Bultman profiles Albert Johansson

The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted a profile of Red Wings prospect and Farjestads BK defenseman Albert Johansson this morning:

His skating, which may be Johansson’s standout trait, certainly gives him the ability to do that. [Farjestad coach Johan] Pennerborn talked about how Johansson’s smooth feet allow him to pivot from full-speed ahead to backtracking, which especially matters when recovering defensively from a push up-ice.

As dangerous as Johansson can be jumping into the play off a breakout, it’s an area Pennerborn says he talks to him about “a lot” — not because of something Johansson is doing wrong, but simply because he wants him to do it more often. That, and he’d like to see Johansson shoot it more, using his quick release both on the power play and at 5-on-5.

That lines up with Detroit director of player development Shawn Horcoff’s assessment of Johansson from October, when he said, “Offensively, there’s much more in him than he may think or that he’s actually pushing for right now.”

Continued (paywall);

Update: Bultman also appeared on the latest episode of “The Red & White Authority” with Art Regner:

Prospect Round-up: Seider tussles, Hronek, Zadina and Holway score on a busy Sunday

Of prospect-related note from Sunday, December 6th:

In the SHL, Moritz Seider finished at +1 with 4 penalty minutes’ taken in 18:53 of ice time as Rogle BK won 4-2 over the Vaxjo Lakers. Seider got into a center-ice tussle:

In the Swedish Allsvenskan, Gustav Lindstrom had 2 assists, finishing even with 4 shots in 23:45 played as Almtuna IS lost 4-3 in overtime to Bjorkloven. Filip Larsson served as the back-up goaltender;

In the Czech Extraliga, Filip Hronek scored HK Mountfield’s only goal, finishing at -2 with 4 shots and a 1-for-4 faceoff winning percentage (really!) in 25:15 played as HK Mountfield lost 5-1 to HK Skoda Plzen:

Continue reading Prospect Round-up: Seider tussles, Hronek, Zadina and Holway score on a busy Sunday

Wings prospect Robert Mastrosimone ‘not able to participate’ for U.S. World Junior Championship team

From USA Hockey:

USA Hockey today announced the addition of defensemen Tyler Kleven (Fargo, N.D./University of North Dakota) and Hunter Skinner (Pinckney, Mich./London Knights) and goaltender Logan Stein (Suwanee, Ga./Ferris State University) to the preliminary roster for the 2021 U.S. National Junior Team to replace forward Robert Mastrosimone (East Islip, N.Y./Boston University), defenseman Alex Vlasic (Wilmette, Ill./Boston University) and goaltender Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass./Boston University), who are not available to participate.

The U.S. begins a week-long camp today at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., in preparation for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, set for Dec. 25-Jan. 6 in Edmonton, Alberta. The 29 players participating in the camp include 10 who played on the 2020 U.S. National Junior Team.

The final 25-player U.S. roster will be announced on Dec. 13 prior to the U.S. departing for Edmonton.

“It’s certainly heartbreaking for Robert, Alex and Drew to not have the chance to make our team and we feel for them,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the 2021 U.S. National Junior Team and also the assistant executive director of hockey operations for the USA Hockey. “But it’s great to have the depth we do and we’re pleased to welcome Tyler, Hunter and Logan. We’re excited to get our camp underway and continue to work with our medical staff, the IIHF and the government of Alberta to help provide the safest possible environment for everyone associated with our team.”

Worrisome ECHL news from Jeff Marek

Per Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek on Twitter:

ECHL News – Expect the league to announce that the Cincinnati Cyclones, Idaho Steelheads and Kalamazoo Wings will not play this season.— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) December 6, 2020

Told the Toledo Walleye and Fort Wayne Komets are still undecided.— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) December 6, 2020

THN’s McCaig ranks Thomas Greiss the 19th-best goalie in the NHL

The Hockey News’s Sam McCaig ranked the NHL’s 31 probable starting goaltenders this morning, and McCaig believes that Thomas Greiss will out-duel Jonathan Bernier for the Wings’ starting spot:

19. Thomas Greiss, Detroit Red Wings
Plenty familiar with platoon duty after playing with Lehner and then Varlamov on Long Island, Greiss gets a chance for full-on No. 1 status in Detroit – provided he can hold off Jonathan Bernier, who was one of the Wings’ few good-news stories last season.

Continued

HSJ believes that the Red Wings should delay naming a captain

The Free Press’s Helene St. James suggests that the Red Wings delay naming a captain for another season this morning. St. James argues that the pandemic would take away from the magnitude of an event that deserves to be celebrated:

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman may want to change the plans he made last May, because his decision is worth more pomp and circumstance than the pandemic allows.

Yzerman, the longest serving captain in NHL history, has wanted to put a “C” on a Wings player before the start of the 2020-21 season, but that seems unlikely as COVID-19 continues to dominate every aspect of our lives.

It isn’t even so much that 2021 will be a shortened season, but that the announcement can’t be garner the attention it deserves.  If it’s done at a news conference, it will be via Zoom. If it’s before a game, there’ll be few — if any — fans to cheer the team’s first captain since 2018.

Continued (paywall)

Prospect Round-up: Niederbach scores, Seider avoids an injury scare

Of prospect-related note:

In the SHL, Lucas Raymond’s Frolunda Indians won 3-2 over Moritz Seider’s Rogle BK.

On the Frolunda side, Theodor Niederbach scored his first goal, finishing at +1 with 4 shots in only 6:34 played…

Also for Frolunda, Raymond finished even with 1 shot in 15:20, facing off against Seider most of the night; for Rogle, Seider finished at -1 with 1 shot, 1 penalty taken in 18:13, and he survived a very close call as he was checked at the goal line, falling into the end boards as a result. Seider would emerge unscathed, but the uncalled trip and collision was quite scary:

Continue reading Prospect Round-up: Niederbach scores, Seider avoids an injury scare

Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill discusses pandemic-related preparedness practices with Eisenhower Eagles high school team

The Macomb Daily’s George Pohly reports that Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill reached out to a local high school hockey team to discuss ways in which to deal with the pause in Michigan’s high school athletics recently:

Prep hockey players got a surprise when they joined a state-wide online meeting to talk about the pause that hit their season just as games were about to begin. Jeff Blashill, coach of the Detroit Red Wings, shared ideas about how the players could cope with what’s supposed to be a three-week shutdown.

“He talked about the focus that makes good players great,” Bob Hall, the Eisenhower coach, said Tuesday. “He had so much good insight. He talked about the importance of pushing to be successful and what to do in this down time.”

After the meeting, Hall asked his players to tell him via text message one tip they picked up from Blashill.

“I was bombarded with fantastic information,” Hall said. “My players really took it to heart and listened to Jeff Blashill’s message. It was an awesome exchange. It was fun to be a part of it.”

Continued