Your Torey Krug rumors of the day

From trusted sources…

Assuming Torey Krug is still on track to hit the UFA market tomorrow at noon ET, I’m anticipating the Red Wings making a strong case to sign him once the doors open. But they’ll have plenty of company.— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) October 8, 2020

Sounds like the #NHLBruins have held firm on their 6 x $6.5 million offer to pending UFA D Torey Krug. He’s expected to hit the market tomorrow, but the Bruins have left the door open for them to reconnect once Krug sees what’s out there.— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 9, 2020

Khan posts Draper’s draft summary

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted an article tonight in which Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper discusses each and every one of the Red Wings’ 12 2020 draft picks. First, Khan notes that Draper’s first draft as the director of amateur scouting was a “learning experience”:

“I’ve been a part of a lot of drafts. Things happen. When you make a pick and wait for the next one, players come off the board and you have to adjust on the fly, but I thought our staff did a nice job and in the end when we look back at this, we’re proud of our work. The passion we have for the Detroit Red Wings means a lot to all of us.”

The Red Wings made their highest pick in 30 years Tuesday with Swedish winger Lucas Raymond (fourth overall) and added a mix of forwards and defensemen, and one goaltender, on Wednesday in their largest draft class since 1993.

It was Steve Yzerman’s second draft as Red Wings general manager. It will take a few years to evaluate how successful it is, like with all draft classes.

“You watch prospects and get attached to certain prospects,” Draper said. “You know what you like, you know what you want a Red Wing to be. You’re passionate about that. You want to bring that type of player into our organization. Sometimes you don’t have the opportunity to get them. That’s probably the one thing I found was the toughest.

“As you’re sitting there getting ready to make your picks there’s no guarantee that the next name on the board is going to be there. You just have to relax, you have to trust the process, you have to trust your list, you have to trust the work you put in and the scouting staff put in and I do. These guys did a fantastic job. We travel all over the world to get ready for these two days.”

Continued

European prospect round-up: Raymond scores on a busy day in Sweden (and he chats with GT.se as well)

The Detroit Red Wings were busy adding to their prospect pool over the past two days, so I’ve been a little busy.

Between the Czech league stopping for a couple of weeks, Jared McIsaac (HPK of the Finnish Liiga) and Malte Setkov (Malmo Redhawks of the SHL) suffering injuries, and a busy Swedish hockey schedule, the last two days of prospect activity have a Nordic feel to them.

So:

On Wednesday, per Red Wings Prospects on Twitter:

Continue reading European prospect round-up: Raymond scores on a busy day in Sweden (and he chats with GT.se as well)

Kulfan’s take on the free agent period to come

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan doesn’t believe that we’ll see the same kinds of free agent fireworks that the NHL usually provides due to pandemic-shaken finances, a flat salary cap for the next two years, and, in Detroit, a skeptical GM:

“I would say we’ll be relatively conservative,” Yzerman said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty as to what the economic landscape in the NHL looks like in the next couple of years.

“I wouldn’t rule out anything. Again, it’s got to make sense, the contract has to make sense, what you have to pay the player, and the term depending on their age. We’re not opposed to anything. But it’s got to make sense.”

The Wings have ample space under the salary cap, but need to work out deals with restricted free agent forwards Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi.

They acquired defenseman Marc Staal from the New York Rangers (along with a 2021 second-round draft pick), absorbing a contract the Rangers couldn’t keep.

There are several teams similar to the Wings, with ample cap space. But most other teams are watching their pennies, what with the flat salary cap and clouds on the economic horizon.

“There’s just a lot of uncertainty around the league,” Yzerman said. “Nobody really knows what’s going to happen on Oct. 9 with free agency What’s going to happen in the market.”

I’m not so sure, but that’s my take…and I do agree with Kulfan regarding watching the name of Vladislav Namestnikov. Slava Kozlov’s godson was raised around here.

Tweets of note: Griffins’ ‘Virtual 5 K,’ FSD’s Keating back in the locker room, and Raymond celebrates drafting with a goal for Frolunda

On a busy day, I found out that my therapist is retiring, I had to move my car so the shared condo lot could be paved, I listened to the governor’s speech, and talked to the aunt…Long story short, I’ve been gone for a couple of hours, so:

  1. The Grand Rapids Griffins are holding a virtual 5 K, and Marcus Kinney wants you to run in it:

Here’s a personal invitation from Marcus Kinney to join the Griffins 5K! Register today and complete your 3.1 miles by October 24. ?

Register >> https://t.co/jVAFKjZcvS pic.twitter.com/ChhRwiniXB— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) October 8, 2020

2. Fox Sports Detroit’s John Keating posted the following:

Arriving for work.
Great to be back in the Red Wings dressing room for a post- draft show shoot. Fingers crossed… hockey season starts January 1st. pic.twitter.com/2myvhu5gf8— John Keating (@JohnKeatingFSD) October 8, 2020

3. And the Red Wings posted this clip of Lucas Raymond scoring a goal in today’s Frolunda Indians game vs. Brynas, via C More Sport:

PANG! ??? Lucas Raymond visar varför @DetroitRedWings draftade honom som fjärde spelare totalt – vilken fullträff! #twittpuck #SHL @frolunda_hc pic.twitter.com/k5m4UYuub1— C More Sport (@cmoresport) October 8, 2020

Speaking of which:

Leave a note below to help us welcome our 2020 #DRWDraft Class to Hockeytown‼️ pic.twitter.com/Ynia3pwPQi— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 8, 2020

Fun facts with some of our newest Draft picks ?⤵️ pic.twitter.com/3L1o4TeJ3k— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 8, 2020

WDET: Helene St. James about to release ‘The Big 50: Detroit Red Wings’

The Free Press’s Helene St. James will be releasing a book called, “The Big 50: Detroit Red Wings” on October 13th, and she spoke with WDET’s Pat Batcheller about her history of the Wings’ franchise:

Red Wings fans know Gordie Howe was “Mr. Hockey.” Steve Yzerman was “The Captain.” Mike Ilitch was just “Mr. I.”

But who was “Old Boot Nose?”

One might be surprised to learn that was the nickname of Howe’s high-scoring teammate, Sid Abel. One would not be surprised by how he earned it — during a fight on the ice with an opposing player.

That’s one of the stories featured in a new book, “The Big 50 Detroit Red Wings,” published by Triumph Books. It’s due for release on Oct. 13, 2020.

The book is about the men and the moments that define the franchise. The author, Helene St. James, has covered the team for the Detroit Free Press since the late 1990s. She spent about a year collecting stories from her career and researching the team’s past.

Continued with an embedded interview…

Roughly translated: Jaroslav Bednar wanted to be drafted by a ‘traditional Canadian team,’ and the Wings are pretty damn close to that

This is going to be a very rough translation on a day of lots of international news: Red Wings draft pick Jaroslav Bednar (pronounced Bed-nash), who is bound for the QMJHL this season, spoke with Ceska telivize and the CTK News Agency regarding being drafted by Detroit.

Here we go:

Bednar wanted a traditional team and it’s Detroit. “A good organization chose me,” he says.

He wanted to join a traditional Canadian team, eventually chosen by another, albeit a traditional NHL team. Hockey goalkeeper Jan Bednář is excited about Detroit. The 18-year-old pupil of Karlovy Vary has already received congratulations from compatriots on the Red Wings, defender Filip Hronek and forward Filip Zadina, and he believes that he will get a chance to show his qualities on the team.

“I’m so glad that Detroit chose me because it’s an organization with a huge tradition, they have a great rink and great fans. My dream has always been to play in Canada, but Detroit is a hockey city and it’s more or less comparable to Canada. In I am definitely extremely satisfied in this respect,” Bednář told the Energie Karlovy Vary website.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Jaroslav Bednar wanted to be drafted by a ‘traditional Canadian team,’ and the Wings are pretty damn close to that

A bit about William Wallinder from the Wings’ website

This note comes from DetroitRedWings.com’s Josh Berenter, who wrote a 2nd-day-of-the-draft article for the Wings’ website today:

With the first pick of the second round (No. 32 overall), Detroit selected Swedish blueliner William Wallinder, a 6-foot-4, 192-pound force who many experts projected as a first-round talent.

“It doesn’t matter if you go in the first or second round. The only thing that matters is what you do after the draft,” Wallinder said. “You still keep working hard and going for it. You can’t stop working because you didn’t go in the first round. So it really doesn’t matter (where I was drafted). It just feels good to be a player for the Detroit Red Wings. It feels amazing. Just proud to be part of this amazing organization.”

Yzerman said he’s impressed with Wallinder’s game and his ability to play in all situations.

“He’s 6-4, (with a) left shot. Good skater, plays a relatively simple game,” the Wings’ GM said. “He moves well, he’s mobile. I’d say he’s more of a two-way guy. He should be able to play as a two-way defenseman who can log minutes.”

Continued

Burchfield: Kris Draper talks about the Wings’ latest two-sport star

Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper spoke with 97.1 the Ticket’s Stoney in the Morning show today, and 97.1’s Will Burchfield noted that Draper’s pretty impressed by the Wings’ two-sport star:

“I would probably say the one intriguing name for me is Sam Stange,” Draper told 97.1 The Ticket on Thursday. “This kid is a phenomenal athlete.”

No kidding. Before he was a fourth-round pick of the Wings, Stange was a two-time Player of the Year in Wisconsin — not in different years, but in different sports. He won the award in hockey after putting up 67 points in 31 games as a senior, then won it that spring in baseball.

He capped off his career on the diamond by hitting the go-ahead homer that lifted Eau Claire North to the state title.

“I saw one of the home runs he hit,” said Draper, “and that thing was gone. He’s a phenomenal athlete, and you love drafting athletes. There were some people who said that if he chose, he could have been drafted in baseball as well. So that’s something that’s obviously pretty exciting.”

Despite pressure to ditch high school hockey for juniors, Stange followed the more traditional path to college — with a stop in-between in the USHL, where last season he put up 45 points in 49 games. Now he’s beginning his freshman season at Wisconsin under head coach Tony Granato.

Continued

Update: Here’s Stange on Zoom, from the Red Wings: