Regarding the Wings’ ‘crop of seven’

DetroitRedWings.com’s Josh Berenter penned an article discussing the 7 free agent players who the Red Wings have signed over the past two days:

On the first day of free agency Friday, Detroit signed forward Bobby Ryan and defenseman Jon Merrill to one-year deals, and also agreed to terms with goaltender Kevin Boyle and forwards Riley Barber and Kyle Criscuolo. On Saturday, the Red Wings added goalie Thomas Greiss and defenseman Troy Stecher, providing the club with several eager veterans who will contribute on and off the ice.

Ryan is the biggest gem of the free-agent class for Detroit, as a former No. 2 overall pick and an 833-game NHL veteran with 254 career goals and 301 assists under his belt. He had a 45-minute phone conversation with Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman and said he was immediately sold.

“The passion that comes through for the Red Wings through him is contagious,” Ryan said. “I walked out of the room (after the call) and told my wife ‘I think we’re signing with Detroit.'” Ryan, who spent six seasons with the Anaheim Ducks and seven with the Ottawa Senators, boasts six seasons of 50 or more points in his career. The veteran was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance and dedication to hockey last season.

Berenter also noted GM Steve Yzerman’s take on his work:

Yzerman said he’s pleased with the haul of free agents his team signed over the weekend. The Wings’ GM said it’s important to have players excited about joining the club and buying in to the direction the organization is heading.

“We’re real happy. The more guys that really have that enthusiasm that really have a burning (desire) to play for our team, I think that’s really important,” Yzerman said. “We’re trying to surround the younger players with high-quality veterans, with guys who can help our team get better, help our young guys improve and be professional and make us more competitive.”

Continued

Pavel Datsyuk lights it up in the KHL

He doesn’t belong to the Red Wings anymore, but Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg captain Pavel Datsyuk had a big day in the KHL today:

Pavel Datsyuk scores 2 G 1 A, leads Avtomobilist to 7th home win over Traktor in a row. #AVTvsTRK pic.twitter.com/XIM4Qz5vfU— KHL (@khl_eng) October 11, 2020

Here’s Your Replay posted clips of Datsyuk’s points:

3 hours later…3 points later…Datyuk now with 18 points in 15 games. 2nd in KHL after linemate Alexei Makeyev (also with 3 points). Killing it @ 42. #MagicMan https://t.co/bx1ugAMlGQ https://t.co/pgPEmA7uDk— Jason Gold (@JayGold85) October 11, 2020

42 year old Pavel Datsyuk over a point per game and still doing stuff like this in the KHL pic.twitter.com/UzcD7NmmxW— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) October 11, 2020

Book excerpt: St. James discusses Chris Osgood’s time with the Red Wings

The Free Press has posted an excerpt from Helene St. James’ new book, “The Big 50: Detroit Red Wings” this morning. In a lengthy excerpt, St. James chronicles the highs and lows of Chris Osgood’s tenures (plural) with the Red Wings:

Osgood spent the first, best, and last parts of his 17-season NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings. He won his first Stanley Cup backing up Mike Vernon in 1997, his second Cup as the team’s starter in 1998, and his third as reliever-turned-starter in 2008. He missed out on the Wings’ 2002 Stanley Cup because they had jettisoned him the summer before, putting him on waivers because he was expendable after general manager Ken Holland traded for Dominik Hasek.

“It was crushing when I had to leave,” Osgood said in a 2019 interview. “I was always conflicted because I thought I could stay there with Dom. I wished I could have stayed, but looking back it was better I left. It made me better. But having a personal relationship with Kenny and knowing in the back of my mind that I would be back one day helped with that.”

That day came in the summer of 2005, as the NHL prepared to emerge from a labor dispute that had wiped out an entire season. The two men, 17 years apart in age but with a relationship that stretched back before the Wings drafted Osgood at 54th overall in 1991, shared the same intention. “I met Ken at this restaurant or lounge on Haggerty Road and he wrote down some numbers,” Osgood remembered. “The salary cap, we knew it was coming. Basically he wrote out a contract on a napkin. It didn’t matter to me how much I would be making or how many years, I just wanted to come back to Detroit.”

Continued; St. James’ work is worth your time…

Prospect round-up: busy times in the Finnish Liiga, SHL

The Red Wings’ European-playing prospects were very busy on Saturday, but before I get started rounding up their work, let’s take note of a game that took place on Friday night:

In the BCHL, Kienan Draper didn’t register a point in the Chilliwack Chiefs’ 3-2 OT loss to Surrey;

On Saturday, in Europe:

In the Finnish Liiga, Eemil Viro finished at +1 in 16:38 played as TPS Turku won 4-1 over Jukurit;

HPK lost 1-0 to Sport without Jared McIsaac;

Victor Brattstrom stopped 24 of 26 shots as KooKoo won 4-2 over Ilves;

Continue reading Prospect round-up: busy times in the Finnish Liiga, SHL

‘The NHL Tonight’ discusses Thomas Greiss’s signing with the Wings

If you’re interested in a different perspective on the Red Wings’ signing of Thomas Greiss to a 2-year contract, here’s 3 minutes’ worth of the NHL Network’s “The NHL Tonight” discussing the implications of Greiss’s signing. They feel (they being Dave Reid and Jamie Hersch) that Greiss will become the Wings’ #1 goalie: