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Detroit Red Wings Sign John Lethemon

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The Detroit Red Wings announced they have signed goaltender John Lethemon to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay Lethemon $775K at the NHL level, although it is unexpected he will reach this season.

Two years ago, Lethemon spent time with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, and with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL, both affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings. He was never drafted by the Kings, as he was signed out of Michigan State University to a tryout agreement. In March of this year, the Red Wings officially signed Lethemon to his first contract, paying him $750K at the NHL level.

Much like he did in the Kings organization, Lethemon split time between the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL and the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL. Things did not go well for Lethemon in Grand Rapids, as he was only able to produce a 1-6-2 record in nine games, earning a 3.88 GAA and a .878 SV%. Primarily sharing the net with the top goaltending prospect for Detroit, Sebastian Cossa, Lethemon did much better for the Walleye. In 26 starts, Lethemon earned an incredible 18-1-3 record, producing a 1.99 GAA and a .930 SV%.

During the 2023 Kelly Cup playoffs, Lethemon split the net with Cossa, earning a 4-2-0 record, carrying a 2.64 GAA and a .917 SV%. Although his numbers did dip in the postseason, the goaltending tandem led the Walleye to the Western Conference Finals, eventually losing to the Idaho Steelheads.

Minor Transactions: Zadina, Andreoff, Cracknell, Slaggert

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Elliotte Friedman is reporting that Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina has cleared waivers once again, this time for the purpose of having his contract mutually terminated. The former sixth-overall pick is now an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team he chooses. The news was a forgone conclusion as Zadina cleared waivers just a few days ago and was unlikely to be claimed this time around.

For Zadina, it means he gets the fresh start he has been asking for since he requested a trade just before the NHL entry draft. For Detroit, it’s a brutal case of missing on a top-10 draft pick during a rebuild, not exactly ideal for a team that has built a good foundation of prospects and future NHLers. One benefit to the Red Wings is that they are no longer on the hook for the $4.56MM that Zadina was owed over the next two seasons.

One team that could check in on Zadina is the Vancouver Canucks, but Rick Dhaliwal of Chek Television tweeted that the Canucks haven’t reached out to Zadina’s representatives at this time, however, it is early. Zadina will come at a very low cap number which should interest many of the cash-strapped clubs around the league.

In Other Minor Transactions:

  • Friedman is also reporting that Detroit Red Wings winger Andy Andreoff also cleared waivers this morning and he too will have his contract mutually terminated. Andreoff had a year left on his contract at a cap hit of $762.5K and at 32 years of age will likely finish his career outside of the NHL. Andreoff has accumulated 14 goals and 13 assists in 188 NHL games in parts of eight NHL seasons but has had a solid AHL career with 254 points in 403 games. CBS Sports is reporting that Andreoff will sign in the KHL with Sibir Novosibirsk.
  • The Henderson Silver Knights have announced that they’ve signed nine-year NHL veteran Adam Cracknell to a one-year AHL contract. The 37-year-old forward is entering his 18th season of professional hockey after spending last season as captain of the Tucson Roadrunners where he posted AHL career highs with 21 goals and 32 assists in 64 games. A veteran of 210 NHL games, Cracknell posted 21 goals and 22 assists in a career that included stops with seven different NHL teams.
  • The Rochester Americans have announced that they’ve signed center Graham Slaggert to a one-year AHL contract. The 24-year-old spent last season with the Toronto Marlies where he posted six goals and four assists in 63 games. It was his first professional season after he spent four years in the NCAA with the University of Notre Dame. In 143 career college games, Slaggert posted 27 goals and 42 assists and was also the captain of his club in his final season of eligibility.

Detroit Red Wings Expected To Terminate Filip Zadina’s Contract

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Jul 6: As expected, Zadina is on the waiver wire today for the purposes of mutual contract termination, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He’s joined by New York Islanders farmhand Andy Andreoff, who had one season left on a two-way contract.

Jul 5: The Detroit Red Wings are expected to place 2018 sixth-overall pick Filip Zadina on waivers again tomorrow, this time for the purpose of terminating his contract, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

There’s little reason to believe anyone would issue a claim if Detroit does opt to go the contract termination route, considering Zadina cleared just yesterday and was made available to all 31 teams via trade – yet he remains a Red Wing today.

The reason for that isn’t necessarily that no one wants to take him on as a reclamation project. It’s the financial commitment that comes with him – he’s got two seasons remaining on a backloaded $1.825MM AAV contract that would result in a costly gamble for a team claiming him if it doesn’t pan out. In real cash, he’s owed $4.56MM over the next two seasons.

It’s money that Zadina could willing to walk away from entirely to have a better chance of a successful NHL career, says Friedman. Although Zadina’s agent, Darren Ferris, declined to comment on the matter, Friedman’s reporting suggests Zadina has made it clear he would not report if assigned to the AHL next season, which would violate his contract and result in suspension without pay.

With both Zadina and Detroit cleared of any contractual obligation to each other, he would then be free to sign with any team in the league – giving him full control over his destiny, at least among the teams interested in adding him. Zadina had already requested a trade before the draft, which Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman expressed earlier in the week, but again cited Zadina’s contract as a significant obstacle in moving him.

Yzerman had expressed his reluctance to put Zadina on waivers, considering he’d signed the winger to a three-year contract just a year ago with the belief that he would continue to develop. It didn’t happen this season, as he posted just seven points in 30 games and averaged 13:05 per game.

All that being said, it’s fair to speculate now which teams could have interest in picking up the Czech-born winger, and where he could have success and ultimately develop into the top-six (or top-nine, at this point) forward he was projected to be.

Somewhat ironically, Zadina has some history with two teams that could make sense. Before falling to Detroit at sixth overall at the 2018 Draft, Zadina said regarding two teams, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, that “if they will pass on me, I’m going to fill their nets with pucks.” Montreal selected Jesperi Kotkaniemi third overall, while Ottawa selected now-captain Brady Tkachuk with the fourth selection. Both teams are looking to add some forward depth today, and Montreal has displayed a liking to taking on reclamation projects in recent years (Kirby Dach, Denis Gurianov, Alex Newhook).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Kris Draper Named Assistant GM

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  • After spending the last four seasons as Detroit’s Director of Amateur Scouting, the team announced that Kris Draper has been named as the Red Wings’ new Assistant GM; Draper will retain his old position as well. As a player, Draper spent 17 seasons with the Red Wings as a key checking center, helping them win four Stanley Cup titles.  He retired in 2011 and immediately joined Detroit’s front office, working his way up from Special Assistant to the GM.

Yzerman: Zadina Requested Trade Before The Draft

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  • When Detroit waived Filip Zadina yesterday, the move came as a surprise. However, GM Steve Yzerman told reporters including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that the youngster had requested a trade a couple of weeks prior to the draft.  Clearly, that didn’t materialize and after he cleared today, it’s back to the drawing board on that front.  Zadina has two years left on a contract that carries a $1.825MM AAV and it appears that the Red Wings will need to pay some of that down or take a similar contract back if they want to move him.  Alternatively, the fact he cleared now suggests they could waive him in training camp, saving $1.15MM in cap room in the process for any time that he’s in the minors.

Filip Zadina Clears Waivers

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Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets is reporting that Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina has cleared waivers and will remain with the team. Detroit put the 2018 sixth overall pick on waivers yesterday and no team wanted to pick up the tab on his $1.825MM cap hit. Zadina has struggled to establish himself in the league putting up just 28 goals and 68 points in 190 career NHL games and while he does have the pedigree of being a recent top-10 pick in the entry draft, the on-ice results have been less than stellar.

The Athletic’s Max Bultman reported yesterday that the 23-year-old asked for a trade through his agent before the draft and Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has been trying to accommodate Zadina’s request but has been unable to find a suitor and it’s easy to see why. Zadina had just three goals last season to go along with four assists in 30 games while averaging a tick over 13 minutes a game in ice time. By placing Zadina on waivers Detroit expanded the possibility of facilitating his move to a new team but were unable to find a taker for him and the remaining two years on his contract.

It’s a little bit surprising that none of the rebuilding teams in the league took a gamble on Zadina given his draft pedigree, but it goes to show just how little cap space there is around the league and how poor Zadina’s on-ice results have been. While his offensive play has left a lot to be desired, his analytics and fancy stats have been decent in what has been a fourth-line role for the most part. Given that he hasn’t been able to produce on the fourth line teams opted to let him pass through waivers.

It’s unclear what will happen with Zadina going forward. Detroit could welcome him back next season or may still try and facilitate a trade for another player on a bad contract. Either way, it’s become clear that both the team and the player view a fresh start as a best-case scenario.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Nolan Stevens

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A strong showing in the minors has earned former St. Louis Blues forward prospect Nolan Stevens another NHL contract. The Detroit Red Wings have nabbed the unrestricted free agent on a one-year, two-way deal, with CapFriendly reporting it’s worth $775K in the NHL and $150K in the AHL.

The 26-year-old center scored 15 goals and 33 points in 48 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets on a minor-league contract last season, setting a career-high in both categories. The Blues cut ties with Stevens during the 2021-22 season, trading him to the Minnesota Wild in a minor-league swap for forward William Bitten. Minnesota then opted not to re-sign Stevens when he became a UFA under Group VI rules last offseason.

Now with 119 points in 237 AHL games to his name, Stevens is slated for usage with the Grand Rapids Griffins, who will be his fifth AHL squad. Detroit’s affiliate struggled last season, posting a 28-36-8 record and missing the Calder Cup Playoffs for the second straight season. Stevens was on pace for 50 points in a full 72 AHL games last season, which would’ve placed him second on the 2022-23 Griffins squad. Needless to say, he’ll be an important cog in helping Detroit’s farm team return to postseason play.

An NHL contract provides the 6-foot-2 center a chance at his NHL debut, something he hasn’t achieved in five seasons since turning pro. The former Northeastern University captain was selected by the Blues with the 125th overall pick in 2016.

Detroit Red Wings Place Filip Zadina On Waivers

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The Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Filip Zadina on waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Zadina, the sixth-overall pick at the 2018 draft, has two years remaining on his $1.825MM AAV contract. A lethal scorer at the junior level with the Halifax Mooseheads, Zadina turned pro immediately after the draft and spent his rookie professional season in the AHL.

He scored at a solid clip with Grand Rapids, potting 16 goals and 35 points in 59 games, a very respectable total for a teenage AHL rookie. He also scored three points in nine NHL for the Red Wings that year, flashing his offensive talent and showcasing why the consensus among scouts was that he would end up a star forward.

Zadina’s 2019-20 season was not a resounding leap forward but a solid step nonetheless, though as the pandemic wreaked havoc on pro hockey around the world Zadina’s development path was affected.

He never found a rhythm in his first season of full-time NHL duty and finished with 19 points in 49 games.

2021-22 was a continuation of Zadina’s struggles from the year before, and in his first full-length season in the NHL he managed only 10 goals and 24 points. Then this past season Zadina only played in 30 NHL games and scored just seven points.

Set to turn 24 next November, it’s been clear for some time that a change of scenery would likely be necessary for Zadina to reach his potential at the NHL level.

With Jonatan Berggren a more effective winger at the NHL level and the Red Wings signing Daniel Sprong in free agency, Zadina simply ran out of chances on Detroit’s roster.

Drafted by a previous regime led by current Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland, Zadina’s draft status was only going to get him so far, and now he’ll either be claimed by another NHL franchise or likely begin the season in the AHL hoping to earn a call-up if other wingers ahead of him on the pecking order struggle or get injured.

While his $1.825MM cap hit isn’t a massive number, in a flat-cap environment where so many teams are counting every last dollar available to them Zadina’s contract likely reduces the number of teams willing to acquire him by a decent degree.

Now all 31 other clubs will get a chance to add Zadina, and it remains to be seen if any team is confident enough in their development staff and what remains of Zadina’s former top prospect luster to take a chance on the final two years of his contract.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Red Wings Sign Christian Fischer

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July 2nd: Detroit has officially announced the signing, as it will be a one-year, $1.125MM deal for Fischer.

July 1st: The Red Wings have been active in filling out their roster today and they’re set to make another addition up front.  Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports (Twitter link) that Detroit is set to sign winger Christian Fischer to a one-year contract.  Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

Fischer was among the many players non-tendered yesterday to avoid the risk of a higher-than-desired salary arbitration award.  The 26-year-old is coming off a bounce-back season offensively, picking up 13 goals and 14 assists in 80 games with Arizona last season.  For context, he had just 30 points in the previous three seasons combined, spanning 161 contests.

Assuming a deal is eventually finalized, Fischer should add some grit to Detroit’s bottom six as he’s averaging just under 1.9 hits per game over his seven-year career, spanning 398 games.  Fischer’s qualifying offer with Arizona was for just over $1.125MM and considering the fact that he’s coming off the second-best offensive season of his career, it stands to reason that he’ll be landing a nice raise on that amount.

Shayne Gostisbehere Signs With Detroit Red Wings

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The Red Wings have once again added to their back end as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that they’ve signed defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.  It’s a one-year deal worth $4.125MM. PuckPedia adds the contract includes a 10-team no-trade clause.

The 30-year-old has seen his value change considerably over the last couple of years.  It was only two summers ago that Philadelphia parted with a pair of draft picks (including a second-rounder) to simply offload Gostisbehere’s contract onto Arizona for no return.  Considering his production had dropped to just 32 points over the previous two seasons combined, it was an understandable move given their cap situation.

That trade proved to be great for Gostisbehere who rediscovered his offensive touch in the desert.  In 2021-22, he picked up 14 goals and 37 assists, putting him in a tie for 15th in NHL scoring by a blueliner.  He followed that up with another impressive performance this past season, tallying 10 goals and 21 assists in 52 games with Arizona before being traded to Carolina at the trade deadline.  Gostisbehere saw his playing time drop by 5:30 per game following the swap to just 17 minutes a night but he still managed to pick up 10 points in 23 games following the swap before adding three assists in 15 playoff contests.

With Detroit, Gostisbehere figures to be one of the key contributors from the back end, effectively filling the role that Filip Hronek held prior to him being moved to Vancouver at the deadline.  While Moritz Seider is also in the mix offensively, they could opt to give Gostisbehere the top power play minutes to help manage Seider’s ice time.  If that happens, Gostisbehere could be in line for another productive season, potentially helping to boost his value and land a multi-year deal next summer.

Even after the flurry of signings they’ve had today, Detroit still has more than $9MM in cap room at their disposal, per CapFriendly, with only Joe Veleno to re-sign as a restricted free agent.  Accordingly, GM Steve Yzerman still has plenty of flexibility to work with if other opportunities to add to his roster present themselves.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to note the two sides were in discussions.

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