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Red Wings Notes: Blashill, Rasmussen, Sadowy

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Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill has a message for fans regarding summer hockey: temper your excitement. Blashill tells MLive’s Brendan Savage that summer hockey “isn’t real hockey” and goes to acknowledge that while it’s exciting to see hockey in July, it isn’t what it appears. From Savage:

“I used to recruit lots (as a college coach) and we’d go to tryout camps and watch them and you always had to temper it because it’s not real hockey. Again, for me, it’s just a good first glance, gives me a little better feel come main camp for most of these guys.”

Meanwhile, ninth overall pick Michael Rasmussen sat out a scrimmage due to a wrist injury from February. Savage reports that it was precautionary, and that he hasn’t indicated any issues with the injury after two days.

  • A number of Red Wings blogs are at development camp and have done detailed write ups on the prospects participating. Winging It In Motown writer SlapshotGoal featured Rasmussen, specifically writing about his skating ability that many scouts, analysts, and fans were quick to criticize. The article goes on to say that it’s “baffling” how so many critique his skating, and she goes on to write an in-depth piece (with video) that reveals a skating ability that may be very underrated. Drawing comparisons to speedsters Dylan Larkin, and Andreas Athanasiou, she writes that Rasmussen is able to make adjustments “on the fly” and noting that between his speed, effortless stride, and body control, it gives him a “fluid gracefulness.”  This type of analysis should quiet some critics, and give Rasmussen the benefit of the doubt in being a top ten pick.
  • With a roster that needs to younger, Detroit Free Press beat writer Helene St. James writes that prospect Dylan Sadowy has impressed Grand Rapids coach Todd Nelson, despite a season that seemed to show a step back for him as a goal scorer. Nelson cautions patience because Sadowy is so young and there is a jump from the OHL to the AHL. Sadowy was told by Detroit brass to work on his conditioning, believing it will go a long way in helping his game. Sadowy spent time with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL in addition to the Griffins, registering 10 points (5-5) in 44 games between both squads.

Red Wings Notes: Tatar, Athanasiou, DeKeyser, Nelson

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With Tomas Tatar and Andreas Athanasiou still waiting on contracts, the Athletic’s Craig Custance projects what they could earn once they sign on the dotted line. Tatar has been one of the few Red Wings scoring at a regular clip and his deal should be around $4.3MM per year. Term and dollars will be important to both parties, and Custance calls this the “tricky” notion of Tatar’s deal. Tatar potted 25 goals last season and is deserving of a significant raise. Meanwhile, Athanasiou is still relatively young, though many can already see how his devastating speed and scoring prowess could quickly translate into multiple 20 goal seasons, and possibly, 30. The Wings, according to Custance, could get him around a $1.9MM AAV because of his lesser time in the NHL. But if the trends continue, Athanasiou will come at a bridge bargain now, while getting a significant pay raise later.

  • Defenseman Danny DeKeyser has become somewhat of a pariah for some Red Wings fans, but The Athletic’s Jack Han takes a closer look at the somewhat predictable decline in DeKeyser’s play and numbers. Signed by Detroit as an unrestricted free agent in 2013, DeKeyser flourished in the top six under Mike Babcock and earned the nickname “the human eraser” for his staunch commitment to his end of the ice while keeping opposing scorers in check. All of this changed, according to Han, when new coach Jeff Blashill took over and the defensive corps weakened.Apr 15, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser (65) during the first period of the game two of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY SportsDeKeyser was given top pair minutes, which exposed him against the better players on opposing squads. Worse, the generous contract from general manager Ken Holland only increased the scrutiny on his play, especially after a disastrous season in 2016-17. Is DeKeyser truly as bad as some think? Han doesn’t think so. He takes a look at Corsi and Scoring Chances to quantify DeKeyser’s value and after a thorough job, notes that DeKeyser certainly isn’t deserving of high end minutes. Regardless of where he does end up, it’s destined to be a rough road with a Red Wings blue line that isn’t exactly top tier.
  • With the hiring of Rick Tocchet in Arizona, Calder Cup Champion and current Grand Rapids bench boss Todd Nelson will remain with the Griffins. Nelson, hired back in 2015, has guided the Griffins to a second round showing in 2015-16, and a championship in 2016-17. The Red Wings are looking at infusing more youth into the lineup and Nelson steered much of that young talent with a steady hand. Having Nelson in Grand Rapids gives the organization peace of mind knowing that the development of several critical players, notably Evgeny Svechnikov, will be overseen by one of the best in the AHL.

Atlantic Notes: Blashill, Accurate Ottawa Attendance Figures

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With the United States being bounced from the World Championships following a 2-0 loss to Finland, head coach Jeff Blashill was “bitterly disappointed.” Blashill and the United States had won six consecutive games before bowing out of the quarterfinals. Finland played a tight defensive game, bottling up the American attack and sending the US team home in jarring fashion.

To Detroit Red Wings fans, it may not seem like the most shocking of results. Red Wings blog Winging It In Motown released their season grade for Blashill and it wasn’t exactly glowing.  Blashill received failing grades in game management and player deployment which lowered his marks to an overall of an F, but more interesting is the caveat at the end, indicating that Blashill’s coaching at the Worlds shows a coach capable of “handling young teams,” which seems to put some of the onus back on general manager Ken Holland’s team building. Regardless, the heat has to be on Blashill as he enters year three in Detroit.

  • The Ottawa Citizen’s Don Brennan believes that the lack of support at Senators’ games are a myth. Citing attendance figures, Brennan points to only the first game of its second round series against New York where fans didn’t fill the arena. The other six playoff games saw capacity crowds, and Brennan writes that it’s the listing of 19,209, which used to be the sellout figure for Canadian Tire Center, prior to renovations. While he admits that the figure for the aforementioned game was 16,744, the average attendance has been 18,522, which is just 50 seats short of the new sellout figure of 18,572. Several players Brennan spoke with spoke of how loud the building has been, calling it the “loudest” they’ve heard it.

Snapshots: Bruins, World Championships, Oilers – Ducks

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CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty cautions the Boston Bruins brass to stay away from free agency this offseason. He reports that Cam Neely doesn’t plan to make any signings, as he indicates that he doesn’t foresee the Bruins making any significant splashes in free agency. Haggerty sees this as a good thing, recalling the signings of both David Backes and Matt Beleskey, who he writes have struggled to live up to the pricey expectations.  Though Neely defends both signings, he admits that both players have not played as the Bruins envisioned they would. Backes, according to Neely, struggled to acclimate at first in Boston while Beleskey has struggled to stay healthy. Both signings, Haggerty reports, should be reminders to approach the offseason with caution.

  • It was a rough day for the American squad in the World Championship as they dropped their opener 2-1 to Germany. USA Today’s Kevin Allen writes that Thomas Greiss bacstopped the German victory, and only Connor Murphy managed to get a puck past him. Head coach Jeff Blashill didn’t seem too concerned, believing that a lack of familiarity with one another also played a role in the Americans’ struggles.
  • TSN’s Frank Seravalli previews the Oilers-Ducks matchup tonight, reporting that Oilers forward Milan Lucic believes that it’s about “taking the play” to the Ducks. After dropping the first two games at home, Anaheim rallied back from a 2-0 series deficit to force the series into a best of three. Seravalli writes that Ryan Getzlaf has been the series’ most dominant “force,” notching 13 points in eight playoff games, including four points in the Ducks’ series tying victory on Wednesday. Also playing a role in the shift in series momentum? The Ducks’ smooth, puck moving defensemen. Oilers head coach Todd McLellan had this to say: I don’t think there’s a team that throws six skaters out there like that. It’s as good as there is in the [NHL] in my opinion. It’s not like you’re running up against somebody that’s a little slow in the retrieval or doesn’t have the ability to maneuver. All six do. Our work is cut out for us.

The Future In Detroit: Frans Nielsen & Steve Ott

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When Ansar Khan of MLive caught up with Frans Nielsen for his latest article, the Red Wings center had a very clear message for the direction of the team: they need Steve Ott. No, not necessarily Ott himself, but more players like him that can open up room for their more skilled forwards by making defenders pay while retrieving a puck.

Every time we’d get the puck down in their end, he’d finish checks on their D. At some point, they’re going to be tired of that and they’re going to back off and that’s going to give our skill guys a little more room. They’re going to give up that four or five feet at the blue line and you can come in and hit guys coming in late.

This is a prevailing theory around the league, that less-skilled players create room for their more talented linemates, opening up space for them to create scoring chances. It’s a tactic that has been used to great success in Toronto, where former Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has strapped Zach Hyman to Auston Matthews’ hip for the entire season, despite his disappointing point totals. Detroit’s new bench boss, Jeff Blashill, is a Babcock pupil of sorts and may want to employ the same strategy.

Ignoring for a moment that the Red Wings in fact had the real Ott for much of the season, only to decide that at 25-26-10 they would sell at the deadline, we’ll take a look at possible options for the team this offseason. Assuming that Nielsen is right, and that the team needs some “more mean attitude” and an ability to back up those defenders, here are some of the options they could have for relatively cheap this summer (along with their age at the start of next year and current salary).

Steve Ott, 35, $800K

They could in fact get the real thing back, though Ott will now be 35 and didn’t work out very well for them the first time. The gritty forward is playing just over 12 minutes in the playoffs for Montreal, and has been that in-your-face presence for the club in their series against the New York Rangers. He’ll likely cost around the same amount next year, if he doesn’t decide to hang up his skates.

Chris Kunitz, 38, $3.55MM

Kunitz isn’t exactly the pest Ott is, but he was among the leaders in the NHL in hits once again and would never be called a soft player. He also provides at least a little bit of offensive upside, though he took a step backwards this season with just 29 points. At 38, he wouldn’t cost very much but also could fall off a cliff in effectiveness.

Ryan White, 29, $1MM

White was traded to Minnesota at the deadline along with Martin Hanzal, and though he was an effective grinder down the stretch hasn’t shown up much in the playoffs. White will be an unrestricted free agent again this summer and will cost around the same amount as this season.

Andreas Martinsen, 27, $640K

One of the other Montreal acquisitions at the deadline, Martinsen was playing very little on Colorado even though they were last in the NHL. The move to Montreal gave him a little more icetime, but he’s been relatively ineffective in the postseason. He’ll be lucky to get a one-way deal this summer.

Roman Polak, 31, $2.25MM

Polak just suffered a nasty injury to take him out for the rest of the playoffs, but should return for next season. An unrestricted free agent, he adds some toughness and a mean streak to the back end. While he started out quite poorly for the Maple Leafs, a late season turnaround and strong playoff debut should get him another contract between $1.5-2MM. If the Red Wings decide to upgrade their grit at both ends of the rink, he could be an option.

Brian Boyle, 32, $2MM

Boyle isn’t exactly a grinder as he can contribute offensively at times, but his physical style fits perfectly into a bottom six that wants to be tough to play against. Add in that he’s a dynamo in the faceoff dot, and can kill penalties and he may be exactly what Nielsen wants on the team. His leadership and playoff success might get him a raise this summer, likely between $2.7-3.2MM per season for several years.

Snapshots: Holland, Blashill, Dallas

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The Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs for the first time in a quarter century, and with it many fans were calling for the head of GM Ken Holland. While his recent history doesn’t sparkle with shrewd moves, the team feels as though he’s still the man to lead them back to the promised land. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that Christopher Illitch—son of the late Mike Illitch, who owned the Red Wings from 1982 through his death earlier this year—still has “100% confidence” in Holland and still thinks he’s the man to bring another championship to Detroit.

While votes of confidence from owners don’t always mean anything, it does seem that Holland is safe in Detroit. Illitch also said that head coach Jeff Blashill’s tenure with the team would be up to Holland, who later said that Blashill would return as coach. The Red Wings will go into the summer with several question marks on their roster, including what to do in net and on the blue line. With Petr Mrazek not running away with the starting job like the Red Wings had hoped, they again have a controversy over what to do with Jimmy Howard and his $5.29MM cap hit.

  • For now, Blashill will be heading to the World Championships where he will coach Team USA. In fact, the coach will be taking Howard with him according to Ansar Khan of MLive. Blashill was an assistant coach for Team USA at the World Juniors in 2009, but has not since represented his country on the international stage. The tournament begins for Team USA on May 5th in Germany when they will take on the host country.
  • Both Darren Dreger of TSN and Mark Spector of Sportsnet believe that the Dallas Stars will be moving quickly on their next head coach, perhaps even hiring him by the end of the week. Spector believes that Ken Hitchcock, a former Stars coach who was fired by the St. Louis Blues midway through this season, is one of the finalists, while Dreger names Gerard Gallant and Willie Desjardins as other top candidates. For what it’s worth, Craig Custance of ESPN guessed this morning that it would be Hitchcock. The 65-year old Hitchcock has 781 career coaching wins, putting him behind only Scotty Bowman, Joel Quennville and Al Arbour all-time.

Red Wings Notes: Rebuilding, Routines At The Joe, Sheahan

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ESPN’s Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun give their opinions on how the Red Wings should proceed as they miss the playoffs for the first time since 1990. Burnside takes the approach that the talent in the system isn’t what it used to be and is curious to see if the likes of Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha are truly the real deal. LeBrun points out that the Wings extension of the playoff streak hurt their stock as they missed out on drafting premier talent should they have embraced changing instead of making the playoffs and getting bounced quickly. Both agree it will be a long road back, instead of a quick fix like general manager Ken Holland believes it can be.

  • The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James talked to a number of players and staff about their  routines at the Joe. For Holland, he drives between home and the arena during playoff games out of nerves, and looks forward to an office where he will have windows. His current digs are “in the bowels” of the arena whereas his new one will overlook the Fox Theater and Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. Head coach Jeff Blashill spends his time at the Joe scouting and working out–so he doesn’t yell at the refs “too much.” His days are also filled with meetings–everything from watching tape to fixing the power play. Forward Justin Abdelkader spends his time eating, in meetings, and then going to lunch with teammates. A mid-afternoon nap gets wedged into day before Abdelkader returns for meetings and a game.
  • In a preview for the Wings-Habs tilt, MLive’s Brendan Savage writes that the final two games of the season are big ones for Riley Sheahan. The Detroit forward is still searching for his first goal of the season. He holds the dubious honor of most shots on goal without scoring, and Savage calls it “baffling” after Sheahan posted double-digit goals in 2015-16 (14), and 2014-15 (13).

Snapshots: Lettieri, Renouf, Wallmark

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After the University of Minnesota was eliminated from the NCAA tournament yesterday by the upstart Notre Dame team, it was the beginning of a whole new chapter for senior Vinni Lettieri. According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the free agent center is being pursued by the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks.

Lettieri had 37 points in 38 games this season for the Gophers, breaking out and scoring double-digit goals for the first time in his college career. The undersized forward should decide in the next few days where he’ll make his professional debut.

Red Wings Notes: Defensive Replacements, Mantha

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The Detroit Red Wings don’t plan on calling up any extra defensemen, unless injury beckons writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. General manager Ken Holland will revisit the decision before they leave Tuesday for a game with Colorado on Wednesday, but as it stands, Detroit can wait and see. With back-to-back games with Colorado and Arizona on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, Detroit can call up an emergency defenseman if needed. Detroit leads the league in man-games lost, as injuries have crippled Detroit all season long. Without roster limitations and the Wings close to being eliminated from playoff contention, Holland may call up younger players to see how they compete when the pressure is off.

  • Anthony Mantha was a healthy scratch again Sunday evening, but the Red Wings didn’t fare nearly as well without him in a 4-1 loss to New York. Mantha, scratched for not showing enough effort, should find himself back in the lineup. Interestingly, the Detroit News’ Gregg Krupa wrote about the errors several Red Wings made in the loss to New York.. The young goal scorer, who boosted Detroit’s offense since being called up, has been seen as a scapegoat by many fans when it was announced that he would sit against the Blackhawks on Friday evening. Though Detroit won 4-2, many were still angry when it was announced he would sit again Sunday, especially after the Red Wings made mistake after mistake in the loss to the Rangers.
  • MLive’s Ansar Khan reported on the Mantha kerfuffle, writing that the youngster is taking a “chip-on-the-shoulder” approach to his benching. Despite having 33 points (14-19) in 50 games, he’s found himself a healthy scratch for two games due to head coach Jeff Blashill saying it was a “lack of competitiveness” and citing an inability to back check during Detroit’s 6-1 loss to Boston. Blashill has been complimentary to Mantha despite the benching, but it’s still curious since Mantha hasn’t been the only Red Wing to struggle this year. Riley Sheahan, who has yet to score a goal this season, has rarely seen his playing time cut while defenseman Danny DeKeyser has struggled mightily at times. Regardless, Mantha should see playing time on Wednesday unless the Red Wings brass still believe he hasn’t learned his lesson.

Atlantic Notes: Leafs’ Struggles, Zetterberg, Bjugstad

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The Maple Leafs are in need of a run after a poor showing in California writes the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. After an 0-2-1 record following their California trip, Koshan calls “frustration and disappointment” the co-passengers on the flight back to Toronto. The Leafs, who face the Red Wings on Tuesday, hardly sound downtrodden, despite sitting a point out of a playoff spot, with the New York Islanders having a game in hand. The Panthers, and Flyers are both nipping at the Leafs’ heels, only behind by a point, and three points respectively. Regardless, head coach Mike Babcock  old his team that as it gets more competitive during a playoff chase, it’s important to “play right.”

In other Atlantic Division news:

  • The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James reports that the Red Wings still believe they have a chance at sneaking into the playoffs. Though a tall order, St. James writes that Justin Abdelkader, and Darren Helm have both played strong and the return of Gustay Nyquist could bolster a lineup missing Thomas Vanek, and Brendan Smith, who were both offensive threats traded at the deadline. St. James tweeted Friday that bench boss Jeff Blashill believes that Detroit can make the playoffs because of Henrik Zetterberg’s strong play. St. James explains that Blashill realizes the mountain the Red Wings have to climb in order for that to happen, but he believes that if anyone can will a team into the playoffs, it would be Detroit’s captain.
  • Speaking of Vanek, he could be the tonic to Nick Bjugstad’s struggles writes The Miami Herald’s David Neal. Vanek was acquired at the trade deadline Thursday and will be counted on to provide timely for scoring as he did in Detroit. Bjugstad has mirrored his team’s struggles at home, and the hope is that Bjugstad’s game can be rejuvenated by Vanek. Jonathan Marchessault will flank Bjugstad on the wing with Vanek, and head coach Tom Rowe believes that the trio can account for some much needed scoring.

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