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David Perron Receives Six-Game Suspension

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The Department of Player Safety has reached its verdict on Red Wings winger David Perron, announcing (video link) that they have handed him a six-game suspension for his cross-check on Senators defenseman Artem Zub on Saturday.  The video explains why the suspension was well beyond the norm for a standard cross-check:

This is not a hockey play.  This is an intentional strike with a stick made with the purpose of exacting retribution on an opponent.  Perron takes several strides toward Zub, and, with sufficient time to choose to engage Zub in a different manner, or at the very least ensure that the cross-check is delivered directly to the body, comes up excessively high with his stick and delivers a shot to Zub’s head with force. 

The video also acknowledged that Detroit tried to make the claim that this was not a direct blow to the head but that the league disagrees, saying that “the brunt of the impact of this blow was clearly absorbed by Zub’s head due directly to the actions and choices made by Perron”.

Perron is eligible to appeal the suspension.  It would first be heard by Commissioner Gary Bettman.  If he was to uphold the suspension, Perron would then be eligible to appeal to an independent arbitrator since the suspension is for more than five games.

Perron will forfeit $148.4K as a result of the suspension with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.  Barring the suspension being reduced on appeal, he will be eligible to return on December 22nd against Philadelphia.

Red Wings Recall Three Forwards, Place Three On Injured Reserve

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The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forwards Zach Aston-Reese, Jonatan Berggren, and Austin Czarnik on an emergency basis. The team also announced that they’ve assigned J.T. Compher (retroactive to 12/5), Dylan Larkin (retroactive to 12/7), and Klim Kostin (retroactive to 12/9) on injured reserve.

Larkin and Compher have operated as Detroit’s top two centers so far this season, scoring 25 and 19 points respectively in 24 games each. It’s been an especially exciting season for Compher – a University of Michigan alum in his first year with the Red Wings. Detroit represents the first organization that Compher has played for outside of the Colorado Avalanche, despite being originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres.

Larkin’s injury caught social media attention, as the top centerman was cross-checked in the head during a scrum in front of the net by Ottawa’s Mathieu Joseph. The 27-year-old Larkin is leading Detroit in scoring, scoring the same amount of points as winger Alex DeBrincat in two fewer games. It’s Larkin’s ninth NHL season, with the Michigan native totaling 608 career games and 462 career points over that span.

Among the wave of emergency relief is Zach Aston-Reese, who signed with Detroit in early October after originally signing a professional try-out with the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of the season. Aston-Reese played in 77 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, scoring 10 goals and 14 points. Detroit becomes one of four organizations that the 29-year-old forward has played for in the last four seasons. He’s spent the start of this season in the minors, appearing in 20 games and recording seven points, 16 penalty minutes, and a -2.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. 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.

Who are the Red Wings thankful for?

Dylan Larkin.

Larkin had the opportunity to leave the Red Wings this past summer but opted to remain with the franchise signing a massive eight-year extension. Few people would’ve faulted the 27-year-old for bolting the only organization he’s ever known as his tenure in the Motor City hasn’t exactly been full of memorable moments. The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since Larkin’s rookie season back in 2015-16 and haven’t finished better than fifth in their division since that five-game ouster at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Larkin arrived in Detroit at a time when it seemed possible that the Red Wings could avoid a long rebuild and retool on the fly as they had a pile of emerging young talent to play alongside Larkin. However, many of Detroit’s top young players at the time failed to live up to expectations leading the Red Wings into a full-on rebuild that is in its eighth year.

Larkin has done his part through some very lean years in Detroit as he has led the team in scoring in five of the past seven seasons. As well as being their on-ice leader he has also become a leader in the dressing room when he was named their captain in January of 2021. Larkin has been a point-a-game player in each of the past three seasons and has done so without a ton of offensive help from his teammates.

Detroit should be thankful for Larkin, and thankful that the Waterford, Michigan native grew up in the metro Detroit area, which was probably a very big factor when it came to his decision to sign a long-term extension.

What are the Red Wings thankful for?

Scouting.

An argument can be made that perhaps the Red Wings scouting isn’t what it once was, but even if it is a fraction of what it used to be, that’s still better than most of the NHL. The Red Wings have historically been able to hit big on late-round draft picks and much of that credit belongs to Håkan Andersson who is the Director of European Scouting for Detroit. Andersson is largely responsible for the Red Wings drafting Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, Valtteri Filppula, Tomas Tatar, Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, and Gustav Nyquist. While that list is impressive, even more impressive is that Detroit only drafted one of those players in the first round (Kronwall).

Unfortunately for Detroit’s scouting department, the NHL is very much a what have you done for me lately league and their drafting hasn’t been what it once was. That’s not to say they haven’t hit home runs. Tyler Bertuzzi was a late second-round pick, as was Filip Hronek, while Andreas Athanasiou was selected late in the fourth round. Unfortunately for the Red Wings, none of those players worked out in Detroit and they all find themselves in other uniforms.

At this moment, the Red Wings do have some emerging young forwards who could make an impact over the next few years. It will be interesting to re-evaluate the Red Wings scouting in five years to look back and see how they assessed their talent.

What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?

A Patrick Kane return to form.

If Patrick Kane can be anything close to what he was before double hip surgery, the Red Wings will be a real threat in the Eastern Conference. If he ends up like many of his peers who have undergone a hip resurfacing procedure, he might not be able to make much of an impact.

Those are obviously very different outcomes, and it could ultimately be the difference in the Red Wings season. Kane is just two years removed from posting 26 goals and 66 assists in 78 games and if he can bring some of that offense to Detroit’s lineup, along with the leadership that comes with winning three Stanley Cups, then he could push Detroit to be among the contenders in the East. But, if he can’t, Detroit may not be able to outscore some of the subpar goaltending they have received from Ville Husso.

It’s too early to tell how Kane will hold up under the grind of the regular season, but so far, he has looked strong with a goal in two games. Despite starting a huge percentage of his shifts in the defensive zone, Kane has been able to drive play, and get some good looks at both five-on-five and on the power play. As he gets into better game shape, he could become a difference-maker for the Red Wings and that would be something for Detroit fans to be even more thankful for.

What should be on the Red Wings holiday wish list?

A starting goaltender.

Ville Husso isn’t it for Detroit. The 28-year-old has started the majority of the Red Wings games this year and has not been good. In 14 games thus far, the native of Helsinki, Finland has gone 8-4-2 with a .886 save percentage and 3.65 goals against average. Those numbers will not do for a team that is desperate to get back into the playoffs and who has a good enough lineup to do so if they can get the goaltending.

What complicates matters is that backups James Reimer and Alex Lyon have outplayed Husso by a very wide margin. Reimer is 2-2-2 in six starts and has a .922 save percentage with a 2.18 goals-against average, while Lyon is 4-2-0 with a .931 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.13.

The wings are faced with several choices when it comes to their goaltending. They can ride it out with Husso and hope he finds his game while having Lyon and Reimer as backup options in case he falters. Or they can try and move Husso and his $4.75MM cap hit and then try and find another starting goaltender to replace him. Another option might be to add some additional depth, but with Lyon and Reimer already in the system it would become tricky to carry four goaltenders as one would have to be exposed to waivers. Carrying three goaltenders is already unusual, and if Detroit was to target a depth option, they would probably have to move one from one of their netminders.

Something that could work in Detroit’s favor is that they are one of the only contending teams that have a sizeable amount of cap space, meaning they could potentially acquire a goaltender and keep Husso if they wanted to, or move on from Husso and retain some of his cap hit in a trade.

If Husso does continue to struggle Detroit’s starting goalie job will be available, and it could become something to keep an eye on as we get closer to the trade deadline.

Red Wings Reportedly Shopping Jonatan Berggren

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The Red Wings have been shopping 2018 second-round pick Jonatan Berggren in recent trade discussions, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. After scoring 15 goals in his rookie campaign last season, Berggren has been ferried between Detroit and AHL Grand Rapids this year and has played just four games for the Red Wings.

Berggren did not make the Red Wings roster out of camp, a choice made even more surprising by the fact that the Red Wings were voluntarily a player short, keeping 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and three goalies. GM Steve Yzerman had kept the 22-player roster for most of the season up until signing Patrick Kane at the end of last month. Detroit summoned Berggren on an emergency basis a few times in October and briefly on a regular basis at the end of November, but Berggren has been on assignment to Grand Rapids since the beginning of the month. There, he’s done quite well with five goals, ten assists and 15 points in 16 games, although he’s a scratch in today’s contest.

The 23-year-old has always been a high-ceiling scoring option, posting 57 points in just 38 Swedish junior league games during his draft year. Moving up the ranks of Swedish hockey, Berggren was playing a top-six role for the SHL’s Skellefteå AIK by 2020-21, tying for the team lead with 45 points in 49 games that season.

That breakout campaign led to Berggren signing his entry-level contract in Hockeytown, which he’s now in the final season of and is headed toward restricted free agency. The Red Wings opted to keep Berggren in the minors for the entirety of his first season in North America, but that was strictly for development purposes. He had no trouble adjusting to a new continent, again leading his team in scoring with 64 points in 70 contests.

After recording seven points through seven AHL contests to open last season, the Red Wings recalled Berggren in early November 2022, and he didn’t look back. He posted solid numbers in a bottom-six role, finishing fifth on the team in goals and ninth in points with 28. He capped things off with a strong showing internationally, recording two goals and seven points in eight games for Sweden at the 2023 World Championship.

His strong production has continued in the minors this season, and there’s little indication his skill level has dropped off in the past few months. Rather, Detroit is beginning its playoff contention phase after a lengthy rebuild and, justifiably, doesn’t want to mess with a roster that’s performed well. With players like Christian Fischer, Michael Rasmussen, and Daniel Sprong all playing solid hockey in depth roles, there hasn’t been much of a chance for Berggren to work his way into games.

It could be that the Red Wings are shopping Berggren as part of a larger package to land a bigger-name talent on the trade market. If they’re looking to trade him in isolation, though, they’ll likely look to recoup the early second-round pick they used to select him five years ago.

Berggren is due a qualifying offer of $874,125 this summer on a two-way deal and is eligible for salary arbitration.

David Perron Offered In-Person Hearing For Cross-Check

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4:58 p.m.: Perron’s in-person hearing will take place via Zoom tomorrow afternoon, the Department of Player Safety said Sunday night.

11:10 p.m.: The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has announced that veteran forward David Perron has been offered an in-person hearing for a cross-check in last night’s game that he delivered to Ottawa Senators blueliner Artem Zub.

According to the Department of Player Safety’s protocols, a player is offered an in-person hearing “if the infraction might require a suspension of six games or more.”

Looking at the play in question, it’s understandable that George Parros and the Department of Player Safety would consider significant supplemental discipline. The infraction occurred late in the first period of yesterday’s game. In response to a play that left captain Dylan Larkin motionless on the ice, Perron unleashed a high cross-check onto Zub’s head area, attacking a player who appeared to hold his hand out looking to diffuse the situation.

Not only did Perron make direct contact with Zub’s head, he also jumped upwards to do so, displaying a clear intent to attack the head area. While the principle of sticking up for one’s teammate is central to the game, it’s hard to argue Perron did anything but take that principle way too far with his actions. Perron was immediately assessed a match penalty on the play, the penalty carrying the serious tag of “intent to injure.”

As a result of this play, the Red Wings appear likely to be without Perron for a potentially significant period of time. A suspension appears to be a certainty at this point, which would leave the Red Wings without one of their most experienced forwards. The team’s recent acquisition of Patrick Kane should soften the blow of that loss, of course, but still losing a player who scored 24 goals and 56 points last season for some important games is surely bad news for Detroit.

Assuming a suspension, expect to see 23-year-old Jonatan Berggren assume Perron’s spot in the lineup. The 23-year-old 2018 33rd overall pick has scored 15 points in 16 AHL games so far this season and scored 15 goals in his NHL rookie year in 2022-23.

Dylan Larkin Will Not Return To Game

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  • With a handful of minutes left in the first period of tonight’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators, Red Wings’ captain, Dylan Larkin, received a hit to the head from Ottawa forward, Mathieu Joseph, and laid motionless on the ice for some time. In an update from the team, Detroit announced that Larkin is still being attended to by the team medical staff, and would not return to action tonight. Suffering from multiple head injuries throughout his career, it would be a tough blow to the Red Wings if Larkin is set to miss significant time, as he leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 25 points in 23 games.

    [SOURCE LINK]

J.T. Compher Out Thursday, Listed As Day-To-Day

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  • Red Wings forward J.T. Compher is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and won’t play tonight against the Sharks, head coach Derek Lalonde said. Compher has lived up to his billing so far in Hockeytown after signing a five-year, $25.5MM pact when free agency opened last July that was criticized by some at the time. Through 24 games, Compher is tied for fourth on the team in points with 19 and has held down the second-line center position well, averaging 18:52 per game behind Dylan Larkin. His possession numbers have seen a significant dip, however, posting a career-low Corsi share of 44.3% at even strength. He was expected to center a line between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane in the latter’s Red Wings debut tonight, but that role will instead go to 23-year-old Joe Veleno, who has six goals and three assists in 24 games.

Snapshots: Kane, Dahlin, Durzi

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The Detroit Red Wings have announced that legendary winger Patrick Kane will make his debut with the club in their Thursday night matchup against the San Jose Sharks. The game will also mark Kane’s return from the hip resurfacing surgery that he underwent on June 1st.

Kane will look to become the third NHL player to return from a hip resurfacing surgery, with top centerman Nicklas Backstrom representing the second to ever return. Backstrom made it back for the second half of the 2022-23 season, and eight games this season, but is currently on a leave of absence from the Washington Capitals due to complications with his injury.

Thursday night will mark only the 20th regular-season game that Kane has played outside of the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He joined the New York Rangers at last season’s trade deadline, appearing in 19 games and scoring 12 points with the club. These performances brought his career totals to 1180 games, 451 goals, and 1237 points. Kane was originally the first-overall selection in the 2007 NHL Draft.

Other notes from around the league:

Jake Walman Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine

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  • The NHL Department of Player Safety fined Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman $2,500 for high-sticking Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner in last night’s game. The play in question appears to be more of a cross-check than a natural high-sticking, though the cross-check did appear to be unleashed on Skinner’s head. Seeing as Walman made contact with Skinner’s head, the Red Wings are likely relieved that Walman did not receive any suspension from a Department of Player Safety that often has a very low tolerance for checks to the head. Walman has emerged as a top-pairing defenseman in Detroit, so losing him for even a game would represent a significant loss.

Detroit Red Wings Reassign Jonatan Berggren

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12/01/23: The Red Wings have reassigned Berggren to AHL Grand Rapids.

11/28/23: The Detroit Red Wings have recalled forward Jonatan Berggren from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Berggren, 23, has been recalled fresh off of a three-game goal-scoring streak. The Swedish forward was the 33rd overall pick at the 2018 draft and has developed steadily for the Red Wings.

After a stellar first season in North America where he scored 64 points in 70 AHL games, Berggren made it to the NHL full-time in 2022-23. He scored 15 goals and 28 points, showcasing the potential to potentially become a top-six winger down the line.

As Detroit made aggressive moves this offseason to upgrade its team in the pursuit of a playoff berth, Berggren was pushed out of the regular lineup by arrivals such as Daniel Sprong. As a result, Berggren has played all of this season, save for two games, at the AHL level. He’s continued his success there, scoring 11 points in 11 games.

With Dylan Larkin out for tomorrow’s game against the New York Rangers, its possible Berggren replaces him in the lineup, albeit not in Larkin’s first-line center spot. With Patrick Kane set to arrive, though it’s likely Berggren’s stay on the NHL roster will be brief.

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