Plugging the Wings’ ‘Pucks for Paws’ calendar

I don’t mind giving the Red Wings some free advertising here, so here’s the Red Wings’ “Pucks for Paws” calendar Tweet:

Here’s the Red Wings’ press release regarding the “Pucks for Paws” calendar:

Continue reading Plugging the Wings’ ‘Pucks for Paws’ calendar

Bultman discusses divisional realignment’s ramifications upon the Red Wings

The Athletic’s Max Bultman discusses the ramifications of possible divisional realignment for the 2020-2021 season upon the Red Wings this morning. Bultman’s bottom line is blunt:

Look, the Red Wings are unlikely to have a realistic shot at the playoffs in 2021. Even if Detroit were to add the most wins of any team from last season, it’s starting from a steep deficit. Finishing in 31st place again is a more reasonable expectation than making it into the top 16.

That said, if the season ends up significantly abbreviated, then one hot (or cold) streak has to the potential to carry outsize bearing on a team’s overall record. And that’s where chaos can happen.

But you still have to be able to put that kind of hot streak together. And bringing Cup contenders such as Pittsburgh and St. Louis into the fold for regular matchups would make that a challenge. That’s to say nothing of the actual defending champs, if the Lightning do indeed stick in the Red Wings’ division. And don’t forget the Blue Jackets, who have proven they’re a tough out for anyone.

On the other hand, regional divisions could also mean getting away from Boston, a perennial contender (albeit one Detroit went 2-1 against last season). And adding a team like Chicago, which announced its intention to rebuild this offseason, could make for a few “anything can happen” games. Maybe it all just ends up a wash, compared to the Atlantic.

Continued (paywall)

Prospect round-up: Sam Stange scores first two NCAA goals in Wisconsin win

There was only one game on the prospect docket today, and there’s good news from said game:

In NCAA Division I Hockey, Red Wings prospect Sam Stange scored his first 2 NCAA goals, posting 4 shots and finishing at +2 in the University of Wisconsin Badgers’ 6-3 win over Penn State:

Stange was named the game’s first star.

HSJ reviews the Red Wings’ 2017 draft class

The Free Press’s Helene St. James looks back at the Red Wings’ 2017 NHL draft class this morning, and she’s not impressed with the return-on-investment thus far:

In addition to [Malte] Setkov, the Wings drafted forward Michael Rasmussen (ninth), defenseman Gustav Lindstrom (38th), defenseman Kasper Kotkansalo (71st), forward Lane Zablocki (79th), forward Zachary Gallant (83), goaltender Keith Petruzzelli (88th), defenseman Cole Fraser (131st), forward Jack Adams (162nd), defenseman Reilly Webb (164th) and forward Brady Gilmour (193rd). Zablocki, Gallant, Fraser, Webb and Gilmour are no longer in the Wings’ system.

Rasmussen is among several Wings players on loan to a team in Europe because of the pandemic. He has two goals and six assists with Graz in Austria. He appeared in 62 games with the Wings in 2018-19, recording eight goals and 10 assists, but spent last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins because the Wings want Rasmussen (6-6, 220) to get comfortable playing center at the pro level. He projects as a bottom six forward who can increase his value as a net-front presence on power plays.

Lindstrom appeared in 16 games last season for the Wings, playing a safe, solid game. He’s currently on loan to Almtuna IS, also in HockeyAllsvenskan.

Kotkansalo had been playing at Boston University, but he left that program to play for Ässät in Finland, where he has one assist in 18 games. He also appears unlikely to be signed before the summer deadline.

St. James continues, and the 2017 draft was the first one in which the Wings made 11 picks over the course of 7 draft rounds. I felt that Tyler Wright’s regime looked overwhelmed by the sheer number of picks, and that the team rushed its decision-making process…As a result, the Wings snagged a significant number of complementary players instead of the star power they needed, especially at the top end of the draft.

Rotoworld examines the 2020-2021 Red Wings

Rotoworld’s Ryan Dadoun offers 2020-2021 season previews for five Eastern Conference NHL teams this morning, and he discusses the Red Wings’ likely fate from a fantasy hockey perspective:

Detroit Red Wings

2019-20 Finish: 17-49-5 record, eighth in Atlantic Division

Noteworthy Gains: Vladislav Namestnikov, Thomas Greiss, Bobby Ryan, Marc Staal

Noteworthy Losses: None

Strengths: Well… Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Anthony Mantha are three fairly talented young forwards. While none of them have developed into stars, they’re all solid players and combine to be a worthwhile scoring line. There’s potential there for further development and maybe the trio will end up turning some heads this season.

Weaknesses: Almost everything else. It’s overly negative, especially because I do like the experimental additions they added over the summer. The Red Wings got some good veteran role players who should plug some holes nicely. At the same time, we’re talking about a team that was historically bad last season returning with a fairly similar roster. They ranked dead last in goals per game last season at 2 (the next worst was 2.53) and goals allowed per game at 3.73 (the next worst was 3.35). They had the third worst power-play and worst penalty kill. Will they do better this season? Yes, but that’s an extremely low bar.

Player to Watch: One potential silver lining for the team I didn’t really touch on is Thomas Greiss. He struggled mightily in 2017-18, but his other four seasons with the Islanders were fantastic. In fact, he’s put together a really solid career to date with a 2.63 GAA and .915 save percentage in 282 games. It’s going to be tough for him in Detroit given what’s in front of him, but he might be up to the challenge and provide a degree of stability for the team.

Continued

Moritz Seider to engage in a Q and A with Carley Johnston at noon on Instagram Live

The Red Wings will be holding a Q and A session with Moritz Seider today at 12 PM EST on Instagram Live, with Carley Johnston doing the questioning:

Khan engages in a Q and A with Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill

MLive’s Ansar Khan engages in a wide-ranging Question and Answer session with Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill this morning, and the subscriber-only article on MLive affords Blashill the opportunity to address several important topics, including the future of the Bertuzzi-Larkin-Mantha line:

Q: Does more forward depth enable you to keep the top line (Dylan Larkin with Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi) together for longer stretches?

A: “We have to get more from more lines and part of that is those lines earning more ice time and not having to play the Larkin line as much as I did a year ago. That’s not to say their ice time won’t be significant, it will be, but to a level that makes sense for our team. To do that, other lines have to find ways to be successful, whether that’s through points or through momentum, through creating more opportunities than you give up. I’m hoping our depth gives us that ability. We can’t be a one-line team and have success. We have to be a team that has success throughout each line. All this is prediction at this point. Once the season gets going, guys will have an opportunity to prove it.”

…

Q: How important will it be for the seven non-playoff teams to get an extra week of training camp?

A: “I’m not sure what is going to happen. I have not received any word that we will for certain. I think it depends on the timing of when the season starts. We’re getting closer and closer. If it is a Jan. 1 start, it could be difficult for us to get that extra week. Whatever we’re given, it’s always important to have a great training camp, but it’s going to be that much more important this year. We will not have time to absorb the type of injuries sometimes you absorb at training camp, so we’re going to have to be smart about how we train our players. But they’re going to have to be really smart about coming into camp being extremely hockey-ready. That’s not anything different, but it’s probably magnified this year by how long we’ve been off and the fact we’ll probably play fewer games.”

Continued (paywall)

Malte Setkov loaned out to AIK of the Allsvenskan

According to Hockeysverige.se’s Rasmus Kagstrom, the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks have loaned Red Wings prospect Malte Setkov to AIK Stockholm of the Allsvenskan for the remainder of 2020. AIK’s website reports that Setkov will make his debut for AIK, which is playing without two key defensemen, on Wednesday against Vasteras IK.

Sunday prospect round-up: Rasmussen, Zadina post assists; Hronek 1+1, sustains a heavy hit

Of prospect-related note from Sunday, November 22nd:

In the SHL, Albert Johansson had 2 shots and finished at -1 in 16:34 played during Farjestad BK’s 4-1 loss to Lulea Hockey;

In the ICE Hockey League, Michael Rasmussen had an assist, finishing at +1 with 1 shot on goal and a minor penalty taken in the Graz99ers’ 3-1 win over the Black Wings;

Jesper Eliasson stopped 31 of 35 shots as the Red Bulls Salzburg lost 4-1 to EC KAC;

In the Czech Extraliga, Jan Bednar was the back-up goaltender in HC Energie Karlovy Vary’s 1-0 win over HC Skoda Plzen;

Filip Zadina had an assist and 6 shots, finishing at -1 in 19:22 played as HC Ocelari Trinec lost 7-6 in overtime to HC Dynamo Pardubice:

And Filip Hronek had a goal and an assist, finishing at +1 with 2 shots in 24:36 played in HK Mountfield’s 4-1 win over HC VERA Litvinov. Hronek got hit particularly hard by Tomas Popsill, who was ejected from the game.

Here’s Hronek’s goal:

Update: In NCAA Division I Hockey, Carter Gylander stopped 6 of 7 shots in his college debut, with Colgate University losing 2-1 to the Clarkson Golden Knights.