Headlines

Detroit Red Wings News & Rumors

Red Wings Notes: Green, de Haas, Trade Targets

By | at August 17, 2016 7:59 pm

MLive’s Ansar Khan had a write up on the impact that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green could have on the power play this season. Khan points out that while the Red Wing power play was ranked 13th in the league, it was still anemic during long stretches of the season. Khan speculates that Green could be placed on the first power play unit after Niklas Kronwall struggled with knee issues and consistency during the season. Green’s skating, puck handling, and play making ability could be the difference for a team trying anything to generate offense during the man advantage.

Green was the elusive right handed defenseman the Wings were looking for, signed to a three-year, $18MM deal prior to the 2015-16 season. Though the returns were not as high as Detroit would have wished, Green had five power play goals. Perhaps more time on the power play would be a positive for both Detroit and Green.

In other Red Wings news:

  • Dana Wakiji writes that Red Wings prospect James de Haas is now one of the “older” guys as he completed his fifth development camp with Detroit. Wakiji reports that de Haas has one more season in college, and is gunning to make the Grand Rapids Griffins roster once the college season ends. Though he’s taken the “long road” through college to the pros, de Haas feels that the extra work–and longer road–has certainly paid off. De Haas hopes that he will “able to sign and make that jump. Obviously it’s all on me, it’s how I play, so I’m excited to prove to them I’m ready and show them. Just got to keep working and be ready for the opportunity.”
  • Dan Rosen writes that the Red Wings may indeed still be looking at Kevin Shattenkirk. With 16 forwards signed, the Red Wings have some pieces to offer. Though Rosen prefaces it by saying it’s a “small chance” something happens in September to acquire Shattenkirk, he adds that it would take a high end prospect to land him. Rosen throws out Anthony Mantha as a possibility, wondering if Detroit would be willing to move the big forward or proven scorers Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar. Rosen argues that anyone not named Dylan Larkin should be on the table for Shattenkirk.

 

1 comment Detroit Red Wings

Eastern Conference Notes: Alfredsson, Hrivik, Jurco, Kennedy

By | at August 16, 2016 2:53 pm

The Ottawa Senators announced this afternoon that they will retire the #11 sweater worn for 17 seasons by former captain Daniel Alfredsson in a pregame ceremony prior to their December 29, 2016 tilt against the Red Wings. Alfredsson, of course, wrapped up his remarkable career with Detroit so choosing a game between the only two NHL franchises “Alfie” ever played for makes perfect sense.

Alfredsson was drafted all the way down in the sixth round of the 1994 entry draft, after 132 other players had already come off the board. He would make his NHL debut during the 1995-96 campaign as a 23-year-old and would go on to win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie, scoring 26 goals and 61 points in 82 games. He would ultimately go on to set Ottawa franchise records in goals (426), assists (682), points (1,108), even-strength goals (270) and power play goals (131).

After such a lengthy and prodigious career, Alfredsson has essentially become synonymous with Ottawa Senators hockey and he deserves to have the honor of his #11 hanging in the rafters at Canadian Tire Center.

Elsewhere among the league’s eastern teams….

  • Jim Cerny of Blueshirts United spoke with Rangers prospect Marek Hrivik about his chances of making the team after a solid campaign playing for their AHL affiliate in Hartford, and a brief five-game cup of coffee with the Rangers. Hrivik indicated the club is happy with his progress and that he is “close” to making it as an NHL regular. He will face plenty of competition in camp as fellow rookies Nicklas Jensen and Pavel Buchnevich will also be in the hunt for a job.
  • Another young player who faces an uphill battle to secure a regular role is Tomas Jurco of the Detroit Red Wings. Ansar Kan, writing for MLive.com, argues that Jurco will have to distinguish himself in camp at a time when the club will be missing several regular skaters who will be participating in the World Cup. Jurco looked like a core building block following a solid debut in 2013-14 when the then 21-year-old posted eight goals and 15 points in just 36 games. Since then, Jurco has tallied just 24 points in 87 contests and could find himself on the outside looking in with Detroit.
  • Finally, while some players are at least guaranteed a shot to win a job in camp, others like Tyler Kennedy are still waiting for a call from a club willing to offer another chance. Kennedy, who was in the same position last summer, is fearful he may not get another opportunity to prove he belongs in the NHL, as Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette writes. Kennedy did receive a camp invite last year from New Jersey and earned a contract with a solid showing. He would see action in 50 games for the Devils but scored just three goals along with 13 assists. Kennedy, who once scored 21 goals as a 24-year-old during the 2010-11 season in Pittsburgh, has seen his offensive production decline significantly ever since that breakout campaign. One advantage he does possess over other veterans clamoring for one last kick at the can is that he is still considered a speedy player. More teams are looking to add speed to their lineup, following the successful blueprint perfected by Pittsburgh, and Kennedy might be able to offer just that on the cheap to a team looking for a low-risk, bottom-six type of forward.
1 comment AHL Detroit Red Wings New Jersey Devils New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Players St. Louis Blues

Vesey Updates: 8/16/2016

By | at August 16, 2016 12:38 pm

4:00pm: Teams not considered major contenders for Jimmy Vesey will nonetheless reach out to the representatives of the college star. Even if there is only the slightest chance that Vesey will even meet with the team, it is still worth it to inquire about this unique situation. Two such teams in this position are the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets, though more will surely be calling.

12:32pm: The Boston Bruins are set up to make the final pitch to Vesey, according to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com. This may or may not give the Bruins an advantage over the competition but it can’t hurt Boston to have the final word as they work to recruit the hometown kid.

12:00pm: Even though they haven’t been linked previously as a contender for his services, we can nonetheless now count the Detroit Red Wings out of the Vesey sweepstakes. Ansar Kan of MLive reports that the Wings did indeed make a pitch to Vesey’s camp, focusing on the team’s depth and potential playing time, but according to assistant general manager Ryan Martin, the club was told that Vesey “preferred to play closer to home.” This news might potentially impact the Blackhawks odds of landing the coveted forward since Chicago also is not geographically close to Vesey’s hometown of Boston.

10:36am: Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News confirms the probability that Vesey will also meet with Chicago, Boston and the New York Rangers, “as soon as Wednesday,” before making his final decision by week’s end.

Jimmy Vesey, and speculation surrounding with whom the former Harvard star would sign his first pro contract, has dominated NHL headlines for weeks seemingly. With time having run out on Buffalo’s window of exclusivity to get the young forward under contract, any other club interested in bringing Vesey into the fold can officially begin negotiating with his representation as of 12:01am today. Even though it’s been reported Vesey will likely not sign until later this week, Pro Hockey Rumors will continue to monitor the latest news today using this post with updates appearing at the top of this post.

According to Mark Divver of The Providence Journal, Vesey is set to meet with the Isles, Penguins, Leafs and Devils today. While it was expected that essentially every NHL club would express at least some interest in adding Vesey to their ranks, the Penguins have rarely been listed among the top suitors up to this point. But the opportunity to play with two of the world’s best players – Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – and for a team fresh off a Stanley Cup win has to be enticing so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise Vesey would at least meet with the Pittsburgh contingent as he weighs his options.

It’s likely that Vesey and his reps will also take meetings with other teams throughout the week before making his decision. Chicago has often been listed as a potential front-runner in the sweepstakes and Boston is Vesey’s hometown team so expect both of those clubs to also get a shot to woo him in person.

 

 

2 comments Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Chicago Blackhawks Columbus Blue Jackets Detroit Red Wings Don Sweeney New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Pittsburgh Penguins Players

Off-Season To Date: Atlantic Division

By | at August 13, 2016 2:00 pm

While there’s still business to be done, most of the major moves are over with by now. Today we’ll be providing a run down of where teams stand, along with notes on what they have left to do. We’ll start with the Atlantic division. For our purposes, lists of arrivals, departures, re-signings, and remaining restricted free agents will include players without NHL rookie eligibility. Cap numbers and roster sizes are per CapFriendly.

Boston Bruins

Buffalo Sabres

Detroit Red Wings

Florida Panthers

Montreal Canadiens

Ottawa Senators

Tampa Bay Lightning

Toronto Maple Leafs

0 comments Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Detroit Red Wings Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Uncategorized

Roster Crunch: Atlantic Division

By | at August 10, 2016 12:25 pm

Over the past few days, we’ve looked at the final few spots on the roster for both the Pacific and Central divisions. This time, we’ll turn our attention to the East starting with the Atlantic.  This division will be in turmoil over the next few years, with clubs like the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs going through slow, deliberate rebuilds, and perennial contending squads like the Detroit Red Wings finally starting to slow down.

Florida Panthers – While the Panthers have pretty much accomplished everything they set out to do this off-season – improving the blueline with Keith Yandle and Jason Demers, getting a capable replacement for Roberto Luongo in James Reimer, and locking up their young core – they failed in one, big $5.5MM way. Dave Bolland failed his physical and therefor couldn’t be bought out. He’ll try to prove he deserves some playing time this season, but may find himself buried in the AHL to make room for Jared McCann, the prize Florida received when they dealt Erik Gudbranson to the Canucks.

Read more

1 comment AHL Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Detroit Red Wings Florida Panthers Free Agency Injury Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Uncategorized Vancouver Canucks

Are The Red Wings In Hockey Limbo?

By | at August 9, 2016 6:15 pm

The Hockey News’ Matt Larkin writes an interesting piece on the status of the Detroit Red Wings–a quarter of a century perennial playoff participant who seems to be at a crossroads. There hasn’t been much written about it though there are the obligatory “will the Red Wings finally miss the playoffs” prediction columns every season since Nick Lidstrom retired. And there’s good reason for that.

Since the retirement of Lidstrom, the Red Wings have been stuck in neutral. Though a “tough out” in 2013 and 2015, the Red Wings were bounced quickly in 2014 and 2016. Worse, they haven’t been viewed a legitimate contender since at best, the 2011-2012 NHL season–where they lost in five games to the Nashville Predators in the first round.

Larkin argues that the only person who can answer the question of the Wings’ Limbo status is architect and general manager Ken Holland. The Wings’ GM had a busy summer trading Pavel Datsyuk‘s contract and adding several players in Frans Nielsen, Thomas Vanek, and Steve Ott while re-signing Darren Helm, Petr Mrazek, Luke Glendening, Danny DeKeyser, and Drew Miller. But the moves were critiqued, especially the long term deals for players who were hardly setting the world afire on the stat sheet.

Larkin writes that Holland has a point when he says the Red Wings are not scraping the bottom of the barrel. They have a number of young core players, but with Ott, Vanek, and Miller all taking up roster space, it makes the margin of error thin for those young players in Andreas Athanasiou and Anthony Mantha. Larkin also reports that Holland feels that if a few breaks went the Wings way, perhaps they beat the Blackhawks in 2013 or the Lightning in 2015.

But that misses the point. Hockey is a sport that often comes down to luck. Many would argue that the Wings received their share of fortunate bounces during the years they won the Cup.

The point, made by many fans, is that the Red Wings haven’t been in a spot to even challenge for a Cup. Further, there has been a loyalty given to players in the Wings system or past-their-prime veterans that makes Holland feel like it’s 1999 again. In many ways, it appears that the Wings are committed to a “just barely make the playoffs” mentality and then hoping for the best. Several of Holland’s quotes all but support this.

Larkin takes a bullish view,  saying that the Wings have an upside to them. But a prominent voice of Red Wings fans has made a strong point several times this summer–wondering if the financial decisions combined with the insistence on keeping veterans at the expense of younger, hungrier players will doom the team to the very long rebuild Holland loathes. Simply put: what’s the plan and even more terrifying to some fans–what will the result be?

We’ll all see soon.

0 comments Detroit Red Wings

Snapshots: Las Vegas, Perron, Bertuzzi,

By | at August 7, 2016 8:05 pm

Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports today on the process of naming the city’s new NHL expansion team, with owner Bill Foley saying that they’ve narrowed the list down to four possibilities. Foley originally submitted 18 names to the league for approval. The team is now in the process of discussing logos with Adidas, and their fit with any potential name. That said, you may be able to rule out the Las Vegas Knights playing in the NHL in 2017. That’s because the rights to the name “Knights” are owned by the OHL’s London Knights in Canada.

While noting that the name would be fine for use in the United States, Foley said that there would be trouble in Canada. Carp quotes Foley saying that “to acquire the name from London is not economically feasible.” The Review-Journal attempted to contact Knights owner and former NHL forward Dale Hunter, but were unable to.

Here are some more links from around the league:

  • St. Louis Blues forward David Perron was interviewed for RDS today. The interview is in French, but according to a translation from Habs Eyes on the Prize, the Canadiens were the final team in the running for his services before he chose to return to the Blues. While mentioning the allure of playing in Montreal, Perron says he ultimately couldn’t leave the money offered by the Blues on the table. Perron was originally drafted by the Blues in 2007, before being traded to the Oilers in 2013.
  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press profiled Red Wings prospect Tyler Bertuzzi today. Full of quotes from his uncle, former Red Wings winger Todd Bertuzzi, St. James reports that Tyler is living in the elder Bertuzzi’s Michigan home as he prepares for the season. While there may be some bias in play, Todd sees potential, saying “I think there’s a good possibility that if he has a very good camp and keeps his head small, goes in there and works hard, there’s a good chance he shows them something.”
0 comments Detroit Red Wings London Knights Montreal Canadiens St. Louis Blues Vegas Golden Knights

Salary Cap Report: Atlantic Division

By | at August 5, 2016 8:59 pm

As the hockey world takes its collective breath before the World Cup, training camps, and the regular season begins, most teams have checked off their boxes and marked their ledgers. There are some teams not finished, as trades or financial meandering will be necessary due to cap crunches. Others have plenty of room.

We’ll start with the Atlantic Division, which houses the team with the greatest amount of red ink in terms of cap space–the Detroit Red Wings. Some interesting notes:

The specifics are below:

0 comments Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Detroit Red Wings Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs

Red Wings Notes: Mantha, Saarijarvi, Little Caesars Arena

By | at August 5, 2016 7:30 pm

The 2016-17 training camp is a chance for Anthony Mantha to be this season’s Dylan Larkin writes Helene St. James. The 2013 first round pick has a chance to make the Red Wings roster out of camp, but it will mean greater attentiveness to his defensive game, and also showing the plentiful goal scoring that got him drafted. Mantha was on the fast track to the NHL when a broken leg during the 2014 prospect tournament slowed him, and from there, the highly touted prospect was ripped by some in upper management, and after a bounce back season in 2015-16, looks to once again be back on track to make the team.

But it won’t be easy. The Red Wings are well known for their reluctance to bring on young prospects and there is also a logjam at forward which has been well documented. St. James reports that his maturity will certainly help his case, as his cup of coffee with the team last year showed he wasn’t intimidated by being in the NHL. Still, the 22-year-old winger has his work cut out for him once September comes.

Other Red Wings news:

  • Defenseman Vili Saarijarvi is another player on the Red Wings radar, and he hasn’t disappointed since being drafted by the club in 2015. St. James writes that the third round pick will spend more time seasoning in the OHL because of his shorter stature, and some more defensive polishing. The offensive minded d-man has a booming slapshot and speed–something if developed properly–could anchor the Red Wings blue line for years.
  • A construction milestone was completed on the new Red Wings arena reports the Associated Press. The final piece of structural steel for the roof was placed. The report also states that “Olympia Development of Michigan says the piece of steel, in keeping with tradition, bears the signatures of the project’s ironworkers.” Little Caesars Arena will open for the 2017-18 season.
0 comments Detroit Red Wings

Late Free Agent Signings Who Made A Difference

By | at August 3, 2016 12:41 pm

Most of the best free agents are gone in the first few days of July, but sometimes the best value signings occur later on in the summer. There are generally at least a couple of guys who sign late, or who fight for a contract in training camp, and end up providing value for years. Here’s a list of some guys who should give you hope that your team can still make a savvy signing.

  • Clarke MacArthur – At the 2010 trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres shipped MacArthur to the Atlanta Thrashers for third and fourth round picks in 2010. Over the full season he put up 16 goals, 35 points in 81 games, including three goals, nine points in 21 games for the Thrashers. This led to a $2.4MM, one-year arbitration award, which Atlanta rejected. The Toronto Maple Leafs then signed MacArthur to a one-year, $1.1MM deal, and he broke out for 21 goals, 62 points in 82 games that season. After signing a two-year extension, he put up another 20 goal season in 2012. MacArthur struggled the next year, never quite fitting with new Leafs’ coach Randy Carlyle. He was scratched often, before injuries forced him into the lineup in the playoffs, where he scored two goals in five games. The Ottawa Senators signed him two a two-year deal, and after a 24 goal, 55 point season, gave him a new five-year deal, worth $4.65MM per year. MacArthur’s injuries have slowed him down, but it’s hard to argue he wasn’t a great value signing.
  • Anton Stralman – At 25-years old in 2011, Stralman failed to earn a roster spot after a professional tryout with the New Jersey Devils. He’d been traded or let go of by the Maple Leafs, Flames, and Blue Jackets over the last two years, and was just looking for a job. In November, a Rangers team with a depleted defensive group decided to take a chance on him. Stralman quickly proved himself to be of value, and played in the top-four of a Rangers’ team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately for the Rangers, in a cap world, you don’t always get all the benefits of your own good work, so Stralman signed a five-year, $4.5MM per year deal with the Lightning in July of 2014.
  • Teemu Selanne – It might seem weird to have Selanne here, given he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame, but it was different in 2005. Everyone was a late signing, given that the lockout pushed the start of free agency until August 1st. Still, Selanne had to wait until the 21st to get a one-year deal for low money, which many thought was about getting one last NHL season in before retirement. He was 35, had declined in his time with the Sharks, and then failed to live up to expectations in Colorado. Instead of ending his career, Selanne scored 40 goals and 90 points. The next year, he led the Ducks in scoring, winning the 2007 Stanley Cup. Selanne’s run with Anaheim, who he had previously played for from 1996 to 2001, would last not one year, but nine.
  • Dan Cleary – The salary cap coming around in 2005 was a huge problem for the Detroit Red Wings. They ended up having to buy out the contracts of Derian Hatcher, Ray Whitney, and Darren McCarty, and since the end of 2004, had to move on from Dominik Hasek, Curtis Joseph, and Brett Hull. At the time, Cleary was a former top prospect who couldn’t stick with the Blackhawks, Oilers, and Coyotes, and was just looking for work. He came to Detroit’s training camp while they were desperate to fill out a roster, and signed the day before the season started. He had only three goals, 15 points for the Red Wings that year, but the team liked him well enough to keep him, and he went on to score 2o goals, 40 points in 2007. He’d hit the 20 goal mark two more times, and stay with the Red Wings until 2015, winning the Stanley Cup in 2008.
  • Matt Moulson – Moulson was a 25 year old veteran AHL scorer when the Islanders signed him in July 2009. It wasn’t a late signing, but it was definitely overlooked. 29 games into his NHL career, all with the Kings, he was never assumed to be a future impact player. He had been taken in the 9th round by Pittsburgh, and even the articles on his signing group him in with minor leaguers. Moulson responded by making the team out of camp, playing on the top line with John Tavares, and scoring a total of 97 goals over the next three seasons. The goals haven’t come quite as easily to Moulson since he joined the Buffalo Sabres, but at 33 he’s had a strong run in the NHL. If the only free agents a team signed were the flashy ones they gave five-year deals to, he may have never been able to prove himself.
0 comments Anaheim Ducks Detroit Red Wings New York Islanders New York Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs
Show all
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors