, and they helped me a lot. School helped.”

Kasper feels playing in the SHL will help him at this point, before he arrives in the NHL in the next year or two.

“It’s a really structured league,” Kasper said of the SHL. “A little bigger ice, and they’re real good players in that league. It’s hard to play because of the structure.” 

But Kasper also said that he felt very happy about the fact that three members of the Red Wings (including one who I believe was in attendance today) called or texted him to congratulate his status as a new member of the Red Wings’ family:

Continue reading First impressions with Marco Kasper

Of Twitter-related note from the Red Wings’ 2022 summer development camp, per the Red Wings:

First, the Wings posted a 33-second recap of Day 2 of development camp…

Day ✌️#drwdc pic.twitter.com/C4vrQoXETn— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 11, 2022

And this is just painful:

Do you feel old yet?#drwdc pic.twitter.com/ULt0D6Ek5k— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 11, 2022

Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper spoke with The Word on Woodward’s Daniella Bruce and Art Regner regarding the Red Wings’ prospects drafted this past weekend in Montreal, and he delved into the ESPN E:60 special as well over the course of a 57-minute conversation:

When the Red Wings re-signed Grand Rapids Griffins goaltender Victor Brattstrom to a 1-year extension and then signed Finnish World Championship MVP Jussi Olkinuora, Wings fans wondered aloud where Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa fit into the mix.

As Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes, it’s not certain yet whether Cossa, who spoke with the media today, will head back to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings for one more season, play for Grand Rapids, or skate for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye:

The Detroit Red Wings haven’t yet talked to prize goaltending prospect Sebastian Cossa about where he might be playing next season.

“I’m assuming that will probably happen in the next couple of weeks here,” Cossa said Monday on Day 2 of the Red Wings’ Development camp. “Looking forward to that.

It’s easy to presume the Red Wings will send him to Grand Rapids to let him starting the learning process against American Hockey League competition. But plenty of NHL goalies didn’t reach the AHL until the third season after they were drafted. That list includes Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, Florida’s Spencer Knight and Philadelphia’s Carter Hart.

Jarry and Hart played two more seasons in the WHL after they were drafted before starting their pro career. Cossa has only played one WHL season since the Red Wings drafted him 15th overall in the 2021 draft. He will still be 19 when the 2022-23 season starts. Even Marty Brodeur was 20 when he started in the AHL.

“I want to play at the highest level of hockey I can,” Cossa said. “I think my game is going to do the speaking for me. The management obviously has that kind of say where I’m gonna be playing. I want to play at the highest level of hockey I can and compete at that level.”

Allen continues, and the Detroit News’s Richard Silva also posted a notebook article regarding the confident, composed Cossa:

Continue reading Cossa’s future playing spot yet uncertain, but his confidence and composure speak for themselves

An affable chap:

Per Patrick Williams on Twitter…

Grand Rapids has signed forward Cedric Lacroix, who had 76 PIM in 33 games this past season with Tucson.#AHL— PATRICK WILLIAMS (@pwilliamsAHL) July 11, 2022

And the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday signed left wing Cedric Lacroix(luh-KWAH) to a one-year contract.

Lacroix, 27, spent the majority of the 2021-22 campaign with the Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League (AHL), totaling three assists and 76 penalty minutes in 33 outings. The Shefford, Quebec, native also saw action in three games with the Chicago Wolves (AHL) last season and amassed 12 points (6-6—12) and 54 penalty minutes in 19 contests with the Indy Fuel in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).

The fifth-year pro has 49 AHL games under his belt with five points (2-3—5) and 141 penalty minutes. Lacroix has spent much of his pro career in the ECHL where he has notched 375 PIMs in 150 appearances to go along with 45 goals and 41 assists. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound forward garnered his best season in 2018-19 with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) when he recorded 42 points (22-20—42) and 215 PIMs in 71 games.

Before making the move to the pro ranks, Lacroix spent four seasons at the University of Maine where he registered 21 goals, 19 helpers and 155 penalty minutes in 145 contests from 2014-18. Lacroix also competed in two seasons in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers from 2012-14. In the USHL, he recorded 26 points and 296 PIMs in 107 appearances.

Lacroix’s father, Daniel, skated in 188 NHL games throughout seven seasons. Following his playing career, Daniel served as an assistant coach in the NHL (2006-09; 2010-18) and is now the head coach of the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Here are two videos of interviews with Red Wings prospects Carter Mazur and Sebastian Cossa held today at the summer development camp:

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills puts a bit of a bow on yesterday’s Ville Husso press conference with a different take on Husso’s remarks:

New Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde revealed the Finnish netminder was a sought-after piece as this offseason’ s NHL goalie carousel continues spinning.

“It feels like Ville is going this way with his development,” Lalonde said while motioning his hand upward. “I think we’re gonna get him at a really good time.”

Husso is excited to join a dressing room where he already has connections from his time with the Blues.

“I know a couple of guys – Oskar Sundqvist, Robby Fabbri and Jake Walman,” Husso said. “They said really good things about Detroit and the fans and everything, so I’m looking forward to that.”

And despite just 57 games of NHL experience, Husso said he’s learned a lot about consistency.

“I think the biggest thing for me, the last couple of years, is hard work,” Husso said. “There’s no days off. My mindset is I want to get better every day on and off the ice.”

Continued

Pro Hockey Talk’s Adam Gretz posted a set of “power rankings” regarding the potential offseason storylines, and he offers a brief little bit regarding the Red Wings’ potential offseason moves:

13. Does Detroit have another big move? It is time for the Red Wings to take the next step in their rebuild. They have some great young core players, made a big move for a goalie (Husso), but they are still facing an uphill battle in that division.