Decisions have been made on many of the players who were attending NHL training camps on tryouts but one call that hasn’t been made yet is Red Wings winger Bobby Ryan. The veteran was in Detroit last season but settled for a PTO deal at the beginning of training camp. MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that Ryan has done well enough to earn a spot and could slot into their top six following the long-term injury to Jakub Vrana. While he’s not an ideal fit in that role at this stage of his career, the 34-year-old managed seven goals in 33 games last season and could still contribute a little bit in a middle-six role.
Red Wings Rumors
Rasmussen Suffers A "Little Tweak", To Miss A Few Days
- The Detroit Red Wings will be without Michael Rasmussen for the next few days, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Max Bultman of The Athletic. It’s just a “little tweak” for the young forward, but he won’t be playing in the next few preseason games for the Red Wings. Rasmussen signed a new three-year, $4.38MM deal with Detroit this offseason after playing in 40 games during the 2020-21 campaign.
Jakub Vrana To Undergo Surgery
The Detroit Red Wings received some bad news before the season even begins, as head coach Jeff Blashill announced that Jakub Vrana will require shoulder surgery and be out a minimum of four months.
Vrana, 25, just signed a new three-year, $15.75MM contract with the Red Wings last month after going on a tear down the stretch. Acquired from the Washington Capitals as part of the return for Anthony Mantha, the young forward had eight goals and 11 points in 11 games for the Red Wings. With the team still turning the corner on their rebuild, Vrana was one of the team’s most dangerous offensive weapons and will leave a huge hole in the lineup as he recovers from this surgery.
In fact, for a team that was just hoping to be competitive, losing Vrana could very well put them in the running for the 2022 Draft Lottery once again. It’s not that he’s the only effective player on the roster, but it’s hard to see how the Red Wings are going to be dangerous enough offensively to compete most nights without their second-highest paid forward. His absence of course will open the door for another young player to step up, but this is about as bad as it gets for the Red Wings.
There will be no need to move Vrana to long-term injured reserve, as the Red Wings are nowhere near the salary cap upper limit. He’ll move to regular IR as he works through this recovery, hopefully returning before the end of the season. Four months from today would be the end of January, though coach Blashill said it would be at least that long.
Snapshots: Vrana, Voracek, Augustana
Hockey is back as the preseason enters its second day. While teams continue to announce roster moves and training camp cuts, there’s a variety of news and notes from around the league and sport that have come through the wire. The most notable takes us to the Detroit Red Wings, where head coach Jeff Blashill reports that forward Jakub Vrana will see a specialist on Monday for a shoulder injury suffered this week. After yesterday’s report from Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen that Vrana would be reevaluated later, this is a quick turnaround from such an uncertain timeline. Any absence would be a huge blow to Detroit, for whom Vrana scored at a point-per-game pace last season.
Some other news from around the hockey world:
- The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline notes the discrepancy in the role that Jakub Voracek will carry during his second tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Voracek’s last season in Columbus came in 2010-11 at the age of 21, playing 10 seasons and 727 games in Philadelphia after a trade. Dealt back to Columbus this offseason in exchange for Cam Atkinson, Voracek now returns as the oldest player on the Columbus roster. He’ll be tasked with being a strong voice in terms of leadership to help gel a rebuilding squad. It’s something that Voracek says he’s “ready to fill” due to his experience in Philadelphia.
- After announcing a move to create a Division I hockey program back in June, South Dakota’s Augustana University will announce the program officially on October 5. Including the groundbreaking of the team’s new arena, the event will mark history for hockey in South Dakota. It continues a recent tradition of lesser-known schools breaking into the Division I scene.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/25/21
While the bulk of training camp cuts will come later in camp – regular waivers don’t even open up until Thursday – some teams will make roster moves early on. We’ll keep tabs on those here.
Calgary Flames (via team release)
F Lucas Ciona (to Seattle, WHL),
F Cole Huckins (to Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL)
D Cole Jordan (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
F Rory Kerins (to Soo, OHL)
D Greg Moro (to Stockton, AHL)
F Ilya Nikolaev (Tri-City, USHL)
F Reid Perepeluk (to Stockton, AHL)
G Carter Serhyenko (released to Prince Albert, WHL)
G Connor Ungar (released from ATO to Red Deer, WHL)
D Cameron Whynot (to Halifax, QMJHL)
D Koletrane Wilson (to Stockton, AHL)
F Ben King (released from ATO to Red Deer, WHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)
G Patrik Hamrla (to Rimouski, QMJHL)
D Bryce Montgomery (to London, OHL)
F Bobby Orr (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Justin Robidas (to Val-d’Or, QMJHL)
D Ronan Seeley (to Everett, WHL)
Detroit Red Wings (via team release)
G Jan Bednar (to Acadie-Bathurst, QMJHL)
G Sebastian Cossa (to Edmonton, WHL)
F Cross Hanas (to Portland, WHL)
D Oscar Plandowski (to Charlottetown, QMJHL)
F Pasquale Zito (to Windsor, OHL)
F Cameron Butler (released from ATO to Niagara, OHL)
F Luke Toporowoski (released from ATO to Spokane, WHL)
F Cooper Walker (released from ATO to Guelph, OHL)
Edmonton Oilers (via team release)
F Jake Chiasson (to Brandon, WHL)
F Matvey Petrov (to North Bay, OHL)
F Tyler Tullio (to Oshawa, OHL)
F Brady Burns (released from ATO to Saint John, QMJHL)
F Drew Englot (released from ATO to Regina, WHL)
G Ethan Kruger (released from ATO to Brandon, WHL)
F Henry Rybinski (released from ATO to Seattle, WHL)
New York Rangers (via team Twitter)
F Jayden Grubbe (to Red Deer, WHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team Twitter)
F Carson Latimer (to Edmonton, WHL)
D Ben Roger (to London, OHL)
D Chandler Romeo (to Hamilton, OHL)
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Tyler Bertuzzi Declines Vaccine, Won’t Travel To Canada With Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings expect to be shorthanded when they travel to Montreal to battle the Canadiens on October 23. GM Steve Yzerman explained that Tyler Bertuzzi, the Red Wings’ third-highest paid forward, has declined the COVID-19 vaccine and the team anticipates that he will not travel with the club to Canada this season.
Tyler will follow the protocols for non-vaccinated players. Most significant, and not really a part of the protocol, is that as of now and for the forseeable future, you can’t enter Canada unless you are vaccinated. So that obviously will be an issue when we go to play Canadian teams.
As of now, under the Canadian laws, he won’t be able to cross the border so he wouldn’t be able to play in any games in Canada.
Because unvaccinated players are not expected to be paid for games/days missed due to COVID-related absences, including those caused by government restrictions and quarantines, Bertuzzi would be forfeiting $191K just for the nine gamedays the Red Wings have scheduled against Canadian teams. With travel days added (along with days in between games on their Western Canada trip from March 12-17) he could be forfeiting quite a bit more.
That said, the Red Wings didn’t actually confirm that Bertuzzi will be suspended during those trips, meaning there is still a chance he could receive his full salary. The benefit of a short suspension, other than saving money for the organization, is that teams will receive corresponding cap relief for those days away from the roster. The Red Wings, who currently sit $15MM under the salary cap ceiling, wouldn’t benefit much from that added space.
Even though deputy commissioner Bill Daly projected just 10-15 players would be unvaccinated when the season begins, that will still pose an issue for some teams as they resume traveling around North America. Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland admitted today that one of his team’s players has also declined the vaccination, though he did not identify the player. While Bertuzzi may only miss eight games, Holland explained that his player could miss up to 30 given the quarantine that would be required for cross-border travel.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Bobby Ryan To PTO
The Detroit Red Wings will give Bobby Ryan another chance to play this season, or at least a chance to earn a contract. The veteran forward has signed a professional tryout with Detroit and will be at training camp when it starts in a few days.
Ryan, 34, played 33 games for the Red Wings last season, scoring seven goals and 14 points before injury shut him down. He quickly explained then that he wanted to continue his playing career if possible, but a PTO wasn’t an unforeseeable conclusion at this point. There was a time that Ryan was one of the most feared power forwards in the league, scoring 30+ goals on a regular basis, but that player has been gone for years now. Over the last two seasons, he has combined for just 22 points in 77 games, though he remains a beloved teammate and locker room presence.
The interesting thing about Ryan is that a league minimum contract shouldn’t be a problem, given that he will still earn $1.83MM from the Ottawa Senators this season after a 2020 buyout. In fact, he’ll earn that amount in each of the next four seasons after they bought out the final two years of his seven-year, $50.75MM deal. Ryan played for the Red Wings last year with a $1MM salary, but likely won’t even command that much if he does earn a deal again this year.
Of course it may not be in Detroit at all, given how many youngsters they also want to fit into the lineup. A tryout gives Ryan the chance to showcase himself for the whole league and prove that there’s still something left in his tank.
Detroit Red Wings Prospect Jared McIsaac Leaves Game On Stretcher
A prospect match between the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets has been stopped after defender Jared McIsaac was hit along the boards. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reports that McIsaac was responsive as he left the game on a stretcher.
The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger tweets that McIsaac’s head hit the glass on a hit from Columbus Blue Jackets forward James Malatesta and fell to the ice. A report from the Detroit Red Wings says that McIsaac is indeed responsive and has feeling in his extremities. He’ll be observed at a local hospital. The rest of the game will proceed, with the 2:54 that was remaining in the first period added onto the second.
McIsaac has spent much of the last two seasons dealing with injury. He played in just one Liiga game and 10 AHL games with Grand Rapids in 2020-21. Expected to take on a full-time role in Grand Rapids this season, McIsaac’s health and well-being are what’s paramount now.
Everyone at PHR offers their best wishes to McIsaac, his family, and the Red Wings during this time.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Givani Smith
The Detroit Red Wings have signed their final restricted free agent, inking Givani Smith to a two-year contract. The deal, according to his agency, is a one-way contract that will carry an average annual value of $750K.
Smith, 23, seemed to make an impact whenever he made it into the lineup this season, though he finished the year with just four points in 16 games. The 2016 second-round pick will likely never be a top-six scoring threat, but the physicality and power he brings to the ice can be a valuable addition to the Red Wings bottom-six. He has averaged just over ten minutes of ice time through his 37 career NHL games and will once again be in a tough competition for playing time at training camp.
The Red Wings have brought in a few new names this offseason and have several top prospects that will be pushing for full-time NHL spots. Even though he did score nine goals and 15 points in 25 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins this year, the lack of real offensive upside for Smith limits the number of roles he can really fill at the NHL level. If the team decides to go a different way with the fourth line, he’ll be waiting for another injury to get his next chance in the Red Wings lineup.
Still, given he is now eligible for waivers, it probably won’t be quite the rollercoaster that 2020-21 turned out to be. Smith was involved in near-daily transactions, moved up and down from the active roster, taxi squad and minor leagues all season. If the Red Wings want to send him to the minors this time, he’ll be up for grabs to the rest of the NHL through waivers.
This contract also takes Smith to age-25, meaning he could end up a Group VI unrestricted free agent at its conclusion should he fail to play enough games.
Atlantic Notes: Cozens, Seider, Sogaard
With the never-ending rumors of Jack Eichel’s eventual trade on top of the departures of several other core Sabres this summer, its fair to wonder who will fill the leadership vacuum in Buffalo. However, young standout Dylan Cozens is more than ready to take on that role. Appearing on WGR 550 in Buffalo, the 2019 seventh overall pick stated that he is confident in his ability to lead this next generation of Sabres. “I think definitely I could go out and be a leader on this team,” Cozens said. “Just by the way I play, leading by example and being a voice in the room. I think it’s something I’m ready to do. I want to lead by example and be a guy that guys can look to if they need anything or look to to inspire them. That’s what I’ve always been growing up – the guy that wants to lead and do things the right way.” Part of what makes Cozens a great candidate to lead Buffalo for years to come is an optimism that has been missing from other core members through a dark stretch for the franchise. “I think that we’re going to surprise a lot of people this year,” Cozens believes. “Everyone’s doubting us because we’re a young team, but if you look at the second half of last season, we were beating those veteran teams. So I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people and we’re going to have a good year.”
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- The Detroit Red Wings are looking forward to prodigious defenseman Moritz Seider developing into a leader for their club in the future. Yet, he was nowhere to be found on the team’s roster for the upcoming Traverse City Prospects Tournament. However, Red Wings Director of Player Development Shawn Horcoff tells The Athletic’s Max Bultman that this is actually an endorsement of Seider’s position in the organization rather than an indictment. Although Seider has yet to see any NHL action, Detroit is so confident in his ability to make the roster this season that they did not feel they needed to use a roster spot on him in the development tournament. “With Moritz, he’s played two years of pro now – he spent a full year in Grand Rapids, spent a full year over in Europe playing,” Horcoff explained. “Frankly, there’s some younger players that we wanted to see on the (Traverse City Tournament) roster and we just wanted to make sure that Mo was ready to go for main camp.” Fear not, Wings fans; the team clearly has no concerns about their top prospect stepping into the NHL lineup and making an impact this year.
- The Ottawa Senators could face a difficult decision with young goaltender Mads Sogaard this season. As Bruce Garrioch details for the Ottawa Sun, the impressive prospect keeper could very well be in line for a roster spot at the Olympics for Team Denmark, making their first men’s hockey appearance at the Winter Games. Sogaard served as the team’s backup in qualifying tournaments this summer and while the those contests were played without presumptive starter, the Carolina Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen, Sogaard is still likely to be the Danes’ first choice at third-string behind Andersen and qualifying starter Sebastian Dahm. The problem is that the AHL does not have an Olympic break like the NHL. While Ottawa’s players will have full flexibility to attend the Games if selected, Belleville’s may not. Garrioch points out that the farm team has ten games during the NHL’s Olympic break and, depending on how the organization’s goalie depth plays out this season, that could be a number of missed starts for Sogaard and a detriment to Belleville as well. The massive 6’7″ keeper had a strong first pro season last year and if fellow promising youngster Filip Gustavsson cracks the Ottawa roster, Sogaard could be the starter for Belleville. Will the Senators allow him to leave the team for an extended period in order to ride the bench for his country?