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Mathias Brome Signs In Switzerland

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The Detroit Red Wings won’t be bringing back Mathias Brome next season, as the free agent forward has signed a two-year contract with HC Davos in Switzerland. While they could technically retain his restricted free agent rights by extending a qualifying offer this offseason, Brome will become an unrestricted free agent by the time this new contract in the NL expires.

Brome, 26, played 26 games for the Red Wings this season, his first (and perhaps only) season in North America. The Swedish forward was a star for Orebro HK in 2019-20, scoring 17 goals and 43 points in 52 games, but failed to bring any of that production to the NHL. In Detroit, he scored just a single goal and registered two points, ending up bouncing back and forth between the active roster and taxi squad for most of the year.

The fact that he is going back to Europe shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after that performance, but he is still a player to keep an eye on down the road. He’ll still be young enough in 2023 that an NHL team could potentially take another chance on him, should Brome want to return at that point. The Red Wings, who don’t have a single player on a one-way deal past the 2022-23 season, could afford to take chances on European free agents in the hopes that one would stick as an NHL regular.

Mathias Brome Linked To Swiss League

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  • Earlier this month, Red Wings winger Mathias Brome told Svenskafans’ Andreas Lundskog that he was open to returning overseas but wasn’t going to limit himself to going back to his native Sweden. It appears he’s zeroing in on the Swiss NLA as Aftonbladet’s Tomas Ros and Hans Abrahamsson report that Brome is expected to join Davos.  It was a disappointing first season in North America for the 26-year-old who managed just a goal and an assist in 26 games with Detroit this season despite logging a respectable 13:39 per night.  Brome is set to become a restricted free agent this summer but as he’s a year away from UFA eligibility based on his age, there’s a good chance he’ll be non-tendered if a deal overseas is finalized.

Christian Djoos Signs In Switzerland

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It’s the end of an NHL career for Detroit Red Wings’ defenseman Christian Djoos, at least for now. The 26-year-old Djoos has signed a two-year contract with EV Zug in Switzerland, meaning his time with the Red Wings is over. Though the team can retain his restricted free agent rights this offseason by giving him a qualifying offer, they will expire before this new contract in Switzerland does. He will be an unrestricted free agent the next time he’s looking for work.

Originally selected 195th overall by the Washington Capitals in 2012, it was a longshot that Djoos would even make it to the NHL in the first place. Make it he did, cracking the NHL lineup in 2017-18 and helping the Capitals win the Stanley Cup. The 63 regular season games he played as a rookie would end up being his career-high though, as the Capitals eventually moved him back to the minor leagues and then traded him to the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks placed him on waivers earlier this season and he found himself in Detroit, where Djoos recorded 11 points in 36 games.

Perhaps the Red Wings informed him that he wasn’t going to get a qualifying offer, given that it would have needed to be $1MM, but either way, he has decided to take his talents overseas. Djoos should certainly find plenty of success in the Swiss league, after dominating the AHL during his time in North America. In the 2016-17 season, he recorded 58 points in 66 games for the Hershey Bears, trailing only minor league fixtures T.J. Brennan and Matt Taormina for the lead among defensemen.

Christian Djoos Linked To EV Zug In Switzerland

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  • Red Wings defenseman Christian Djoos is on EV Zug’s shortlist of players to try to sign for next season, Zug’s sports director Reto Klay told Zentralplus’ Andreas Ineichen. The 26-year-old was claimed off waivers just before the season started and held his own with 11 points in 36 games while averaging a little over 15 minutes per night.  That type of production may be hard to justify tendering the $1MM qualifying offer that’s required this summer which would put Djoos on the open market.  He may be sensing that outcome already if he’s entertaining the prospect of playing in Switzerland.

Two Players Clear Waivers

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May 10: Both players have cleared waivers.

May 9: The waiver wire has been relatively quiet over the past month but a pair of players are on the wire today as CapFriendly reports (Twitter links) that Detroit goaltender Calvin Pickard and Anaheim center Sam Carrick have both been waived.  The intention for both teams is to get their respective veterans back to the AHL for the final few games with the Ducks’ affiliate also set to take part in the Pacific Division playoffs.  Pickard had been on recall long enough to require waivers to go back down while Carrick had played in more than ten games, necessitating his placement.

Pickard has spent the majority of the season on the taxi squad for the Red Wings although he has managed to get into six games with Detroit, including four starts.  In those contests, he posted a 3.16 GAA with a save percentage of .874.  He suited up just once with AHL Grand Rapids this season but will now have a chance to get into a few more games over the final week.  The 29-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

As for Carrick, he was relatively productive in his time with the Ducks this season, posting two goals and four assists in 13 games while averaging just under 13 minutes per game.  That more than doubled his career point output over parts of four previous years with Toronto and Anaheim.  Carrick has also been productive with AHL San Diego, picking up 14 goals and 10 helpers in 27 games, sitting fifth in team scoring despite playing in just three games in the minors since the end of March.  Like Pickard, the 29-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

It’s worth noting that players claimed off waivers after the trade deadline are ineligible to play for the remainder of the season.  As a result, there’s little reason for anyone to place a claim and assuming they clear on Monday, they’ll be able to return to their respective AHL teams.

Bobby Ryan Not Planning On Retiring After This Season

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It has been a tough last 12 months for veteran winger Bobby Ryan.  He was bought out of the final two years of his deal with Ottawa, getting paid more than $7MM over the next four seasons not to play for them.  He quickly landed with Detroit but didn’t get an opportunity to join a contender at the trade deadline as he needed surgery to repair a torn tendon in his triceps which ended his season prematurely.  Despite the disappointing year, the 35-year-old told reporters, including NHL.com’s Jon Lane, that he intends to play again next season and is hoping to re-sign with the Red Wings:

The thing I do know right now is, I want to play hockey next year. That’s been my immediate focus, trying to get ready to do that. You hope it’s Detroit. I haven’t had those conversations yet. I’ll certainly be open to it. If I’m part of the plans, I’d love to be here.

From an offensive standpoint, Ryan had a relatively quiet year with seven goals and seven assists in 33 games while averaging over 15 minutes per game.  On the other hand, with a contract of only $1MM, that’s a reasonable return on that price tag from a veteran.  However, he was frequently praised by teammates for what he also brought off the ice which has to be taken into consideration as well, especially on a team as young as Detroit is.

It would certainly be understandable if the Red Wings wanted to bring Ryan back although it would probably need to be in more of a limited role.  While giving him some minutes in the top six was manageable in a season like this where they weren’t really eyeing a playoff spot, that shouldn’t be the case moving forward as they look to integrate some of their younger players and add to their roster with an eye on getting out of the basement in the standings.  If he’s amenable to a reduced role, it certainly seems as if something could be worked out.  If not, he’ll hit the open market looking to catch on somewhere else to extend a 14-year career that has placed him seventh in scoring among all players from his 2005 draft class.

Overseas Notes: Skelleftea, Khokhlachev, Langhamer

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After falling in the SHL semifinals, Swedish powerhouse Skelleftea AIK is already moving forward with their plans for next season. The team has announced a list of players who will not be returning in 2021-22 and it includes some notable NHL names. Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Philip Broberg, Detroit Red Wings’ forward Jonatan Berggren, and Carolina Hurricanes’ defenseman Roland McKeown are all among those who will not return to Skelleftea next year and all are expected to instead be in the NHL. Broberg, 19, has in fact already made the jump, as he was recalled by the Oilers earlier this week. The 2019 No. 8 overall pick has been in Skelleftea on loan for two years since being drafted, but the big two-way defenseman is ready for the next step in his career. Berggren appears to be prepared to make that leap as well. Detroit’s 2018 second-round pick was Skelleftea’s leading scorer this season, recording 45 points in 49 games. The 20-year-old skilled play-maker is one of a number of promising Red Wings prospects, but Berggren’s dominance at the pro level this year should give him a leg up in training camp battles. McKeown is the outlier of the group; the 25-year-old blue liner made his European debut this season on loan from the Hurricanes. The former top prospect out of the OHL had faded from relevance among the Hurricanes’ deep defensive group and wished to stay in Sweden this year rather than play yet again in the AHL. While McKeown may join Carolina as a depth option in the playoffs now that his SHL season is over, his days with the organization are numbered. Slated for Group 6 unrestricted free agency this summer, McKeown may not be back with Skelleftea but he certainly won’t be staying in Raleigh either. He will have other options on the open market to find a more clear path to NHL opportunity.

  • Another prominent name in Europe who won’t be returning to his current team is Boston Bruins center Alexander Khokhlachev. The 27-year-old center was a key cog for Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk this season, recording 34 points in 59 games as a top-six forward, but the team has nonetheless announced that Khokhlachev has decided to leave the club. This could very well mean that Khokhlachev is finally eyeing a return to North America after five years away, and the timing of the move is key. The Bruins’ rights to Khokhlachev finally expire on June 30th. While it’s not impossible that Khokhlachev could give the Bruins another shot under his old AHL head coach Bruce Cassidy, there are certainly better opportunities for an NHL role elsewhere if he instead waits to become a free agent this summer.
  • One player who isn’t rushing back to his NHL rights holder is goaltender Marek Langhamer. Despite the possibility that the Arizona Coyotes could have some more opportunity in net next season with Antti Raanta headed for free agency, Adin Hill expected to be exposed in the Expansion Draft, and Darcy Kuemper still a hot name on the rumor mill, Langhamer won’t be involved. Even after two strong seasons in the KHL, Langhamer has decided to stay in Europe, signing a one-year-deal with the Liiga’s Illves. It’s unclear if Langhamer is averse to re-joining the ’Yotes or just the NHL overall, but regardless he will see his rights expire on June 30th of next season and can then return to North America as a free agent if he chooses.

Tyler Bertuzzi Undergoes Back Surgery

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Tyler Bertuzzi’s season will end with just nine games played. The Detroit Red Wings forward underwent successful back surgery on April 30 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and is expected to make a full recovery. Bertuzzi should be ready for the start of the 2021-22 season.

The 26-year-old forward last played on January 30, scoring his fifth goal of the season in the first nine games. He looked like he was well on his way to a third consecutive 20-goal season, but things quickly went off the rails. He was listed out with an upper-body injury for most of the season and even back in April, the team was clear the focus was on the 2021-22 campaign.

Now Bertuzzi faces a long rehab, but also a summer of negotiation. After receiving a one-year, $3.5MM contract through arbitration last offseason, he is scheduled to become a restricted free agent again and for the final time. An arbitration award this summer would take him right to unrestricted free agency in 2022, so the two sides must decide if a multi-year deal can be reached.

Now with the feisty forward coming off a back injury, there’s good reason for the Red Wings to be hesitant, but perhaps that gives them an opportunity to lock him in at a reduced price. He’s a very useful piece when healthy, though Detroit GM Steve Yzerman does seem committed to a younger group moving forward. Anthony Mantha, one of the team’s other former core pieces, was dealt to the Washington Capitals at the deadline, meaning no player in the organization is signed to a one-way contract past the 2022-23 season.

Bertuzzi is one of 13 pending RFAs and one of 30 free agents of any kind, meaning Detroit can completely overhaul the depth chart if Yzerman sees fit. Right now, all the young forward can control is his rehab process and getting to full strength by the start of next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Poll: Who Finishes 30th In The NHL Standings?

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Although they surely didn’t mean to, the Buffalo Sabres took some of the fun out of the stretch run this season by eliminating “tanking” storylines. Barring a stunning finish to their season (vs. NYI, at PIT, at PIT), the Sabres and their 33 points to date will finish as the wire-to-wire worst team in the NHL this season and will have the top odds in the NHL Draft Lottery.

Fortunately, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still some intrigue to the end of the season for the league’s bottom-dwellers. The race for 30th-place, the second-best lottery odds, is more important this year than most. The team finishing 29th and up this season will not have the lottery odds that typically correspond to their finish in the league standings. This is because the Seattle Kraken, the NHL’s new expansion team, will lay claim to the third-best odds. Changes to the draft lottery structure also means that the team finishing in 30th place can pick no later than fourth overall, but the team finishing in 29th place could fall as far as sixth overall this year.

Who do you think will finish 30th this year and secure those valuable second-best lottery odds? Better yet, which team has the incentive to actually “tank” their final few games in hopes of landing just behind the Sabres?

Anaheim Ducks (39 points)

Schedule: at STL, at STL, at MIN, at MIN

The Ducks are the only team in the NHL still statistically capable of finishing in last place. However, that would require the Sabres taking at least five of their final six points while the Ducks take two or less of their final eight (with the tie-breakers falling in Anaheim’s favor as well). With that said, the Ducks do have the best case for 30th right now. Their final four games are all on the road against West Division contenders. Two points back of the New Jersey Devils, who have a slightly lighter schedule, and even more so behind the other “tanking” contenders, Anaheim’s sights are set on that second-to-last finish. The one thing that could stop their pursuit: the Ducks are heating up at the wrong time; their 4-6-0 stretch in their last ten games is the best mark among the bottom five records in the NHL.

New Jersey Devils (41 points)

Schedule: vs. BOS, at NYI, at NYI, at PHI

Lottery winners in two of the past four drafts, the Devils have a taste for top picks and surely want to add to their collection of top prospects. New Jersey is “chasing” Anaheim, who has the same number of games remaining but have two points and an all-road schedule exclusively against playoff teams. However, the Devils have three playoff teams left on the docket as well and are unlikely to pick up any extra points in extra time with an 0-5 record in overtime and the shootout this season. Even losing out doesn’t guarantee the Devils 30th place, nor does a tie with Anaheim in the final standings given New Jersey’s regulation wins edge. Stranger things have happened though and both the Devils and Ducks have plenty of hockey still to play.

Columbus Blue Jackets (44 points)

Schedule: vs. NSH, vs. DET, vs. DET

The Blue Jackets have one fewer game left than the Ducks and Devils, which could benefit them. However, they also sit five and three points ahead respectively and the odds of picking up zero additional points with two games left against fellow bottom-feeder Detroit seems unlikely. What the Blue Jackets do have that the others don’t though is motivation. The Columbus pipeline is below average and vastly pales in comparison to Anaheim, New Jersey, and Detroit. The team could desperately use an elite prospect and may be willing to lose their final games in order to improve their odds of doing so.

Detroit Red Wings (45 points)

Schedule: at CLB, at CLB

Detroit has just two games left and they are both against a fellow un-contender. The Red Wings may have a one point lead on Columbus, but most would still bet on the Blue Jackets and it would not be a surprise to see Detroit finish the season as they stand now. However, that still means that Anaheim would need seven of eight points and New Jersey would need at least four of eight points in order to finish 30th. After the Red Wings got a raw deal in the lottery last season, maybe the hockey gods will look out for them. That might be the only way they finish second-to-last and occur a top-four pick again this season.

Who Finishes 30th In The NHL Standings?
Anaheim Ducks 58.47% (535 votes)
New Jersey Devils 16.17% (148 votes)
Detroit Red Wings 14.54% (133 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets 10.82% (99 votes)
Total Votes: 915

[mobile users vote here]

Red Wings Sign Kirill Tyutyayev To A One-Year AHL Deal

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  • Detroit’s farm team in Grand Rapids has announced the signing of winger Kirill Tyutyayev to a one-year, AHL deal for next season. The 20-year-old was a seventh-round pick (190th overall) of the Red Wings back in 2019 and spent this season with Yunost Minsk in Belarus where he picked up 11 goals and 21 assists in 43 regular season games while chipping in with 10 points in 13 playoff contests.  Drafted out of Russia, there is no designated time that Detroit has to sign him by; accordingly, this deal gives them an opportunity to give him a look in North America on a short-term commitment compared to an entry-level deal while reserving the ability to retain his NHL rights if he opts to go back overseas for 2022-23.

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