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Tyler Bertuzzi

Evening Notes: Zetterberg, Shipachyov, Pickard

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The Detroit Red Wings are getting ready to start another season shortly and while many aren’t expecting an impressive season from this team, the team still has eyes for the playoffs. MLive’s Ansar Khan answers some mailbag questions about the upcoming season and points out that with the combination of gritty veterans and young talent, the team may show some promise. The scribe writes to expect 36-year-old veteran Henrik Zetterberg to center Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist, who were their top line at the end of last year. The belief is that Tatar and Nyquist should benefit from Zetterberg’s presence to build their confidence early in the season.

He added that Dylan Larkin looks ready to take over as the team’s second-line center and be matched with Anthony Mantha, who scored 17 goals in his first full season. Justin Abdelkader might be a good fit to fill out that line. The third line would Frans Nielsen, Darren Helm and Andreas Athanasiou, if the restricted free agent signs with the team. Luke Glendening, Riley Sheahan and Tyler Bertuzzi are the likely candidates on the fourth line, assuming things don’t change much in training camp.

  • The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen writes that the team will be counting heavily on the success of Russian veteran Vadim Shipachyov this season. The 30-year-old forward was the third-leading scorer in the KHL last year with 26 goals and the team believes that if he can make the conversion to the NHL successfully, the Golden Knights might be better than many believe when it comes to offense. The team already has James Neal, Jon Marchessault, Reilly Smith, David Perron and the hope is Shipachyov will be that top-line player that opens up the offense.
  • In the same story, Schoen adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if Golden Knights’ goaltender Calvin Pickard makes a name for himself, possibly even this season. While starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has received all the press and has become the face of the franchise, Pickard is just 25 years old and was a second-round pick in 2010. He was considered a top prospect before he struggled in a full-time role for the struggling Colorado Avalanche last year. His 2.98 GAA left a lot to be desired. However, Fleury is already 33 and while he was impressive in the playoffs for the Penguins, didn’t have a great year as the backup, putting up a 3.02 GAA for the year in 38 games. If Pickard can re-establish himself in Las Vegas, he could find himself getting big minutes.

Atlantic Notes: Bertuzzi, Namestnikov, Gauthier

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Although he had only a minor role with the Red Wings last season and has waiver exemption remaining, the team expects winger Tyler Bertuzzi to break camp with the big club in October, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  Bertuzzi played in just seven games with Detroit in 2016-17 and averaged just nine minutes per game but played quite well with AHL Grand Rapids in the playoffs where he collected 19 points (9-10-19) in 19 contests.

St. James adds that there are those in the organization who believe the 22-year-old would be best suited to start in the minors once again but both GM Ken Holland and head coach Jeff Blashill are among those who would like to see him start with the Red Wings.  The fact that Bertuzzi is on a league minimum contract will certainly help his case considering their current salary cap situation.  However, because of that and his waiver exemption, there’s a good chance that Bertuzzi will be forced to go back and forth a lot during the year in an effort to open up a bit of wiggle room during the season.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Lightning forward Vladislav Namestnikov has switched agencies as he has joined Gold Star Sports Management according to agent Dan Milstein (Twitter link). He previously had been with Newport.  The timing of this is notable as Namestnikov is entering the final year of his bridge contract and will be set to enter restricted free agency with arbitration rights next summer.  His qualifying offer will check in just north of $1.93MM.
  • Although Frederik Gauthier’s recovery from his hamstring surgery back in May is going well, there remains no firm timetable as to when he could return, notes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. He resumed skating for the first time last week.  At the time of the surgery, the speculation was that it would be at least six months before he’d be ready to return to game action.  When he does recover, the former first round pick will likely be headed for the AHL level once again.

Grand Rapids Griffins Win 2017 Calder Cup

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After a tense, back-and-forth Game 6, Grand Rapids emerged victorious with a 4-3 final score over the Syracuse Crunch, capturing the 2017 Calder Cup. The newly crowned AHL champions found the eventual game winner off a mid-3rd period tally from winger Martin Frk. His shot from the point found its way through traffic and beat Crunch tender Mike McKenna. McKenna had misplayed an earlier goal as well, which is an unfortunate turn of events for the veteran who’d performed quite well, posting a .914 save percentage through 21 games.

Other important Red Wings prospects who will  benefit from this experience include Tyler Bertuzzi, Tomas Nosek (who led the team in points), and Ben Thomas. Also of note were the performances of Eric Tangradi, Ben Street, and Mitch Callahan. Captained by veteran defenseman Nathan Paetsch, and backstopped by 25 year-old goalie Jared Coreau, the team defeated the Milwaukee Admirals in 3 games, the Chicago Wolves in 5 games, and the San Jose Barracuda in 5 games on their march to the finals.

The Crunch had a lead for the majority of the game, but the Griffins kept close and eventually pulled ahead. Syracuse’s most noticeable player of the night was Yanni Gourde, who scored two of the team’s three tallies in the losing effort. Cory Conacher also had a resurgent season, leading the whole field in both playoff goals and points.

Red Wings Notes: Draft Targets, Svechnikov

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Since the Red Wings will be picking in the top ten for the first time since taking Martin Lapointe in 1991, there are a number of theories as to who they might take. MLive’s Brendan Savage pencils in Russian Klim Kostin via a Bleacher Report article conducting mock drafts. Kostin is an 18-year-old winger who was limited this season due to a shoulder injury, but spent time with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow. NHL Central Scouting has Kostin as its #1 skater while last July, the Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy had a write up on Kostin, who opted to stay in Russia instead of playing in North America after being taken in the CHL Import Draft. Kennedy pegged Kostin as a top pick in this year’s draft, and though injury has kept Kostin down this season, the Red Wings seem to be line for a player who scouts peg as a strong scorer down the road.

  • Fan Rag’s Franklin Steele penned a draft target piece about the Red Wings as well, listing defensemen Cale Makar, Jusso Valimaki, and forward Elias Pettersson as possible choices. Makar and Valimaki both fill a major need for Detroit which is a top defenseman, one they can grow into a desperately needed one or two d-man. Makar brings elite skating and skill. Valimaki scored at a point-per-game pace with the Tri-City Americans in the WHL, revealing another skill defenseman the Wings desperately crave. Should defensemen not be there, Steele believes Pettersson makes the most sense, should Owen Tippett or Gabe Vilardi not be available. A two way forward, Pettersson has what Steele calls the “fastest hands” of the prospects, but some red flags, including struggling during international play, could be a liability.
  • Evgeny Svechnikov leads AHL affiliate Grand Rapids into its second round matchup against the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup playoffs writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The Griffins made quick work of Milwaukee, sweeping them en route to its tilt with the Wolves. Svechnikov, who many believe could crack the Red Wings roster out of training camp next season, is tied with four points in just three games. Fellow prospect Tyler Bertuzzi, also has four points. This builds on Svechnikov’s torrid second half, where he notched 34 points in 36 games, scoring 10 goals and adding 24 assists. St. James reports that head coach Todd Nelson calls Svechnikov a “great success story,” adding that the youngster spent a lot of time watching video to cut down on turnovers. The result, Nelson says, is a more complete game.

Justin Abdelkader Leaves Game With Lower Body Injury

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MLive’s Ansar Khan tweets that Justin Abdelkader has a lower body injury and will not return to the game tonight.  During the first period of the Detroit Red Wings’ matchup with the Florida Panthers, Abdelkader left the ice after finishing a check and banging his right leg into the boards following the hit. He was seen wincing on the bench and flexing his knee as he skated off the ice.

If Abdelkader is out for a number of games, he will join wounded Wings Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Alexey Marchenko, and Brendan Smith. It’s been that kind of a season for Detroit, who is seeking its 26th consecutive playoff appearance.

Abdelkader has eight points (4-4) in 21 games and after signing a massive seven-year extension last season, he was to be counted on for a net-front presence and to chip in at least 20 goals. His absence from the lineup creates another hole in an already ravaged lineup.

The Red Wings, through November 27, lead the NHL in man-games lost with 141.

Brendan Smith Out Four Weeks, Tyler Bertuzzi Out Three To Five Weeks

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An already long list of injuries continues to grow for the Red Wings as defenseman Brendan Smith is expected to miss the next four weeks with a knee injury, MLive’s Ansar Khan reports (Twitter link).  Smith was injured in a collision with Montreal left winger Phillip Danault on Saturday night.

Smith has played a regular role on the back end for Detroit this season, averaging just over 18 minutes per game of playing time while picking up a pair of goals and two assists.

It will be interesting to see if the Red Wings call anyone up to replace the 27 year old pending unrestricted free agent.  The team has been carrying eight defenders all season as they have been hesitant to expose either of Ryan Sproul or Xavier Ouellet to waivers.   However, with Smith out and Alexey Marchenko (upper body) also on injured reserve, they’re down to the minimum of six but from a cap perspective, they are already well into LTIR, per CapFriendly.

The team announced that Smith, along with forward Tyler Bertuzzi who was also injured on Saturday, have been placed on injured reserve which will free up a roster spot to call up a seventh defender if they deem it necessary.  Head coach Jeff Blashill suggested that Bertuzzi is expected to miss the next three to five weeks with a left ankle injury, Khan notes (via Twitter).  He was seen walking without crutches or a boot which was a positive sign.

[Related: Red Wings Depth Chart]

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