The Malik Report

The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler follows up his Top 100 drafted skater prospects list with a list of the Top 20 NHL goalie prospects this morning.

Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine finishes 3rd–with Montreal’s Jacob Fowler and San Jose’s Joshua Ravensbergen ahead of the Wings’ Michigan State University product—and Michal Postava finishes 18th:

Trey Augustine

Height: 6′ 1″

Weight: 194 Ibs

DOB: Feb. 23, 2005

One of my favorite prospects in hockey, Augustine is the definition of calm, cool and collected, and, for me, the best goalie prospect to come through the national program since Spencer Knight. He was a big reason for Michigan State’s revival as a top program, finishing this season as a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker and winning the Big Ten’s goalie of the year award. And while he started his pro career 0-2-0 with a .878 save percentage in his first two AHL games, I watched both and felt he looked fine. The trade of Sebastian Cossa and the pending graduation of Michal Postava have opened the door for him to get a real run with Grand Rapids next year.

Continue reading Augustine, Postava earn praise in The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler’s Top 20 NHL goalie prospects rankings

NHL.com checks in on the Detroit Red Wings via a mid-summer “Team Reset,” and NHL.com’s Wes Crosby surmises that Detroit’s “reset” is not yet finished:

What they still need

A resolution to the Dylan Larkin saga. The 29-year-old center and Detroit captain requested a trade after last season, which became public knowledge June 4. As it stands, Larkin remains with the Red Wings and has five years left on an eight-year, $69.9 million contract he signed with Detroit on March 1, 2023. General manager Steve Yzerman has indicated he doesn’t feel pressured to grant the request and would be comfortable retaining Larkin if the right trade doesn’t materialize.

They said it

“My job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that. I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that that request could or would be met.” — general manager Steve Yzerman on Larkin’s trade request

EDGE stat to watch

Defenseman Moritz Seider ranked fourth in the NHL in total skating distance (299.85 miles) last season and had one of the more robust EDGE profiles in terms of his shooting metrics; he was second in long-range shots on goal (115; behind Darren Raddysh’s 130), tied for fourth in long-range goals (six) and ranked in the 93rd percentile or higher at his position in average shot speed (72.70 mph), hardest shot (98.93 mph) and mid-range shots on goal (38). Another standout in terms of shot metrics is Alex DeBrincat, who ranked third in mid-range shots on goal (118) and in the 95th percentile or higher among forwards in both high-danger goals (20) and mid-range goals (12) last season. — Troy Perlowitz

Continued; Crosby still has Larkin lining up as the Red Wings’ #1 center, and I realize that there is some probability that he remains a Red Wing into October…

But I sure as hell hope that, if a trade is not consummated by the time the regular season begins, Larkin is told to stay home.

The University of Massachusetts posted a press release in which it’s revealed that both Red Wings prospects Larry Keenan and Owen Mehlenbacher have been named “Hockey East 2025-2026 All-Academic Team” members:

Twenty-one Massachusetts hockey student-athletes have been named to the Hockey East 2025-26 Men’s All-Academic Team, the league office announced recently. The Minutemen were among 218 student-athletes across Hockey East that achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or better in each academic period during which they were actively competing.

Continue reading Press release: Larry Keenan, Owen Mehlenbacher named ‘Hockey East 2025-2026 All-Academic Team’ members

The Hockey News’s Colton Davies discusses Red Wings prospects and 2026 draft picks JP Hurlbert and Michal Orsulak as the constituent members of Detroit’s “WHL Prospect Pool.” Carter Bear is considered a “graduate” as he’s turning pro this upcoming season:

During the 2026 NHL Draft, the Red Wings went back to their trusted western roots, selecting J.P. Hurlbert and Michal Orsulak.

Hurlbert represents a massive injection of elite offensive talent into the Red Wings’ system. The dynamic winger put together a historic debut season for the Kamloops Blazers, racking up 42 goals and 55 assists for 97 points. Those gaudy numbers led all WHL rookies and earned him the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year.

Hurlbert is heading to the University of Michigan this fall…

Orsulak was targeted by Detroit to further bolster their impressive goaltending depth. Ranked as the second-best North American goaltender on NHL Central Scouting’s final list, the Czech netminder was a workhorse for the Prince Albert Raiders. He posted a sparkling 28-4-4 record, backed by a .907 save percentage and a 2.22 goals-against average.

Among the notable recent picks are Everett Silvertips forward Carter Bear and former Blazers captain Emmitt Finnie. The Red Wings’ patient development model is already paying dividends, as Finnie successfully made the jump to Detroit’s NHL roster this season, while Bear continued to hone his all-around game back in Everett and tallied 77 points in 53 games to help Everett capture the WHL Championship.

Continued

The Athletic’s Joe Smith provides a Minnesota Wild-centric update regarding one Dylan Larkin:

Is Dylan Larkin still in play? What are the backup options?

Larkin is still in play, though things have been pretty quiet on that end. Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman is clearly being patient, looking for the right return for the face of his franchise. Yzerman said during a rare media availability around the NHL Draft that there’s no guarantee he will follow through on Larkin’s trade request. We’ve seen him hold his ground before. It certainly wouldn’t surprise us if September arrives and Larkin hasn’t moved. Ansar Khan of MLive.com reported that Larkin extended his list of preferred teams by one, adding the Dallas Stars to a group that includes the Wild, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers.

According to Smith, the Wild appear to be ready to “wait out” the Red Wings while their other trade partners make summertime moves…

Continue reading The Minnesota Wild may be ‘waiting it out’ for Dylan Larkin

The Hockey News’s Tony Ferrari examined the Detroit Red Wings’ prospects this afternoon, discussing the Wings’ surplus of young players on both collective and individual bases.

He discusses the Wings’ top prospects in general, the players most likely to play this season, the under-23 prospect corps, the Wings’ 2026 NHL Draft class, and the prospect pool’s strengths and weaknesses. Here’s his introduction:

Every time the Red Wings are close to reaching the post-season again, they find themselves falling apart in March and April.

Fortunately for them, their prospect pool includes big-game performers or high-motor guys who could find themselves playing important minutes when things get tough.

Continue reading THN’s Ferrari examines the Red Wings’ prospect pool

The NHL Network weighed in on The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta’s report that disgruntled Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has added the Dallas Stars to his teams-to-trade-me list, which currently includes the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild:

The Hockey News’s Adam Proteau discusses potential landing spots for Patrick Kane today, and he adds this snippet about Kane’s potential return to Detroit (which seems unlikely at this point):

The Red Wings do have about $19.6 million in cap space, so if Kane wants to go to the highest bidder, it could be Detroit. But it’s starting to feel like Kane doesn’t want to settle for Detroit.

And why would Kane want to hitch his wagon to a Wings team that will likely take a step back when they trade captain Dylan Larkin? Detroit could prove to be the worst team in the Atlantic this year, and the 37-year-old Kane doesn’t have long to go before he’ll be retired. If he wants to join the most competitive team that wants him without moving too far, the Sabres or Maple Leafs make a lot of sense for Kane.

He may be an NHL senior citizen, but Kane still has something to offer. As a decorated, three-time Stanley Cup champion, he’s earned the respect of his peers, and he’s going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Kane may have just enough left to write a storybook ending to a dazzling, unforgettable hockey career.

Continued; again, this is just my “gut feeling,” but I have a sense that Kane has not signed with anyone yet in no small part because he wants to see where Dylan Larkin ends up–Kane and Larkin happen to have the same agent in Pat Brisson–and I would not rule out Detroit completely.

Why? His family situation was excellent in Detroit, the Red Wings treated him well, and if we’re talking about what things feel like for those who cover this game, I just still believe that there’s a bit of loyalty to the Wings still stirring in Kane, even if it’s fading at this point.

Where will he go? That’s up to Patrick Kane. But I would not be surprised if this situation, like Dylan Larkin’s, takes all summer to resolve itself.

Red Wings goaltender John Gibson turns 33 today:

🥳🎂 pic.twitter.com/h2ewiLZ7ML

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 14, 2026

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin discusses the “Stanley Cup Windows” of the Atlantic Division’s 8 franchises this morning, and, as you might expect, he’s not bullish on the Detroit Red Wings’ rebuild:

Detroit Red Wings

Cheering for this once-proud franchise has to be demoralizing. From the 10-year playoff drought, to the fact GM Steve Yzerman has stubbornly refused to take risks and trade his prospects for immediate help, to the fact he went all-in overpaying mediocre middle-six forwards a few summers back…and now the Dylan Larkin trade request. Not only does the latter cast doubt on the Wings’ ability to contend in a vicious division, but it holds the whole team hostage, as it’s hard to sign or extend players when they’re unsure of the team’s trajectory. Look at 2027 UFA Alex DeBrincat; he’s a local boy living his dream, but will he want to stay if the Wings miss the playoffs an 11^th consecutive season given his only playoff experience came in 2020? It feels like Detroit’s best path forward is a GM change, but it’s never easy to fire a man who walks on water because of what he accomplished for the franchise as a player.

Continued; yes, it can be demoralizing to cheer for Detroit.

Yes, Dylan Larkin is essentially holding the team’s summertime moves and fan base hostage, and Steve Yzerman has little choice but to “wait out” the situation until he receives a good return for Larkin;

Yes, Yzerman has made mistakes as GM, especially in terms of overpaying the Andrew Copps and J.T. Comphers of the world.

But no, he does not walk on water because of what he’s done as a player–he serves at the will of the Ilitch family, who just aren’t going to fire him right now.

And no, the Red Wings are not a “Window Smashed” team, at least if the team’s prospects help whoever constitutes the post-Dylan Larkin Red Wings team to scratch and claw their way back into the Atlantic Division.

Things are bleak in Detroit right now. They aren’t hopeless.