Perparation are ongoing for this weekend’s Detroit Red Wings rookie games against the Dallas Stars in Traverse City. Meanwhile, you might be finding yourself with some questions on your mind.

Such as, who are these guys?

It’s a fair point to make.

Of the 24 players on the Detroit roster, just seven are Red Wings draft picks. At the other end of the spectrum there are 11 free agents. They’ll be hoping to make enough of an impression during the two games to garner an invite to the club’s main training camp.

Among this group are right-wingers Borya Valis (Prince George, WHL), Charlie Paquette (Guelph, OHL) and Dylan Edwards (Erie, OHL), centers Chase Lefebvre (Peterborough, OHL) and Brayden Edwards (Lethbridge, WHL). Defensemen Matthew Virgilio (Sault Ste. Marie, OHL), Bauer Dumanski (Prince George, WHL) John Van Mulligen (Medicine Hat, WHL), Blake Smith (Flint, OHL), Marcus Kearsey (Charlottetown, QMJHL) and Zack Sandhu (Oshawa, OHL) are other free agents coming to rookie camp.

If you’ve got an eagle eye and a sharp memory, you’ll recall that Lefebvre, Paquette, Valis, Kearsey, Smith and both of the Edwards boys were participating in the Red Wings July development camp.

Teammates Of Red Wings Picks

Both Valis and Dumanski were WHL teammates of Red Wings 2024 third-round draftee Ondrej Becher last season with the Prince George Cougars.

Los Angeles-born Denver resident Valis was acquired last season in a trade with the Regina Pats. “Valis is an offensive player that has a nose for the net,” former Red Wings forward Mark Lamb, coach/GM of the Cougars, told the Prince George Citizen.

Dumanski is the type of defender with the necessary skills to work the back end in the current pro game. “His puck movement skills are what you need to be effective in today’s game,” Cougars scouting director Bob Simmonds told the Prince George Citizen.

Virgilio worked in front of another 2024 Red Wings pick, goalie Landon Miller. They were teammates with the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Over the summer, Virgilio was dealt to the Niagara IceDogs. Original, Vigilio was leaning toward the college route and was a verbal commitment to the Michigan Wolverines.

“Virgilio took good strides with his game,” Greyhounds GM Kyle Raftis told The Sault Star. “Obviously, he was a big part of our playoff run this year, played some big minutes for us”

Paquette Familiar With NHLers

Paquette was weaned on hockey. His father Andy Paquette runs PowerTech Hockey. It’s a high-end training service for elite players based in Windsor, Ontario, across the boder from Detroit. Among Andy Paquette’s clients over the years have been NHLers such as Steve Ott, Zack Kassian, Mike Weber, Aaron Ekblad and former Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins winger Matt Puempel.

Dylan Edwards was an eighth round OHL pick of the Erie Otters. Cut in training camp last season he was battling his way back onto the roster by midseason.

“The way in which Dylan has dealt with adversity is exactly what you would describe to other players in how to handle this type of situation,”  Otters general manager Dave Brown told CHL.ca.

Lefebvre From Yzerman’s Junior Club

Likewise, Chase Lefebvre was a 15th round OHL draft pick who found a way to make the Peterborough Petes, the OHL team for which Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman played. “I forecheck and backcheck hard, I have good vision and I’m a fast skater,” Lefebvre said.

Brayden Edwards of the WHL Lethbridge Hurricanes feels he was gaining much from attending the Red Wings summer development camp. “I was able to take in a lot that I can hopefully put into next season,” he said.

Medicine Hat Tigers defenseman Josh Van Mulligen is getting his second shot with an NHL team. He was an attendee of the Edmonton Oilers development camp in 2023. “Just seeing my name on the jersey and everything, it’s pretty cool and it’s something I’m really grateful for,” Van Mulligen told the Medicine Hat News

Blake Smith of the OHL Flint Firebirds is a shutdown defenseman. He’s building a reputation as a shot blocker and a physical presence. “He has a long reach and takes pride in defending,” former Flint coach Ted Dent told CHL.ca.

Splitting last season between Guelph and Oshawa of the OHL, scouts are viewing Sandhu as a steady, reliable, low-risk style of defender.

Kearsey was winning the QMJHL top defensive rookie award with the Charlottetown Islanders following the 2022-23 season. “He’s a fun guy to coach, always a smile on his face,” Charlottetown coach Jim Hulton said. “He’s an energetic guy who’s always going to be a positive leader.”

The post Who Are These Guys On Red Wings Rookie Roster? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

A study of a decade of NHL drafting succinctly displays exactly how little Steve Yzerman was left to work with upon his arrival as GM of the Detroit Red Wings in 2019.

The study, conducted by Josh Beneteau, a writer for Canadian all-sports network Sportsnet, breaks down every draft selection made between 2010-19. Teams are ranked based upon what percentage of the players they drafted during this time period wound up playing at least 200 NHL games. That would basically be the equivalent of three NHL seasons.

I did a deep dive on some historical draft data to see if there were any trends. Part 1 of my series went live today. https://t.co/HgZfpx2AnD

— Josh Beneteau (@jbenny15) September 4, 2024

Based upon this research, the Red Wings slot in among Tier 4 of NHL teams. That means more than 15%, but less than 20% of the players they drafted during this decade would spend 200 or more games skating in the NHL.

Interestingly, during this time period, only the Chicago Blackhawks (76) would be making more draft selections than the 73 chosen by Detroit. However, just like the lottery, having more tickets than everyone else really isn’t going to significantly increase your chances of hitting a winner.

There’s 13 Players In Red Wings 200 Club

Only 13 players chosen by the Red Wings in the NHL entry draft between 2010-19 were able to skate in 200 NHL games. Gaining inclusion in this group are Riley Sheahan (637), Calle Jarnkrok (699) and Petr Mrazek (390) from 2010. Tomas Jurco (221) was a 2011 pick and Andreas Athanasiou (487) picked in 2012. There were three more in 2013 – Anthony Mantha (494), Tyler Berruzzi (406) and Mattias Janmark (557).

Captain Dylan Larkin (652) was a 2014 arrival, while Filip Hronek (390) came via the 2016 draft. Michael Rasmussen (313) was the top pick in 2017. Filip Zadina (262) and Joe Veleno (232) were the first two picks in 2018, while Moritz Seider (246) was Detroit’s 2019 first rounder. That’s the only draft in the group which Yzerman was overseeing as GM.

It’s worth noting that among this group of 13, only nine would suit up for 200 games as Red Wings – Seider, Veleno, Rasmussen, Larkin, Hronek, Bertuzzi, Mantha, Athanasiou, and Sheahan.

MORITZ SEIDER pic.twitter.com/Ur4HpECgZZ

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 23, 2022

Neither Jarnkrok or Janmark would play a single game for Detroit. Yet they rank 1-4 among the 13 players in total NHL games played.

Not Great At Picking Goalies

Beneteau’s series also was showing the Red Wings were 23rd overall when it came to drafting goalies between 2010-19. They were 29th-best at finding hidden gems. Those are players who played 200 NHL games that were selections in the third round or later. Detroit was 20th-best among teams at finding 200-game NHLers during the first two rounds of selections.

All in all, what this data displays is that you must build from within in a salary cap NHL. Otherwise, you go without playoff hockey. The Red Wings are poster boys for that fact of hockey life.

Just as clear is that if the Red Wings are to climb back into status as a contender, it will be done so on the backs of the players Yzerman’s drafts have produced over the past six seasons.

The post Draft Study Emphasizes Past Emptiness of Red Wings Prospect Cupboard appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Decades later, Chris Pronger is still disgruntled with Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman.

It would be wrong to categorize Pronger as holding a grudge against Yzerman over the latter’s low-bridge hit in the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs at St. Louis that left Pronger with a torn ACL.

Definitely, Pronger is still bitter about the entire affair.

“He tore my ACL and I missed a whole year,” Pronger was explaining during a recent appearance on the Cam And Strick podcast.

Chris Pronger on Steve Yzerman hit that tore his acl. #Stlblues #LGRW ⁦@CamandStrick⁩ pic.twitter.com/0GGBNRkEPD

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) June 4, 2024

The episode would unfold during Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series between Pronger’s St. Louis Blues and the Red Wings. Pronger was closing in on Yzerman along the boards, seeking to deliver some punishment.

“I had him lined up,” Pronger said.

Spying the fast approaching St. Louis defenseman, Yzerman ducked down low, sending Pronger spilling over him, causing the tear to the ACL in Pronger’s right knee.

May 9 2002

Chris Pronger tore his acl while attempting to hit Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings.

Cameo appearance by St Louis Blues Asst Coach Mike Van Ryn.#stlblues pic.twitter.com/CnAeM6dUEE

— STL Blues History (@STLBlueshistory) May 9, 2022

“He stepped up at the blue line and tried to hit me and I saw him coming,” was Yzerman’s explanation of the collision. “I dumped the puck in and was just spinning out the way, trying to get out of the way and falling down.”

“Unfortunately for Chris, he was coming at me and ran right into my rear end.”

Yzerman Would Later Apologize To Pronger

The injury occurred on May 9, 2002. Pronger wouldn’t play again until March 29, 2003. As fate would have it, the visitors on that night in St. Louis were Yzerman and the Red Wings.

“When I came back the next year late in the year, I was gonna get him,” Pronger remembered. “I came back and we were playing them and we were in a line brawl.

The third period of Detroit’s 6-2 victory would feature 219 minutes in penalties. This would be Pronger’s chance for revenge.

“Who do I grab?” Pronger said.” He’s right there. And all I hear is kids screaming at me, ‘no, don’t do it,’ because they didn’t want me to kill him.

“I grabbed him but I didn’t do anything.”

In the end, common sense came of the forefront of Pronger’s mind. Yzerman, after all, was only in his 13th game back from his own serious knee surgery, an osteotomy.

“He was dealing with his own knee issues,” Pronger said.

Plus, he had sought to make amends during the offseason.

“He apologized,” Pronger said. “He called me in the summer.

“Do I think he was trying to blow my ACL out? No. Do I think he did it on purpose? No.

“He went low on purpose. I don’t think he went low into me on purpose.”

The post Pronger Still Sour With Red Wings Yzerman Over Torn ACL appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

There’s a new buzz word working its way through the Detroit Red Wings organization this summer. It’s a sign of just how far the club has come in the past two NHL seasons.

Expectations are growing for the Red Wings in anticipation of the 2024-25 season and you know what?

The team is just fine with that.

Raise your hand if you’re excited for Red Wings season

(peep Derek Lalonde) pic.twitter.com/E7WAzcLMlA

— Natalie Kerwin (@NatalieKerwin1) August 7, 2024

“I think there’s definitely expectations going into this season, so that’s always a good thing,” Detroit forward Patrick Kane said. “You want those expectations.”

After finishing the season with 91 points and missing out on postseason play via tiebreaker, the Red Wings have given cause for high hopes.

“I think you set expectations high after coming down to Game 82 (and) that (is when) you missed the playoffs,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said.

The Red Wings are ready to deal with the accompanying pressure that raised expectations do bring.

“I think that’s great for our group to have expectations like that to come in the next year to get back to that point,” Red Wings forward Christian Fischer said. “I’m honestly fully confident that we could get back there.

“You don’t want to set crazy expectations but I think everybody’s in the same boat. I think we kind of showed last year a big step in the progression of our team and setting the standard that we could be in the postseason, and that we expect to be in the postseason.

“I think it’s just last year was a great building block for our team.”

All Part Of Process For Red Wings

Along with raised expectations, the Red Wings will also be dealing with the fact that they won’t be able to sneak up on any teams. They’ve raised the bar in terms of how other teams view them as well.

Patrick Kane on returning to Red Wings: "We all want to build on last year. There’s definitely expectations going into this season, and that’s a good thing. And I think the LCA is an amazing place to play, I can’t imagine what it would be like in the playoffs."

— Will Burchfield (@burchie_kid) July 8, 2024

“It’s all part of the process,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “Expectations change because we flirted with getting there.

“These are different expectations. That’s a different challenge in itself, too. I think there’s a lot of excitement for good reason going into this year but it’s going to be on us and the group to narrow our focus on doing the right things, especially early, and we’d love to put ourselves in the same situation next year.”

The post Growing Expectations Positive Development For Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has been a juggler as much as he’s been a general manager this offseason. He kept many balls in the air while working his way through multiple offseason moves.

With Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond ready for long-term contracts, Yzerman had little salary cap space to work with in the free agent marketplace. That didn’t stop him from making a couple of moves that caught many by surprise, particularly the signing of Vladimir Tarasenko.

Here are Detroit Hockey Now’s grades for Yzerman’s offseason work:

Traded prospect Andrew Gibson to Preds for a second round pick and a prospect

Grade: C+

Not everyone in Detroit loved this move because Gibson has potential to be an all-purpose defenseman. He can be a two-way guy and boasts size (6-foot-3) and an edge.

This deal was all about acquiring the second round pick. The Red Wings needed that second-round pick to clear cap space for another move. The Red Wings liked Gibson, but Yzerman has said in the past that you accumulate draft picks to stock your team and also to use as assets to make trades to improve your team. That’s what Yzerman was doing here.

Could Yzerman have moved another player to obtain the second round pick? It’s impossible to know. Maybe it was Gibson or no deal.

He also picked up  Finnish two-way forward Jesse Kiiskinen, who the Red Wings like. They have more desirable defensemen than forwards on their prospect list. But this deal displeased some fans who watched Gibson play for the Soo Greyhounds this season. Gibson has the potential to be  a very effective defenseman

Trading Jake Walman/Re-Signing Patrick Kane

Grade:  A-

This feels more like landing a new player than re-signing an old one because many believed Kane would leave for a higher salary or more term than Yzerman could offer.

Yzerman didn’t really have the salary cap room to to support re-signing Kane. Projections had Kane able to get offers in the $5 to $6 million range. It seemed as if teams might give him term as well.

Give Yzerman credit being creative enough to keep Kane in a Detroit jersey. First, he traded Walman and his $3.4 million salary to the San Jose Sharks. Walman fell out of favor in Detroit last season, but the reason they traded him was to clear up the cap space.  The price for doing that was giving the Sharks a second-round pick. It was the pick they got for Gibson.

The second-round pick was going rate to move that much salary. The St. Louis Blues got a second-round in 2025 to take center Kevin Hayes and his $3.4 million stipend.

Yzerman had more work to do to land Kane. He used the over-35 bonus option to give himself more buying power. He offered Kane a $4 million base salary, plus $2.5 in bonus opportunities. Some of those bonuses are easily makeable, like $1.5 million for playing 10 games. Those bonuses will be paid out of next season’s cap.

Kane contract has bonuses. Per sources:
$4M base
$1.5M at 10 games
$250k at 60 games
$500k if they make playoffs
$250k for 60 points AND playoffs.

Total is $6.5M https://t.co/VnOZ7wdCiQ

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2024

Retained Fischer, Signed Motte, Said ‘Goodbye’ to David Perron

Grade: B

This did not come down to an either or situation. But the money for Christian Fischer and Tyler Motte together ($1.925 million) is almost exactly what the Senators paid to persuade Perron ($2 million) to go to Ottawa.

The Red Wings wanted to keep Perron — mostly because of his leadership — but didn’t have the cap space to sign them all. They went with two players who can each contribute 100-plus hits.  They will miss David Perron’s 15-18 goals, but Fischer has more scoring potential than he showed last season.

Trade Robby Fabbri to Anaheim/Land Vladimir Tarasenko as UFA

Grade:  A

If you ask this question around the NHL: Would you rather have Fabbri, Perron or Tarasenko?  The answer would be Tarasenko every time.

This was another case of Yzerman making a trade to sign a free agent. He moved Fabbri’s $4 million salary cap (and a conditional fourth-round prick) and then used that money to give Tarasenko a two-year deal at $4.75 million per season.

With the addition of Tarasenko and retaining Kane, the Red Wings now have five forwards among their top six who are proven 30-goal scorers.

Tarasenko is the kind of scorer who can freshen up Detroit’s offense.

Losing Shayne Gostisbehere/Daniel Sprong

Grade: C+

The Red Wings made a reasonable effort to land Gostisbehere because he was so valauble on the power play, but he wanted a three-year deal. The Red Wings didn’t want to go that long.

Sprong hasn’t signed anywhere yet. He’s on this list as a reminder that Yzerman wasn’t able to replace all of the goals he lost to free agency. He’s going to need returning players to improve their output. Jonathan Berggren,  for example, might be able to replace Sprong’s 18 goals.

Signed Erik Gustafsson as UFA

Grade: B

After losing Shayne Gostisbehere, the Red Wings need someone to help the power play as the No. 2 point man. The 32-year-old Swedish player posted 31 points for the New York Rangers last season.

That’s not close to Gostisbehere’s 56. However, Gustafsson put up 60 points for the Chicago Blackhawks one season.

Yzerman Overall Mark

Grade: B

He hit home runs with Kane and Tarasenko and he needed to move players to get that done. He may have left himself a short on goals.

The post State of the Red Wings: Yzerman Offseason Grades appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Much like a forelorn fisherman, Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was lamenting the one that got away.

Yzerman gave indications that the club was in on one of the A-list unrestricted free agents. It was among the players who were changing teams quickly after the noon ET deadline arrived on July 1. The interest was brief, but it was there nonetheless.

“We had some interest in one that we thought might be a fit,” Yzerman admitted. “You know these things got to happen really quickly.

“And we decided very quickly that it’s going to be really some major surgery here to try and get it done and and we didn’t want to waste everybody’s time in really getting there.”

Who Was Player That Red Wings Wanted?

Naturally, Yzerman wasn’t about to go all in and put all his cards on the table. He wasn’t going to reveal the name of the player the made a bid to sign as a UFA.

These fans that tried to will Stamkos to Detroit make me laugh. Yzerman is not going to shell out $8mil for a 35 year old. #LGRW

— CoachNoffke (@CoachNoffke) July 1, 2024

However, doing the math, and knowing that it was one of the players who signed quickly, a very likely educated guess would be that it was Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos.

Look at the players who were moving to new teams the earliest. Among that Stamkos is the one who would make the most sense to be of interest to the Red Wings. He would’ve fit into their need for a top-six forward who could provide scoring. He would also be a presence on the power play.

As well, Yzerman holds a history with Stamkos from their time together with the Lightning. And Yzerman has stressed in the past how he tends to lean toward people he’s familiar with when making key personnel decisions.

Whoever, the player was, it was becoming apparent that there was no fit with the Red Wings salary structure. It was leaving Yzerman with no choice but to be rapidly pivoting to Plan B.

Yzerman: knowing they couldn’t retain every pending free agent, “we adjusted, or pivoted, and were able to bring in some players to replace them or guys we couldn’t bring back” #LGRW pic.twitter.com/zHCIRpLoPD

— Rachel Hopmayer (@rachelhopmayer) July 4, 2024

“So there was one player we thought might have been a real good fit,” Yzerman was again explaining. “But it was gonna be a challenge to get it done. And the concern on that day on July 1 is everybody’s gone if you don’t kind of go down a certain road.

“So we had to adjust what we decided, which way we really wanted to go here, and chose the path we did take.”

The post Red Wings Yzerman Talks About The One That Got Away appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It was a blunt admission and frankly, perhaps even a little bit surprising to hear coming from such a determined and focused competitor as Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman.

Pressure? Sure, he’s feeling it.

“Yeah, a little bit, honestly,” Yzerman was admitting. “You know, we want, our fan base wants to win. We came close last year to making the playoffs.”

At the same time, Yzerman recognizes that in the world of pro sports, close doesn’t really count for much in the long run. Coming close to winning the Stanley Cup isn’t a comfort to the Edmonton Oilers.

Likewise, coming close to being a playoff team isn’t something that is resulting in sense of accomplishment for the Red Wings.

All it’s served to do is to increase the level of expectations among Red Wings fans. And it’s done so without the accompanying rewards of actually getting to play playoff hockey. That’s something the Detroit franchise hasn’t done since the 2015-16 NHL season.

“Expectations are raised for some individuals, for our team,” Yzerman acknowledged. “We had 91 points, 41 wins. That’s tough to do and (we) still (didn’t) make the playoffs.

“We’re probably going to have to get more than 91 points next year to get in. That’ll be a challenge for us.”

Red Wings Yzerman Won’t Change Plan

Yzerman is vowing two things about his plan for rebuilding the Red Wings back to what they were when he was a player – into an NHL power.

Firstly, he’ll never refer to his work as the Yzer-plan.

“Yeah, I really don’t use that term,” he said.

Secondly, short-term ups and downs will never result in him making alterations to his long-term plan for the team.

Steve Yzerman when asked about feeling some pressure as the years goes on. “it’s not going to change what I’m trying to do. It’s the right way to do it and it’s taken some time.” Adds that he obviously wants to make the playoffs and he’s hopeful. #LGRW

— Daniella Bruce (@daniellabruce_) July 4, 2024

“Pressure, I guess whatever you want to call it, it’s not going to change what I’m trying to do,” Yzerman said. “It’s the right way to do it. And it’s taken some time. And I can’t tell you it’s five years, seven years, 10 years.

“I’m just gonna stick with it here. And we’ll keep going. But we would all love to win – me, everyone, our fan base.

“I understand.”

The post Red Wings GM Admits to Feeling Pressure appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

July 1 is a national holiday in Canada and the Detroit Red Wings were joining the celebration by taking much of the day off.

While NHL teams were spending a record $1 billion on unrestricted free agents, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was going with more of an Ernie Harwell approach to the day. He was standing by the side of the road, watching it all go by.

Yzerman was opting to be frugal with his spending and you know what? That might not turn out to be a bad thing.

The excitement that NHL teams and their fanbases are feeling following the July 1 activity often gives way to sober second thoughts of desperation and regret.

Red Wings Develop Prospects Slowly

Perhaps Yzerman’s calm, measured approach may end up leading to a change in philosophy as far as the club’s approach to developing young players. In the past, Yzerman has proven to be a disciple of his predecessor when discussing prospects.

Ken Holland was of the opinion that you allow young players to ripen on the vine before allowing them the chance to blossom on an NHL roster. Yzerman clearly agrees with that sentiment.

Carter Mazur (2 shots, 2A, +2), Marco Kasper (3 shots, 1A, +3) and Jonatan Berggren (3G, 1A, 7 shots, +4) were terrific together last night as the Griffins beat the Wolves 5-4 in OT.

Here are some clips: pic.twitter.com/ea4chXgGIj

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) April 4, 2024

It’s why forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Albert Johansson, both out of waiver-exempt options, figure to be on the Detroit roster this season, even though no one can truly say either is a sure-fire NHLer.

Factoring in Berggren and unsigned restricted free agents Lucas Raymond and Joe Veleno, the Red Wings currently only have 10 forwards on the NHL roster. Does that mean there are going to be opening for the likes of Marco Kasper, Carter Mazur, Elmer Soderblom, or Nate Danielson to right their way on to the roster?

Possibly, but not probably it would seem.

“Today I wouldn’t want to say to any of these kids that they don’t have a chance to make it,” Yzerman said, before adding his usual caveat. “But they’re gonna have to push somebody out.”

This has proven to be the Red Wings blueprint for decades, but here’s the thing – you could operate in that manner when the playoffs were a given and Cup contention was an annual event.

This is a team that’s missed the playoffs seven seasons in succession. Maybe it’s time to rethink the blueprint.

Many Goals Departing

The Red Wings really have taken a hit since the end of the season in terms of depth, especially scoring depth. Gone are David Perron (17 goals), Daniel Sprong (18), Shayne Gostisbehere (10) and Jake Walman (12). That’s 57 goals exiting.

Regression for a team that missed the playoffs by a point last season would appear quite possible. While the Red Wings have patchworked the past couple of years with journeymen veterans, teams like Philadelphia, Buffalo and Ottawa were opting to run out their kids and take some lumps while they were learning.

Will their kids be a step ahead of Detroit’s youngsters on the NHL learning curve because of that?

Who knows what other plans the Red Wings might have cooking right now on the back burner. Yzerman isn’t one for entering the sharing circle when it comes to discussing his plans for his team.

Following the weekend’s NHL draft, he certainly didn’t seem at all concerned about not signing any A-list free agents.

“If we can get somebody at the right number, we’ll do it,” Yzerman said at the time. “If not, we’ll wait. We’re confident we’ll fill our roster out one way or another.”

Will Red Wings Give Youth A Chance?

Regardless, it doesn’t sound as though the Red Wings are considering a change in philosophy when it comes to how their grow their prospect pool. Although, Yzerman is leaving the door open a crack to that possbility.

Love seeing a strong forecheck from big Elmer Soderblom!#GoGRG #LGRW #CalderCup pic.twitter.com/2ypkJ9XEFG

— Hockeytown West Podcast (@HockeytownWpod) May 16, 2024

“At this stage I’m not prepared to leave a roster spot open, maybe not in the top nine, for one of these kids yet,” Yzerman said. “They’re gonna have to really take a step and that’s possible, if they have a good summer and a good preseason. But we anticipate most of those kids at least starting in GR.

“Again I don’t have a hard and fast guideline. If we’re in camp and they look like they’re gonna play, we’ll find a spot for them.”

The post Quiet July 1 Could be Blessing in Disguise For Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

There’s been much consternation within the Detroit Red Wings fan base over the move GM Steve Yzerman made earlier this week to deal defenseman Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks.

Some are upset about Walman’s departure. Most are angered by the fact that Yzerman was also including a 2023 second-round draft  pick (53rd overall) in order to send Walman on his way to San Jose.

Jake Walman loved Detroit with his heart and soul, quit telling me to move on I’m sooo sad

— k (@seiderlarkin) June 28, 2024

Friday, Yzerman took the time to explain his rationale behind this move.

He was in desperate need to shed a contract from his roster. Yzerman is in need of cap space in order to do what he wants to get done to reshape the club’s roster for next season.

He must re-sign restricted free agents Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. That could end up costing him north of $17 million. As well, Yzerman is hopeful of keeping some of his own pending UFAs. At the top of that list is certainly defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. A new deal for David Perron might also be in the works.

He’d also like to free up some money to be able to take a run at UFAs like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, or Sam Reinhart.

Finding ways to be making this all happen is much easier talking about than it is doing.

“It’s really difficult to move money right now,” Yzerman said. “And I’ve tried. Honestly I’ve tried.

“We needed to move at least one contract to do some of the things we gotta do. Unfortunately, that (second-round pick) was the price to do it.”

Yzerman Didn’t Want To Trade Gibson

Also paying the price in this myriad of transactions was defense prospect Andrew Gibson. The Red Wings would ship the 2023 second-round pick to the Nashville Predators. In return, they got that 53rd overall pick that went to the Sharks, as well as Finnish forward propsect Jesse Kiiskinen.

Jesse Kiiskinen, now a #LGRW prospect, is a high-motor winger with good skill level and a versatile wrister through different release types.

Had a fine rookie Liiga season given his role, should be primed to compete for a top-six spot next year after a move to a weaker team. https://t.co/8aVOYeGLU1

— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) June 25, 2024

Again, given his druthers, this was not a move that Yzerman was looking to prioritize.

“I didn’t really want to trade Andrew Gibson but we were able to recoup a prospect and get a pick that we used to move out a contract,” Yzerman said. “We were able to acquire in a trade with Nashville a similar same-level prospect, at least on our board, for Andrew Gibson in Jesse Kiiskinen.”

If all of this ends up shaking out with the Red Wings being able to keep Gostisbehere and get an additional UFA like Stamkos, then Red Wings fans might be singing a different tone.

However, if that’s not the case and Yzerman ends up empty-handed, all of his moves will have gone for naught. And the faithful will have a right to be miffed.

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Michael Brandsegg-Nygard certainly fits the mold of the type of player Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman likes to select in the first round of the NHL entry draft.

He’s Scandinavian. Like Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper before him, Brandsegg-Nygard plays professionally in Sweden.

The 6-foot-1, 207-pound Norwegian right-winger also fills a need for the Red Wings. Big forwards who can go win puck battles and take the disk to the net are in short supply in Hockeytown.

Assessing what he likes about Brandsegg-Nygard, Yzerman paused to take a breath.

“A lot,” he finally answered. “Big, strong young man. Physically developed. Can really shoot the puck. Thought he was a really good two-way player. Kind of a goal-scoring winger that obviously fills a void in our prospect pool.”

Witnessing history as Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is the first ever Norwegian born player to be selected in the first round!

via @BR_OpenIce

pic.twitter.com/GirYQgBWp2

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 29, 2024

Big, powerful, punishing forwards wearing the winged wheel on their chest have proven to be as elusive as playoff games in these parts.

It wasn’t just his snarl that made the Red Wings decision to be sizing up Brandsegg-Nygard as the player they would want with the 15th overall pick of the draft.

“We want to have competitive hockey players that can think the game,” Red Wings assistant GM and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said. “We think he brings a physical presence.

“Certainly doesn’t back down of getting in the corners, getting in on the forecheck, finishing checks, gets around the hard areas.”

But wait. It only figures to get bigger – and the Red Wings hope – better when it comes to Brandsegg-Norgard’s future development.

“There’s room to grow,” Draper said. “He’s 207, 208 (pounds) and you easily think he’s going to be able to play at 215-220 to be a big, strong kid.

“A lot of stuff to like.”

Brandsegg-Nygard Is Red Wings Third Norwegian

Already the first Norwegian to be selected in the first round of the NHL entry draft, it won’t take much of an NHL career for Brandsegg-Nygard to become Detroit’s most prolific performer from Norway.

Bjorn Skaare would play one game during the 1978-79 season. Anders Myrvold was with the Red Wings for just eight games in 2003-04, collecting one assist.

Myrvold was among those sending congratulatory messages to Brandsegg-Nygard following his selection by Detroit.

“Big congratulations to the ‘Little Taxi,'” Myrvold posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.

This little taxi could be driving toward a big future with the Red Wings.

The Detroit Red Wings select Michael Brandsegg-Nygard 15th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft!

6'1, 207lb right shot winger, 18pts in 41gp in the HockeyAllsvenskan last season and immediately becomes the best winger in the wings prospect pool #LGRW #RedWings pic.twitter.com/1IaUFXiuww

— Hockeytown Rundown (@HockeytownRD) June 29, 2024

Numbers-wise, Brandsegg-Nygard grew stronger as the 2023-24 season continued. During the Swedish Allsvenskan (second division) playoffs with Mora IK he would tally 4-6-10 totals through 12 games. Playing for Norway at the IIHF World Championship, he was good for a 3-2-5 output in seven games while skating on the top line for the Norwegians.

“Against NHL players, he could keep up,” Yzerman said. “He showed he was strong.”

He’ll play next season in the SHL with reigning champions Skelleftea. Brandsegg-Norgard’s teammates will include 2023 Red Wings first-round pick Axel Sandin Pellikka.

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