Red Wings Have Jim Hiller On Coaching Radar
Entering this season, the second-longest tenured coach in the league behind future Hall-of-Famer Jon Cooper was Detroit Red Wings bench boss Jeff Blashill. After just one playoff appearance (in his first year as coach), though, the rebuilding squad finally decided to move on as they try and begin their rise back toward contention. That makes the 48-year-old Blashill an experienced option on the open market, as he’s been in coaching roles since 1998 and coaching professionally since joining the Detroit organization in 2011. While he doesn’t have the shiniest resume, some of that can be attributed to the poor roster he was given in Detroit.
- After getting fired by the New York Islanders today, Jim Hiller is on the radar of the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings (among other clubs) for their head coaching vacancies, reports ESPN’s Kevin Weekes. It would be a return to the Red Wings organization for Hiller, who got his first NHL job there as an assistant in 2014-15 after five seasons as the head coach of the WHL’s Tri-City Americans. He’s been with the Islanders since 2019-20 and has overseen their two back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and 2021.
Former Red Wings Defenseman Larry Hillman Passes Away
Not the household name of some of his Stanley Cup teammates, Hillman made a long career for himself, spanning 22 seasons, as a reliable, shutdown defenseman for his teams. The defenseman began his career in 1954-55 with the Detroit Red Wings as a teenager, a team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup. After parts of three seasons with Detroit, Hillman was claimed on waivers by the Boston Bruins, where he would play parts of three more seasons before again being claimed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hillman would spend the next eight seasons in Toronto, helping the team to four Stanley Cups.
Red Wings Hope To Sign Elmer Soderblom This Summer
- The Red Wings are hoping to work out an entry-level contract this offseason with prospect Elmer Soderblom, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. The hulking winger stands 6’8 and weighs 249 pounds and is coming off a good season in the SHL that saw him put up 21 goals in 52 games with Frolunda of the SHL. His deal in Sweden is now up so assuming the 2019 sixth-rounder does sign, he’ll almost certainly play in North America next season instead of being loaned back overseas like Detroit did with prospect blueliner Albert Johansson this season.
Minor Transactions 5/26/22
With the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs now in full gear and one team already through to the Conference Finals, most AHL teams’ seasons are over and some have already begun chipping away at their offseason work. We’ll keep track of that AHL news here.
- The Grand Rapids Griffins, the affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, announced today that they re-signed forward Dominik Shine to a two-year AHL contract. Shine, an undrafted player and Detroit native, has played in six seasons for the Griffins. After a successful career at Northern Michigan University, Shine turned pro and got into eight regular-season games for the Griffins in 2017-18, the year the team went on to win the Calder Cup. From that point, Shine became a regular in Grand Rapids and produced modestly. This past season Shine had his best offensive output, posting 17 goals and 32 points in 71 games, to go along with a career-high 141 penalty minutes.
- The Hershey Bears announced two signings today, the first being of forward Bear Hughes on an AHL deal for the 2022-23 season. Hughes, 20, was the Capitals’ fifth-round choice at the 2020 draft. Hughes is coming off a productive season for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, where he posted 67 points in 64 games, which led his team. The Post Falls, Idaho native will continue his development in Hershey hoping that his WHL production will translate to professional success and eventually an NHL contract.
- The other signing the Bears announced today was of defenseman Benton Maass, also to an AHL deal covering 2022-23. Maass, 23, was a Washington Capitals sixth-rounder at the 2017 draft and has spent the past five seasons in the NCAA. He spent four years manning the blueline of the University of New Hampshire before spending a final season at Minnesota State University, where he played with Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay and forward Nathan Smith, who now plays for the Arizona Coyotes.
Dylan Larkin Changes Representation
One of the biggest items on Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman‘s checklist this offseason is a potential contract extension with captain Dylan Larkin. The 25-year-old center is signed through 2022-23 and would become an unrestricted free agent next offseason if a deal isn’t reached. It seemed as though Yzerman and the Red Wings front office would be negotiating that extension with KO Sports, but last night Max Bultman of The Athletic reported that Larkin has changed representation. He’s now with CAA, represented by Matt Williams and NHL super-agent Pat Brisson.
It appears as though that was a very unexpected decision, given the statement that Kurt Overhardt, CEO of KO Sports, released to Bultman today:
From a relationship standpoint, Dylan Larkin worked primarily with my business partner, Joe Oliver. Throughout the past 11 years, Joe has thoughtfully guided Dylan through countless matters both on and off the ice. There was never a single issue raised between Dylan and Joe for the entirety of their professional relationship and Joe was completely blindsided by this decision. For the past several months, Joe had been working directly with Dylan in preparation to negotiate his contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings.
As with all of our clients, our work on behalf of Dylan was at the highest standard in all situations. We are very disappointed in his decision and the timing.
Obviously, the interest of the agents is to remain with a client through what should be a massive negotiation, and Overhardt’s statement should be taken with a grain of salt. But it does confirm for Red Wings fans that Larkin is ready to negotiate this offseason–or at least was with his previous representation.
While KO Sports is no small outfit, moving to CAA takes Larkin right to the top. Brisson has more than $1B in negotiated active contracts according to PuckPedia, including clients like John Tavares, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Anze Kopitar, all players with an average annual value of at least $10MM. For what it’s worth (which may be nothing), Brisson currently has just one client with the Red Wings–Jared McIsaac–and none with Yzerman’s former outfit in Tampa Bay.
Larkin is coming off quite the platform year to start negotiating. Reinvigorated by his young, up-and-coming teammates, the speedy forward scored 31 goals and 69 points in 71 games. His overall production is similar to CAA client Matt Duchene through the early part of his career; Duchene ended up signing a seven-year, $56MM contract with the Nashville Predators when he hit the open market in 2019. He did negotiate a multi-year deal with the Red Wings for Anthony Mantha in 2020.
Players signed through 2022-23 are eligible for extensions on July 13, when free agency opens this year.
Offseason Checklist: Detroit Red Wings
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that weren’t playoff-bound plus some that were eliminated early in the playoffs. It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Detroit.
It has been a rough few seasons for the Red Wings. After their streak of 25 straight playoff appearances came to an end in 2017, they haven’t seen the playoffs since then. They have brought in several promising youngsters in recent years and the expectation is that they’ll soon get back to battling for a playoff spot at a minimum. With that in mind, their summer checklist is more geared towards win-now moves compared to recent years.
Hire A Head Coach
First things first. After parting ways with Jeff Blashill, who had been one of the longer-tenured coaches in the league, Detroit now needs a new bench boss for the first time since 2015 when Mike Babcock left for Toronto. Blashill’s tenure wasn’t overly successful in terms of his record (204-261-72) but with the team going through a reset, it wasn’t as much of a concern. But now with an expectation of more on-ice success, GM Steve Yzerman decided now is the right time for a change.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see what direction they go. Are they looking for someone that is going to help them get back to the playoffs first and foremost or are they hoping for a longer-term fit? The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive but the first category opens up the ability to hire a veteran coach who can get quick results but who typically has a short shelf life, giving them some extra options to consider. On the other hand, if Yzerman is looking for a long-term fit, then the potential for a first-time hire stands out a bit more.
Either way, getting a coach in place well before the summer transactions get underway will be important as whoever takes the job will likely want to provide some input on what else the Red Wings do this summer.
Extension Talks
Two of Detroit’s top players will be eligible for contract extensions once free agency opens up in July in Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi. Larkin, their captain, has been on a bargain contract for the past four seasons with a $6.1MM AAV, a price tag that’s below market value for a number one center. That will certainly change on his next contract as recent comparables will likely push his price tag over the $8MM mark per season. There’s no doubt that Yzerman will want to extend the Michigan native and keep him in the fold, especially since they don’t have an up-and-coming number one center behind him. In Tampa Bay, Yzerman’s talks with captain Steven Stamkos went right down to the wire. In an ideal world, that doesn’t happen so they’re likely to try to hammer something out this summer.
As for Bertuzzi, while he was in the headlines for not being able to play in Canada due to his vaccination status, that overshadowed a career year that saw him set career highs in goals (30) and assists (32) in 68 games while averaging nearly 20 minutes a night. That’s top-line production at a $4.75MM price tag which is also well below market value. Bertuzzi is a couple of years older than Larkin but at 27, he’s still young enough to be part of the core. This summer, Yzerman needs to find out what Bertuzzi’s asking price is to see if it fits within their future salary structure. If not, his name could be in trade speculation soon after.
Reshape The Back End
Detroit’s back end got a big lift this season with the arrival of Moritz Seider who is a very strong contender to win the Calder Trophy as the top rookie next month. However, their defense corps has been a weak spot for the past several seasons and will need to be addressed this offseason.
Long-time rearguard Danny DeKeyser is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is unlikely to return unless it’s at a very steep discount. Marc Staal is also a pending UFA and while he’s not the higher-end shutdown player he was in his prime, he still filled a stable stay-at-home role for the Red Wings over the last couple of years. He could be back but would need to be replaced if he doesn’t return.
At the moment, there are only three other regular defensemen signed for next season beyond Seider – Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom, and Jordan Oesterle. Hronek had a tough year in his own end but has some trade value if they decide to shake things up while Lindstrom and Oesterle are better as depth pieces. So, too, are recent signing Steven Kampfer and pending RFAs Olli Juolevi and Jake Walman. Beyond Hronek, none of those players should be in impact roles next season.
Detroit will have another top youngster coming to North America in 2022-23 in Simon Edvinsson and while he has shown plenty of promise, it’s hard to expect he’ll come in and suddenly solve all of their defensive issues. Adding an impact veteran (if not two) will be needed to help shore up a group that allowed the third-most goals in the league this season and help take some pressure off the goaltenders. Fortunately, they have over $35MM in cap space at their disposal so they can afford to shop at the higher end of the market this summer.
Find A New Second Goalie
Speaking of their goalies, Detroit needs to find a second goaltender to partner with Alex Nedeljkovic. Thomas Greiss had a particularly tough season and is unlikely to be retained while Calvin Pickard, their third-string option, is also a pending UFA and isn’t really in the mix for an NHL spot either. Magnus Hellberg signed late in the year but he’s more of a viable third-string option than a strong contender for the backup spot.
As usual, there are several Greiss-like goalies available, veterans that can be signed for a year or two to continue the platoon and maintain the status quo. Alternatively, a handful of netminders could be moved this summer that could be plausible platoon options as well.
That said, are the Red Wings better off looking for a longer-term option? Darcy Kuemper still has a few years as a starter left in him while Ville Husso and Jack Campbell have both shown flashes and are young enough to be around for a while. While Detroit has Sebastian Cossa, a prospect they have high hopes for, it typically takes a few years for a goaltender to be NHL-ready. Instead of continuing to churn through goalies for short-term fixes, perhaps a longer-term solution that serves as a bridge to Cossa is a better way for them to go this summer. Either way, they will need a new netminder in the next couple of months.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Salary figures courtesy of CapFriendly.
Brian Lashoff Signs AHL Contract
The Grand Rapids Griffins will retain their captain, as Brian Lashoff has signed a one-year AHL contract with the club. The team has also signed Tyler Spezia to a two-year AHL deal.
Lashoff, 31, has spent his entire professional career with the same organization, originally signing with the Griffins as an undrafted free agent more than a decade ago. During the time he’s been there, the veteran defenseman has signed several NHL contracts with the Detroit Red Wings, including one that covered 2021-22. That two-way deal carried a cap hit of $750K in the NHL while also rewarding him handsomely with a $325K minor league salary.
Given he hasn’t appeared with the Red Wings since the 2019-20 season, an AHL deal seems appropriate at this point. Once a regular call-up and injury replacement, Lashoff has been passed on the organizational depth chart by several younger defensemen. Over the years, he racked up 136 regular season appearances, and 15 points.
Still, his value to the Griffins can’t be overstated, as he has become something of an institution with the AHL club. Captain since 2020, he’s played nearly 600 regular season games in the minor leagues and is a two-time Calder Cup champion.
Should the Red Wings need him at any point in 2022-23, they would have to first sign him to a new NHL contract.
Detroit Red Wings Interested In Barry Trotz
Barry Trotz is the hottest name on the coaching market right now. The Winnipeg Jets have already interviewed him, and we previously covered that the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers have interest in Trotz as well. Along with those teams, you can add two more organizations into the mix. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Trotz’s list of suitors is “expected to include” the Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings.
Both Vegas and Detroit recently fired their coaches, though that’s about where the similarities end between the two franchises. The Golden Knights are an organization with sky-high aspirations and a roster equipped for long playoff runs. The Red Wings, on the other hand, are just beginning to emerge from a rebuild and have a roster with some young stars such as Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond but also enough flaws to keep them from being widely seen as a true contender. With these two teams now in the chase for Trotz, it seems that he will have the pick of the litter when it comes to where he will work next. As one of the most widely respected individuals in hockey, Trotz’s choice will likely say a lot about the direction of the franchise he chooses and be a reason for optimism for that team’s fanbase.
Red Wings Sign Steven Kampfer
The Detroit Red Wings have gotten a head start on the offseason, making a free agent signing while other teams are still in the midst of playoff action. The Red Wings announced today that they have signed free agent defenseman Steven Kampfer to a one-year contract.
Kampfer, 33, is a veteran of 231 NHL games and last played in the NHL in 2020-21, getting into 20 games for the Boston Bruins. He played this season for Kazan Ak-Bars of the KHL, potting 11 goals and 30 points, which ranked third on the team. Kampfer also represented the United States at the Beijing Olympics, scoring four points in four games. That level of offense hasn’t shown up at the top level in North America, though, as Kampfer only has 39 points in those 231 career NHL games.
But, even with that said, Kampfer is fresh off of his most productive season as a professional player. His play in the KHL and at the Olympics was legitimately impressive, so the Red Wings are making this signing as a bet that the Ann Arbor, Michigan native has made the necessary changes to his game to allow him to be a more productive defenseman in North America than he was in his past AHL/NHL seasons.
Detroit Red Wings Extend Taro Hirose
The Detroit Red Wings have reached an agreement with Taro Hirose on a two-year contract extension, keeping him in the organization and away from unrestricted free agency. The financial details of the deal have not yet been released.
Hirose, 25, would have qualified as a Group VI UFA this summer, after playing just 57 games to this point in his NHL career. Just 15 of those came this season but the young forward showed just how dangerous he could be at the minor league level.
In 59 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins, Hirose had 15 goals and 53 points. He’ll likely spend a good chunk of this new contract in the minor leagues as well, though he’ll have to clear waivers in order to do it.
A highly sought-after undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Michigan State University, Hirose has 20 points in his 57-game NHL career to this point, suggesting that there actually is some upside at that level if he ever gets a more prolonged opportunity. If not, he still represents a strong injury replacement for short-term stints, as he can step into a top-six or powerplay role if necessary.
There’s also always a chance that he catches the eye of the new coaching staff, with Jeff Blashill not returning. That battle will happen in training camp now that the contract negotiations are complete.