Detroit Red Wings Sign Michael Rasmussen
The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Michael Rasmussen to a three-year contract. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $1.46MM. Rasmussen will earn $1MM in 2021-22, $1.48MM in 2022-23 and $1.9MM in 2023-24.
After spending the entire 2019-20 season in the minor leagues, Rasmussen was back up with the Red Wings this year and played in 40 of the team’s 56 games. He recorded just three goals and 12 points those games, but obviously did enough to earn a new deal from the team. There’s something to be said for a 22-year-old center that stands 6’6″ and can handle himself defensively, but Rasmussen’s offensive production is still a concern.
Selected ninth overall in 2017, Rasmussen has now generated just 11 goals and 30 points in 102 NHL games. His offense was the big question mark even in junior, and if he’s to ever live up to his top-10 billing it will need to improve. Still, at a $1.46MM cap hit, the Red Wings can afford to be patient with the hulking center, allowing him to develop while occupying a spot lower in the lineup.
For Detroit GM Steve Yzerman, this is just the first of many moves coming this summer to fill out the roster. Rasmussen becomes just the fifth forward on the team under a one-way contract for 2021-22, and the only one signed for more than two years. In fact, he is now the only player in the entire organization signed to a one-way deal for 2023-24.
Expansion Primer: Detroit Red Wings
Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, who will likely warrant protection, and which ones may be on the block to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing? Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4:00 PM CDT on July 17th. The full eligibility rules can be found here, while CapFriendly has an expansion tool to make your own lists.
The last time we gathered here to determine the Detroit Red Wings’ expansion draft considerations, the team was in a steep downward decline. Yet they still ended up losing a bit of a diamond in the rough, as the Vegas Golden Knights selected forward Tomas Nosek. Nosek’s been a contributor in a bottom-six role every season in Vegas’ history, robbing Detroit of some quality depth. Now, with Detroit having hit the rock-bottom of their rebuild, their expansion situation looks fairly clear-cut this time around. With a lot of young talent exempt (and no Jimmy Howard/Petr Mrazek goalie controversy), the Red Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman are in a good position coming into 2021’s Seattle expansion draft.
Eligible Players (Non-UFA)
Forwards:
Riley Barber, Tyler Bertuzzi, Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Dylan Larkin, Frans Nielsen, Richard Panik, Vladislav Namestnikov, Michael Rasmussen, Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov, Hayden Verbeek, Jakub Vrana
Defense:
Dennis Cholowski, Danny DeKeyser, Christian Djoos, Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom, Troy Stecher
Goalies:
Kaden Fulcher, Thomas Greiss
Notable Unrestricted Free Agents
F Valtteri Filppula, F Sam Gagner, F Luke Glendening, F Darren Helm, F Bobby Ryan, D Alex Biega, D Marc Staal, G Jonathan Bernier
Notable Exemptions
F Joseph Veleno, F Filip Zadina, D Jared McIsaac, D Moritz Seider, G Filip Larsson
Key Decisions
The key decisions start with Detroit’s young forward group. They’ll undoubtedly be going with the seven forwards/three defensemen protection scheme. Four of those forward spots are relatively clear-cut, with Larkin, Bertuzzi, Fabbri, and recent acquisition Vrana being protection locks. That leaves three spots remaining, but with a mix of four veterans and young forwards competing for them.
The veteran of those candidates is Namestnikov. Signed to a two-year, $4MM deal prior to 2020-21 to provide some veteran presence during their rebuild, Namestnikov had his worst offensive season to date with just 17 points in 53 games. His defensive metrics were mediocre, which is on-brand for the versatile Russian forward. Detroit was Namestnikov’s fourth team since the beginning of 2019-20, and if left unprotected, Seattle could be his fifth.
However, there’s a trio of three younger forwards who could also vie for those spots. Erne, Rasmussen, and Svechnikov all looked good with the Wings this season. It was an especially important season for Svechnikov, who’s struggled with frequent injuries. He rebounded this year for eight points in 21 games while posting incredibly impressive possession metrics. Erne had a nice rebound season after a ghastly 2019-20 performance, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in 45 games. While his 15.5% shooting rate doesn’t scream sustainability, the 26-year-old showed nice flashes this season. There’s also Rasmussen, who’s still a developing project despite already playing in over 100 NHL contests. Drafted ninth overall in 2017, Rasmussen’s now totalled 30 points in 102 NHL games, including 12 points in 40 games last season. He’s consistently posted decent possession results, suggesting that the goal-scoring touch he had in juniors could be coming.
Detroit faces a similar quandary on defense with three names fighting for two spots. Hronek’s protection is a foregone conclusion, but Stecher, Cholowski, and Lindstrom are names that could fall into those last two spots.
Stecher sits as effectively a more impressive Namestnikov. Joining Detroit as a free agent prior to this season, Stecher settled nicely into a top-four role, posting admirable defensive metrics considering the hacked-together situation that was Detroit’s defense. However, like Namestnikov, he’s under contract for just one more season and there’s no guarantee that he stays. There’s also a pair of younger defenders in Cholowski and Lindstrom. Cholowski was a first-round pick in 2016 and showed great potential in his 2018-19 rookie season, but has stagnated at all levels since then. Detroit is willing to play the wait-and-see game with the young defender, who may see a full-time role again next year after just 16 games played in 2020-21. Lindstrom’s a year younger and doesn’t have as much upside, but he’s cobbled together four assists in 29 NHL games and could have third-pairing potential.
Projected Protection List
F Tyler Bertuzzi
F Adam Erne
F Robby Fabbri
F Dylan Larkin
F Michael Rasmussen
F Evgeny Svechnikov
F Jakub Vrana
D Dennis Cholowski
D Filip Hronek
D Troy Stecher
Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist
When Vegas had their expansion draft, a minimum of two forwards and one defenseman had to be exposed that were under contract and played either 40 games in the most recent season or 70 over the past two combined. Due to the pandemic, those thresholds have been changed to 27 games played in 2020-21 or 54 in 2019/20 and 2020-21 combined. In creating our expansion list for each team in this series, we will ensure that these criteria are met.
Forwards (3): Vladislav Namestnikov, Frans Nielsen, Richard Panik
Defensemen (1): Danny DeKeyser
There are very few pickings here that the Kraken would be interested in, and Detroit is likely to emerge from the expansion draft unscathed. While Detroit will have some depth forwards exposed, Seattle can likely find cheaper and better options elsewhere. Seattle could end up taking an AHL skater with limited upside like Lindstrom or Smith, or take a pending UFA like Glendening if they really don’t like any of their options.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Red Wings Recall Five From Loans
With their training camp starting on Thursday, the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they have brought back several players from their respective international loans. Forwards Mathias Brome, Michael Rasmussen, and Filip Zadina, as well as defensemen Filip Hronek and Gustav Lindstrom, are all on their way back to Detroit to participate in camp.
Brome signed with Detroit back in April as an undrafted free agent, inking a one-year, entry-level deal worth $925K plus another $212.5K in performance bonuses. The 26-year-old had 17 goals and 26 in 52 games with SHL Orebro last season and was loaned back there to start this year. While he had just four goals in 23 games, he’s tied for fifth in the league in assists with 16. Brome is expected to push for a roster spot with the Red Wings in camp.
Rasmussen spent the majority of 2018-19 with Detroit as he was too young to be assigned to the minors but he was eligible to play with AHL Grand Rapids last season and he spent the entire year there, picking up seven goals and 15 assists in 35 games. He was on loan to Graz in Austria and was relatively productive offensively with five goals and 11 assists in 18 contests along with collecting 42 penalty minutes. He remains waiver-exempt but with the AHL still more than a month away from starting, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him break camp with Detroit, even if it’s in a taxi squad role.
As for Zadina, he split last year between the Red Wings and Griffins and put up similar numbers at both levels (8-7-15 in 28 NHL games, 9-7-16 in 21 AHL contests). He produced at a slightly better rate with Ocelari Trinec in the Czech Extraliga, notching eight goals and six helpers in 17 games prior to today’s recall. He should be given a long look to break camp with Detroit but if he doesn’t make it, he’s a candidate to at least start on the taxi squad as well.
There is no such uncertainty with Hronek’s situation. He has already established himself as Detroit’s top defenseman which made it a bit intriguing that the Red Wings opted to loan him out in the first place given the potential for injury. He was dominant with Hradec Kralove of the Czech Extraliga, putting up 10 goals and 13 assists in 22 games, getting his contract year off to a good start.
Lindstrom made his NHL debut last season, getting into 16 games with Detroit where he had one assist while putting up five helpers in 45 AHL contests as well. He logged more than 16 minutes a night in ice time with the Red Wings but with the additions of Marc Staal, Troy Stecher, and Jon Merrill, he may have to wait for injuries to hit to get his next NHL opportunity, making him another taxi squad candidate to start as well. Lindstrom had 11 assists in 20 games with Almtuna of the Allsvenskan in Sweden.
Draft Notes: Perfetti, Sanderson, Rossi
Several of the top-rated prospects for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, coming up on October 6-7, spoke to the media today and there was no shortage of interesting quotes, courtesy of OHL insider Mark Scheig. Saginaw forward Cole Perfetti was certainly confident and didn’t mince his words when discussing his ideal NHL landing spot. “If I was under a head coach where I had to dump the puck in every time I go out over the red line and get on the forecheck, it would be frustrating and I wouldn’t be able to express how I really am as a player,” Perfetti stated. While many NHL teams have abandoned the dump-and-chase offense, it might not have been the best idea for the young forward to state so emphatically that he could have issues in a system different from the one he is used to. NHL GM’s probably would have preferred to hear him say that he is willing to work at fitting in to any offensive structure and that his ability can adapt to new systems. Although Perfetti’s talent will be the final determinant of his draft slot, he may have rubbed some interested executives the wrong way with his bold statement. We will find out for sure come draft day if the potential top-five pick falls down the draft board.
- Defenseman Jake Sanderson has flown up draft boards since the start of this season to the point that he is now considered a consensus top-10 or at least top-15 pick. That of course means that the U.S. National Team Development Program product has slipped past the realm of possibility for the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 21 overall. Jake’s father, Geoff Sanderson, was an inaugural member of the Blue Jackets and played four seasons with the team, during which time Jake was born. Sanderson told the media today that he has indeed met with Columbus and there is a lot of familiarity still with the organization and the city. To make this pairing a reality, the Blue Jackets would absolutely need to trade up in the first round. However, they will likely wait until the draft has begun to see if such a move is even worth it. Sanderson revealed that he has also met with the New Jersey Devils twice and the cost for Columbus to move ahead of them at No. 7 is likely too high. If he does slip by the Devils, the race could be on for Columbus to move up the draft board.
- Have the Detroit Red Wings tipped their hand as to their selection at No. 4 overall? With Alexis Lafreniere locked in as the No. 1 pick to the New York Rangers and Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle going in some order at No. 2 and No. 3, the first real draft order question comes with Detroit’s pick. However, it seems like the mystery may have already been solved. Amidst existing rumors that the Red Wings had keyed in on OHL forward Marco Rossi as their selection, the Red Wings loaned one of their top prospects, Michael Rasmussen, to the Graz 99ers, the same team that Rossi is currently training with. Then today, Rossi reported that he has talked with the Red Wings not once or twice but three times. And while other prospects have noted that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has merely been listening in on video calls with his computer screen off, Rossi stated that he has had several “good” chats directly with Yzerman. This is far from an absolute confirmation that the Red Wings will go Rossi at fourth overall, there is certainly enough evidence to make a strong case.
Red Wings Loan Michael Rasmussen To Austria
hael rasmussenDetroit Red Wings prospect forward Michael Rasmussen will join the numerous other NHL players and prospects getting an early start to the 2020-21 season. The Red Wings announced that the young center has been loaned to the Graz 99ers, an Austrian club in the recently re-named IceHL. No further details about the loan have been disclosed, but it is expected to come to an end when NHL training camps open up later this year.
Rasmussen, 21, needs the seasoning more than most. Drafted ninth overall in 2017, Rasmussen’s greatest assets were his pro size and strength. At 6’6″ and 220 lbs., the Red Wings didn’t hesitate to put Rasmussen directly into NHL competition in his rookie season in 2018-19. However, he struggled to adjust to the speed and skill of the top level. Rasmussen still managed to record 18 points in 62 games with Detroit, but the team was not content with his development and sent him to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to begin this past season. Due to an injury that cost him more than two months, Rasmussen was never recalled from the minors, logging just 35 AHL games for the year.
As he awaits the start of the 2020-21 NHL campaign, Rasmussen knows that he has work to do to prove that he is worthy of winning back a regular role for the Red Wings. Both team and player hope that this assignment to Graz will help him get off to a much-needed hot start. Rasmussen should undoubtedly be the best player in the 99ers’ lineup and should be able to focus on working on the shortcomings of his game while still contributing to club’s games. A strong stint in Austria could not only help with Rasmussen’s skill and hockey sense, but could provide a confidence boost that follows him into traiing camp
Atlantic Notes: Bobrovsky, Rasmussen, Seider, Clifton, Volkov
Many have noticed that the play of Florida Panthers newly signed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t started his tenure the way everyone had hoped. The 31-year-old, who signed a seven-year, $70MM contract this summer, has put up very pedestrian numbers for a player the Panthers believe to be a franchise goaltender. In 35 games with Florida this year, Bobrovsky has posted a 3.22 GAA and a .898 save percentage — far from his 2.58 GAA and .913 save percentage with Columbus last season.
However, The Athletic’s Alison Lukan (subscription required) breaks down the play of the netminder and notes there are several reasons for Bobrovsky’s early struggles beside just the fact that he often struggles early in the year as well as the fact that he’s already 31 years old. However, the scribe believes that the biggest difference is that he is still adjusting to life without Columbus’ top defense. The Florida Panthers defense has increased Bobrovsky’s workload to levels he isn’t used to, which has forced the goaltender to change the way he plays. Between Bobrovsky making adjustments and the eventual hope that coach Joel Quenneville will re-design the defense into something more impressive down the road, the hope is that the goaltender should bounce back.
- In a mailbag piece, the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James suggests that one of the biggest reasons the team has not recalled top prospects Michael Rasmussen and Mortiz Seider to aid the struggling franchise, is the success that the AHL team, the Grand Rapids Griffins, is having. The team remains poised for a playoff run, but with Seider back from the World Junior Championships and Rasmussen finally back from a two-month long back injury, the team has a chance to make a run, which could be good for both their long-term development. Rasmussen, in particular, is training to return to the center position before returning full-time to the NHL.
- Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy revealed that defenseman Connor Clifton is expected to be out until at least February, according to Matt Kalman of WEEI.com. Clifton has been out with an upper-body injury since Dec. 29 and has served the team as a third-pairing defenseman. While the 24-year-old doesn’t provide much offense (two goals in 30 games), Clifton has provided a physical presence with 85 hits already this season.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have always considered forward prospect Alexander Volkov as a mystery, who has the talent to be a top-six forward, but has struggled with consistency throughout his career. The team hoped to change that when they brought up Volkov on two separate occasions, but after assigning him to Syracuse on Friday, the 22-year-old responded with a hat trick, which The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) feels might be a sign that the forward is starting to come around.
East Notes: Krug, Jarry, Rasmussen
With Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo now signed, Bruins GM Don Sweeney can turn his focus to his next crop of free agents, a group that is headlined by defenseman Torey Krug who is slated to be unrestricted in July. Sweeney told NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty that he expects to have some extension discussions with Krug’s camp once he has a chance to do some forecasting. The back-loaded nature of McAvoy and Carlo’s deals means that their back end will automatically cost a fair bit more a few years from now while they already have over $56MM in commitments for 2020-21 so there is definitely some projections that will need to be done on Boston’s end. Krug’s offensive ability has him in line for a notable raise on his current $5.25MM AAV.
Elsewhere around the East:
- The Penguins explored trades involving goaltender Tristan Jarry this summer, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. That’s not entirely surprising considering the three-year deal that they handed Casey DeSmith last season which makes Jarry the potential odd man out. He needs to clear waivers to make it back to the AHL so presumably, teams that might have interest would be limiting their offers accordingly knowing there’s a good chance that he’ll be available for free over the next couple of weeks.
- Detroit’s preference is to develop Michael Rasmussen as a center despite spending most of last year on the wing, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. As a result, it appears as if there’s a good chance that the 20-year-old will spend a good chunk of the season in the minors after being a full-time NHL player a year ago. Part of the reason for that was that he wasn’t eligible to play in the AHL due to his age and the NHL-CHL agreement but that’s no longer in effect now. Rasmussen was the ninth-overall pick back in 2017 but with the Red Wings having decent depth down the middle already, dropping down a level may be the best way to develop him at his natural position.
Snapshots: Lehtera, Red Wings, Byron
Philadelphia Flyers forward Jori Lehtera was convicted Wednesday of buying cocaine, according to Tricia L. Nadolny and Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lehtera had been charged in Finland with the offense earlier this season, and has been sentenced to a four-month suspended prison sentence. He will not serve any time in jail as long as he is not arrested again before October 2021.
The Flyers placed Lehtera on waivers in early February and sent him to the AHL where he has played five games. His contract is set to expire at the end of this season, at which point he will become an unrestricted free agent. It is not clear what this conviction will mean for his playing career, though early reports out of Finland say he will be appealing the decision.
- The Detroit Red Wings likely won’t see either of Michael Rasmussen or Jacob de La Rose on the ice again this season. Head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters including Ansar Khan of MLive that de La Rose saw a specialist today about his accelerated heart beat, and Rasmussen is unlikely to return from his upper-body injury before the end of the year. The Red Wings have just six games left in their season and are currently sitting in 29th place in the NHL.
- Paul Byron will not travel with the Montreal Canadiens to Columbus after suffering an injury in a fight last night. Byron took on MacKenzie Weegar of the Florida Panthers and was knocked down with a hard punch. After stumbling to the bench he did not return. Byron’s agent told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) his thoughts on how fights like these have no business in the game today, explaining that the only reason for it was a hit from earlier in the season. Byron received a three-game suspension for the hit in January. It is unclear when the speedy forward will return to the Montreal lineup.
Morning Notes: Phaneuf, Kampf, Rasmussen
The Los Angeles Kings have already traded one veteran defenseman, and now they’re going to sit down another. Dion Phaneuf is expected to be a healthy scratch for the Kings tonight when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers, a move that isn’t totally surprising given the role he’s played this season. Phaneuf has seen more than 17 minutes of ice time just four times this season, and not since early November.
After this season the 33-year old has two years remaining on the massive seven-year, $49MM contract he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013 and could be headed towards a buyout in the summer. While the result of a buyout wouldn’t be outstanding for the Kings, having Phaneuf on the roster isn’t helping them much at this point and they have younger players who would benefit from that opportunity. The Ottawa Senators, who retained a portion of Phaneuf’s contract when they traded him to the Kings, would still be responsible for 25% of the salary and cap hit from a buyout.
- David Kampf will be out of the Chicago Blackhawks lineup for up to a month with a foot injury, the team announced today. Kampf is a restricted free agent at the end of the year and has done enough to show he deserves another contract with the team, but a month off will certainly hurt his negotiating leverage. The 24-year old forward has 16 points in 50 games but is a solid enough depth option down the middle.
- After a brief conditioning stint in the minor leagues, Michael Rasmussen is expected to be back in the lineup tonight for the Detroit Red Wings. The big center scored twice in three games for the Grand Rapids Griffins, and will look to continue his offensive development in the second half of the season in Detroit. A huge part of their future, the 6’6″ forward had just 13 points in his first 41 games. Playing in the NHL at 19 is an accomplishment in itself, but the team will need more scoring from him going forward.
Michael Rasmussen Assigned To AHL
The Detroit Red Wings have placed young forward Michael Rasmussen on long-term injured reserve, and assigned him to the minor leagues on a conditioning loan. Rasmussen’s IR stint is retroactive to January 4th. Rasmussen has been dealing with a hamstring injury all month, and will likely need some time to get back up to game speed after returning to the ice.
In a lost season for the Red Wings, Rasmussen’s emergence has been a welcome sight. While he hasn’t put up the kind of offensive numbers some would hope for, the simple fact that he’s been a regular in the NHL before his twentieth birthday is a positive sign. Originally selected with the ninth overall pick in 2017, the 6’6″ forward could be a game-changing talent if everything breaks right for him over his career. The Red Wings hope time in the NHL will send him on that path, and let him grow into a core piece of their offensive attack.
Rasmussen will likely play just three games in the AHL before being recalled, and then try to put together a solid second half with the Red Wings. There could even be some increased opportunity if Detroit decides to move on from players like Gustav Nyquist.