HSJ examines the Wings’ 2017 draft class

The Free Press’s Helene St. James wraps up her examinations of the Red Wings’ most recent draft selections by discussing the 2017 draft, which consists of a crop of players still very much so “in progress” toward their developmental goals:

F Michael Rasmussen

Drafted: Ninth.

Draft year doings: 32 goals, 23 assists in 50 games for  Tri-City Americans (Western Hockey League).

Draft day scouting report: Goes to the hard areas. Plays the net-front on the power play. Good scoring touch around the net. Competitive. Good skater. Has got a chance to be really good.

Post-draft doings: Had 31 goals and 28 assists for 59 points in 47 regular-season games this past season with Tri-City, missing about six weeks because of wrist surgery. Finished season on a seven-game point streak (seven goals, three assists). In 2018 WHL playoffs, Rasmussen had 14 goals and 17 assists for 33 points in 14 games. He had multi-point performances in 10 games, and only went without a point in one game.

Next up: Rasmussen’s dominance down the stretch and through the playoffs have earned him a shot at making the Wings this autumn. He’s 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, so even though he’s only 19, that’ll help him as he plays against men. He’s smart, goes to the net, and a candidate for power-play minutes. He’s a center but played wing during the playoffs, and that should help him this autumn, because it’s a less demanding position than center, especially for a young player (Dylan Larkin started out in NHL as a wing, then found his footing at center).

Rasmussen has a year left of junior eligibility, so he’ll either be in Detroit next season, or juniors. The AHL is not an option. If the Wings keep him past 10 games, it’ll burn a year of his entry-level contract if they later end up sending him back to juniors.

Early assessment: Looks promising.

St. James continues…

Free Press posts Mitch Albom’s tale of the Wings’ 1998 Stanley Cup win

The Detroit Free Press commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Red Wings’ 1998 Stanley Cup win with a re-printing of Mitch Albom’s narrative regarding the Wings’ Cup win:

The first one they won for the city. This one they won for their hearts.  A hockey saga that began last summer in yelps of joy, and was interrupted six days later by tears of sadness, has worked itself back around to joy once more, with Red Wings players in a happy mob around the net, another Stanley Cup in tow. But this one was different. It was hard-fought, it was tiring, it was long and sometimes painful. But it was always meant to be. We can see that now. What happened here Tuesday night was less about victory than it was about belief.

And so, when the hockey ended, even as the pundits were banging out notes about a Detroit dynasty, even as fans back home were screaming themselves hoarse, the Wings were doing what they had dreamed of doing all year long.

Finally, with tears in their eyes, they handed the Stanley Cup to their fallen colleague, Vladimir Konstantinov, and that tells you all you need to know about this team. They weren’t playing for themselves. They were playing for a higher cause — and it took them to the highest heights.

“TWO! TWO! TWO!” yelled the Wings, as they posed for their first photo as 1998 champions gathered around Konstantinov in his wheelchair, the cup in his lap, a victory cigar in his fingers, an unbelievable smile on his face.

“Everything we did all year, we did for this guy,” Igor Larionov said. “We never stopped believing.”

Continued

 

Khan outlines the Wings’ free agency plans

MLive’s Ansar Khan penned a set of updates on Friday afternoon, discussing Jimmy Howard’s status (staying around), Martin Frk’s status (may or may not be re-signed), the statuses of the team’s other restricted free agents (Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha = 3 “bridge deals,” if not 4 if Larkin is not interested in a long-term contract), coaching staff (Dan Bylsma remains a possibility as an assistant coach) and outlining the Wings’ free agency plans:

Left wing Ilya Kovalchuk is at the top of their wish list. They’d be willing to give him a two-year contract at a high salary, a source said. They believe he’s capable of scoring 25 to 30 goals.

Kovalchuk, 35, is returning to the NHL after playing in Russia for five years. He has stated a desire to play for a Stanley Cup-contending team, so it’s unlikely he’d be interested in Detroit.

The Red Wings are interested in bringing back Thomas Vanek, 34, on a one-year deal. They would trade him at the deadline for a draft pick if they’re out of the playoff race. Vanek was a good fit in Detroit in 2016-17 (15 goals, 38 points in 48 games), before being dealt to Florida at the deadline for a third-round pick.

He had 24 goals and 56 points in 80 games last season between Vancouver and Columbus.

The Red Wings want to re-sign defenseman Mike Green, offering him a one-year deal at $6 million, his salary the past three seasons, or two years at $5 million per year.

Green turns 33 in October but was the team’s lone consistent offensive threat on the blue line. It’s a particularly weak free-agent market for defensemen.

The Red Wings are eying two 32-year-old goalies – Carter Hutton of St. Louis and Anton Khudobin of Boston. Hutton, their first choice, went 17-7-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. Khudobin went 16-6-7, with a 2.56 GAA and .913 save percentage.

Khan continues at length…

 

Here are the Red Wings’ picks (officially) for the 2018 draft

The NHL released its Order of Selection for the 2018 draft in Dallas next Friday and Saturday, and the Red Wings’ picks are as follows:

1st round, 6th overall

1st round, 30th overall (from Vegas)

2nd round, 33rd overall (from Ottawa via NYR)

2nd round, 36th overall

3rd round, 67th overall

3rd round, 81st overall (from Philadelphia)

3rd round, 84th overall (from Pittsburgh)

4th round, 98th overall

6th round, 159th overall (from Montreal)

6th round, 160th overall

7th round, 191st overall

 

Duff: Fox Sports Detroit’s Wings ratings down for 2017-18 season

According to Hockeybuzz’s Bob Duff, the Red Wings had a rough go in the ratings business this past season:

Missing the playoffs the past two seasons evidently has more people opting to miss the Red Wings. Broadcasts of Detroit games this past season on Fox Sports Detroit showed a 27 percent decrease in ratings, which was the third-lowest among NHL teams. Only the Chicago Blackhawks (29 percent) and New York Rangers (36 percent showed a larger decline in viewership.

Ouch!

Red Wings to play 8 preseason games

Sorry I’m late with this…ill today:

RED WINGS RELEASE 2018-19 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
… Detroit Begins Preseason Slate with Three-Straight Home Games …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced their 2018-19 preseason schedule.

The Red Wings will hit the ice for the first time in 2018-19 by hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena. That matchup starts a stretch of three home games in four days, with contests against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and the Boston Bruins on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 7:00 p.m. Detroit will then travel for four road games in a six-day span, visiting Pittsburgh on Sunday, Sept. 23 (3:00 p.m.), Chicago on Tuesday, Sept. 25 (8:30 p.m.), Boston on Wednesday, Sept. 26 (7:00 p.m.) and Toronto on Friday, Sept. 28 (7:30 p.m.), prior to the eighth and final preseason game against the division-rival Maple Leafs on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

Tickets for all Red Wings home preseason games will go on sale on Monday, Aug. 6 and can be purchased at the Little Caesars Arena XFINITY Box Office (313-471-7575), all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) or online at DetroitRedWings.com. The complete 2018-19 preseason schedule can be found below.

DETROIT RED WINGS 2018-19 PRESEASON SCHEDULE

                        DATE  DAY                                        SITE                                        TIME (ET)
September     19        Wed.    PITTSBURGH            Little Caesars Arena               7:30 p.m.
20        Thu.     CHICAGO                  Little Caesars Arena               7:30 p.m.
22        Sat.      BOSTON                    Little Caesars Arena              7:00 p.m.
23        Sun.     at Pittsburgh               PPG Paints Arena                  3:00 p.m.
25        Tue.     at Chicago                  United Center                         8:30 p.m.
26        Wed.    at Boston                    TD Garden                             7:00 p.m.
28        Fri.       at Toronto                   Scotiabank Arena                   7:30 p.m.
29        Sat.      TORONTO                 Little Caesars Arena               7:00 p.m.

2018-19 SEASON TICKET PLANS NOW AVAILABLE

Ticket plans are now available for the 2018-19 season. Red Wings FLEX partial plans are back to give fans the opportunity to design a plan based on their schedule. Fans can purchase convenient half-season ticket plans (22 games) or new quarter-season ticket plans (11 games). Red Wings partial season ticket plans feature savings on box office prices and increased savings on premium games. Partial season ticket holders also have the opportunity to lock in their tickets before single game tickets go on sale to the general public. Additional benefits include flexible payment plans, access to the Ticket Donation Program to put unused tickets to good use in the community, presale opportunities for 313 Presents events, a dedicated personal Ticket Service Executive and much more.

In addition to the benefits of FLEX plans, full season ticket plans feature an action-packed 45-game schedule, giving fans the opportunity to see every NHL opponent at the state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena. Full season ticket holders receive a 10 percent discount on all merchandise at the Little Caesars Arena Team Store and Hockeytown Authentics in Troy, invitations to exclusive team autograph sessions and events, personalized entry on the arena’s Season Ticket Holder Interactive Touchscreen Displays, a complimentary in-game welcome on the Little Caesars Arena Scoreboard and much more.

Information on Red Wings full and FLEX partial season ticket plans can be obtained by visiting www.DetroitRedWings.com/SeasonTicketPlans or by calling the Red Wings’ Ticket Sales & Service Office at 313-471-7575.

Update: FYI:

 

Regner talks about Wings prospect Cole Fraser

DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner examines defensive prospect Cole Fraser’s 2017-18 season “numbers” this morning. Fraser had an up-and-down season with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes thanks to injuries and a suspension, but his pluck and toughness are two of his best qualities:

Quotable: “He was like a lot of our players, he missed time with injuries. He received a big hit two-thirds of the way through the season and the player that hit him was suspended 10 games. So, he missed a big chunk of the second half and it didn’t leave a good taste in his mouth as he finished on an injury. It was an in-between year for him because he was in and out of the lineup with injuries. We have a new coach and the way he wants the D to play, it’s going to fit Cole nicely. He’s a big, strong, good-skating defenseman. We want the D to play up ice and be physical, which is right in Cole’s wheelhouse. We expect him to have a pretty good year. We expect him and Zach (Gallant) to be 19-year-old leaders on the team going forward.” – Andrew Verner, Peterborough Petes assistant coach (interim head coach last year from January-April).

Continued

HSJ’s mock draft: Quinn Hughes is St. James’ 6th overall pick

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a mock draft in which she picked Quinn Hughes as the Red Wings’ 6th overall draft pick, and St. James explained her reasoning for making that pick:

I selected Hughes because he’s a dynamic skater, a great puck transporter, a gifted player who held his own as the youngest player in NCAA Division I hockey in 2017-18. He was third in scoring at Michigan with 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) in 37 games, along with a plus-14 rating.

I spoke to [U of M coach Mel] Pearson about what makes Hughes so special.

“His skating is incredible,” Pearson said. “The way he uses his edges — he’s so light on feet, he can stop and change direction on a dime. He can go back and get the puck and it’ll look like there isn’t much room, but because of his ability, he escapes.  He thinks the game so well, and then with the way he can move his feet, it makes him a very special player. He brings you out of your seat.”

Before recruiting Hughes to play at the World Championship in May, U.S. assistant Dan Bylsma called Pearson to find out how Hughes handled power-play responsibilities (Wings coach Jeff Blashill, who was the U.S. head coach, also wanted to know).

“He ran our power play, ran our breakout,” Pearson said. “I talked to coach Blashill after the tournament and he said Quinn was great there.  He has a heavy shot from the point, so he’s got the makings of a really good power play specialist. And being able to get the puck in the zone, he is so good at that. He controls the play. He demands the puck, he wants the puck, he is very confident when he has it.”

St. James continues…

Ted Lindsay speaks with NHL.com’s Stubbs about ‘Ovi’s Cup’

NHL.com’s Dave Stubbs spoke with Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay regarding the award that bears his name, a.k.a. the NHL’s MVP trophy, as well as Alex Ovechkin’s winning of and celebrations with the Stanley Cup.

Lindsay offered this take on the Capitals’ celebrations:

“Alex has earned the right to his fun,” Lindsay said Wednesday from his Detroit-area home. “He’s just won the Stanley Cup and I think he realizes the meaning of that championship. He’s as good as anyone in the NHL today. Alex is an honest hockey player who gives you the same effort every night. There are different ways to judge talent: Do you produce every night, or only when you think you should?”

Ovechkin and Lindsay have the every-night work ethic in common, and a strong link beyond that. In 2010, the Russia-born forward was named winner of the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on annually by members of the NHL Players’ Association to the man deemed to be the MVP of the regular season.

The award was created in 1971 as the Lester B. Pearson Award, named for a former Canadian prime minister; Ovechkin won the Pearson in 2008 and 2009, then followed that with his natural hat trick in 2010 when he was awarded the newly named Ted Lindsay Award.

Only Hall of Famers Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens (1976-78) and Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers (1982-85) have won the award three or more times consecutively.

Oilers forward Connor McDavid won the Lindsay Award last season and is a finalist for the award at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu, to be staged June 20 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. His fellow finalists are forwards Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Taylor Hall of the New Jersey Devils.

“I’m honored that Alex has won the award three times,” Lindsay said. “And I’m happy that he’s finally won the Stanley Cup. I appreciate him very much, as I do the all of these players today. It’s altogether a different game than when I played. I don’t maybe agree with today’s game completely, but I certainly recognize the talent of these players.”

Continued, and Stubbs reports that Lindsay won’t be attending this year’s NHL awards.