Filip Hronek Placed In COVID Protocol
Even though testing has been reduced, it doesn’t mean the COVID list is completely eliminated. The Detroit Red Wings have placed Filip Hronek in COVID protocol, making him unavailable to the team for the time being.
Hronek, 24, is perhaps one of the underrated success stories of Red Wings development over the last few years and a bigger part of their future than some may realize. The young defenseman has been logging more than 22 minutes a night since the start of the 2019-20 season and is on pace to break his career-high with 24 points through 46 games so far. A second-round pick in 2016, he signed a new three-year, $13.2MM contract in September that made him one of the few Red Wings players signed to one-way contracts through the 2023-24 season (Robby Fabbri, Michael Rasmussen, and Jakub Vrana are the others).
Should he miss a few games–and his spot in the COVID protocol suggests he has a confirmed case and is experiencing symptoms–the Red Wings could lean even more heavily on young Moritz Seider, who is already racking up minutes and points in his rookie season. Gustav Lindstrom, another young defenseman could receive a bump in playing time as well as the team continues through their developmental season.
The Red Wings are now 21-21-6 after a 6-3 win in Philadelphia last night but the playoffs are still quite a distance away.
Detroit Red Wings Name Shawn Horcoff Assistant GM
After losing Pat Verbeek to the Anaheim Ducks yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings had a few vacancies in their front office. Shawn Horcoff will fill those spots, introduced today as the team’s newest assistant general manager and general manager of the Grand Rapids Griffins. He will assist Steve Yzerman in all hockey operations matters while dealing with the day-to-day operations of the Griffins. Yzerman released a statement on his new lieutenant:
Shawn has a tremendous work ethic and has done a great job developing the prospects within our organization, helping them prepare for the next steps in their careers. The relationships he’s formed within the organization – and throughout the hockey community – make him a valuable asset to our future both in Detroit and Grand Rapids, and I look forward to continue working alongside him.
Horcoff, 43, has been with the Red Wings since 2016 when his playing career ended, first as director of player development and then as assistant director of player personnel. A veteran of more than 1,000 NHL games during his time on the ice, he’s now worked his way up the Red Wings organization and will now receive a huge opportunity to fill Verbeek’s shoes.
With an interesting prospect path of his own, that included four years at Michigan State University, Horcoff has a ton of experience when it comes to the development of a young player that doesn’t arrive with much fanfare. Completely undrafted in his first year of eligibility, his strong sophomore season with the Spartans landed him a fourth-round selection and a way into professional hockey. By the time he was scoring 65 points as a senior it was obvious there was an NHL future, and a long career including a stint as captain of the Edmonton Oilers followed.
For the last several years in Detroit he’s been shepherding young prospects through the first part of their professional journey, but he’ll now be tasked with even more responsibility.
Namestnikov: It Would Be "Great To Stay" With Red Wings
Vladislav Namestnikov’s second season with the Red Wings has been a more productive one as the 29-year-old has 11 goals and nine assists through the first 40 games, already surpassing his point total from last season. As a result, he could be one of Detroit’s more intriguing rentals heading into the trade deadline.
However, if Namestnikov has his way, he won’t be going anywhere at all as he told reporters including Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News that he’s open to an extension and that “it would be great to stay”. Namestnikov has a $2MM cap hit and should be looking at a similar price tag on his next deal. A short-term deal to stay with the Red Wings is certainly plausible although if they can get a decent future asset in a trade over the next couple of months, they may prefer to go that route over signing an extension now.
Detroit Red Wings Claim Gemel Smith
It’s a family reunion in Detroit, as the Red Wings have claimed Gemel Smith off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Smith is the older brother of Red Wings forward Givani Smith.
Sean Shapiro of The Athletic tweets that because the Smith brothers are several years apart, they have never played on the same team or against each other during their hockey careers. They’ll get that chance now in Detroit, as Gemel Smith will have to be kept on the NHL roster after the waiver claim.
That’s certainly an interesting twist, given the 27-year-old forward hasn’t played a single game at any level this season. He dealt with a surgery that has kept him on injured reserve for the last several months and is only now approaching a return to play. Instead of going to the minor leagues, he’ll end up in Detroit where he could very well receive a bigger opportunity than he has in years.
A veteran of just 88 games at the NHL level, most of those came with the Dallas Stars in 2017-18 when he suited up 46 times. Smith has played just 11 NHL contests over the past three seasons but did have two 40-point minor league campaigns during that time.
His younger brother Givani Smith, 23, has found out exactly what can happen when you’re on an organization in the middle of a rebuild. He’s played in 31 games for the Red Wings this season, scoring two goals and four points while racking up 68 penalty minutes. While still only averaging a little over eight minutes a night, he’s nearly matched his previous career total of games played already.
Poll: Is The Eastern Conference Playoff Picture Already Complete?
It doesn’t make for much of an exciting stretch run, but it just might be the truth and The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington isn’t afraid to make the claim: less than halfway through the 2021-22 NHL season, the eight Eastern Conference playoff spots appear to be locked up. While the eight in place can certainly jockey for position, Harrington believes that those teams currently in the postseason in the East will stay in postseason position and those not, including his Buffalo Sabres, have nothing left to play for this season. Do you agree?
The conference standings do paint a pretty bleak picture for the playoff race, as the gap between the eighth and final playoff spot and the next closest competitor is sizeable. In terms of both absolute points and points percentage, the Boston Bruins sit in eighth in the East with 46 points and a .657 points percentage, holding the second wild card spot if the postseason started today. In ninth place in both categories are the Detroit Red Wings, but calling it a distant ninth is generous. Detroit has 39 points on the year, just seven back of Boston, but having played four more games than the Bruins the Red Wings are actually just a .500 team, 157 percentage points back. Every other team outside the playoff picture is under .500 and they are all chasing a Bruins team that is 8-2 in their past ten games, riding a five-game winning streak. Just ahead of Boston are the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are also 8-2 in their last ten. The only other teams in the conference that are not 200+ percentage points ahead of Detroit are the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.
[See: Eastern Conference Standings]
Statistically, there don’t appear to be any clear underachievers outside of the playoff picture primed for a late push either. All eight teams not in a playoff spot in the East have a negative goal differential, with the top mark being the Columbus Blue Jackets at -15. In contrast, the worst differential among the playoff teams is the Rangers’ +17 and they are the only club below +20. Hardly any of the non-playoff teams hold a spot in the top half of the league in any major statistical category either. The New York Islanders are ninth in goals against per game and eleventh in penalty kill efficiency, the Blue Jackets are tied for twelfth in goals for per game, the New Jersey Devils are thirteenth on the penalty kill, and the Ottawa Senators are tied for fourteenth in power play efficiency – end of list.
Yet, can the playoff picture really be sealed up this early? The law of averages suggests that a current playoff team is likely to slump while a current non-playoff team is likely to hit their stride in the second half. In fact, this may have already begun. While the Bruins and Penguins have been surging, the Capitals are just 4-3-3 in their last ten games and struggling to find consistent goaltending and defensive play. The Capitals’ record is also buoyed by a league-leading nine overtime points and their abysmal 30th-ranked power play is a major stain on their playoff resume. If there is a pretender in the East, it could be Washington. The Rangers may also be due for some regression in the second half. New York has exceeded expectations thus far and have somehow found ways to win despite trouble scoring. Their 2.85 goals per game is tied for 18th in the league, behind the likes of Columbus and New Jersey and just .01 ahead of Ottawa. On the flip side of the playoff picture, the Islanders are one of the biggest disappointments of the season. A conference finalist last year, the Isles looked to be building a true contender. While they are still playing a good defensive game, the team has had no luck offensively this season. Yet, with a league-low 30 games played, the Islanders could have time to find their game and fight their way back into postseason consideration. At least on paper, the Philadelphia Flyers should also be better than their current record, while the rebuilding Red Wings and Blue Jackets should be happy with their performance so far this season but would be even happier to get their young rosters into a postseason battle.
It is hard to remember a conference having no battle for playoff position in recent memory, especially so early in the season. While it looks like that could be the case this year in the East, is that actual a realistic expectation? Is the current gap in the standings just too wide to overcome? Or is there enough potential for one or two teams in the playoff picture to collapse while one or two on the outside find a way back? Vote now and comment on which teams, if any, could drop out of the playoff picture and who might replace them.
Is The Eastern Conference Playoff Picture Already Complete?
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Yes 74% (647)
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No 26% (233)
Total votes: 880
Detroit Red Wings Hire Nicklas Lidstrom
The Detroit Red Wings have added another legendary franchise icon to the front office. Nicklas Lidstrom has been hired as the team’s new vice president of hockey operations, joining an executive group led by his former teammate Steve Yzerman. The Red Wings indicate that Lidstrom will now be involved in all aspects of hockey operations.
Lidstrom, 51, worked as a scout for the Red Wings a few years ago but has generally not had much front office experience. That certainly doesn’t mean he’s inexperienced though, as a 1,564-game career will explain. One of the very best defensemen in history, Lidstrom scored 1,142 regular season points, was awarded the Norris Trophy seven times, won the Stanley Cup four times, and is a member of the “Triple Gold Club.” He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 and saw his No. 5 retired by the Red Wings in 2014.
The Red Wings, under Yzerman, have undergone a massive rebuild and are now focused on taking the next step. After a nice start this season it appears as though they are falling out of the playoff race again, but there is more than enough to get excited about in Detroit. For a young player like Moritz Seider–or even 2021 draft pick Simon Edvinsson–there is arguably no better role model than Lidstrom to be around and influenced by.
Yzerman and Lidstrom are certainly not alone in terms of ex-Red Wings. Pat Verbeek (assistant GM), Niklas Kronwall (European player development), Jiri Fischer (associate director of player personnel), Dan Cleary (assistant director of player development), Mark Howe (director of pro scouting), Kris Draper (director of amateur scouting), Kirk Maltby (pro scout), and others are all members of the organization, bringing a wealth of playing experience to the front office.
Jakub Vrana Resumes Skating
- Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana has resumed skating as he works his way back from shoulder surgery that has caused him to miss the entire season so far, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan. At this point, the 25-year-old has been limited to light stickhandling work and head coach Jeff Blashill indicated the original recovery timeline – sometime in mid-to-late February – remains the likely target for his return. If Detroit can hang around the battle for the second Wild Card spot until then (they’re one point out heading into play today), he’d be a big addition for the stretch run.
NHL Postpones Detroit/Anaheim Game To Sunday
3:55 pm: The Anaheim Ducks added defenseman Hampus Lindholm and forward Vinni Lettieri to COVID protocol. With the announcement coming so quickly, it was likely the motivator behind tonight’s postponement.
3:50 pm: The NHL has postponed tonight’s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks to Sunday, January 9 at 7:00 PM CT.
In the statement, the league says the game was postponed due to COVID issues affecting Anaheim. Currently, the team has five players in COVID protocol – goalie John Gibson and forwards Ryan Getzlaf, Derek Grant, Sam Carrick, and Nicolas Deslauriers.
Trevor Zegras was previously in COVID protocol but was activated from the list today. However, after just one morning skate, he wasn’t going to play in tonight’s game as originally scheduled.
The postponement gives Anaheim a chance to regroup. Getzlaf was placed in protocol on January 2 and could be available by then. Gibson entered today, however, and likely won’t be available for that game.
NHL Announces More Postponments
The count is now 80. The league has postponed another match this week, this time between the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. The Islanders continue to place new players in the COVID protocol–Brock Nelson went in today.
There have also been nine games postponed due to attendance restrictions in Canadian markets. The following will be rescheduled for later this season:
- Pittsburgh @ Ottawa, December 31
- Winnipeg @ Calgary, December 31
- Carolina @ Toronto, January 3
- Washington @ Montreal, January 4
- Toronto @ Montreal, January 6
- Buffalo @ Montreal, January 8
- Seattle @ Winnipeg, January 8
- Columbus @ Montreal, January 10
- Minnesota @ Winnipeg, January 10
The game between Bruins and Canadiens originally scheduled in Montreal on January 12 will now be played in Boston. A make-up date for the Bruins-Canadiens game that needs to be played in Montreal will be announced at a later date.
The Islanders are expected to get two players out of the protocol tomorrow but still will have Nelson, Anthony Beauvillier, Cal Clutterbuck, Zach Parise, and Oliver Wahlstrom unavailable tomorrow. The Red Wings, meanwhile, added Lucas Raymond and Nick Leddy on Sunday and have several other players still in the protocol.
For the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets, in particular, moving home dates to later this season would give them a chance to collect some if not all of the expected revenue. With the players still owing a huge amount of escrow debt to the owners, keeping hockey-related revenues as high as possible is important if the league is to rebound to the high levels commissioner Gary Bettman explained earlier this month.
Red Wings Add Two, Remove Two From COVID Protocol
The Red Wings have lost a pair of players to COVID protocol but have also welcomed two back as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Lucas Raymond and defenseman Nick Leddy have been placed into protocol while winger Robby Fabbri and center Michael Rasmussen have both been activated and placed on the active roster.
Raymond is off to a very impressive start to his rookie season and is an early contender for the Calder Trophy after recording 10 goals and 18 assists in 31 games placing him second in scoring on Detroit behind only Dylan Larkin. As for Leddy, he has helped to stabilize their back end, logging nearly 22 minutes per game which places him third on the team in that category.
Fabbri returns after last suiting up on December 14th which also happened to be the day that he signed a new three-year extension. He has 14 points in 29 games this season including eight goals which puts him in the top five in that category on the Red Wings. Meanwhile, Rasmussen has held down a regular spot in Detroit’s lineup this season, picking up 10 points in 29 games while averaging 15:28 per game, the highest ATOI of his career.
The Red Wings are scheduled to return to game action on Wednesday against the Islanders with the standard caveat that the schedule is subject to change if further COVID-related postponements are deemed necessary.