Red Wings Talking Extension With David Perron
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
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
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
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
- 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
- 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
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.
Robby Fabbri Out Tuesday For Personal Reasons
- Red Wings left winger Robby Fabbri won’t play Tuesday against the Oilers due to personal reasons, according to head coach Derek Lalonde (via Ansar Khan of MLive.com). He is expected to rejoin the team on their road trip before their game in Vancouver on Thursday. The 28-year-old missed significant time early in the season with a lower-body injury but has rebounded to be an important bottom-six contributor for Detroit, posting 13 goals and 21 points in 39 games while logging 13:27 per game. Depth forward Klim Kostin will draw back into the lineup against his former team tomorrow after he was scratched for Saturday’s overtime win over the Canucks.
Red Wings Place Nolan Stevens On Unconditional Waivers
Feb. 12: Stevens has cleared unconditional waivers and will have his contract terminated, per Johnston.
Feb. 11: The Red Wings have placed minor-league forward Nolan Stevens on unconditional waivers Sunday with the intent to terminate his contract, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports.
Stevens’ pending contract termination is likely mutual and not for off-ice reasons. The 27-year-old has no NHL experience and has been disappointing with AHL Grand Rapids this season, scoring three goals and 11 points in 31 games.
A fifth-round pick of the Blues in 2016, Stevens was an offensive force in collegiate play with Northeastern University but hasn’t been able to translate his scoring to the pro level with much consistency. He developed into a decent top-nine AHL contributor after turning pro with the Blues’ AHL affiliate in 2018, but after failing to make much progress up the depth chart, he was dealt to the Wild in a minor-league prospect swap in Dec. 2021.
Stevens then posted only seven points in 33 games to close out the 2021-22 campaign with AHL Iowa, becoming a Group VI UFA that summer with the Wild opting not to re-sign him. He received no other NHL offers and signed a minor-league deal with the Devils’ AHL affiliate in Utica for 2022-23.
It proved to be the right choice for Stevens, who looked to get his confidence back with a career-high 15 goals and 33 points in only 48 games. That performance got him another NHL contract with Detroit last summer, who signed him to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $150K in the NHL.
With his production and ice time continuing to trail off, however, both sides would like a fresh start. If Stevens clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent on Monday and can sign with any other NHL club.
Afternoon Notes: Perron, Harvey-Pinard, Athanasiou
The Edmonton Oilers could be interested in trading for Detroit Red Wings winger David Perron, per team reporter Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Matheson shares that Oiler general manager Ken Holland has long been a fan of Perron, though the Red Wings would need to retain half of Perron’s $4.75MM cap hit if any deal were to go through. The Oilers have proven their interest in veteran wingers already, signing free agent Corey Perry to a one-year, $1MM contract. Perry managed his first point as an Oiler on Friday, recording an assist on Evander Kane’s second-period goal.
Perron, 35, has been in the NHL since 2007 – jumping straight into the league after getting selected 26th overall in the 2007 NHL Draft. His 27 points in 62 games as a rookie is the lowest that Perron has scored in his career when he appeared in 50 or more games in a season. He’s proven incredibly productive, even into his glory years – tallying 58, 57, and 56 points respectively across the last three seasons. He has 10 goals and 23 points in 44 games this year, currently on his lowest scoring pace since the 2015-16 season when he managed just 16 points in 43 games.
Perry and Perron aren’t just 1000-game veterans of the NHL, they’re both Stanley Cup champions – with Perry winning with the 2007 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Perron winning with the 2019 St. Louis Blues. The pair has nearly 300 playoff games under their belt – with Perron making up 104 of those games – bringing a much-needed playoff poise to an Oilers team that has made the Conference Finals just once since 2006.
The Red Wings would have the upper hand in any trade negotiations for Perron, especially since they’ll need to retain salary. The Oilers own their first-round selection in each of the next three drafts, as well as their second-round pick this year. They may need to be ready to part with some of those picks if they want to bring in a 17-year veteran in Perron.
Other notes from around the league:
- Montreal Canadiens forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard exited the team’s Saturday afternoon game against the Dallas Stars with a lower-body injury suffered on a collision with teammate Joel Armia. Harvy-Pinard previously missed seven weeks of the season with a lower-body injury, limiting the 25-year-old to just 23 games on the season. He’s scored one goal and seven points in those outings, adding six penalty minutes.
- The Chicago Blackhawks saw Andreas Athanasiou return to practice on Saturday, marking his first skate since suffering a groin injury in early November. Athanasiou, 29, has played in just 11 games this season, recording four assists but still searching for his first goal of the year. His return will be a breath of fresh air for a Blackhawks offense that’s scored just 10 goals over their last eight games, going 1-6-1 in the matchups. Athanasiou scored 20 goals and 40 points last season, his highest productivity since scoring 30 goals and 54 points in the 2018-19 season.