Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Red Wings Rumors

Dylan Larkin Out 2 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin will miss approximately two weeks with a lower-body injury, head coach Derek Lalonde said Monday.

Larkin sustained the injury in Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Panthers, although it’s unclear which play caused it. He did not play the final 10 minutes of the third period and was replaced by Joe Veleno on his line with Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond for their final two shifts.

With their captain out for a crucial stretch of games as they try and maintain their grip on a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, Detroit’s recent record becomes all the more critical. They’ve gone 7-4-0 since the All-Star break, giving themselves a six-point cushion on a playoff spot with one more game played than the ninth-place Islanders. While they’ve posted a +6 goal differential in that time, their shot differential was -23, highlighting some concern. They were outshot 64-46 over their past two games, both losses against the Isles and Panthers.

Larkin remains the focal point of the Red Wings’ offense, leading the team with 26 goals and 54 points in 55 games. His 19:52 average time on ice is the highest among Detroit forwards, as is his 54.7 FO%. He has a team-high 51.4 CF% at even strength, although that hasn’t translated into dominating shot quality. His expected -3.6 rating places him in the middle of the pack among Red Wings skaters.

The 24-year-old Veleno will occupy Larkin’s top-line role for now, per multiple reports. He will center Kane and Alex DeBrincat as the Red Wings embark on a four-game road trip that concludes with a pivotal matchup against the Sabres for both teams next week.

Veleno, the 30th overall pick in 2018, has been elevated in the lineup multiple times this year but hasn’t quite done enough to solidify a top-six role. A 100-point scorer at the major junior level, COVID partially derailed his development, but he’s still settled into a top-nine role with decent long-term certainty. He has 11 goals and 26 points in 59 games this year while averaging 14:32, all career highs. However, his possession impacts are markedly worse than Larkin’s, recording a 45.6 CF% at even strength and a -5.9 expected rating. His performance in a top-line role is something to monitor for a Detroit team that’s already struggled to dominate the shot counter as of late.

Larkin can be placed on IR to free up roster space, but the expected length of his absence doesn’t make him eligible for LTIR to free up salary cap space ahead of the March 8 trade deadline. Lalonde said Monday that he doesn’t anticipate making any initial recalls to replace Larkin, so he may remain on the active roster unless another forward sustains an injury.

Moritz Seider Cleared To Play

at CDT | by 2 Comments

After a loss to the Detroit Red Wings last night, the Washington Capitals should see the return of several players back into the lineup. Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network is reporting that Sonny Milano, Nic Dowd, and Nick Jensen have all returned to the ice for practice.

[SOURCE LINK]

  • Blocking a total of five shots in last night’s game against the Capitals, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was in visible pain for much of the game. Heavily utilized by Detroit, Seider has averaged 22:14 minutes a night throughout this season, but would only play in about 18 minutes of yesterday’s contest. In positive news, the team announced that there is no injury concern for their top defenseman, and he will be good to go tomorrow.

Red Wings Reportedly Listening To Offers On Some Defensemen

at CDT | by 27 Comments

Detroit has had strong depth on the back end for the majority of the season.  With a trade market that isn’t the most robust, it appears they may be looking to take advantage of that as ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that the Red Wings are listening to offers on some of their blueliners.

While Kaplan’s report doesn’t specify which players in particular they’re listening on, the shorter list might be who they likely wouldn’t consider moving.  Moritz Seider is clearly off the table while Jake Walman is having a career year and is on a value contract and likely isn’t going to be someone GM Steve Yzerman would be willing to part with.  Beyond those two, however, all bets could be off.

Shayne Gostisbehere has been strong offensively as expected, notching 36 points in 57 games to lead all Detroit rearguards in scoring.  He’s on a one-year, $4.125MM contract and a playoff contender could look to try to add him.  That said, the Red Wings are squarely in the playoff mix themselves and moving out a key contributor might not be the right course of action if they’re trying to end their postseason drought.

Among their other defenders, Justin Holl hasn’t had quite the season Detroit was hoping for when they gave him $3.4MM per year for three seasons.  He has often been the odd man out in their defensive rotation so it stands to reason that they might want to try to get out of those final two years.  A right-shot defender, Holl’s handedness could give him a potential suitor or two.  The late-summer acquisition of Jeff Petry helped create the logjam on the back end.  With double retention on his contract, his price tag is down to a manageable $2.343MM through next season and is someone a few more teams could fit in.  However, he has a 15-team no-trade clause and might not be inclined to leave his hometown team.  Detroit also cannot pay down his contract anymore as two retentions is the maximum on a player.

As for their other left-shot blueliners, Ben Chiarot’s $4.75MM price tag through 2025-26 might be difficult for a lot of teams to absorb and while he isn’t playing big minutes like he did in Montreal, he’s still a top-four option for them.  Olli Maatta, meanwhile, is more affordable at $3MM through next season although he’s being used exclusively on the third pairing; that AAV for that role is a little high.  With Simon Edvinsson making good progress with AHL Grand Rapids, there’s less risk in moving a left-shot option knowing that the 2021 first-round is close to being ready to step in.

With the Red Wings holding down a Wild Card spot, it would be surprising to see Yzerman sell like he did last season.  Frankly, adding to his group would be more than defensible.  But with the market for blueliners not being the greatest, it appears as if he’s open to selling one even though there isn’t necessarily an obvious candidate to move for top value.

Detroit is one of the few playoff teams with ample cap space so they will have the ability to get creative between now and the March 8th trade deadline; clearing out a veteran on the back end would only open up more flexibility on that front unless they opt for a player-for-player swap.  Either way, it appears as if they’ll be a team to keep an eye on in the coming days.

Red Wings Talking Extension With David Perron

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Rumblings around the Red Wings pursuing an extension with pending UFA winger David Perron have picked up over the past few days, according to reports from ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (link to “32 Thoughts” podcast, 15:13 mark).

Age is starting to catch up with the 35-year-old, who’s on the verge of completing the two-year, $9.5MM deal he signed with Detroit in free agency in 2022. He’s dropped to a third-line role after adding Patrick Kane to the Red Wings’ top six and has 28 points in 52 games, his lowest points-per-game pace in eight years. That said, he’s still contributing value for his $4.75MM cap hit, and he likely won’t command a raise on a short-term pact to potentially finish out his career in Hockeytown.

Averaging 15:13 per game, Perron isn’t even the highest-volume point producer on a strong Red Wings depth offense that has the team primed to make the postseason for the first time since 2016. Robby Fabbri and Daniel Sprong are outproducing Perron on a per-game basis with a higher percentage of even-strength production.

Jean-Guy Talbot Passes Away

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Longtime Canadiens defenseman Jean-Guy Talbot passed away Thursday, per an obituary from NHL.com columnist Dave Stubbs. Talbot was 91 years old.

Born in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Québec, in 1932, Talbot was the second-last surviving member of the group of 12 players who remained with the Canadiens during their NHL-record five consecutive championships from 1956 to 1960. Those were the first five full seasons of Talbot’s NHL career – he would go on to win the Cup twice more with Montreal in 1965 and 1966.

Talbot was among the Habs’ many key figures of the late Original Six era, playing over 800 games in a Montreal sweater between 1955 and 1967. While his career-best 1961-62 campaign didn’t result in an eighth Stanley Cup win, Talbot’s five goals, 42 assists, 47 points, and +30 rating in 70 games placed him third in Norris Trophy voting behind the Blackhawks’ Pierre Pilote and the Rangers’ Doug Harvey. He was also named to the year-end All-Star team for the only time in his career.

His Montreal tenure ended when the Canadiens left him unprotected in the 1967 Expansion Draft, where the Minnesota North Stars selected him. He was traded to the Red Wings just four games into the 1967-68 season, though, and switched teams for a second time that year when the Blues claimed him off waivers from Detroit in January. Talbot remained in St. Louis for most of the remainder of his career, closing out his playing days briefly with the Sabres after a trade in 1970-71.

After retirement, Talbot stayed in the game as a coach, taking over behind the Blues bench in 1972-73 after the team fired Al Arbour, who would win four straight Stanley Cups with the Islanders between 1980 and 1983. Talbot resigned from his post with the Blues late in the 1973-74 season and would coach the WHA’s Denver Spurs in 1975-76, which relocated to Ottawa mid-season before folding. He returned to the NHL as the coach of the Rangers in 1977-78 but only spent one season behind the bench.

Talbot resided in Trois-Rivières, Québec, and is survived by his wife of over 70 years, Pierrette, two sons, a daughter, and five granddaughters. PHR extends its deepest condolences to Talbot’s family and the Canadiens organization.

Red Wings Sign Michael Rasmussen To Four-Year Extension

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Michael Rasmussen to a four-year, $12.8MM contract extension with an annual average value (AAV) of $3.2MM. CapFriendly reports that the deal breaks down as follows:

2024-25: $2.05MM salary, $500k signing bonus
2025-26: $2.95MM salary
2026-27: $3.65MM salary
2027-28: $3.65MM salary

Rasmussen has scored 11 goals and 23 points in 55 games this season, on pace to score a career-high 34 points through 82 games. He’s been with the Red Wings organization for his entire career, getting drafted by the team with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. He’s the second player from that year’s Top 10 to earn a long-term extension this season, with 10th-overall selection Owen Tippett signing an eight-year extension with the Philadelphia Flyers in January.

Rasmussen has found a new groove this season, rotating onto the top line with Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane. It’s been an exciting bounce back from a knee injury that ended Rasmussen’s 2022-23 season in early March. He played in 56 games prior to the injury, netting 10 goals and 29 points. Rasmussen also scored 15 goals in the prior season, showing his ability to be a difference-maker when given the opportunity. All of that progress has led Rasmussen to now play the most ice time of his career, averaging 15:10 this season. His next step will be reinforcing his role on the team’s power-play, where he held a consistent spot in each of the last two seasons but has yet to appear on this year. Rasmussen managed four power-play goals in his rookie season of 2018-19 but has since failed to score on the man-advantage at all – managing just five power-play assists since the 2020-21 season. The Red Wings’ power-play is tied with the Vancouver Canucks for 10th-best in the league this season, with a 23.2 percent success rate.

Detroit Red Wings Place Matt Luff On Waivers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

2/19: TSN’s Chris Johnston is reporting that Luff has successfully cleared waivers, and is now finally able to start his season with the Griffins.

2/18: The Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Matt Luff on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Signing a one-year, $775K contract with the Red Wings this past offseason, Luff has yet to play in any games for the organization this season, suffering an injury back in training camp.

Considering the injury history for much of the regular season, it is more than likely that Luff will pass through waivers unscathed, and make his way to Grand Rapids in short order. Although he managed nearly 20 games for Detroit last season, it will be much more difficult for Luff to crack this version of the Red Wings roster.

In those 19 games last season, Luff was a depth player for Detroit, averaging just under 10 minutes of ice time per game, scoring two goals and four points overall. In the AHL, Luff did manage 28 games for the Griffins last year, tying for sixth on the team in scoring with eight goals and 25 points.

Having one of their better seasons over the last several years, Grand Rapids is in the midst of a hotly contested playoff race in the Central Division. Sitting 24th in the league in goals for, Luff’s offensive capabilities in the AHL should help the Griffins improve in one area of weakness for the club.

Red Wings To Face Columbus In 2025 Stadium Series

at CDT | by 2 Comments

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets will be hosting the Detroit Red Wings as a part of the 2025 Stadium Series. The two teams will meet at Ohio Stadium on March 1st, hashing out the Michigan-Ohio rivalry at the home of Ohio State football. This will be Detroit’s fourth outdoor game, and Columbus’ first. The University of Michigan, where the star centerman of both Detroit (Dylan Larkin) and Columbus (Adam Fantilli) spent one season, has won their last three football games against Ohio State – which could be reason for faith for the visiting Red Wings.

Robby Fabbri Returns Tonight

at CDT | by 6 Comments

  • Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri will return to the lineup today against Calgary, relays Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News (Twitter link). The 28-year-old missed Thursday’s contest due to the birth of his daughter.  When healthy, Fabbri has been a capable secondary scorer for Detroit this season, collecting 13 goals and eight assists in 39 games so far, surpassing the half-point-per-game mark for the fifth straight year.

Red Wings Loan Jared McIsaac To NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Red Wings have loaned defense prospect Jared McIsaac to HC Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss National League, a release from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, reads. McIsaac, 23, was a second-round pick of Detroit in 2018 and is a pending RFA with arbitration rights.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, McIsaac was one of Detroit’s most highly-touted prospects. The 6-foot-1 left-shot defenseman put up over a point-per-game with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads in 2018-19 and won a gold medal with Canada at the 2020 World Juniors, notching a goal and three assists in seven games.

With the NHL and AHL on pause at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, the Red Wings loaned McIsaac out to HPK in the Finnish Liiga for his first taste of pro hockey in the fall of 2020. He sustained a shoulder injury on his first shift overseas, however, costing him over six months of development time.

That injury put a significant dent in his development, as the high-end transition threat in junior hockey has failed to translate his game to the pros in Grand Rapids. His games played total has steadily decreased from his career-high 70 appearances in 2021-22, and he has been a frequent healthy scratch for the Griffins this season, only playing in 15 games and just two since Christmas.

After nine goals, 52 points, and a -29 rating in 156 outings with Grand Rapids, the Red Wings are giving him a shot at some more minutes overseas down the stretch to see if he can thrive in a professional environment. McIsaac signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $787.5K in the NHL and $70K in the minors last July, although if he doesn’t make an impact during his time in Switzerland, it’s unlikely he’ll receive a qualifying offer.

Ambrì-Piotta hasn’t advanced past the National League playoff qualifiers in five years and looks primed to miss the postseason again, as they currently occupy the second qualifier role as the 10th seed in the league with a 15-19-7-3 record. McIsaac is the only NHL-affiliated player on their active roster, although longtime Coyotes depth forward Laurent Dauphin is among their leading scorers with 28 points in 36 games.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top