Detroit Red Wings Sign Alexandre Doucet
The Detroit Red Wings took a short break from their deadline preparation today to add a player to the organization, signing Alexandre Doucet to a three-year entry-level contract. The undrafted forward currently plays with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.
Doucet, 21, is playing as an overager in junior this year, but making good on his last chance to show what he can do at the amateur level. Through 58 games, split between Halifax and the Val d’Or Foreurs, he has 45 goals and 89 points.
The Red Wings likely believe they have found a late bloomer, as Doucet was never one of the top prospects in Quebec. Selected in the sixth round of the 2018 QMJHL draft, he would still play another year of midget before jumping to the Q and was a slow starter with just 17 goals over his first two years of junior combined.
Because of his age, Doucet can join the Grand Rapids Griffins next year (and this spring, if his junior season ends in time) to start his professional career.
Detroit Red Wings Extend Jake Walman
After finding a new home with the Detroit Red Wings, Jake Walman is cashing in. The defenseman has signed a three-year contract extension worth $10.2MM ($3.4MM AAV) to keep Walman in Detroit through the 2025-26 season.
Walman, 27, was a pending unrestricted free agent but has fit so perfectly in Detroit since arriving, an extension always seemed the most likely scenario. Acquired from the St. Louis Blues as part of the Nick Leddy deal last year, he has emerged as a legitimate top-four option for the Red Wings, mostly skating next to Moritz Seider at even strength. The two complement each other well and Walman’s playing time has surged, including a 23-minute outing against the Ottawa Senators last night.
While a spot on the top pair may not be his forever—the Red Wings do have some serious defense prospects on their way—Walman has proven to be a reliable member of a team that is on the rise. Even after two recent losses, Detroit is still 7-3 in its last ten games and has climbed within a few points of the final wildcard spot. If not this year, they will soon be back in the playoffs, and Walman is going to be around for the ride.
That makes two players that the team has extended this month, following Olli Maatta‘s two-year deal on February 16. There could be more coming. The Red Wings have just 12 players signed to one-way contracts for 2023-24, with a long list of pending UFAs. With very few long-term deals on the books, general manager Steve Yzerman can still shape this roster accordingly, and reward players like Walman who have found success in bigger roles this season.
Lucas Raymond Activated From Injured Reserve
- Lucas Raymond has been activated from injured reserve by the Detroit Red Wings, with Jordan Oesterle taking his place to clear the roster space. The young Raymond returns to a surging Red Wings group within three points of an Eastern Conference wildcard position with a home-and-home on tap with the Ottawa Senators, starting this evening. Soon to turn 21, Raymond has 15 goals and 33 points in 50 games this season.
Michael Rasmussen Out Indefinitely For Detroit Red Wings
Forward Michael Rasmussen is out indefinitely for the Detroit Red Wings, with a lower-body injury, announced via coach Derek Lalonde on the team’s Twitter account.
Team reporter Carley Johnston reports more will be known in the coming days but a timetable is not yet known for his return.
Rasmussen, 23, has recorded 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 56 games this season. The 6’6″ Canadian behemoth hasn’t produced at the NHL level at the rate one would expect from a top-10 pick, but has started to carve out a role on a Red Wings team still trying to discover its identity.
Lucas Raymond Joins Practice
- According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Lucas Raymond took part in his first practice today since getting injured earlier this month. The young forward wasn’t part of line rushes, so likely won’t return tomorrow, but he should be back soon to continue his sophomore season. Raymond has 15 goals and 33 points through 50 games, and will be coming back to a Detroit Red Wings group that is suddenly in the thick of a playoff race.
Dylan Larkin Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine
The Detroit Red Wings will escape Washington with two points and their captain’s availability intact. Dylan Larkin has avoided a suspension and was instead given a $5,000 fine—the maximum allowable under the CBA—for his cross-check on T.J. Oshie last night.
Larkin was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for the play, which happened partway through the first period. Missing more than two periods likely impacted the decision, though the Red Wings were still able to fight off the Capitals for a 3-1 win, thanks to two unassisted goals from Pius Suter.
Whether intentional or not, Larkin delivered a forceful blow directly to the face of Oshie as he tried to slow him down coming out of the zone. He is rather fortunate to escape without at least a one-game ban, especially given the important match tomorrow against the New York Rangers.
Detroit is in a race for one of the wildcard positions in the Eastern Conference and sit just two games behind the Florida Panthers with four games in hand. If they can continue their recent hot streak—the Red Wings are winners of seven of their last ten—they have a chance of making the playoffs this season. Larkin, with 56 points in 55 games, is a big part of that.
The incident ended a pretty significant streak, too. Larkin had scored seven goals and 13 points over a seven-game point streak going into the game against Washington but had it snapped when he played just 2:54 before exiting.
Latest On Tyler Bertuzzi
While this season hasn’t entirely gone to plan for Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, as a pending unrestricted free agent he was expected to be a top player on the forward market this trade deadline season. Now, with Detroit well within the playoff hunt, it seems trade conversations regarding Bertuzzi have halted. On the 32 Thoughts segment of last night’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that there is a growing belief that as long as the Red Wings remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, Bertuzzi is “not available” for trade.
Bertuzzi’s season thus far has not been entirely impressive (he’s struggled to stay healthy and has scored 12 points in 24 games) but it was just one year ago that he scored 30 goals and 62 points in just 68 games for Detroit. If interested clubs believe that the Bertuzzi of last season is a more accurate reflection of his talent than what he has put forth this year, it is no surprise that he would garner trade interest. Forwards who can score while also playing with an edge to their game are highly coveted, so it stands to reason that Detroit could expect a solid return package if Bertuzzi were dealt. But since the Red Wings currently have a chance to stop their playoff drought from stretching to seven seasons in length, it seems they’d prefer to keep their homegrown winger.
Detroit Red Wings Extend Olli Maatta
The Detroit Red Wings won’t be flipping Olli Maatta anywhere at the trade deadline. The defenseman has signed a two-year contract extension worth a total of $6MM ($3MM AAV) that will keep him in Detroit through the 2024-25 season.
Maatta, 28, was scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency this summer after signing a one-year, $2.25MM contract with Detroit last July. His play this season has still left something to be desired but has been good enough to earn himself a more extended stay.
Playing just over 18 minutes a night, Maatta has 17 points in 49 games. At even strength, the vast majority of that time has been spent next to Filip Hronek, a pairing that has actually had outstanding results, even if the process looks shaky at times. With both players on the ice, Detroit has outscored opponents 29-12 despite rather pedestrian possession numbers.
For whatever reason, it has tilted the ice in Detroit’s favor, something they will try to continue to do over the next two seasons.
It also removes a potential target from trade speculation, as teams were likely considering Maatta as a depth addition, He does have quite a bit of playoff experience and won two Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Given how many other contracts are expiring on the Detroit roster, it makes sense that the front office will be trying to keep some of them. The deadline for the Red Wings could still be an explosive one, especially if Dylan Larkin ends up on the market.
Detroit Red Wings Place Lucas Raymond On IR, Recall Jakub Vrana
After he missed the last two games, the Detroit Red Wings placed forward Lucas Raymond on injured reserve today, retroactive to February 10. The team announced that Jakub Vrana has been recalled from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to replace Raymond’s roster spot.
It’s an unfortunate absence for Raymond. Last Friday, he sustained a lower-body injury after colliding with teammate Ben Chiarot in practice. He’ll miss at least the team’s next two games, a back-to-back in Alberta against Edmonton and Calgary.
Again in a top-six role, Raymond has 15 goals, 18 assists, and 33 points in 50 games with Detroit. He’d yet to miss a game in his young NHL career until last weekend’s absence.
For Vrana, it’s been a long road back to the NHL since entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last October. He was out of action for two months until returning to Red Wings practice in mid-December, but he hasn’t played a game for Detroit since then. The team assigned him a conditioning stint to Grand Rapids days later, where he’s remained since, clearing waivers in the process.
Vrana ended up suiting up 17 times for Grand Rapids, recording six goals and five assists for 11 points. It’s not the type of production you’d like to see in the minors from a player who’s been a bona fide top-six winger over the past three seasons. But the reported deteriorating relationship between Vrana and the Red Wings might need to be considered as a factor.
With this year and next left on a contract paying him $5.25MM per season, this could be a showcase move for Vrana. He does have some trade value, especially if Detroit retains salary, and especially if he can put up some points in his return to the lineup. The 26-year-old has been on pace for at least 20 goals in four consecutive seasons, although injuries and COVID have hampered his numbers since 2020.
Latest On Tyler Bertuzzi
As we inch closer to the March 3rd trade deadline, trade winds across the league are beginning to pick up. The 32 Thoughts segment of yesterday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast offered quite a few updates on notable trade situations across the NHL, including that of Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek noted that brief extension talks between the Red Wings and Bertuzzi “didn’t go anywhere,” leaving it more likely that he is dealt before the deadline.
Marek reported that the Red Wings are expected to set a high price for Bertuzzi, who scored 62 points in 68 games last season and plays the sort of rugged, physical game many teams covet. Marek called the price “something substantial” in his report. Teams such as the Dallas Stars, who are reportedly seeking a player to play next to Tyler Seguin on a more regular basis, Edmonton Oilers, and Tampa Bay Lightning were all linked by Marek as teams holding varying degrees of interest in acquiring the talented Red Wings forward.