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Offseason Keys: Detroit Red Wings

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While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Detroit Red Wings.

It turns out that missing the postseason wasn’t just a one-off for Detroit.  After seeing their streak of 25 straight playoff appearances come to an end in 2016-17, the Red Wings followed that up with a lesser showing this past season, seeing their point total drop from 79 to 73.  With a rebuild and a youth movement on the horizon, here’s what is on Detroit’s to-do list this offseason.

Reshape The Defense

The Red Wings have typically spent a lot of money on their back end and this season was no exception as their seven regulars carried a cap charge of over $25MM.  Unfortunately for them, they haven’t got a lot of bang for their buck.  Their back end is fairly old with three players aged 34 or older and for a rebuilding team, that’s not ideal.

They will also be tasked with either replacing or re-signing their top defender from this year (in terms of points and average ice time) as Mike Green is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July.  His season ended prematurely with a spine injury but he’s expected to be ready for next season so his market shouldn’t suffer too badly.  On the one hand, it’s reasonable to think GM Ken Holland will want to bring him back because of his importance to the team but on the other, he’ll turn 33 soon after the season gets underway.  Re-signing him would give them four players 33 or older on defense, not exactly the typical route for a rebuilding team.

Given their salary cap constraints (they were in LTIR all season), it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to move out one of their veterans (even if Green leaves) to free up some extra cap room while opening up a spot for one of their young defenders to make a push for a roster spot.

Assess The Goalie Situation

There are a couple of decisions to be made between the pipes.  For starters, with Petr Mrazek being dealt near the trade deadline and Jared Coreau struggling down the stretch, Holland needs to find a backup to starter Jimmy Howard.  Do they look for a one-year stopgap or take a run at someone who can step into the number one role if need be?

A decision also needs to at least be pondered when it comes to Howard’s situation.  He will be entering the final year of his contract in 2018-19 with a cap hit just shy of $5.3MM.  His play in recent years has varied considerably; this past season, he posted numbers slightly below the league average but in 2016-17, he was one of the better starters in the league.  Which is the real Howard?  The latter is someone to commit to bringing back but the former isn’t.

At 34, Howard isn’t the goalie of the long-term future.  However, they don’t really have a can’t-miss youngster in the system either so there isn’t anyone knocking on the door.  Accordingly, there’s a case to be made to try to keep Howard around for another few years as a bridge to whoever comes next.  Sooner than later though, they’re going to have to acquire that next netminder.

Contract For Larkin

Dylan Larkin’s progression through his first three NHL seasons has been rocky at times but the good has far outweighed the bad.  After taking a step back in his sophomore campaign, the 21-year-old took a big step forward in 2017-18, posting career highs in assists (47) and points (63) to lead the Red Wings in scoring.  He also successfully transitioned back to playing center.  All in all, it was a nice platform season as he enters restricted free agency for the first time.

Clearly, Detroit is going to want to sign Larkin long-term.  However, they have quite a few others to lock up this summer (including fellow RFAs Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha) while replacing or re-signing Green won’t be cheap either.  The expected increase in the salary cap will help but they won’t be able to give all three youngsters lengthy deals.  Considering Larkin’s importance to the team, there’s a good chance that they’ll work to try to get a long-term pact done with him quickly and then try to pencil in their other signings over the course of the summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Overseas Notes: Cameron, Lewis, Huska

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Dave Cameron did not stay unemployed for very long, though his new position is far from where he has made his living for the last thirty-odd years. The Erste Bank Liga (EBEL), a lower-tier European league based mostly in Austria, has announced that Cameron has been named the new head coach of the Vienna Capitals, the league’s reigning regular season champions. Cameron had been working as an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames for the past two seasons, but was relieved last month alongside head coach Glen Gulutzan. Prior to that position, he has served as the head coach for the Ottawa Senators after working his way up from long-time assistant. Even before that, Cameron was showing the breadth of his hockey mind as both the head coach and GM of several OHL franchises. Yet, this new job is his first outside of North America and brings with it the challenges of a brand new market and caliber of player. However, Cameron is an experienced coach and should find his way in no time at all in Vienna.

  • Another coach has not been so lucky. Dave Lewis, most well known for a long stint as assistant and head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from the late 80’s through the mid-2000’s, has lost his job with the Belarus national program, per insider Igor Eronko. Lewis, who also had a short-lived stint as Boston Bruins head coach and brief stops as an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes, has been working for Belarus in various roles since 2014. He had guided four IIHF World Championship teams, an Olympic qualifying bid, and the team’s World Juniors appearance this season. However, just three games into the ongoing Worlds, national officials have clearly decided that they have had enough with the lack of success out of their long-time coach. Lewis has struggled to find results as a head coach over the years and the next step for the 64-year-old is a mystery.
  • Although Adam Huska likely has two years left at the University of Connecticut, HK Sochi of the KHL may have made a shrewd move in acquiring the KHL rights to the Slovak goaltender today. The team reported this morning that Huska’s rights had been transferred to Sochi from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in exchange for forward Dmitri Lugin. Huska was a seventh-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2015, but given the team’s depth in goalie prospects – Alexandar Georgiev, Brandon Halverson, and mostly Igor Shestyorkin – it’s quite possible that Huska could choose to return home to Europe, in which case Sochi will gain a talented, young netminder. Huska posted a .912 save percentage and 2.59 GAA in 27 starts last year and should only continue to thrive in net for UConn before he makes his decision on turning pro.

David Pope Signs Entry-Level Contract With Detroit Red Wings

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It was hardly a secret that David Pope was nearing a deal with the Detroit Red Wings, and the team officially announced a two-year entry-level contract with the 23-year old winger today. Pope had the chance to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but will instead sign with the team who drafted him five years ago.

That draft was in 2013, when the Red Wings made Pope their fourth-round pick, 109th overall. He returned to the BCHL for one season before heading for the NCAA, where he would develop into a top level scorer. The 6’3″, 194-lbs forward ended with 41 points in just 35 games this season for the University of Nebraska-Omaha, including an impressive 12 powerplay goals. His speed and power will give him a good chance at the NHL as soon as next season. Topher Scott of The Athletic (subscription required) broke down some of Pope’s talents earlier this season, highlighting his excellent skating ability as a difference maker in his overall game.

While the Red Wings are in a sort of rebuild, they have enough talented young players on the roster that they could take a step forward next season offensively. Pope should fit into that group nicely, giving them another option for the powerplay and some more talent on the wing. It’s not guaranteed that he’ll start in the NHL, but since he’ll be 24 by the time the season starts, there won’t be much seasoning left for him in the minors, or overall development for his game.

Western Notes: Tarasenko, Horvat, Kaprisov

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Many people had high hopes that St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko would take that next step this year and become that franchise player that everyone has been waiting for. However, despite those hopes, Tarasenko had a down year. After averaging close to 39 goals per season over the past three years, the 26-year old’s goal totals dropped to 33, while his point totals went from 75 to 66.

The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes that one possibility of Tarasenko’s struggles is the fact that the team traded away his three closest friends in Jori Lehtera, Ryan Reaves and Kevin Shattenkirk. Not having them around did have an effect on how Tarasenko handled himself around the team and the scribe said that both Shattenkirk and Reaves had a way of keeping the star level-headed and in check.

While the team would have little interest in bringing back Lehtera and unrealistic to bring back Shattenkirk, the team may consider bringing back Reaves, who will be an unrestricted free agent. The question there is whether the Blues could find playing time for the power forward. Reaves struggled with the Pittsburgh Penguins and has not played for the Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs yet, which suggests he may not be the same player he once was. Regardless, Rutherford adds that if they do attempt to bring back Reaves, that would spell the end of Chris Thorburn, who essentially plays that same role.

  • Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat is playing for Team Canada in the World Championships with one thing in mind. The Vancouver Sun’s Ben Kuzma writes that the team captain was told by the team during exit interviews at the end of the season to keep working on his two-way game. Horvat, who had a career-high in goals scored with 22, has emphasized working on his skating while in Denmark. “For me, it’s to work on my skating — you can never be too fast,” said Horvat, who also said working on his defensive awareness is another skill he’s been working on.
  • The Minnesota Wild have had no luck changing the mind of prospect Kirill Kaprisov, according to The Athletic’s Craig Custance (subscription required). The 21-year-old Russian prospect has been playing alongside long-time Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk at the IIHF World Championships and the two have been a great combination. However, despite the youngster’s success and the Wild’s desperate need for a young scorer, his agent Dan Milstein reiterated that he will not come to the U.S. until his contract in the KHL expires. He still has two years remaining with CSKA Moscow. “Kirill has two years left on his KHL contract which he intends to fulfill. Long-term plan is to play in the NHL,” Milstein wrote via e-mail.

Red Wings Nearing Deal With Prospect David Pope

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The Red Wings are closing in on finalizing a contract with prospect winger David Pope, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  She adds that the two-year, entry-level deal could be made official over the next few days.

Pope was Detroit’s fourth-round pick (109th overall) back in 2013 and recently wrapped up his college career at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.  He saved his best play for last as Pope set career highs in goals (20), assists (21), and points (41) in his senior year.

The team had approached Pope about signing late in the season but his preference was to stay at school to wrap up his classes.  The Red Wings are intent on getting younger and the 23-year-old could very well make a push for a roster spot in training camp.

As a senior, Pope could have opted to not sign and would have become an unrestricted free agent on August 16th.  However, he had indicated back in February that he intended to not go to the open market and it appears he will be sticking to his word in the days to come.

Draft Lottery Can Change Many Franchises’ Futures

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A lottery it really is this year.

While the NHL draft lottery always garners quite a bit of attention, some years are just a bit different if the top pick is a game-changer, whether you’re talking about Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews or this year’s No. 1 option. With prospect Rasmus Dahlin listed as the consensus top pick this year, and described by many as having no weaknesses, he is considered to be one of the top defensive prospects to enter the league in possible decades. The 18-year-old defenseman out of Sweden should immediately change the state of any franchise that wins tonight.

With the lottery just hours away, how will each club look if they were to get lucky and win it?

Buffalo Sabres (18.5%) — The Sabres franchise would get a huge boost with the addition of Dahlin plus some badly needed luck that they seem to never have. Already boasting one of the worst defenses in the league and sudden talk that the team shouldn’t consider Rasmus Ristolainen a No. 1 defenseman, the team and general manager Jason Botterrill’s job would get much easier if they can win the lottery.

Ottawa Senators (13.5%) — Winning the lottery should make their tough decision easier as they traded away their top pick in the Matt Duchene trade, which is, fortunately for them, top-three protected. Winning the lottery is a no-brainer as they would take Dahlin who could either join star defenseman Erik Karlsson or allow the team to trade the veteran, knowing they already have his replacement. However, the real issue is they end up in the top three, do they keep the pick or send it to Colorado to avoid giving Colorado an unprotected first-rounder in 2019.

Arizona Coyotes (11.5%) — Despite having the third-worst record in the league this year, the Coyotes seem to be heading in the right direction as they went 19-12-4 in their final 35 games of the season as many of the team’s young players had started to figure things out. What better way to improve on that then to add Dahlin, who could convince fellow countryman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to stay on with the team for many years to come.

Montreal Canadiens (9.5%) — With the injury struggles of aging defenseman Shea Weber and little else defensive help nearby, the team could use the infusion of a franchise-changing defenseman joining the team. With Weber and goaltender Carey Price on huge contracts, a cheap franchise player could move the team in the right direction.

Detroit Red Wings (8.5%) — What better way to finally start the rebuild, then by adding a young, talented defender to join the team. With few defensive prospects on the horizon, the team’s suspect defense could get a huge boost with Dahlin. With the return of Mike Green unknown, and a group of aging veterans, the team needs someone to take over as the face of the franchise.

Vancouver Canucks (7.5%) — The Canucks rebuild is looking better and better with players like Adam Gaudette, Elias Pettersson, Jonathan Dahlen and defenseman Olli Juolevi about to arrive. Throw in Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and a number of other prospects on the way, Dahlin would only quicken this team’s rise of young players. On top of that, the team is loaded with defensive-minded blueliners and could use an offensive power-play quarterback.

Chicago Blackhawks (6.5%) — While a lottery victory by the Blackhawks might infuriate the rest of the league, the Blackhawks do need to bolster their defensive depth and Dahlin could easily vault a struggling team back into the playoffs as he could take a lot of pressure off veterans Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

New York Rangers (6%) — Just started a rebuild and they walk away with a generational talent? While many people believe the Rangers intend to have a quick rebuild and compete for a playoff spot within the next year or two, having Dahlin on the roster would only jettison the team to that goal quicker and putting him alongside Brady Skjei and Neal Pionk along with veteran Kevin Shattenkirk would help stabilize their blueline.

New York Islanders (6% total with 3.5% from their pick and Calgary’s 2.5%) — Perhaps winning the lottery would be enough to convince John Tavares to stay. Regardless, adding Dahlin to their defensive woes would only stabilize a team that has the offense to reach the playoffs. He could be a cornerstone the franchise hasn’t had there since Denis Potvin. Add in the fact that the Islanders also have the Calgary Flames’ pick, the team has a better chance to winning the lottery than quite a few teams.

Edmonton Oilers (5%) — Angry fans might protest Edmonton walking away as another lottery winner, but adding Dahlin to, again, a failing defense would allow a team that already has McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should bounce back to where they left off one year ago. Dahlin would provide the team with the No. 1 defenseman that they currently lack

Carolina Hurricanes (3%) — As the percentage begin to really drop, Carolina would only get richer as the team is already loaded in quality young defensemen and would allow the team to move other defenseman like Justin Faulk and acquire more scoring, which the team badly needs.

Dallas Stars (2%) — The addition of Dahlin along with last year’s third overall pick in Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen would make for a deadly combo and that’s not including John Klingberg.

Philadelphia Flyers (1.5% from St. Louis Blues) — Adding Dahlin could put Philadelphia at the same level with Pittsburgh, Washington and Tampa Bay.

Florida Panthers (1%) — The hottest team that didn’t make the playoffs would get a much needed boost if they could hit that 1/100 chance.

 

 

U.S. Announces 2018 Men’s National Roster

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USA Hockey announced their initial 2018 national roster for the upcoming 2018 IIHF Men’s World Championships on May 4-20 in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark, headlined by Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.

Kane, who announced he’d play this summer after his Blackhawks season ended with no trip to the playoffs, represented the U.S. twice in both the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games, leading the U.S. to a silver medal in 2010, was named the captain of this team back on April 9. He will be joined by four others with World Championship experience, including Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin, New York Islanders forward Anders Lee, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy and the Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau.

The one interesting roster note is the addition of 18-year-old Quinn Hughes, who is considered to be a likely top-10 pick in the upcoming NHL draft. The full roster can be found below:

G Scott Darling
G Keith Kincaid
G Charlie Lindgren

D Will Butcher
D Quinn Hughes
D Nick Jensen
D Alec Martinez
D Connor Murphy
D Jordan Oesterle
D Neal Pionk

F Cam Atkinson
F Blake Coleman
F Alex DeBrincat
F Johnny Gaudreau
F Brian Gibbons
F Patrick Kane
F Chris Kreider
F Dylan Larkin
F Anders Lee
F Sonny Milano
F Derek Ryan
F Tage Thompson
F Colin White

 

Holland: Prospects Have To Be NHL Players

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  • Freidman reports that Red Wings general manager Ken Holland will be one of several GMs to be present at the draft lottery on Saturday. Holland spoke with MLive’s Ansar Khan during AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins’ 6-3 loss and told Khan that there will be no express line and that young prospects have to be an “NHL player” in order to make the roster. This type of thinking is a slight move from Holland’s “overly ripe” mentality for years, which was skewered by fans and some analysts for letting talent wait too long before coming to the NHL, hurting the organization in the long run. Holland said as much to the Detroit Red Wings’ Art Regner in his Red and White Authority podcast, indicating that the Red Wings have a number of chances to stockpile young talent and give the younger players a chance.

Red Wings Notes: Rasmussen, Kronwall

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The Detroit Red Wings were questioned by some when they selected Michael Rasmussen in last season’s draft. A strong preseason showing poured a little cold water on some of the criticism, and Rasmussen’s playoff performance with Tri-City has amped up the excitement surrounding the young prospect. Through 11 games in the WHL playoffs, Rasmussen has 29 points (14-15) and recorded yet another multi-point game in an 8-4 loss Tuesday evening. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James writes that the Tri-City captain is making a very strong case to crack the Red Wings roster in the fall. The 9th overall pick in the draft has spent time on the wing during the playoffs, and seems to be developing into the big bodied, scoring forward Detroit envisioned when they drafted him. Of course, the NHL game is entirely different than juniors, but it’s a positive development for a team that has finally seemed to embrace the idea of a rebuild.

  • MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that defenseman Niklas Kronwall is looking forward to a mentoring role next season in what will be the final year of his contract. Khan predicts that next season will be Kronwall’s final year in Hockeytown, as the 37-year-old has been playing on a wonky knee but still managed to defy Father Time with a stronger than expected season. Now, Kronwall will be counted onto mentor the younger defensemen rising through the system, namely Filip Hronek, Joe Hicketts, Libor Sulak and Dennis Cholowski. Khan writes that while some of those dmen could reach Detroit next season, he quotes Kronwall as saying:

    “We’ve seen some guys up front (Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi), and I think it’s definitely time for the back end to also get rejuvenated with some young players.

    “It’s time for these young guys on D to take another step and get a shot at playing for the team. It starts with hard work. Have a good camp. Both Hronek and Cholowski seem to have had really good years. It will be awesome, and I very much look forward to watching them play.”

Red Wings Plan To Start Michael Rasmussen On The Wing In The NHL

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Although he was drafted as a center, the Red Wings envision top prospect Michael Rasmussen debuting in the NHL on the wing, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan.  Rasmussen has shifted to the wing in the WHL playoffs with Tri-City and has adapted quite well, tallying 24 points (10-14-24) in just eight games through the first two rounds.

Rasmussen was Detroit’s first-round pick (ninth overall) last June and Khan notes that the team is hopeful that he may be able to lock down a regular roster spot as soon as next season.  With the Red Wings intending to transition into somewhat of a youth movement, having him up with the big club in a position with less responsibility would make some sense to help him get acclimated to the rigors of playing at the NHL level.

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