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Detroit Red Wings Sign Filip Hronek

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The Detroit Red Wings have locked up an important restricted free agent, signing Filip Hronek to a three-year contract. The young defenseman was not eligible for salary arbitration. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $4.4MM. PuckPedia provides the full breakdown:

  • 2021-22: $2.7MM salary + $500K signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $4.5MM salary
  • 2023-24: $5.5MM salary

Hronek, 23, may not yet be a household name because of the Red Wings’ lack of recent success, but he certainly should be. Originally selected 53rd overall in 2016, the Czech defenseman has quickly established himself as one of the team’s most important players. Even as a rookie in 2018-19 Hronek was impressive, averaging 20 minutes a night and racking up 23 points in 46 games. That performance has only improved, with 26 points this season and a whopping 23:23 every night. Those 26 points led the entire Red Wings roster.

It’s easy to look at his +/- numbers and see someone that has been -66 through three seasons, but Hronek is exactly the reason why that statistic has fallen out of favor with so many. His on-ice impact has been excellent, even while taking tough deployment with less than stellar linemates. In his three seasons, the most common defense partners for Hronek have been Danny DeKeyser, Patrik Nemeth, and Jonathan Ericsson, while routinely being matched against the opponent’s best (Hronek faced no forward more than Patrick Kane in 2020-21).

As the team around him improves, Hronek should settle into a role a little lower than the one he’s holding right now, averaging three minutes more than any other player on the team. Make no mistake though, this is a key building block for GM Steve Yzerman to work with as a legitimate top-four defenseman now locked up for three years.

Notably, Yzerman has maintained his future flexibility with the three-year bridge deal instead of locking Hronek in long-term. The Red Wings don’t have a single player signed past the 2023-24 season, meaning if this version of the rebuild doesn’t go perfectly, the team can still pivot and doesn’t have to deal with any contract anchors moving forward.

Carter Rowney Signs With Detroit Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed free agent forward Carter Rowney to a one-year deal. PuckPedia reports that the contract is worth $825K.

Rowney, 32, has played in more than 200 games in the NHL, including 19 during the 2020-21 season with the Anaheim Ducks. The undrafted forward worked his way up to the NHL after a strong four seasons at the University of North Dakota, making his debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-17. In fact, Rowney suited up for 20 playoff games that year for the Penguins, helping them secure their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

The most he has ever played in one season is 71 games, accomplished in 2019-20 with the Ducks. That number could be in reach with the rebuilding Red Wings, who still will need some veteran leadership in the lineup as they break their young forwards into the NHL.

Like every signing for Detroit, Rowney also represents a potential deadline chip to sell off a few months down the line. Though he won’t be worth much, fourth-line forwards with size, physicality, and the ability to play center in a pinch are often targeted by contenders. In his 223 regular season games, the 6’2″ Rowney has delivered 550 hits.

Keith Petruzzelli Signs With AHL’s Toronto Marlies

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In a somewhat stunning turn of events, highly-touted goalie prospect Keith Petruzelli will not be playing in the NCAA nor on an NHL contract this season. The 2017 third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings had parted ways with his rights holder, allegedly by his own choice, and was believed to be looking for a new NHL home or else returning for a fifth year at Quinnipiac University. Instead, the AHL’s Toronto Marlies have announced that they have signed Petruzzelli and to a two-year deal at that. It is quite the unexpected outcome for the decorated NCAA goaltender.

Petruzzelli, 22, is coming off of an excellent collegiate season in which he was named an ECAC first-team all-star, ECAC goalie of the year, a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s best goaltender,and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s most outstanding player. He posted a .926 save percentage and 1.89 GAA while leading the Bobcats to a conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. This was reasonably expected to boost his value as an NHL prospect. After all, recent Richter winners include top young pro keepers like Jeremy Swayman, Cayden Primeau, and Thatcher Demko. Petruzzelli was in a unique situation as well. Having played four seasons in the NCAA, Petruzzelli could watch the Red Wings’ draft rights expire in August and sign elsewhere. However, he was also granted an additional fifth year of NCAA eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic that would have allowed him to return to Quinnipiac if the NHL market did not develop as he had hoped and test free agency next summer instead. When August 15 came and went, as well as a development camp appearance with his hometown Boston Bruins, and there was no contract announcement, it seemed likely that a collegiate return was likely.

Instead, the curveball result is Petruzzelli signing an AHL contract and for two years instead of one. This cannot be the result that Petruzzelli’s camp imagined if and when they did spurn Detroit. It’s difficult to imagine that Petruzzelli did not receive an NHL contract, but his representation misread the market as most others did. The talented goaltender is now locked into a low-money, minor league pact when he ideally would have been on an entry-level contract with a shot at NHL starts. Toronto is also not a great landing spot in particular. The Maple Leafs will have NHL veteran Michael Hutchinson and signed prospects Joseph Woll and Ian Scott all battling for play time with the Marlies and Petruzzelli, who the team is not as invested in, could easily fall through the cracks. This may not provide enough exposure to garner NHL offers that could relieve him of his AHL contract. It’s a strange and surprising situation for a such well-regarded prospect and will be an interesting storyline to follow in the minors this season.

Detroit Red Wings To Buy Out Frans Nielsen

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Aug 20: Nielsen has cleared unconditional waivers and will be bought out.

Aug 19: The Detroit Red Wings gained access to a second buyout window after settling their arbitration case with Adam Erne, and they’re going to use it. CapFriendly reports that the team will buy out the final year of Frans Nielsen’s contract. Nielsen was owed $5.25MM this season. The team will have the following cap penalties:

  • 2021-22: $4.25MM
  • 2022-23: $500K

Nielsen has been placed on unconditional waivers.

The move will only save the Red Wings $1MM in cap space this season, but more importantly, will only cost them $500K in actual salary over each of the next two years. Nielsen’s six-year, $31.5MM contract had just $3MM left owed to him in the final year after being heavily front-loaded. It also will open another roster spot for a young forward looking to establish himself on the rebuilding club. The 37-year-old Nielsen is a shadow of his former self and has just five goals and 15 points over the last two seasons, despite playing in 89 games.

Even landing another NHL contract seems unlikely for the veteran forward, who is just 75 games away from 1,000 for his career. His play has declined significantly and the Red Wings weren’t even comfortable with him playing center this season. Once an annual Selke candidate as one of the most consistent two-way centers in the league, Nielsen’s best days are long behind him.

Again, this move isn’t really about the cap space for the Red Wings, who were already more than $18MM under the upper limit. While they continue to rebuild the roster and develop young players, GM Steve Yzerman isn’t committing any long-term money to the current group.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pat Verbeek Named AHL GM

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After the news that Ryan Martin would be leaving the Detroit Red Wings organization to take a job with the New York Rangers, there was an opening that needed to be filled. The Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, was left without a general manager. Instead of hiring someone new for the job, the Red Wings have decided to pass the reins to Pat Verbeek, one of the team’s current assistant general managers. Verbeek will continue in his role as AGM for the Red Wings, but take on this new challenge leading the Griffins.

He released a statement on the new opportunity:

The Griffins are a first-class organization, and Grand Rapids is a fantastic market for hockey. Both of those factors are critical in the successful development of prospects in the American Hockey League and the ability to help them get to the next level. I look forward to continuing the winning culture in Grand Rapids and providing our prospects every necessary resource to develop as professionals and become impactful players in the NHL.

Grand Rapids won the Calder Cup in both 2013 and 2017, both with Martin attached in some management fashion. He served as AGM during the first championship and GM for the second, bringing an experienced voice to the table for more than a decade. Now Verbeek’s challenge will be continuing that history of success, while taking on a role that moves him one step closer to being an NHL GM one day.

Remember, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman brought Verbeek over from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019, where he had previously served as AGM and director of player personnel. The two have basically been inseparable during their time in management, as Verbeek first joined the Red Wings scouting department in 2006, the same year Yzerman retired and moved into the Detroit front office. While Julien BriseBois was perhaps the “right-hand man” in Tampa Bay and the obvious choice to take over when Yzerman left the Lightning, Verbeek’s role shouldn’t be overlooked. He’ll now take over the minor league operations, a new step on his management journey.

Detroit Red Wings, Adam Erne Avoid Arbitration

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The Detroit Red Wings have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with Adam Erne, avoiding arbitration. The two sides had a hearing scheduled for August 21, but, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, will enter into a two-year contract that carries an average annual value of $2.1MM.

Erne, 26, is coming off the best offensive season of his career, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in just 45 games. The physical forward played a bigger role on the Red Wings, even getting some powerplay time, and rewarded the club with a pretty strong year all things considered. While he is likely never going to be a full-time top-six option on a contending team, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman obviously sees him as a valuable piece to the puzzle at the moment.

The key here is that the deal buys out just one year of unrestricted free agency, continuing the Detroit model of not committing long-term deals to anyone in the current group. No one on the team is signed past the 2023-24 season, with only Jakub Vrana and Michael Rasmussen even inked that long. The Red Wings are maintaining cap flexibility as they build up the prospect base, and this latest deal for Erne is just another one that could potentially be traded down the line.

If the team fails to take a step forward by the 2023 trade deadline, they’ll have Erne, Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, Pius Suter, and others to deal as rentals. If there is a big improvement by the young core and the team is contending for the playoffs, a player like Erne can be retained as a relatively inexpensive bottom-six option.

Red Wings Sign Sebastian Cossa To Entry-Level Deal

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The Detroit Red Wings traded up in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft to select goaltender Sebastian Cossa and now they aren’t wasting any time getting him under contract. The team has announced that Cossa has inked his three-year entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Red Wings and Cossa is a pairing that seemed destined by fate. For a long time, it seemed as though Swedish standout Jesper Wallstedt was locked in as the top goaltender of the 2021 draft class and could possibly even be a top-ten pick. It also was predictable that Detroit would select a top goalie this year, the missing piece in their deep and talented pipeline. With the Red Wings struggling through another difficult season, the team was going to end up with a draft slot that allowed them to take Wallstedt if they wanted. Yet, as the season wore on and Cossa followed up a strong 2019-20 season in the WHL with even better numbers in 2020-21, he began to close the gap with Wallstedt. With two potential first-round goalies, this also lowered Wallstedt’s own draft stock and meant that Detroit did not need to use their No. 6 overall pick to land a goalie if they could move back or find another selection. After adding another first-round pick in the Anthony Mantha trade, many expected that the Red Wings would be able to use that late selection to take Wallstedt or, if he had already been selected, Cossa. Instead, Detroit traded No. 23, No. 48, and No. 138 to swap with the Dallas Stars at No. 15. But instead of taking Wallstedt, as many had long expected, the Red Wings selected Cossa, whose meteoric rise was responsible for either goalie still being there in the first place. (Wallstedt would be selected five picks later, as the Minnesota Wild moved up to get him as well.)

While Detroit was clearly happy to get their man in Cossa and have now committed to him with an entry-level deal, expect the impressive prospect to return to junior next season. Even though Cossa’s .941 save percentage and 1.57 GAA for the Edmonton Oil Kings last season was nothing short of spectacular and suggests that he may not have much development left to do at the junior level, the performance came in a very small sample size. The 6’6″ netminder needs to get back to a starter’s schedule and show that he can play at that level consistently. The pros are no place for an 18-year-old goalie, especially one with only 52 games of major junior experience. The Red Wings and Cossa can be excited about the future while remaining patient in the present.

Red Wings Extend Affiliation Agreement With Toledo

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  • The Red Wings are keeping their ECHL affiliate with Toledo as the Walleye recently announced that they’ve extended their affiliation agreement for three more seasons. The two organizations have partnered up for the last 11 years with 19 players moving on from there to play in at least one NHL game.  Ten of those saw action with Detroit at some point over the years including Petr Mrazek, Luke Glendening, and Nick Jensen.

Dylan Larkin Expected To Be Healthy By Training Camp

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It is easy to forget that Detroit Red Wings Dylan Larkin suffered a season-ending injury this past season. The upper-body injury occurred late in the season, courtesy of a cross check to the neck by fellow captain Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars, with the Red Wings well out of contention and Larkin himself not even playing too well. Yet, with a new season right around the corner and Detroit and its best player looking forward to taking a step in their rebuild this year, Larkin’s injury has come back into focus.

Nearly three-and-half months since Larkin was felled by what appears to be a neck or back injury, the talented forward is still recovering. According to The Athletic’s Max Bultman, Larkin only returned to skating last month and was cleared to resume shooting last week. He has not yet been cleared for contact with training camp arriving in six weeks. Fortunately, Larkin believes he will be ready by then. The savvy young forward has been taking his rehab in stride and tells Bultman that he is feeling great and is confident in his recovery. With plenty of time left to keep progressing at a healthy rate, Larkin expects to be back at full strength for training camp.

Larkin did admit to Bultman that he was not as measured with his off-season training last year, believing that he may have overworked himself during the extended break in preparation for the 2020-21 season. This could have explained Larkin’s injury and extensive recovery period. It also may have contributed to a career low in goal-scoring, both total and per-game. Larkin notched just nine goals in 44 games last year. He totaled just 23 points as well. This is a far cry from the expectation for the skilled center, who recorded 189 points in 229 games over the three season’s prior, including 32 goals and 73 points in 2018-19. The Red Wings hope that a healthy, rested, and re-focused Larkin can get back to that elite scoring pace this season.

Jakub Vrana, Detroit Red Wings Avoid Arbitration

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It was getting close to the wire, but the Detroit Red Wings and Jakub Vrana won’t need their arbitration hearing tomorrow after all. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the two sides have agreed upon a three-year contract, avoiding the rest of the arbitration process. The deal will carry an average annual value of $5.25MM and CapFriendly reports the deal breaks down as follows:

2021-22: $4.75MM
2022-23: $5.25MM
2023-24: $5.75MM

Vrana had filed for $5.7MM. while the Red Wings had countered with $3.65MM, but neither one of those would have represented a three-year contract. With this new deal, Vrana will actually be giving up one year of unrestricted free agency, something that can’t be awarded through arbitration.

For $5.25MM, he gets a healthy raise from the $3.35MM cap hit he carried over the last two seasons. He will tie Frans Nielsen as the team’s second-highest-paid forward, just below Dylan Larkin’s $6.1MM. That represents his place in the lineup, as Vrana is arguably the team’s most exciting forward heading into this season after lighting it up following a midseason trade. Acquired from the Washington Capitals as part of a package for Anthony Mantha, Vrana scored eight goals and 11 points in 11 games down the stretch.

That kind of production hasn’t been common in Detroit recently, but it actually shouldn’t be all that surprising from the 25-year-old Czech.  In the 2019-20 season, he had 25 goals and 52 points in 69 games for the Capitals. His playoff performance left something to be desired though, which likely factored into the decision to move him for a bigger Mantha. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Vrana outproduce Mantha during the regular season at least, and he now comes in at a cheaper price tag. The big forward in Washington is on a four-year deal that carries a $5.7MM cap hit.

With the Red Wings in the early stages of a rebuild still, it will be interesting to see if Vrana even plays out this deal in Detroit. Though he’s not old by any means, he is quite a few years older than the rest of the talent that GM Steve Yzerman is collecting. There’s certainly no guarantee that the Red Wings will be competitive by the time Vrana’s entering the final year of this deal, meaning he could become a rental down the road. For now, he’ll be getting a huge opportunity in the team’s top-six to play big minutes and show what his offensive ceiling really is.

Now that Vrana has settled, Neal Pionk is next on the arbitration list. His hearing is scheduled for Friday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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