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Henrik Zetterberg

Red Wings Notes: Nyquist, Zetterberg, Sheahan

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Gustav Nyquist is once again being unfairly criticized writes Red Wings blogger Prashanth Iyer via Winging It In Motown. Nyquist was expected to see an uptick in goals this season after Jeff Blashill promised more ice time, but the Swede hasn’t responded in turn, scoring just one goal in his last 24 games. However, Iyer argues that his production is what should be expected out of an average first line player while pointing out the disconnect in expectations between the fanbase and Nyquist. Iyer reports that Nyquist’s insane goal scoring binge of 2013-14 was an anomaly based on the results versus his time on the ice. Those expectations, coupled with a strong season in 2014-15, made Nyquist a bonafide goal scorer in the minds of Detroit fans.

Iyer shows through stats and graphs that the culprit for Nyquist’s drop off is a shift in power play philosophy, where Nyquist is quarterbacking a powerplay instead of cashing in on chances in the slot. Putting Nyquist back into the slot–where he buried goals at an impressive rate–is one suggestion Iyer has for the coaching staff. Though he’s not the caliber of a Henrik Zetterberg or a Pavel Datsyuk, Nyquist is certainly valuable. It’s a matter of being utilized correctly.

  • Speaking of Zetterberg, he was a game time decision in tonight’s game against Arizona. According to MLive’s Ansar Khan, there isn’t a major cause for concern since Zetterberg also sat out practices in the past. Khan speculates that it could be either back or knee issues, since they have flared up in the before. Through a period of play, Zetterberg was playing his usual high number of minutes.
  • Riley Sheahan has struggled immensely this season and it’s been a source of frustration for the team, fans, and himself. Helene St. James reports that Sheahan’s lack of production, along with Nyquist and Tomas Tatar, has “choked” the Wings. Blashill had his own thoughts as well:

“I talked to him on Saturday,” Blashill said. “You’re telling me Vanek said a few words — I don’t think it hurts. If Riley keeps playing the way he is playing, he’s going to get points. No question. So, you just have to keep playing the way you’re playing and not panic. The only thing I’d say is to make sure he hits the net, because he’s got a really good shot.”

Custance’s Latest: Teams Hurt By Cap Recapture Rules

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In the salary cap era, there is nothing worse than a bloated contract, especially one susceptible to the cap recapture rules. ESPN’s Craig Custance listed a number of teams who suffer from such a fate, and explains as such:

For some teams, that pain has arrived. And it could be worse than originally projected because of cap recapture rules since put in place in the new CBA to punish teams if the player retires early or the contract is traded.

“Teams that did those contracts essentially embarrassed Gary [Bettman]. We found a way to circumvent the CBA legally,” said one executive. “He was incensed, and said ’I’m going to get you back.’ Which he did.”

Now because of decisions made years ago, in the name of winning it all or rewarding players who helped make it happen, there are a group of teams that have legacy costs built into their current salary cap structure.

Two teams who managed to stay in good shape contract wise–while contending– are the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, with the Pens not having any legacy costs. But the teams below, according to Custance, are the ones who suffered from the wrath of Bettman.

  • Los Angeles Kings

Dustin Brown, Marian Gaborik, and Matt Greene are the contracts that have the Kings on the hook for awhile. Along with Mike Richards’ cap recapture hit of $1.32MM, the Kings have a legacy cost of $8.545MM. Though they won two Stanley Cups since 2012, the cost may have hurt them in terms of losing Milan Lucic and Justin Williams due to a lack of cap room.

  • Chicago Blackhawks

Sure, they’ve won three Cups since 2010, but the Marian Hossa deal will eventually be a “real headache” since it still has four years left. Further, Custance writes that the Hawks could be in for real trouble by the 2019-20 season when the core of the Hawks, namely Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, and Corey Crawford are all into their 30’s and saddling the payroll with a combined $40MM.

  • Detroit Red Wings

General manager Ken Holland anchored the team with a number of long term, and expensive contracts. Custance’s list doesn’t include the new deals that include a 32-year-old Frans Nielsen, Justin Abdelkader, and Darren Helm. Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard, and Johan Franzen combine for a legacy cost of $9.34MM. Custance believes the Wings could get out of the Howard contract by trade, but Kronwall and Zetterberg’s deals will cripple the Wings for years to come, especially as their play declines. The legacy cost for Detroit: $9.34MM.

  • Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have a few big contracts, namely the Sedin twins, Alex Burrows, Alexander Edler and Roberto Luongo ($800K retained). Custance notes that while he would take the Sedins on his team any day, their decline is certainly happening.

 

Red Wings Notes: Injuries, Sproul, Mantha

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The injury bug has certainly bitten Detroit hard as Darren Helm is the latest Red Wing to take a turn on the injury carousel. He joins Andreas Athanasiou, Thomas Vanek, and Niklas Kronwall as wounded Wings, but Vanek is expected to be back for Sunday’s game. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James reports that Helm is expected out 6-8 weeks, but general manager Ken Holland said that no surgery will be required. Athanasiou will be out for another two weeks at a minimum while Kronwall is game to game with a bad knee. St. James writes that the Red Wings will be calling up a forward later this evening to take Helm’s place. Detroit just sent Tyler Bertuzzi back to Grand Rapids, but he could be back quicker than expected.

  • Speaking of younger Red Wings, the Detroit News’ John Niyo pens a column about the emergence of youth in the shadow of injury and how they might just be exactly what Detroit needs. Niyo looks at Ryan Sproul who stepped up in the place of Kronwall and to the joy of a Red Wings fan base clamoring for an injection of youth, looks to be closer to regular play. From Niyo:

And it’s a big reason, though hardly the only one, why Sproul needs to stay right where he is. Not just in Detroit, but also in the lineup, which is sort of what Blashill promised earlier in the day. Sproul hadn’t played in seven games, the last five because veteran Niklas Kronwall was back on the ice. But with Kronwall resting that chronic bad knee again Tuesday — he didn’t look good in the 5-0 loss at Montreal on Sunday — Sproul was given another chance. At the morning skate, Blashill stuck to his pat answer about how long it’d last, saying Sproul’s job was to make sure he was “ready to jump through the window.”

Sproul had a goal and an assist in the Red Wings 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay, but it was his work on the power play that opened eyes. Sproul is known for his booming slapshot, and it was featured in both goals, one that found its way into the net. The other led to a rebound that was dished to Henrik Zetterberg from another young Wing, Anthony Mantha. Mantha has stood tall in his call up, being a net-front presence on the power play, which led directly to the goal that tied the game. There have been questions as to why Mantha hasn’t been allowed to snipe goals like he has in the AHL, but Detroit wants consistency and a two-way game out of him. As injuries pile up, however, the Wings may be better off letting Mantha play the game that’s brought him success since he played juniors: shoot the puck often. The goal scoring problem that has plagued the Red Wings for several seasons may just be solved.

Niyo argues that as Detroit sits seventh in the Atlantic and is on pace for 82 points (which would certainly be way off of a playoff spot), letting the kids play may be in the Red Wings’ best interest.

Red Wings Notes: Leadership Questions

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George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press writes that while Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill appreciates Henrik Zetterberg taking one for the team, the Wings’ poor play against both Florida and Boston rests with him. From Blashill:

Ultimately, it’s on me. That’s my job … to make sure they’re ready. I appreciate Henrik saying that. I would say this — without question, you have to look yourself in the mirror and make sure you’re ready to go. We had too many guys not ready to go.

Zetterberg commented that it was on him to prepare the team better, and that Detroit needs to be play better at home. Blashill seemingly stamped out the question of leadership issues in the locker room. Blashill continued with MLive’s Ansar Khan:

“I have 100 percent belief in the group in this locker room, so I’m not concerned long-term at all,” Blashill said. “All I’m concerned about is tonight, which wasn’t good enough. I don’t have any worries about the level of leadership or the level of character that we have to a man in this locker room.”

Khan expanded further, speaking to several of the same players that Sipple did. Danny DeKeyser doesn’t believe there are leadership issues in Detroit, saying that:

“Leadership is important, but at the end of the day everyone is here in the NHL and they need to do whatever they need to do to get going and ready to play. I wouldn’t put much up on the captaincy or leadership, just guys doing what they need to do to be ready to go.”

If the Red Wings rip off another six game winning streak, the questions will fade. But should Detroit look listless through another pair of games,  the questions will likely multiply.

Red Wings Notes: Ott, Mantha

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Though it was a much maligned signing, Detroit Red Wings forward Steve Ott has filled a role that Detroit hasn’t had in quite a long time writes MLive’s Ansar Khan. Ott, who is known more for his fists than his hands, has brought a physical element to a team rarely known for hitting. In Tuesday’s game against Carolina, Ott went after Viktor Stalberg following a brutal hit from the latter on Wings defenseman Mike Green. Though it resulted in a penalty, several of his teammates loved the reaction. Says Captain Henrik Zetterberg:

“Otter brings lots of things to the table. Some are intangibles that are more in the room and the energy he brings. We’ve talked lots about sticking up for each other and he did a good job in that situation.”

The Red Wings have had more of an edge this season, as Ott, Jonathan Ericsson and even Dylan Larkin have dropped the gloves at some point. The Detroit News’ Greg Krupa reports that the turn the other cheek mentality is certainly gone, and it’s part of a new identity that the Red Wings are trying to craft. Despite the new “snarl,” the Red Wings have been scoring at crucial times and getting insurance goals whereas during last season, games were often tense, one-goal decisions. Though Ott has made his presence known, it still hasn’t quieted critics who have seen the work Anthony Mantha is doing in Grand Rapids. And if the Wings want to continue scoring those insurance goals, they could find an answer down at the farm.

  • In just five games, Mantha has scored six goals and has been turning heads. Though the Red Wings have started out 5-2, reeling off five consecutive wins following a pair of losses to open the season, Mantha finds himself blocked by the aforementioned Ott, Drew Miller, and Luke Glendening. While Andreas Athanasiou has seen more ice time, and made an impact during his play, Mantha is showing the scoring touch he was drafted for. It seems only a matter of time before Mantha forces his way onto the big club.

Red Wings Notes: Early Struggles, Mantha, Svechnikov

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An 0-2 start for the first time since 2009 has Red Wings fans in a frenzy and bench boss Jeff Blashill has only liked two of his defenseman’s play writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. Only Jonathan Ericsson and Xavier Ouelett have played well enough to garner Blashill’s praise and for the Wings, it’s been a brutal stretch early as they’ve struggled to score goals, generate shots on goal, and be responsible in their own end. The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan reports quoted captain Henrik Zetterberg as saying that the Wings’ efforts haven’t been good enough:

“We’re not really connected right now. We should be able to create more than we have been in these two games. Can’t blame it on chemistry. We’re supposed to be better hockey players than that and should be able to create more.”

Positives are free agent pick ups Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen have been effective in the first two games, and Petr Mrazek has kept games from getting completely out of control. But there is a glaring need on defense, and it will be interesting to see if the Wings address it soon.

With the early woes, many fans have already begun calling for the heads of anyone in management, but fan blog Winging It In Motown writes that a steady course is the best bet for Detroit. Though the Red Wings have struggled out of the gate, and looked poor through stretches of both games, the column states that Blashill can only do so much. As stated by Zetterberg, time and familiarity could bring success.

In other Wings news:

  • Evgeny Svechnikov and Anthony Mantha both scored goals in Grand Rapids’ 3-2 victory over the Chicago Wolves, making the calls for Mantha’s promotion louder. Mantha has now scored in both Griffins victories, with one goal coming on the power play. Mantha was on the bubble of making the final roster, but the spot went to Andreas Athanasiou, who spent considerable time with the Red Wings last season. Mantha, who bulked up in the offseason, continues to make strong impressions in the hope of getting a longer stay with the big club. Svechnikov, who wasn’t expected to make the roster, has shown his own flashes of brilliance and while the team is struggling in Detroit, there still appears to be a solid pipeline of talent that could come up should the season turn disastrous.

Atlantic Notes: Ristolainen, Callahan, Zetterberg, Huberdeau

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Despite defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen being signed for the next six years, the team doesn’t anticipate increasing his workload this season, writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News.  If anything, the team may be trying to scale back his ice time slightly.

In 2015-16, Ristolainen saw a significant jump in his playing time, going from an average of 20:37 in his sophomore campaign to 25:17 per night last season.  That ranked him tenth in the league in average ice time and after factoring in that he played in every game, his total ice time on the season slotted fifth overall.

Head coach Dan Bylsma is looking for more balance in his blueline pairings, something that should be aided with the addition of Dmitry Kulikov back at the draft in June.  The 25 year old has logged over 20 minutes per night in each of the last five seasons which will be useful if Bylsma wants to keep the ice time of pairings relatively close.

Buffalo’s back end is relatively healthy heading into tonight’s season opener against Montreal although Kulikov isn’t expected to play.  The same can’t be said for their forwards as they will be without Jack Eichel who injured his ankle on Wednesday and will miss at least a month.  Newcomer Kyle Okposo (bruised knee) also won’t play while Ryan O’Reilly (back) is questionable to suit up although he did participate in the morning skate.

Other Atlantic news and notes:

  • Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper is hopeful that Ryan Callahan should be able to return to the lineup by the beginning of November, notes Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times. Callahan underwent hip surgery back in June and was expected to be out until mid-late November.  The 31 year old had 28 points in 73 games last season, the lowest full season output of his career but was slowed in the back half last year because of the hip problems.
  • Despite knee problems creeping up and tiring as the season went on last year, Detroit left winger Henrik Zetterberg still expects to play out the remaining five years of his contract, reports Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News. Zetterberg played in all 82 games last year for the first time in four seasons but is only two years removed from missing nearly half the season with injury concerns.  The 36 year old will carry a cap hit of just under $6.1MM through the 2020-21 season and if he were to retire early, the team would be subject to salary cap recapture due to the significant decrease in his salary in the final three years of the deal.
  • Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau has undergone surgery to repair an Achilles tendon, George Richards of the Miami Herald notes (Twitter link).  There is no change to the expected timetable for his return which should be in the next three to four months.
  • The Red Wings returned goaltender Eddie Pasquale to Grand Rapids of the AHL, the team announced on their team Twitter page.  Pasquale had cleared waivers and was originally sent down last Wednesday but had been recalled on Tuesday afternoon.

Injury Notes: Kronwall, Zetterberg, Klefbom, Kessel, Miller

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Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall may not be ready to start the regular season as his knee is not recovering as quickly as originally anticipated, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  Unfortunately for both him and the team, this won’t be an issue that will completely go away, even when he does return to the lineup as the damage is permanent.  As a result, he’ll be dealing with pain management throughout the season:

“We have somewhat of a plan in place. But in saying that, you feel how you feel every day. If something doesn’t feel right, then you have to take a step back. But so far, we’ve been able to move along.”

If Kronwall isn’t ready to start the season, he could potentially be placed on injured reserve which could buy the team a bit more time to sort out the rest of their blueline.  Xavier Ouellet, Ryan Sproul, and Nick Jensen are all waiver eligible and if all of Detroit’s defensemen are healthy, at least one of them will be heading for the waiver wire.

[Related: Red Wings Depth Chart]

Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg is also recovering a bit slower than expected from his knee issue but St. James adds that he is more optimistic about being ready to start the season.  Zetterberg is also expected to spend more time on the wing this year which should be a little less stressful in terms of skating.

Other injury notes:

  • Although Edmonton defenseman Oscar Klefbom was pulled out of the lineup by a concussion spotter last week, he didn’t actually suffer one and passed all of the baseline tests, notes the Edmonton Sun’s Robert Tychkowski.  The 23 year old missed 52 games last season due to injuries and will be counted on to play a key role for the Oilers this season.
  • Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel admitted that his hand is not yet 100 percent but he is expected to make his preseason debut tonight, writes Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The right winger had surgery in the summer to correct a lingering issue in his hand and is at the point in his recovery that playing is the next step in the rehab process.  Assuming no issues come up, he should be ready to start the season to keep his consecutive games streak intact.
  • Boston defenseman Kevan Miller left Tuesday’s preseason game against Montreal with a lower body injury after getting hit with puck and CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty notes that Miller was also absent from practice today. However, it appears the Bruins are exercising caution more than anything at this point and head coach Claude Julien doesn’t expect it to be more than a day-to-day thing.

Red Wings Roster Crunch: Analyzing the Forwards

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What will the Detroit Red Wings do as the exhibition season only has one week left? General manager Ken Holland had a lot of people scratching their heads when it came to his offseason signings, no one more than Steve Ott, who adds an element of grit, but already irritated the Red Wings faithful with his hit on teammate Tomas Nosek during a scrimmage. Holland made it a priority to get “tougher” and while that’s certainly a sure bet with Ott in Detroit, head coach Jeff Blashill wants to feature speed in his lineup, which favors the younger players.

Mar 22, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Detroit Red Wings center <a rel=

So what to expect if you’re a Red Wings fan? Seasons past certainly favors the veterans, but with Anthony Mantha having a solid preseason and Andreas Athanasiou picking up where he left off, it would certainly behoove the Wings to watch those two younger players closer than just sending them back to Grand Rapids because they’re safe getting through waivers. Three seasons ago, the Wings did just that with Gustav Nyquist, who when finally given the chance, went on a torrential scoring binge that helped the Wings into the playoffs.

Sure Bets 

Henrik Zetterberg, Dylan Larkin, Justin Abdelkader, Tomas Tatar, Frans Nielsen, Gustav Nyquist, Thomas Vanek, Darren Helm, Riley Sheahan, Luke Glendening, Steve Ott. 

These guys are all in, though Zetterberg is still iffy based on his knee. Should he not play, it would open up a spot for one of the younger kids to get a chance to stick longer with the big club. Nielsen is looking like a great pickup after he had a terrific World Cup of Hockey performance, along with teammate Tomas Tatar. Larkin has looked strong on his skates and made immediate contributions upon his return from the World Cup. He will also move to center, relinquishing Zetterberg from a heavier workload. Abdelkader, Helm, and Glendening will be counted on to grit out scoring chances and chip in with goals. Detroit is hoping Vanek will have a bounce back year with at least 20 goals. Sheahan, who has also been strong in the preseason, is also being looked upon to add more in scoring.

This is where it gets interesting. Miller and Ott’s contracts can be buried in the AHL because of the minimal amount they’re making: Ott at $800K and Miller at $1.025MM. Ott will most assuredly be on the opening night roster, but isn’t guaranteed to stay there. Ott will make the roster only because the team is in love with the grit narrative that doomed Team USA in the World Cup.

Though it bothers Red Wings fans that the loyalty is shown to players like Miller, who despite supposed penalty killing prowess, adds very little in terms of productivity on the ice at full strength. Going off of previous trends, it’s a safe bet that Miller will most likely end up on the Detroit roster, which if it sends Athanasiou and Mantha to Grand Rapids, will cause the fanbase to howl with disgust.

Finally, should Nyquist get the ice time he deserves, he should have no problem reaching the 20 goal plateau and in theory, should get close to his first 30 goal campaign.

Bubble players: 

Martin Frk, Tomas Nosek, Tyler Bertuzzi Anthony Mantha, and Andreas Athanasiou.

With Mantha and Athanasiou making strong cases, it should give Holland pause as to going with his “over ripen” strategy and sending younger players to the minors.  Mantha beefed up in the offseason and has been a force on the ice, netting goals in consecutive games. Athanasiou has been his usual disruptive self, using his speed to force turnovers and make plays on the offensive side of the ice. But basing it off previous Detroit decision making, no matter what the younger players do, unless they prove them indispensible as Larkin did last preseason, they will end up in the AHL because of the “Red Wings way” of favoring veterans.

Frk is an interesting case. After struggling and going back to the ECHL to retool his game, he has been steady and making his case during the preseason. The problem is Frk is not waiver exempt and would likely be claimed should he be exposed.

Bertuzzi is scrappy and has a knack to find the net, but needs just a little more seasoning before making the final roster–not to mention that Mantha and Athanasiou will block his path.

Nosek will start the season in the AHL with chances to make appearances in Detroit should there be injuries.

Injured: Teemu Pulkkinen and Tomas Jurco.

Jurco is not expected back until November while Pulkkinen is projected to play later this week.

Long Term Injured Reserve: Johan Franzen and Joe Vitale.

Red Wings Notes: Hicketts, Howard, Zetterberg, Kronwall

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The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James pens an article about 20-year-old defenseman Joe Hicketts and his adjustment as he graduated from juniors and embarks on the newest stage of his career. Hicketts was a free agent pickup by Detroit in 2014, and though he has a smaller stature, Hicketts certainly feels that it works to his advantage:

“Being a smaller guy, you’re always going to have doubters. But if I can be physical and win those battles, it helps me and the team.”

Though Jeff Blashill has described him as a slower skater, Ansar Khan writes that Blashill also believes that Hicketts is a hockey player “through and through” and must be willing to have “statement” games every time he laces up the skates. Hicketts will be assigned to Grand Rapids once exhibition games cease, but for Hicketts, whose childhood dream was to be a hockey player, just going out and having fun with the game he loves is how he will overcome the questions of his 5’8 frame and lack of speed.

In other Red Wings news:

  • St. James adds that goalie Jimmy Howard was slated to be in the net for the entirety of tonight’s contest against the Bruins. When asked about Howard, Blashilll had this to say:

“I spoke to Jimmy about two weeks ago.  I’m not going to discuss everything I talked with him about in terms of his role, but the one thing I will tell you is that I said there’s no question that he is going to have an impact on our success this year.

Howard, of course, was the subject of trade rumors and beyond that, a likely candidate for being left unprotected for the upcoming expansion draft next summer. Though it’s an expensive tandem with Petr Mrazek, Howard was instrumental last season in picking up the club when Mrazek struggled.

  • Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News tweets that Blashill believes captain Henrik Zetterberg and defenseman Niklas Kronwall could skate on Tuesday. Zetterberg’s availability has been a source of uncertainty because of a knee injury. Kronwall has suffered through his own knee issue that has lingered on and would threaten his career if he chose to have surgery. Zetterberg is expected to move to the wing this season while Kronwall will most likely see his minutes reduced as a result of the knee problem.

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