What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Detroit Red Wings.
What are the Red Wings thankful for?
A competitive team.
For an entire generation of Red Wings fans, missing the playoffs wasn’t even a possibility. A 25-year-long playoff streak ended in 2017 when the team finished 33-36-13, good for seventh place in the Atlantic Divison and 16 points back. Detroit hasn’t even sniffed the postseason since, bottoming out with a 17-49-5 record in 2019-20, one of the worst seasons in NHL history. Five years without a playoff game is a rarity for the Red Wings, with only a stretch in the 70s and early 80s to really compare it to. If you were part of the PHR Live Chats for any of the past few years, you probably saw several questions from Detroit fans asking how the team can improve and make a run–right away, not in the future.
The patience that was needed is finally paying off. The Red Wings have two star rookies–three if you consider Alex Nedeljkovic at that level–several twenty-somethings playing strong hockey and a few veterans dotting the lineup to give them structure. Things are headed in the right direction for Detroit and they are finally back in the playoff hunt. Sure, it’ll be difficult to topple the top teams in the Atlantic Division, and a wild card in the Eastern Conference is going to be difficult to obtain with so much experience in the Metro, but the Red Wings aren’t at the bottom of the standings anymore–and likely won’t be for some time.
Who are the Red Wings thankful for?
The idea of a franchise legend leaving the powerhouse program he built for a division rival just to return home and turn around a struggling franchise is the stuff of Disney, not the NHL right? Well, maybe the league can sell Yzerman’s front office story to their new broadcasting partners if he ever completes the journey and brings the Stanley Cup back to Detroit. From the moment he was hired in 2019, the Red Wings have suddenly had a clear direction to their moves and are now poised to enter another long period of success.
He’s added dozens of prospects to the system, seemingly hit a home run with at least two of his first-round picks, and cleared the books of any long-term financial commitments. The Red Wings don’t have a single player signed past 2023-24 and that’s by design. The team can now wait for the right time to strike in free agency, extend their young talent and build the roster to become a true contender. While sometimes cap flexibility is overblown because leadership still has to make the right choices with it, Yzerman certainly has the reputation to back it up. The Red Wings aren’t there yet, but he’s taking them.
What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?
A breakout from a pre-Yzerman draft pick.
It’s not like the Red Wings only started getting top draft picks after Yzerman arrived; in fact, they picked in the top-10 both years immediately preceding his tenure with the team. Despite that, both Michael Rasmussen (ninth overall in 2017) and Filip Zadina (sixth in 2018) have already been surpassed by Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond in terms of prospect excitement. Joseph Veleno (30th in 2018) can be added to that list of top picks that still haven’t made an impact, and Dennis Cholowski (20th in 2016) and Evgeny Svechnikov (19th in 2015) aren’t even around anymore.
If there’s one thing that could really allow the Red Wings to make a giant leap forward in a short period, it’s a big breakout for one of the highly drafted forwards. Zadina especially was supposed to be a top goal-scoring threat but has just 19 tallies at the NHL level through his first 113 games. It’s important to mention Filip Hronek, who was a second-round pick of the last administration and is a very important part of the team, but there’s honestly not a whole lot else so far from those years of postseason absences.
What should be on the Red Wings’ Holiday Wish List?
Draft picks.
One more time. One more time the Red Wings should sell at the deadline, add picks to the cupboard and build out the pipeline. The team already has seven selections in the first four rounds this year, but veteran players on expiring contracts like Robby Fabbri, Vladislav Namestnikov, Nick Leddy, Troy Stecher, Marc Staal, and Thomas Greiss could all probably net them some extra picks at the deadline.
Sure, the team wants to compete for the playoffs this season, and gutting them of their entire veteran group would make that difficult, but none of the names listed above are going to be core pieces when this team is truly competing for a Stanley Cup. If the team loads up on picks for one more year, the future–which already looks plenty bright–will shine even more.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Montreal Canadiens To Terminate Arsen Khisamutdinov’s Contract
Dec 10: Khisamutdinov has cleared waivers and will have his contract terminated.
Dec 9: The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate the contract of Arsen Khisamutdinov, presumably placing him on unconditional waivers today to do so. Khisamutdinov is in the second season of a two-year, entry-level contract signed in 2020. A termination would make him a free agent and clear the way for a return to the KHL.
It’s easy to see why the 23-year-old forward would want out, given he’s been playing at the ECHL level so far this season. After 15 unspectacular appearances for the Laval Rocket last season, Khisamutdinov has five points in 10 games for the Trois-Rivieres Lions in 2021-22. That’s not going to keep many KHL talents in North America, though the young forward hasn’t really even proved himself at that level either. Selected in the sixth round of the 2019 draft (after going undrafted previously) he has 41 games of KHL experience under his belt, with eight points.
For Montreal, this is actually a positive, as it gives them an extra contract slot to work with moving forward. The team is currently at 48 of their 50 allotted contracts, with one more to be opened once Khisamutdinov clears and the termination is executed tomorrow.
Vancouver Canucks Make More Front Office Changes
The Vancouver Canucks are cleaning house as Jim Rutherford comes in to take over the front office. Executive director of hockey operations Jonathan Wall and assistant general manager Chris Gear have been dismissed, according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic. As Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet notes, Rutherford hasn’t even arrived in Vancouver to meet the staff yet, but two more employees that have been with the team for more than a decade (two decades, in the case of Wall) are on their way out. Farhan Lalji of TSN tweets that he understands these moves were in the works before Rutherford was officially hired.
Gear has been with the club since 2010, but only assumed the AGM role in early 2020. He had previously worked as legal counsel, but was slowly given more responsibilities on the business side and then transferred to hockey operations in 2016. His focus was usually on contract negotiations and the salary cap, certainly not where things have gone smoothly for the Canucks in recent years. Still, Gear is considered a valuable front office employee and will likely find work somewhere else if he wishes to stay in the NHL.
Interestingly enough, the Canucks actually included Gear in the Jim Benning dismissal announcement as one of the members of hockey ops that would run things in the interim. Apparently, that isn’t the case any longer.
Wall meanwhile ran the analytics department for the Canucks and had been with the team for more than 20 years. It’s not clear yet if the team intends on replacing these positions directly, or executing a complete overhaul of the structure of the front office. For now, it’s just Rutherford’s office to build from the ground up.
AHL Shuffle: 12/10/21
Friday nights are often relatively quiet in the NHL, but this evening’s schedule still has seven games on it for hockey fans across the country. That includes another entry in the Pittsburgh Penguins-Washington Capitals rivalry and a mismatch in the desert. The Philadelphia Flyers will also try to snap their 10-game losing streak against the Vegas Golden Knights, while the Vancouver Canucks will try to make it three in a row under Bruce Boudreau. As those teams and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Boston Bruins have returned Oskar Steen to the AHL, where he has been outstanding so far this season. The 23-year-old forward has six goals and 13 points in 12 games for the Providence Bruins, which has, in turn, resulted in his chance with the NHL club. The undersized forward is still looking for his first NHL goal, but has recorded two points in three games this season.
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
- As expected, Jacob MacDonald is back up with the Colorado Avalanche after spending just a single day assigned to the AHL. The 28-year-old defenseman has played in five games with the Avalanche this season and with Bowen Byram still out with an injury, they may need him again. Byram has been cleared for a concussion, but is still dealing with a head issue and will not be rushed by the team.
- With Juuse Saros ready to return for the Nashville Predators, the team has sent Connor Ingram back to the minor leagues. Matt Luff has been recalled in his place. Ingram finally made it to the NHL, playing two games for the Predators and stopping 58 of 64 shots in the process.
- The St. Louis Blues have moved both Ville Husso and Jake Walman to injured reserve, recalling Matthew Peca from the AHL under emergency conditions. The Blues continue to skirt the cap ceiling, but should no longer need to play shorthanded (unless they suffer any other minor injuries).
Pacific Division
- The Canucks have recalled Noah Juulsen from the AHL, after moving Travis Hamonic to injured reserve yesterday. Juulsen was one of the two players acquired in October for Olli Juolevi, but has yet to make his Vancouver Debut. In 17 games with the Abbotsford Canucks, he has just one point.
- Philip Broberg is back with the Edmonton Oilers, recalled today as the team moved Kris Russell to injured reserve. It was only yesterday that Broberg was sent down when Cody Ceci came off the shelf but he won’t be able to wait around in the minors very long.
This page will be updated throughout the day
NHL Updates Salary Cap Projections
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly held media availability today from the board of governors meeting and updated several important issues. While noting that it will be an NHLPA decision on whether or not to participate in the Olympics, and reassuring that there is no issue with the Arizona Coyotes, perhaps the firmest news that Bettman could share was that of salary cap projections moving forward.
After announcing that hockey-related revenues will reach close to $5.2B for this season, the league will indeed increase the salary cap for next season by $1MM. That means an $82.5MM cap ceiling, the same number that was projected several months ago by Daily Faceoff.
Importantly though, Bettman explained that it will not take quite as long for the players to repay the escrow debt as originally expected. The league should be made whole at the end of the 2024-25 season, meaning a substantial salary cap increase could follow that summer. That’s a year earlier than many projections showed months ago, and speaks to just how well the revenues of the league have rebounded this season.
At the start of the year, the players owed more than $1B in escrow debt to the owners, and instead of all at once, have agreed to a slower repayment schedule. The escrow rate dropped this year from around 20 percent to 17 and is expected to drop to around 10 for the 2022-23 season.
For the teams that are in salary cap trouble at the moment, still trying to negotiate a ceiling that hasn’t moved in the last couple of years, a $1MM increase isn’t going to help very much. But the expectation of it spiking in 2025-26 is good news, especially for those that are trending toward a competitive window at that point.
Cole Perfetti Loaned To Canada WJC Selection Camp
The Canadian World Junior selection camp has received a huge boost, as Winnipeg Jets prospect Cole Perfetti was officially loaned from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The Jets could have blocked Perfetti from competing in the tournament if they wanted him to continue his strong play in the minor leagues, but the 19-year-old forward will be there to compete with Canada at the upcoming event.
This isn’t the first time Perfetti will compete for Canada. He took home a silver medal last year with the World Juniors, and then was eventually selected for the World Championship team in the summer. Though he played a limited role on that NHL-level squad, Perfetti still scored twice and took home a gold medal when Canada stormed back late in the tournament.
This year saw his NHL debut, as the young forward played two games with the Jets. It also has seen even more dominant play from him in the minor leagues, with 15 points in 17 games for Manitoba. Overall, the teenager has 41 points in 49 AHL games to this point, numbers that will quickly have him rising the depth chart in Winnipeg. Selected tenth overall by the Jets in 2020, he very well could be wearing a letter for Canada at the tournament later this month.
Casey Mittelstadt Undergoes Surgery
Just as it looked like Casey Mittelstadt was ready to take the next step in his NHL career, disaster has struck. The 23-year-old forward has been out for most of the regular season so far, playing in just one game at the beginning of the year and three more in recent days. Now, after suffering another injury, the Sabres have announced Mittelstadt underwent successful surgery today and is out indefinitely. The club hopes he will play again this season.
It’s been a difficult road for the eighth-overall pick from 2017. Mittelstadt recorded just 39 points in his first 114 NHL games, which were spread out over three seasons. The dynamic playmaker from the University of Minnesota and the U.S. World Junior team was nowhere to be found, as the speed of the professional game swallowed his creativity. Last season, it seemed to be finding a way out, as Mittelstadt recorded 10 goals and 22 points in 41 games. Not the game-changing presence some expected him to become, but a good start for a young player finding his NHL legs.
Now, things have been set back in a big way. Mittelstadt has competed just four times in the first two months of the season and faces another long recovery period. The three-year contract he signed in September that had a chance to be a huge bargain for the Sabres is now a complete unknown once again, with it unclear when he’ll be back in the lineup.
To this point, Mittelstadt has just one goal and no assists on the season. Hopefully, he’ll get a chance to increase those totals by the end of the year.
Goalie Notes: Bernier, Korpisalo, Fucale
The New Jersey Devils have placed Jonathan Bernier on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, meaning Akira Schmid is on his way up to the big leagues. Bernier last played on December 3 against the Winnipeg Jets, allowing six goals on 32 shots. Overall this season he hasn’t been very busy, appearing in just ten games and posting a .902 save percentage.
Schmid meanwhile has been outstanding for the Utica Comets, posting a .944 and 8-0-2 record in ten games. The 21-year-old netminder is in his first year of professional hockey after spending the last few seasons in the USHL, but looks like the transition will be no problem for his 6’5″ frame. Should Schmid get a chance to play, it would be his NHL debut.
- Speaking of goaltenders making debuts, Daniil Tarasov has been sent back to the AHL after playing in his first three NHL games. The young netminder was up while Joonas Korpisalo dealt with a non-COVID illness, which he has now recovered from. Korpisalo was activated from injured reserve and will resume his duties alongside Elvis Merzlikins in the Columbus Blue Jackets net. That is of course unless the team makes a trade at some point, one that looks even more likely now that Tarasov has shown he can handle things at the NHL level. The 22-year-old posted a .936 save percentage in his three appearances.
- Zach Fucale made his own NHL debut earlier this season with the Washington Capitals, posting a 21-save shutout after a long minor league career. He’s back up with the Capitals again, recalled as a precaution with a back-to-back coming up. The team has been dealing with COVID protocols and injuries all season, so having a third goaltender with the group gives them a little insurance in case the worst happens.
Alexander Holtz To Play For Sweden At WJC
The New Jersey Devils have decided that the World Junior Championship is the best place for Alexander Holtz after all, announcing that they will allow him to play for Sweden at the upcoming tournament. Holtz had been playing in the AHL for most of this season, getting his feet wet in the NHL for six games as well.
Sweden released their roster in recent days, but had been keeping a spot open for Holtz if the Devils decided to release him for the tournament. The 19-year-old forward will actually be participating for the third time, as he’s been one of the most dangerous young forwards in Sweden for years. This season in the AHL, Holtz has ten points in ten games and he even added two assists in the six matches with the Devils. A bronze medallist at the 2020 event, he’ll join a Swedish team that has their eyes set on the podium once again.
Even if a player has proved they can handle professional hockey, the World Juniors is often considered one of the best places for development. Holtz and the other youngsters at the tournament will be put in games against those that they will face for the next decade, and for the Devils’ prospect in particular, be given a huge amount of responsibility. He very likely will be on the top line and the top powerplay unit, though this time he won’t have his old running mate Lucas Raymond, who is starring in the NHL and was not named to the team.
PHR Live Chat Transcript: 12/09/21
Click here to read a transcript of this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.