Pro Hockey Talk’s Gretz looks long-term for Red Wings improvement

Pro Hockey Talk’s Adam Gretz posted an article discussing the Red Wings’ possible options for improvement over the course of the 2020-2021 season and thereafter, emphasizing that the Red Wings’ cap space during the next offseason will be key as to the direction of the Wings’ rebuild:

The outlook

The Red Wings are looking at another season in the NHL’s basement. The biggest key for this season is that the short-term free agents work out individually to give them additional trade chips and they see progress from young players (Filip Zadina, Filip Hronek, any other rookies on the team).

They have one of the league’s best general managers, more salary cap flexibility than any team in the league, collected a bounty of draft picks over the past couple of years, have even more coming this year, and have three recent top-six picks (plus what almost certainly be another one in the 2021 draft) to hopefully build around.

They are still a long way from contention, but with the GM and resources (draft picks, prospects, salary cap space) at their disposal they are finally in a position to start building.

Continued

Press release: Red Wings ‘renew and extend partnership’ with BetMGM

This press release is interesting given the Red Wings’ status as affiliated with a local Detroit casino:

Detroit Red Wings Renew and Expand BetMGM Strategic Partnership

Multi-year agreement to feature on-ice logo, in-venue signage, fan promotions and sponsored presence on Red Wings’ digital channels

DETROIT (October 28, 2020) – The Detroit Red Wings announced today they have renewed and expanded their strategic partnership with BetMGM, a market-leading sports betting and gaming platform joint venture between MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and GVC Holdings (LSE: GVC). 

“We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with BetMGM,” said Peter Kent, Detroit Red Wings Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. “We’ll continue to work together to provide innovative and engaging experiences for the fans of Hockeytown.” 

As part of the multi-year deal, BetMGM will continue to have an on-ice logo at Little Caesars Arena, along with in-venue signage, fan promotions and a sponsored presence on the Red Wings’ digital platforms. The District Detroit mobile app will also feature the BetMGM Stats Module, providing Red Wings fans access to betting odds and statistics next season. 

Continue reading Press release: Red Wings ‘renew and extend partnership’ with BetMGM

See you in February, Griffins fans?

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman offered this tidbit from today’s AHL Board of Governors conference call:

Hearing AHL is now targeting a Feb 5 start date. Board of Governors approved today— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 28, 2020

Update:

The targeted start date for the 2020-21 AHL regular season has been moved to February 5, 2021.

Further details regarding the 2020-21 season are still to be determined.

Details: https://t.co/W7zVkqwSIL pic.twitter.com/3fWg7c38dL— AHL Communications (@AHLPR) October 28, 2020

Per the AHL:

American Hockey League President and CEO Scott Howson has announced that the league’s Board of Governors has approved moving the anticipated start date of the 2020-21 season to February 5, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.

The AHL continues to work with its member clubs to monitor developments and local guidelines in all 31 league cities. Further details regarding the 2020-21 American Hockey League season are still to be determined.

In operation since 1936, the AHL serves as the top development league for all 31 National Hockey League teams. Nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are American Hockey League graduates, and more than 100 honored members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL in their careers.

Let’s say the NHL starts 1/1…What happens to players who don’t make team? Will NHL rosters be expanded? Taxi squads? What happens to the guy on a one-way who doesn’t make team…he doesn’t get paid? NHL, NHLPA, PHPA (representing AHL and ECHL) had best get to work. https://t.co/rRyDjog4WL— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) October 28, 2020

.@TheAHL President and CEO Scott Howson has announced that the league’s Board of Governors has approved moving the anticipated start date of the 2020-21 season to February 5, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis.— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) October 28, 2020

Toledo Walleye sign forward Nolan LaPorte

From the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye:

Forward Nolan LaPorte has agreed to terms with the Walleye for the 2020-21 season.

LaPorte, 28, spent last season overseas racking up 39 points (16G, 23A) in 47 games for the Glasgow Clan in the Elite Hockey League.

The Chicago native played his first professional season with Quad City in 2016, and also appeared in one game that season for the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild. After one season with the Florida Everblades, the 6-foot, 192 pound forward signed with Atlanta for the 2018-19 season where he set career-highs in goals (19) and penalty minutes (107).

A former captain for the NCAA’s Western Michigan University, LaPorte skated in 133 games, tallying 33 goals and 37 assists for 70 points and 176 penalty minutes. As a Bronco, he skated two seasons with Toledo’s Shane Berschbach from 2012 through 2014.

Update: The Toledo Blade’s Mark Monroe weighs in:

Continue reading Toledo Walleye sign forward Nolan LaPorte

Prospect round-up: Niederbach scores 2 goals in J20 action

Of prospect-related note today:

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Gustav Berglund finished at +1 with 2 shots and 1 minor penalty taken in 14:19 played as Vasteras IK won 4-3 over Vasby IK;

And in the Swedish J20 league, Theodor Niederbach scored 2 goals and added an assist in the Frolunda Indians’ 7-2 win over Karlskrona, finishing at +3.

Theodor Niederbach gör 1-0 för Frölunda mot Karlskrona. #J20gifs #J20NS #FHC #DRW #LGRW pic.twitter.com/teZBvCMRMb— Anton (@antonj85) October 28, 2020

Roughly Translated: HockeyNews.se’s Ek reports that Moritz Seider will play in the Deutschland Cup for Germany

HockeyNews.se’s Mattias Ek reports that Red Wings prospect Moritz Seider has been chosen to play for the German national team at the Deutschland Cup next week. What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:

Rogle duo selected for the German national team: “We are very happy”

Detroit-loaned prospect Moritz Seider has gotten off to a flying start with Rogle in the SHL. Now he and a Rogle colleague have been selected for the German national team [playing at the Deutschland Cup] next week.

Germany’s Finnish national team manager, Toni Soderholm, has selected Rogle defenseman Moritz Seider for the German national team ahead of the Deutschland Cup.

The 19-year-old Seider, who is on loan to Rögle from the NHL team the Detroit Red Wings this season, has scored one goal and four assists in the five SHL games he has played since arriving earlier in October.

In the 5-2 victory away against Färjestad, Moritz Seider played over 21 minutes and he has played over 19 minutes on average in Rögle. Now national team games await.

Seider played the World Championship for Germany already, as an 18-year-old ,in the spring of 2019 in Bratislava. The German squad for the Deutschland Cup includes six players who took part and won Olympic silver in South Korea in 2018.

“We are very happy that some of the best German players will return a year later. We have two more days to prepare for compared to last year and we will use them intensively. We now want to keep an eye on the team with a view to the World Championship because the NHL players may not be there,” says Soderholm to the German Hockey Federation’s website.

In addition to Moritz Seider, Rogle has named his assistant coach Cory Murphy to the German coaching staff for the tournament in Krefeld, Germany next week. Rogle also has a trio in Tre Kronor next week on defenseman Niklas Hansson and forward duo Leon Bristedt and Daniel Zaar.

Germany also has a B national team in the Deutschland Cup, and these are players who may be relevant for the Olympics in China 2022.

Sam Gagner discusses the passing of Joey Moss with Kulfan

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Red Wings forward Sam Gagner regarding the passing of long-time Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Eskimos dressing room attendant Joey Moss, who died of Alzheimers’ disease at 57.

Moss had Down Syndrome and made sure that it was never an impediment to his passion for working with Edmonton’s pro sports teams, and Gagner, a long-time Oiler, shared his memories of Moss with Kulfan:

“My biggest memory after my eight points in a game was just sitting down with Joey, having a beer and chatting,” Gagner said. “There was a lot going on that night. I talked to Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, my parents and my soon-to-be wife.

“I didn’t get out of the rink until a couple of hours later and the only guy left in the rink was Joey and a couple of the trainers. He said he was proud of me and that was such a special, special moment, something I’ll never forget.”

Gagner, who had four goals and four assists in the 8-4 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 2, 2012, and two more goals against the Red Wings six days later in a 4-2 loss at Joe Louis Arena, said Moss’ hard work, positive attitude and sense of humor was an inspiration to him, his teammates and his family.

“Right from when I first met him, we became instant friends,” Gagner said. “There was a group of us, a bunch of young guys coming in who lived together. We would always take Joey out for dinner, have him sleep over. We just had a blast getting to know him. There was never a bad day. He always had a smile on his face.

“When he slept over and we had to be at practice the next morning for 8:45-9 o’clock, he would be waiting by the door at 7 a.m. We would be kind of lingering and he would get antsy. He would say, ‘I got work. I got stuff to do.’ He took his job very seriously and at the end of the day, he was just one of the guys.”

Continued

St. James speaks with Bertuzzi regarding his arbitration hearing, preparations for the season to come

The Free Press’s Helene St. James was among the reporters who engaged in Tyler Bertuzzi’s Zoom call regarding his 1-year, $3.5 million arbitration award, and she noted Bertuzzi’s thoughts on his deal, as well as his preparations for the 20-21 season:

“It’s a little different than anything I’ve ever been through, but it went smoothly and we’re happy we got a deal done,” Bertuzzi said. “There was a lot of talking going on. At the end of the day, we’re happy with a one-year deal. I’m looking forward to the season.”

He may be looking forward for quite a while. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has Jan. 1 as the latest target date to start the 2020-21 season, but the novel coronavirus pandemic may delay that even further. For now, he’s working out and skating with a local group that includes Wings teammates Dylan Larkin, Luke Glendening, Anthony Mantha, Robby Fabbri and Valtteri Filppula. They have not been able to at the practice facility inside Little Caesars Arena.

“We’re all working out together and bonding and we’re all looking forward to coming back,” Bertuzzi said. “We’re skating, playing little games, little scrimmages here and there, trying to keep up that game-feeling. 

“It’s very weird. We’d already be in the season. It’s a different feeling. You have to monitor when to work out. Once we know there’s a final date to when the season is going to start, then we can kind of base all of that on that. But it’s very different, for sure.”

Continued

Update: Here’s more from the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:

Continue reading St. James speaks with Bertuzzi regarding his arbitration hearing, preparations for the season to come

Here’s Tyler Bertuzzi’s Zoom call

Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi held a Zoom call with the Detroit media regarding his 1-year, $3.5 million arbitration award: