It’s been three days since it was reported that former Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland was in discusion for a possible role with the transplanted Utah team.

Thus far there’s no indication whether that will happen or not.

Given Holland’s years of experience, such a move would certainly make sense. There’s certainly a history of some former GMs serving in an advisory capacity. For example, former Sharks GM Doug Wilson is a senior advisor of hockey operations in Pittsburgh. Former Kings and Sharks GM Dean Lombardi is with the Philadelphia Flyers as an advisor. Former Montreal GM Marc Bergevin landed as an advisor in Los Angeles in 2022.

Even though Detroit’s fan base was disappointed in Holland at the end of his time there, he is a Hall of Fame GM who built the Red Wings into Stanley Cup champions. Experienced voices can be important for a team trying to establish a winning culture for the first time.

What we don’t know is whether is considering retirement. He is 68 and turns 69 in November.

Return to Little Caesars

After Sunday’s Red and White in Traverse City, the Red Wings headed home to continue their training camp in Detroit. They are off today.

Edvinsson #LGRW pic.twitter.com/Jm9hbV9h0H

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) September 22, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

It’s possible that the Red Wings could have a lineup this season with all four of their centers having played together on the 2014-15 University of Michigan team.

Why the preseason is ultra-important for Red Wings prospects Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson.

Paywall story: Does Austin Watson have a shot at winning a Red Wings contract? What’s Ville Husso’s future? DHN explores these questions with three roster projections. To subscribe, click here.

Red Wings Extra

The Grand Rapids Griffins have unveiled a changed look to jerseys for the 2024-25 American Hockey League season.

The AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins (Red Wings affiliate) have updated their home and road uniforms for the new season, which you can check out in our story here: https://t.co/MONxE45Vzh

Here's a before and after of their white set: pic.twitter.com/FTN5LQrDRv

— SportsLogos.Net (@sportslogosnet) September 20, 2024

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Hard-hitting Mark Kastelic is already making an impression on his team. Boston Bruins.  

Montreal: Marc Dumont writes that players groupings at training camp provide hints for the first cut by the Montreal Canadiens. 

Philadelphia: Five forwards age 25 and younger had multiple-point games in a 6-2 preseason win against Washington. Jonathan Bailey writes younger players are already taking over on the Philadelphia Flyers. 

San Jose: Sheng Peng writes that Macklin Celebrini was “dazzling” in San Jose’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in their preseason opener. San Jose Sharks. 

The post The Daily: No Word on Holland to Utah; Red Wings U-M Connection appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Perhaps the final analysis will be that it was a perfect storm that led to the Edmonton Oilers losing Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to the St. Louis Blues on offer sheets.

Several factors contributed to the final outcome.

Kurt Leavins offered a nine-point take on the ordeal, and one of his conclusions is that former Red Wings and Oilers general manager Ken Holland bears some responsibility. He was Edmonton’s GM when rumors were circling about the Blues and Oilers talking about a trade that would have included Broberg and St. Louis forward Pavel Buchnevich.

“Ken Holland also could have locked both players up on multiple year deals back in early January,” Leavins wrote. “I am made to understand that he had both the advice to do so at the time and the support of ownership. But Holland chose to ignore that, believing the danger of offer sheets was slight. As it turns out, he could not have been more wrong.”

By the way, Leavins believes Tyson Barrie could return to the Oilers on a “value contract.”

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

Former Red Wings player Slava Kozlov has fond memories of the late Detroit masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov. Kozlov said Scotty Bowman had a strong respect for Mnatsakanov.

Yaroslav Askarov and Jake Walman trades may have had roots in their willingness to march to the beat of a different drummer. Both players had personalties that run counter to the sport’s culture.

Paywall story: Marco Kasper scored a pair of goals for Austria in a recent international “friendly.” He ended last season playing at a high level offensively. To subscribe, click here:

Red Wings offseason

For those who missed it, former Red Wings draft pick Keith Petruzzelli recently signed an AHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers’ affililiate (Lehigh Valley Phantoms). The Red Wings chose not to sign Petruzzelli after drafting him in the third round in 2017. He has played 47 games over parts of three season with the Toronto Marlies. Last season, he posted a 3.55 GAA with an .867 save percentage.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Matthew Poitras fired up for Bruins’ training camp. He still has much to prove. Boston Bruins.

New Jersey: Gotta See It:  Devils prospect Anton Silayev scores a slick goal. New Jersey Devils. 

Philadelphia: Why did the Flyers add two more goalies? Jonathan Bailey writes that it may have something to do with the truth that the organization isn’t sure whether top goalie prospect Alexei Kolosov is returning to North America this season. Philadelphia Flyers. 

Pittsburgh: Dan Kingerski gives his take on why Rutger McGroarty significantly changes the look of the Pittsburgh offense this season. Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Washington: Nathan Moser offers a list of five Washington Capitals alum who went undrafted. Washington Capitals. 

The post The Daily: Did Holland Have Role in Oilers Fiasco?; Kozlov Mourns appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Former Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is done with the Edmonton Oilers. Sportsnet is reporting that the Oilers will let his contract expire on June 30.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that several NHL teams plan to talk to Holland, 68, about “roles he’d consider.”

Holland spent five seasons with the Oilers who reached the Stanley Cup Final this season only to lose a heartbreaking Game 7 to the Florida Panthers.  Holland was part of four Stanley Cup championships in Detroit.

No word on possible Holland replacements in Edmonton.

Source telling me that Ken Holland could be on his way to the Chicago Blackhawks. Position to be determined. Could this be the beginning of building new dynasty there in Chi town?!? They have the cap space and the draft picks! We will see how this plays out…

— Scottie Upshall (@ScottieUpshall) June 26, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

Russia is celebrating Pavel Datsyuk’s Hockey Hall of Fame selection. Bob Duff has the story.

What to make of the Jake Walman deal. It may be about re-signing Shayne Gostisbehere. It could be adding cap space for another UFA.

Paywall stories:  The Red Wings could use another goal scorer and they might find one with their first round pick (15th overall).  Either Berkly Catton or Beckett Sennecke could be there. To subscribe to DHN’s paywall stories, click here.  To receive a $10 discount on a yearly subscription, use the promo code kevin10 or bob10.

Red Wings Offseason

The Red Wings have $32.7 million in available cap space. Only the Anaheim Ducks ($33 million) and Utah Hockey Club ($42.6 million)have more. But the Detroit number is somewhat misleading because roughly $17 million of that total will go to restricted free agents Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Another $4.25 million will go to Joe Veleno (RFA), Jonatan Berggren (RFA), Simon Edvinsson ($894,000) and Albert Johansson ($775,000). As of this morning, the Red Wings really have about $11.8 million for their last five players. That could change if the Red Wings buy out or trade defenseman Justin Holl.

H0ckey Now Network

Boston: Are the Boston Bruins chasing a Martin Necas trade with the first-round pick acquired in the Linus Ullmark trade? Dan Kingerski has the story. Boston Bruins.

Buffalo: Report says GM Kevyn Adams is planning to buy out Jeff Skinner. Buffalo Sabres. 

Chicago: Blackhawks pick up some speed and a second round pick in a Wednesday trade with the Canucks. Chicago Blackhawks.

Colorado: Evan Rawal examines where the Avalanche stand after the Casey Mittlestadt extension.  Colorado Avalanche

New Jersey: The Devils are also pursuing Martin Necas. The Devils’ have the 10th pick overall to use as bait.  New Jersey Devils.

The post The Daily: Oilers Letting Holland Contract Expire; Necas Update appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It’s been a busy summer for Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat. He’s been traded to his hometown team by the Ottawa Senators. Next, he immediately was signing a long-term deal with the Wings.

Now, he’s been required to get himself a new agent.

That’s not how it usally works. Generally, if a player is opting to change representation, it comes prior to a contract negotatiton. That’s what Detroit captain Dylan Larkin did last summer, switching from Kurt Overhardt to Pat Brisson.

In DeBrincat’s case, completely different circumstances led to his change in representation. Late last week, his previous agent, Jeff Jackson, was accepting a position as CEO of hockey ops for the Edmonton. That’s the team with former Red Wings GM Ken Holland running the show.

Vladimir Tarasenko (@Senators), Alex DeBrincat (@DetroitRedWings) and Reilly Smith (@penguins) will all be starting 2023-24 on a new team in the Eastern Conference. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/ykQESFGvPU

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) August 3, 2023

Oddly enough, DeBrincat’s new agent also holds a connection to a recent Detroit player. The high-scoring forward in now represented by Dave Gagner.

DeBrincat Agent Father Of Former Red Wings Player

A longtime NHL forward himself, Dave is the father of forward Sam Gagner. Sam was a popular Detroit player from 2020-22. He skated last season with the Winnipeg Jets and is currently an unrestricted free agent. Oddly enough, Gagner isn’t represented by his father. His agent is Judd Moldaver, who like Dave Gagner, is with Wasserman Hockey.

That doesn’t mean that Dave hasn’t proven to be a major influence on Sam’s life and hockey career.

“I think we talk a little differently to each other now,” Sam Gagner explained. “I’ve got three kids of my own now so you kind of have a different perspective. I understand that I probably at times when you’re leaning on your parents it’s a lot to handle for parents, too. And I see that as a father myself now.

[bet-promo id=”4006” ]

“He’s been so supportive. When I come to him needing help, needing support it’s always as a dad. It’s always the same. He’s been so supportive. You need that support from everybody – from him, my mom, my wife. As you go through a career, you go through a lot of ups and downs. It’s really important to that that support system. I’m thankful for that.”

Dave Gagner represents 23 NHLers, DeBrincat being the only Red Wings player. Among his clients are Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues, Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers and Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens.

The post Red Wings DeBrincat Has New Team, New Contract And New Agent appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

There used to be a theory in pro sports that great players didn’t make great bosses, but Scotty Bowman was never buying into that logic.

In fact, he was always welcoming to the notion that the better the player, the sharper the hockey mind.

“When you’ve got that many Hall of Fame players, you know that they can give the input,” Bowman said. “I’m happy to see them in the league.”

The Detroit Red Wings are honoring their 1996-97 and 1997-98 Stanley Cup championship squads this weekend. In sending out the invites to the celebration, the team wasn’t needing to search far and wide to find their old players.

Congrats to legendary @DetroitRedWings coach, Scotty Bowman, for cutting the ribbon to the new @DHSDetroit’s #DetroitHistorical Museum exhibit honoring the ‘97 #RedWings. His handprints were also cast in cement for #LegendsPlaza at the Museum.

Exhibit opens to the public 11/5. pic.twitter.com/WDbfvayDdm

— Mark S. Lee (@leegroup) November 4, 2022

That’s because so many of them are making themselves a second career in the game as coaches, GMs, executives and scouts.

Four of them can often be found inside Little Caesars Arena on a periodic basis. Steve Yzerman, captain of those Red Wings Cup winners, is now executive vice-president and GM of the team. Nicklas Lidstrom works as the club’s vice-president of hockey operations. Kris Draper is Detroit’s director of amateur scouting and Kirk Maltby is a pro scout. Mike Knuble is an assistant coach with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s top farm club.

Bowman Says Passion For Hockey Is In The Blood Of Great Players

“I don’t know if you say surprised when players are able to play at the level these guys did,” Bowman answered about seeing so many of his old Detroit players filling key roles in the game. “Why do they want to keep doing it? It’s in their blood.”

With other NHL teams, Brendan Shanahan is president of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin Lapointe is serving as director of player personnel and amateur scouting for the Montreal Canadiens. Jamie Pushor is assistant general manager and director of player personnel with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tim Taylor is director of player development for the St. Louis Blues.

In the KHL, Sergei Fedorov is coaching CSKA Moscow, Igor Larionov coaches Torpedo and Slava Kozlov is an assistant coach with Spartak Moscow.

Stanley Cup Champs As Execs

Many of them are aslo front runners in their front office careers. Both Pushor and Taylor have won Stanley Cups working their front office roles to go with the Cup rings they were earning as players in Detroit. Fedorov was guiding CSKA Moscow to the KHL Gagarin Cup title last season.

[bet-promo id=”1844″ ]

“Actually I was just talking about that today with Martin Lapointe,” former Red Wings GM Ken Holland said. “That team, and I’m sure it’s the same with championship teams all over, they have passion. The success that we had as a group, as a team, allows you to kind of same in the game.

“Once they got in the game, they kind of take it and run with it, because of their passion, because of their work ethic, because of their understanding of what the National Hockey League is all about.”

The post Bowman, Holland Aren’t Surprised Red Wings Pupils Became Mentors appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The first two pieces of Analyzing the Yzerplan looked at how the Detroit Red Wings drafted through every round by position and the league they were taken from.

Now it’s time to investigate things pre-Yzerman, specifically, did the Red Wings radically deviate from what former general manager Ken Holland was doing? Was it comparable?

After all, the Red Wings were scouting overseas even before Holland was running the show.

For the purposes of this piece and brevity, I’m choosing to start with the 2014 draft. This piece will examine Detroit’s choices from 2014-2018, and break it down similarly to the previous pieces.

Then, we’ll draw compare the similarities and differences.

Red Wings Were in a Different Place in 2014

The Red Wings 2014 playoff exit was the first where many experts wondered if better days were behind the organization. Going out of the first round with a whimper against Boston in five games, Holland still viewed Detroit as a few pieces from going deeper in the playoffs. 2015 did in fact see the Red Wings go further, but just by three games. They fell to Tampa in seven games, and then again in 2016 in five. From there, they wouldn’t see the playoffs again.

So it seems fair to start the analysis with the final four years of Holland’s tenure. The “rebuild” truly didn’t start until 2017, but in a cap league, even Holland realized he had to start looking ahead as much as he wanted to believe the team could still compete.

His 2013 draft was quite fruitful, garnering Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Mattias Janmark. But the year after would be where draft deficiencies hurt Detroit’s hopes of rebuilding on the fly.

Holland’s Red Wings Drafts By Round

Holland’s first round choices have been so scrutinized, there isn’t much reason to rehash it. Four of his six first round picks during that time are now at the NHL level. Outside of Larkin, however, the picks are missing the foundational factor of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.

The second round was perhaps Holland’s best work. The first three (Smith, Hronek and Lindstrom) are all on the roster while the latter two saw major ice time in 2021-22. Hronek is a second pairing defenseman as well. Berggren was considered a steal at the time, and his season with Grand Rapids this past season all but pencils him into the opening night roster in Detroit. McIssac has fought through injuries, but has been solid in his first full season in 2021-22.

For as good as the second round was, the Red Wings failed to produce with their third round picks. Of the eight picks in the round, only Barton remains in the system. The rest were either not tendered, or traded away (Saarijarvi, Regula). Interestingly, not one player was taken from a league overseas.

Ehn saw time in the NHL, but opted to go back to Sweden following the 2018-19 season. O’Reilly and Van Pottelberghe remain in the system. Nearly the opposite of the third round, 80% of the picks were from the SHL junior teams.

The fifth round featured the least amount of picks and outside of Pearson, none of those draftees remain with the team.

The sixth round was a 50-50 split of international and domestic picks. Of the choices, only Brattstrom and Adams are still with the organization.

Finally, the seventh round saw the bulk of picks taken from overseas. As it often goes in the seventh round, there weren’t any hits. Holmstrom looked promising, but it didn’t pan out. Kadeykin’s rights are still held by the Red Wings but he’s currently playing in Russia.

Breakdown by Position and League

For this portion, the positional breakdown is placed against one another by general manager. Of note, Holland’s sample size includes one additional season (5) to Yzerman’s four. Both general managers had 40 selections each. Below it how it breaks down:

It’s interesting that both Holland and Yzerman chose defensemen more than any other position. The difference, however, is that Yzerman prioritized his defenseman higher with first round picks going to both Seider and Simon Edvinsson, both out of professional leagues. Of the 14 defenseman Holland selected, Cholowski was the highest pick at 20th, and he’s no longer with the organization. Both Lindstrom and Hronek have been productive at the NHL level. Beyond that, McIsaac and Barton are in the system.

Holland never picked a goalie higher than the third round, and only Brattstrom seems to have a chance to actually see NHL time, though it’s likely in a backup role. Holland’s work in the first few rounds saw some success (Larkin, Rasmussen, Zadina, Veleno, Smith and Berggren), but it thins out dramatically from there. Pearson has a chance while Ehn couldn’t stick in the league.

Looking at the numbers, much of late round magic that defined Holland previously wasn’t as evident.

Red Wings Selections by League

The SHL was a popular choice for the Red Wings from 2014-2018, but it was taking players in the junior ranks rather than the big club as Yzerman has done with Edvinsson and recent pick Marco Kasper. From there, it’s a big difference. Of the 40 picks Holland made, 14 came from the CHL, with half being from the OHL. Breaking it down further, half of the picks came from the CHL and USHL.

When looking at selections side-by-side, 11 of the 80 picks were from different leagues. Yzerman went heavier in the SHL, especially early on while picking less in the OHL and QMJHL. He also out selected Holland in the USHL.

Final Thoughts

Looking at the entire body of work for both general managers, many of the observations made over the past few years regarding the drafting differences have been backed up statistically. Yzerman has gone heavier in the international leagues while Holland tended to favor the Canadian junior leagues, with 35% of his picks coming from north of the border. The strategy for Detroit paid off in earlier rounds, but the magic wasn’t there as the rounds went later.

A final takeaway here is that Holland and Yzerman had different objectives when drafting. Holland had playoff teams until 2017, using draft capital to acquire talent for long playoff runs. It didn’t pay off, and when push came to shove, Holland started targeting the acquisition of picks instead of peddling.

During Yzerman’s tenure, he’s simply looked to acquire as many picks as he could while rarely, if ever, surrendering them. Though there’s a different mindset, Yzerman has done well with his first round picks, making sure those foundational pieces are being set. The later rounds will come into focus over the next few years.

In some ways it’s comparing apples and oranges as expectations shifted. Some of the Red Wings woes were from acquisitions via free agency and trades. But Yzerman’s strategy, at least just looking at the earliest of returns, seems to be yielding more in the way of value.

Ironically, Holland’s best work seems to have occurred in his final draft, setting Yzerman up nicely to continue the forward momentum.

The post Anatomy of the Yzerplan: Holland vs Yzerman Red Wings’ Drafts appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Speaking for the first time since his firing as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Jeff Blashill was effusive in his praise of the man who is replacing him.

“They got a real good coach in Derek Lalonde, who I think will do great things,” Blashill said of the new coach of the Red Wings. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Derek Lalonde.”

It’s actually been a coaching merry go round for Lalonde and Blashill. While Lalonde was replacing Blashill behind Detroit’s bench, the Tampa Bay Lightning were announcing on Tuesday that Blashill would be replacing Lalonde on the staff of coach Jon Cooper.

We have hired Jeff Blashill as assistant coach.

Glad to have you in Tampa, Coach!https://t.co/vgPFocOxBw

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 12, 2022

Blashill and Cooper are longtime firends. They held some preliminary conversations whille Blashill was coaching with Team USA at the IIHF World Championship. Once it became apparent that Lalonde would be taking the Detroit job, the talks between Blashill and Cooper began heating up.

“Kind of as I went through a couple different processes and Coop went thought same process once he found out Derek was headed to Detroit, we had more detailed conversations,” Blashill said. “We both came to the conclusion this was the right move for both of us.

“I’m certainly excited about it and I believe he is as well.”

Blashill Holding Fond Red Wings Memories

It certainly didn’t end up working out how anyone would’ve been hoping for things to turn out. However, that doesn’t mean Blashill is harboring any bitterness about his demise in Detroit.

“Over the course of seven years I got the opportunity to coach a team I grew up cheering for,” Blashill said. “For a young boy who was born in Detroit and grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, it was a great experience, great life experience.

“My kids were in the Detroit area for seven straight years, which is not always the norm in coaching. They got to grow up and really be raised here to a large extent.

Jeff Blashill, the #Bolts newest assistant coach, on what he is most proud of in his time with the Detroit Red Wings: "I got the opportunity to coach the team I grew up cheering for…my kids were in the Detroit area for 7 straight years, which is not always the norm in coaching"

— Gabby Shirley (@Gabby_Shirley_) July 12, 2022

“We obviously didn’t have the success we wanted to on the ice,. Part of that is the situation we were in and the fact that shortly into my time we went into a rebuild that then became a full rebuild.

“I know the program is headed in the right direction. Really when I look back, just fond of the people I worked with. The experiences we went through, the players I got the opportunity to coach. I’m proud of the fact we worked through a lot of difficult times. I think the ship is headed in the right direction.”

“Certainly, through adversity you can really have an opportunity to grow. And certainly I feel like I had that opportunity to grow. A big part of that was my inner workings with (Red Wings GM) Steve (Yzerman).”

The post Blashill: Red Wings ‘Got A Really Good Coach’ In Lalonde appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It had been 20 years since the Colorado Avalanche played in the Stanley Cup final, their epic 2002 series with the Detroit Red Wings. That set went seven games and as was the case with all three Western Conference final series between the Wings and Avs, the winner carried on to win the Cup.

As the conference finals of this spring’s Stanley Cup playoffs continue, three of four teams still in the hunt for Lord Stanley’s mug are being run by major figures from that memorable 2002 Detroit-Colorado series.

Joe Sakic, captain of the 2002 Avalanche, is now the club’s GM. Chris Drury, whose Game 5 OT goal at the Joe put the Avs up 3-2 in the series, is GM of the New York Rangers. Ken Holland, who as GM of the 2002 Wings added Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and a rookie forward by the name of Pavel Datsyuk to the team that season, is currently GM of the Edmonton Oilers.

Only Julien BriseBois, GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, is excluded from this club. However, if you wanted to stretch a point, it could be noted that it was Steve Yzerman, captain of the 2002 Wings, who originally hired BriseBois to work for the Bolts.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• An assessment of Detroit’s mostly powerless power play
• Looking inside the numbers of the Red Wings’ 2021-22 season
• Detroit prospect Sebastian Cossa is pursuing a Memorial Cup berth with the Edmonton Oil Kings

Take The Day Off

Oh, and in case you’d forgotten, Sunday was the 37th anniversary of this great moment in Red Wings history.

Ferris Bueller went to Wrigley Field on his Day Off, June 5, 1985. pic.twitter.com/ZqJTKTIK0t

— Baseball In Pics (@baseballinpix) June 5, 2022

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Freshly removed from elbow surgery and with his name on another Selke Trophy, Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron isn’t committing to playing next season

Pittsburgh: Should the Pittsburgh Penguins be making room for defenseman P.O. Joseph?

Philadelphia: Did the NHL Scouting Combine help the Philadelphia Flyers make a decision about whether Matt Savoie is the guy they want with the fifth overall pick of this year’s NHL entry draft?

Washington: Four factors that will be determining the offseason path of the Washington Capitals.

[bet-promo id=”1844″ ]

NY Islanders: Looking back at the strong performance this season of New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson.

Florida: What does the future hold for Florida Panthers forward Mason Marchment?

Colorado: The depth of the Colorado Avalanche continues to be tested and continues to be passing the test.

San Jose: Talking with San Jose Sharks defense prospect Gannon Laroque.

Vegas: Where does forward Keegan Kolesar fit into the future plans of the Vegas Golden Knights?

Vancouver: Center JT Miller could prove to be an attractive trade chip for the Vancouver Canucks.

Montreal: Shane Wright is still listed as No. 1 and likely heading to the Montreal Canadiens in the latest MHN NHL entry draft rankings.

Calgary: Forget about the Jack Adams Trophy. Calgary Flames coach Darryl Sutter says he has unfinished business.

The post Red Wings Daily: 2002 Detroit-Colorado Battle Well-Represented in Conference Finals appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

There’s a number of former Detroit Red Wings in the playoffs and two are facing each other in the Western Conference Final. Albeit in different capacities.

But in a series that’s already had a little bit of everything in just two games, what’s another storyline? Between 8-6 games, sons scoring goals against fathers coaching on the other side, and shutting out arguably the best scoring duo in the game right now, the Western Conference Finals have been a blast for hockey fans to watch.

There’s one other angle that involves rooting interests for Red Wings fans.

Former Red Wings Ken Holland and Darren Helm On Opposite Sides

Former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland now runs the Edmonton Oilers, and faces far more media scrutiny than he ever did in Detroit. But Holland survived a tough stretch through January, and the Oilers stand just four games from the Stanley Cup Final.

On the other side is the guy he drafted, Darren Helm. Once the recipient of a very nice five-year, $19.25M deal from Holland himself, Helm’s production never lived up to the deal. After Steve Yzerman let him walk last offseason, he signed a one-year deal with Colorado.

And wouldn’t you know it, he’s made good on that inexpensive deal.

DARREN HELM SENDS THE AVALANCHE TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL pic.twitter.com/tr6AQCC28Q

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 28, 2022

Where it’s interesting is how Detroit fans view this. On one side, you have fans who love Darren Helm but despise the Avs due to the late 90’s rivalry. On the other, the majority, if not all, Red Wings fans pin Detroit’s current woes on Holland whose subpar drafts and poor cap management plunged the Red Wings into rebuild hell.

Regardless of where fans stand, it’s an interesting storyline for sure. Helm, who many thought was done, has a chance to use his role player status to win another Cup. Holland, who was all but pushed out by fans once Yzerman returned, has a chance to justify his work in Detroit.

In the meantime, fans will welcome the day when they’re simply rooting for their Red Wings in the playoffs.

Darren Helm doesn't know the bounds of time.

Darren Helm is Forever. https://t.co/2e6WG2ehSx

— Winged Wheel Podcast (@WingedWheelPod) May 28, 2022

Red Wings Stories You Might Have Missed

Mailbag time! Submit your questions for Bob Duff and Kevin Allen via Facebook, Twitter, or in the story comments!

As veteran coaches wait, the Red Wings stay patient in their pursuit of a head coach.

National Hockey Now

Boston – The Bruins will be without Charlie McAvoy for up to six months follow shoulder surgery.

San Jose – Might Evander Kane’s playoff success end up being good for San Jose?

New York Islanders – Brock Nelson was a force for the Islanders in 2021-22.

Pittsburgh – The Pens could use some help on the PK next season.

The post Red Wings Daily: Are Fans Pulling More for Helm or Holland? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

One of Ken Holland’s favorite stories is about how he thought about being a vacuum cleaner salesman before embarked on his career on the management side of hockey.

He retold that story to Sportsnet’s Mark Specter when it was announced that Holland was selected to be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was inducted last night in Toronto.

Fans were mad at Holland at the end of his time in Detroit because the Red Wings were sputtering. However, Holland had an exceptional run as Detroit’s general manager. He was general manager from 1997 to 2019 when he handed the job to Steve Yzerman.

In that span,the Red Wings won the Central Division 10 times, the regular-season Conference title five times, the Presidents’ Trophy four times, and the Stanley Cup three times,. The Red Wings won more regular-season games (789) and postseason games (118) than any other NHL team during that time. The team also won a Cup (1997) when Holland was an assistant GM.

Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Speech – Ken Holland https://t.co/3rPiKXcwiZ

— Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) November 16, 2021

Around the NHL

Detroit:  The Red Wings scratched Givani Smith Monday against Columbus. He needs to make himself relevant to stay in Detroit.

Also,  Alex Nedeljkovic will start for Detroit in net tonight against the Dallas Stars. He’s proving he should be in the Red Wings’ long-term plans

Boston: Jimmy Murphy weighs in on whether Jeremy Swayman should be the Bruins’ starting goalie

Colorado: J.T. Compher will be out a month with his injury and Bo Byram is in concussion protocol.

Florida:  Owen Tippett’s confidence is growing with the Panthers.

Pittsburgh: Former Senators defenseman Marc Methot called for Sidney Crosby to be suspended 10 games for a hit against a Washington defenseman

Toronto: Hockey Now’s Scott Cullen wrote a thoughtful piece about why the Maple Leafs’ dress code doesn’t matter

Vancouver: The Canucks will be looking for a little revenge against the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday.

Washington: Sammi Silber writes about the Capitals take a four-game winning streak into their west coast road trip.

The post The Daily: How Ken Holland Went From Vacuum Salesman to HHOF appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.