The Malik Report

MLive’s Ansar Khan penned a mid-morning article regarding the comments made by defenseman and free agent signing Oliwer Kaski on Friday:

The right-shooting Kaski (6-0, 190) understands he’s not assured of a roster spot after the undrafted free agent signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings in May. Right now, it appears the top six is comprised of Danny DeKeyser, Mike Green, Patrik Nemeth, Filip Hronek, Jonathan Ericsson and Trevor Daley. Kaski’s main competition might come from Madison Bowey, Dennis Cholowski and Moritz Seider.

Kaski’s age (23) and experience in SM-liiga, where he led Pelicans in goals (19) and points (51) in 59 games last season might give him the edge. Jiri Fischer, the Red Wings’ associate director of player personnel, was instrumental in recruiting Kaski.

“Jiri Fischer had me watch on tape before we got him and he’s got some real weapons, and I got to see him play at the World Championship and he can really shoot it and he has a real good offense mind,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “The question is when a guy comes over from Europe is, ‘How will they defend on the smaller sheet?’ We’ll find out and the same thing with Seids (2019 first pick Seider).”

Continued

The Hockey News’s Sam McCaig posted a list of the NHL’s 31 starting goaltenders as ranked on a team-by-team basis, and Jimmy Howard finished higher than you’d think:

#19: Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings: Veteran stopper provides stability, leadership on a Wings team that will endure more growing pains.

The Red Wings posted videos of Moritz Seider, Luke Glendening and Patrik Nemeth speaking with the media on Twitter…

“I just want to become a better hockey player, a better person.”

– Moritz Seider | #DRWTC pic.twitter.com/azjcIloQWu— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2019

“Very humbling, but I’m honored. There’s so many leaders in that room, but to be a part of that, a part of the tradition of the #RedWings, is great.”

– Luke Glendening | #DRWTC pic.twitter.com/htVmRoOwpD— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2019

“With the history of the organization, the direction they want to go, with Steve coming in. I just think it’s a team that really wants to do the right thing.”

– Patrik Nemeth | #DRWTC pic.twitter.com/MdaVvMtxxa— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2019

If you want to hear Taro Hirose or coach Blashill, my audio post remains the place to go (until the Wings update their videos, anyway)…

Update: Here’s Hirose…

“I think everyone’s really focused and dialed in on making this team better and having a better season this year.”

– Taro Hirose | #DRWTC pic.twitter.com/qrRIEXUTwb— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2019

Also: Barwis is in town:

Hard work. #DRWTC pic.twitter.com/h7QBClC9lk— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2019

Update #2: Here’s Blash:

Jeff Blashill – #DRWTC day two.

Full ?️: https://t.co/uQuYQZRbhy pic.twitter.com/OKhyOz4mEU— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2019

Update #3: Also, from Fox Sports Detroit:

.@BrookeFletcher caught up with Joe Veleno after Day 2 of Red Wings Training Camp. #DRWTC pic.twitter.com/kE4fT3ywC0— FOX Sports Detroit (@FOXSportsDet) September 14, 2019

Update #4: Cool stuff here:

Here’s the shootout from Red Wings training camp on Saturday.

It features Taro Hirose, Michael Rasmussen, and Andreas Athanasiou pic.twitter.com/iGhgIqUIq9— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 14, 2019

One more:

Joe Veleno is working to prove to Steve Yzerman he belongs on the Red Wings roster.

The 2018 first round pick talked about playing with Alexis Lafrenière and his second NHL training camp. pic.twitter.com/zCU1p2fEex— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 14, 2019

The Red Wings broadcast an hour’s worth of training camp activities today, and they posted the broadcast on YouTube:

The Detroit Red Wings engaged in a spirited set of drills during the second day of training camp, and after their on-ice workouts, the Red Wings made the following players available to the media:

Taro Hirose spoke with the press regarding his attempts to earn a spot on the Wings’ roster, his desire to impress during his first training camp and more:

Moritz Seider spoke with the press and was his confident, direct self, discussing what it would take to stick in North America, his desire to become both a “better player and a better person” under the guidance of the Wings’ leaders, and what he brings to the table as a player:

Luke Glendening addressed the addition of an alternate captain’s “A” to his jersey, he talked about how he can help lead the team on and off the ice, his busy summer (he got married) and what Mike Barwis can bring to the team as their director of sports science:

Patrik Nemeth was a refreshingly positive fellow who believes that the Red Wings are closer to turning their team around than most anyone else suggests, with Nemeth suggesting that the Wings can in fact build from the defensive foundation that he will help establish on out:

Coach Blashill spoke for 10 minutes, addressing the aforementioned players, whether Hirose, Seider or Filip Zadina might make the team out of training camp, his take on the Red vs. White game to come and his status as playing in tonight’s “Celebrity and Alumni Game”:

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. The Traverse City Record-Eagle’s Jake Atnip posted a notebook article summarizing Friday’s training camp storylines, including the prospect angle:

The Red Wings have had back-to-back sixth overall picks in the NHL Entry Draft and have rounded out their roster with a ton of young prospects looking to get their shot at the National Hockey league.

They selected forward Filip Zadina in 2018 and bolstered their defensive prospects with Moritz Seider on June 21. Zadina, 19, and Seider, 18, join a stable of prospects that the Red Wings have been developing over the past three years.

Forward Givani Smith and defenseman Filip Hronek, who were both second-round picks in 2016, have developed into NHL-caliber players in their time with the organization. Hronek played 46 games for the Red Wings in 2018-19 and Smith spent the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Joe Veleno, a first round pick in 2018 and the top scoring forward in this year’s NHL Prospect Tournament, spent the summer working on his defense and becoming a 200-foot player. Dennis Cholowski, the top pick for the Red Wings in 2016, spent a little time with the parent club last season and is one of many young guys who have a shot at making the 2019-20 roster.

“They definitely have a chance, there are spots on the roster and ice time available,” Yzerman said of his prospects’ shot at making the NHL roster. “The younger players are pushing to make the team and there are several of them who can make it.”

Continued;

2. And Fox Sports Detroit’s John Keating spoke with coach Jeff Blashill yesterday, engaging in a morning interview which aired on last night’s Tigers game:

Fox Sports Detroit posted its latest installment of its “The 313,” in which Brooke Fletcher speaks with Moritz Seider:

Update: The Red Wings also posted a slick little one-minute “nightcap”:

Back at it in the A.M. ?#DRWTC pic.twitter.com/bHoynEsdgK— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2019

Among the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan’s notebook’s notes, a few quips stand out, including this one from Tyler Bertuzzi:

Many analysts are predicting another long season, and another spring without the playoffs for the Red Wings. Tyler Bertuzzi is using that as fuel to prove those people wrong.

The Wings have missed the playoffs three consecutive seasons, but Bertuzzi said this team expects more.

“Everyone has us not making the playoffs again, and just the same path we’ve been on the last few years,” Bertuzzi said. “We want to change that. Just kind of our ending last year, we were playing real well at the end of the season. We got a couple of new guys, and just more experience from guys, and we have our older guys leading the way.”

Update: Also from Dylan Larkin and Steve Yzerman, via DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji:

“This is year two of three where we’re pegged to be a bottom five team in the NHL,” Larkin said. “To me that stings a little bit. We believe in our group. For me, I want our team to come out of this camp healthy. Last year was a tough start. We can’t start like that this year. For us to come out of this camp healthy as a full team and hit the ground running, hopefully we can turn a lot of heads and shock people.”

As for Yzerman, he is thinking big picture when it comes to assessing the team.

“If you’re not competitive you’re not going to play in the NHL. That’s the reality,” Yzerman said. “You have to be competitive on the ice, off the ice. That’s the inner drive that they have. You have to do that to play in the league. For the team, our ultimate goal is to win a Stanley Cup at some point. We want to show improvement in our record. Every year you’re trying to improve.

“But as we sit here in September, we’ll watch the team in October and throughout the entire season, I’m looking at that as we got players that are going to be 20 years old, 19 years old, we got guys that are 35. 36, all at different stages. Are they helping us? Are they making us a better team? Ultimately, part of being a good player is being real competitive.”

The Detroit Red Wings opened training camp at Centre ICE Arena in Traverse City today, splitting their 67-man roster into three “teams” which practiced for the better part of six hours today.

For most of the media, the biggest moment of the day was the 18 minutes we spent with Steve Yzerman, but even the subsequent interviews with Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin, Valtteri Filppula and coach Jeff Blashill weren’t as exciting as the simple fact that hockey fans and hockey scribes alike could finally watch the Red Wings’ players skate and the Red Wings’ coaches coach.

Today’s practices were particularly up-tempo by training camp standards, and when coach Blashill didn’t like the pace thereof, he made each of the first two teams do some laps from one side of the rink to the other to ensure that his message was sent.

That message? Haul ass and execute while hauling said asses.

Continue reading Impressions from the first day of the Red Wings’ training camp ’19

Of multimedia note from the first day of the Red Wings’ 2019 training camp:

1. WXYZ’s Brad Galli posted a video of Steve Yzerman’s press conference, in full:

2. He also posted a clip of Dylan Larkin’s lengthy presser…

3. As well as Tyler Bertuzzi’s media availability:

Continue reading Multimedia round-up from Friday’s training camp sessions