Red Wings reassign Witkowski, Brattstrom to Grand Rapids

Per the Red Wings on Twitter:

Khan’s notebook: Wings attempt to regain ‘game shape’

MLive’s Ansar Khan filed a notebook article regarding the comments made by coach Jeff Blashill and forward Sam Gagner after today’s optional practice at Little Caesars Arena, noting that the Wings’ near-two-week layoff will require some readjusting to game situations:

“When you’ve been off an awful long time, your defensive habits aren’t as good,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “It’s just like when you don’t practice much your defensive habits aren’t as good. So now you got a whole league whose defensive habits aren’t quite there. That’s why I believe at the beginning of every year scores are higher than they are at the end of the year.

“When you’re off for a long period of time, things can be chaotic. You just lose your structure, you lose your habits, but your offensive hands can still produce.”

Gagner said attention to detail can be off after a lengthy layoff.

“You’re focused on your conditioning level and getting back and getting your timing and sometimes those little intricacies of the game take a little bit of time to get back,” he said. “We’re going to have an opportunity to practice a couple of times as a (nearly full) team and do some special teams and team play, and hopefully we come out for our first game ready to go.”

Barring any further postponements, the Red Wings’ next three games will be at home, where they are 11-3-2, significantly better than their road record (4-10-1).

Continued

Monroe: Toledo Walleye coach Dan Watson will coach in the ECHL All-Star Game

Good news from the Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe:

Toledo Walleye coach Dan Watson has been selected as one of the coaches in the 2022 ECHL All-Star Classic.

This is the third time that Watson will be coaching in an ECHL All-Star game after being behind the bench for the 2017 and 2019 events.

Watson will coach alongside Newfoundland coach Eric Wellwood at the event on Jan. 22 in Jacksonville, Fla.

“I am really looking forward to this wonderful opportunity to coach a tremendous roster of players and to work with another great coach in Eric Wellwood of Newfoundland,” Watson said. “A lot of the credit for this goes to the [Walleye] players and staff for what we have accomplished so far this year.”

Continued

NHL.com’s Rosen: Seider’s been the Wings’ best rookie

NHL.com’s Dan Rosen filed his Wednesday mailbag feature, and in said article, he discusses the Red Wings’ best rookie thus far:

If only one Red Wings player could be considered for the Calder Trophy, who would you pick thus far: Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Alex Nedeljkovic? — @AmadoDesperado

Seider has to be the favorite for the Calder Trophy given to the player voted NHL rookie of the year. A 20-year-old defensemen averaging 22:26 of ice time per game with 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) in his first 31 NHL games is rare and should be celebrated. Raymond, a forward, has been dynamic with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists), but I’m going to side with the defenseman if it’s close because he must play more and handle more responsibilities, including shorthanded situations. Raymond, through no fault of his own, doesn’t play on the penalty kill. 

Seider plays with confidence and swagger. He’s good, and maybe the best thing about him is he knows it and doesn’t shy away from it. Seider projects to be for the Red Wings what Victor Hedman is for the Tampa Bay Lightning, what Roman Josi is for the Nashville Predators, what Cale Makar is for the Colorado Avalanche, what Adam Fox is for the New York Rangers and what Drew Doughty is for the Los Angeles Kings.

Continued; I’d give the nod to Raymond by a nose, but Seider is definitely learning to master a harder position to play.

Tweet of note from DailyFaceoff’s Seravalli: NHL reduces quarantine period for COVID positive players…who test negative

FYI:

NEWS: #NHL has officially shortened isolation period to 5 days with a negative test – IF allowed by local health authorities.#NHL now in line with CDC guidelines, according to memo distributed to teams today which was obtained by @DailyFaceoff.

Here’s the updated protocol ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/XLp9Ghq0va— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) December 29, 2021

Per new CDC guidelines, NHL/NHLPA have agreed to possibility of vaccinated individuals leaving isolation five days after a positive COVID test if they have no symptoms or “symptoms are resolving.” Key phrase: “providing such exit is permitted by your local health authority”…— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 29, 2021

NHL changing its standard isolation requirement from 10 days to 5 days, sources tell ESPN.

Players can exit after 5 days if they are asymptomatic & test negative — as long as local health authorities OK it.

More details from the memo the NHL sent today⬇️https://t.co/coXFJotXN8— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) December 29, 2021

WJC: Viro’s Finns ‘win’ forfeited game by Czechia at World Junior Championship due to COVID issue

This is very unfortunate:

BREAKING: @narodnitym to miss game against @leijonat due to a mandated team quarantine.

More at https://t.co/iJM9Sx2g9q#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/gCSqp62izJ— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) December 29, 2021

One CZE player tested positive overnight. Therefore, due to close contact/IIHF Covid protocols, entire CZE team goes into 24 hour quarantine/two-test phase. Therefore, CZE assessed 1-0 forfeit loss to FIN for today’s game.— Bobby Margarita (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 29, 2021

Prospect round-up for Tuesday, December 28: Zito scores in OHL, Sebrango continues to munch minutes at WJC

Of Red Wings prospect-related note on Tuesday:

In the Finnish Liiga, TPS Turku lost 5-3 to Ilves without Eemil Viro;

Otto Kivenmaki finished at -1 with 3 shots in 12:17 played as the Lahti Pelicans lost 2-1 in a shootout to JYP;

In the SHL, Rogle BK lost 5-2 to Leksands IF without William Wallinder, who’s injured;

Albert Johansson finished at -1 with 2 shots on goal in 16:31 played, and Gustav Berglund finished at -2 with 1 shot in 7:19 played as Farjestads BK lost 8-0 to Lulea;

In the HockeyEttan, Jesper Eliasson wasn’t on Vasby IK’s roster during their 2-0 win over Vimmerby HC;

At the World Junior Championship, Donovan Sebrango finished at +2 with 2 shots in 16:03 played during Canada’s 11-0 win over Austria;

In the OHL, Pasquale Zito scored the game’s first goal, finishing at +1 with 3 shots and a 3-for-6 faceoff record in the Windsor Spitfires’ 6-3 loss to Kitchener;

In the WHL, Sebastian Cossa’s Edmonton Oil Kings lost 7-5 to Moose Jaw;

Cross Hanas did not play in the Portland Winterhawks’ 9-2 win over Tri-City;

And in NCAA Hockey, Sam Stange finished even in the University of Wisconsin Badgers’ 3-2 overtime win over Vermont at the Holiday Faceoff in Milwaukee.

Allen offers 5 storylines to focus upon for the Red Wings during 2022

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen offers 5 storylines to watch for the Red Wings during the upcoming calendar year:

2. Cleaning Up Defensive End

To stay in playoff contention, or just to remain competitive, the Red Wings must be better defensively in their own zone.

“One thing, through the course of the rest of the season that will have to be better for us to improve our record or even maintain our record is give up less chances,” Blashill said.

Blashill said the team needs to learn when they can make a play and when they can’t make a play.

“And also how to push pucks up the wall with slash support so you can keep possession without making hope plays in the middle of the ice,” Blashill said.

The Detroit Red Wings have been sloppy defensively, particularly on the road. They have won at home because they have overcome their defensive shortcomings. But to win on the road, they have to be better defensively.

“Another area would be just continue to work on D-zone coverage and become great at it,” Blashill said. “Making sure we’re not giving up Grade A chances in D zone coverage. That’s a big area.”

Continued