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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Detroit Red Wings.

Who are the Red Wings thankful for?

Dylan Larkin.

Larkin had the opportunity to leave the Red Wings this past summer but opted to remain with the franchise signing a massive eight-year extension. Few people would’ve faulted the 27-year-old for bolting the only organization he’s ever known as his tenure in the Motor City hasn’t exactly been full of memorable moments. The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since Larkin’s rookie season back in 2015-16 and haven’t finished better than fifth in their division since that five-game ouster at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Larkin arrived in Detroit at a time when it seemed possible that the Red Wings could avoid a long rebuild and retool on the fly as they had a pile of emerging young talent to play alongside Larkin. However, many of Detroit’s top young players at the time failed to live up to expectations leading the Red Wings into a full-on rebuild that is in its eighth year.

Larkin has done his part through some very lean years in Detroit as he has led the team in scoring in five of the past seven seasons. As well as being their on-ice leader he has also become a leader in the dressing room when he was named their captain in January of 2021. Larkin has been a point-a-game player in each of the past three seasons and has done so without a ton of offensive help from his teammates.

Detroit should be thankful for Larkin, and thankful that the Waterford, Michigan native grew up in the metro Detroit area, which was probably a very big factor when it came to his decision to sign a long-term extension.

What are the Red Wings thankful for?

Scouting.

An argument can be made that perhaps the Red Wings scouting isn’t what it once was, but even if it is a fraction of what it used to be, that’s still better than most of the NHL. The Red Wings have historically been able to hit big on late-round draft picks and much of that credit belongs to Håkan Andersson who is the Director of European Scouting for Detroit. Andersson is largely responsible for the Red Wings drafting Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, Valtteri Filppula, Tomas Tatar, Jiri Hudler, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, and Gustav Nyquist. While that list is impressive, even more impressive is that Detroit only drafted one of those players in the first round (Kronwall).

Unfortunately for Detroit’s scouting department, the NHL is very much a what have you done for me lately league and their drafting hasn’t been what it once was. That’s not to say they haven’t hit home runs. Tyler Bertuzzi was a late second-round pick, as was Filip Hronek, while Andreas Athanasiou was selected late in the fourth round. Unfortunately for the Red Wings, none of those players worked out in Detroit and they all find themselves in other uniforms.

At this moment, the Red Wings do have some emerging young forwards who could make an impact over the next few years. It will be interesting to re-evaluate the Red Wings scouting in five years to look back and see how they assessed their talent.

What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?

A Patrick Kane return to form.

If Patrick Kane can be anything close to what he was before double hip surgery, the Red Wings will be a real threat in the Eastern Conference. If he ends up like many of his peers who have undergone a hip resurfacing procedure, he might not be able to make much of an impact.

Those are obviously very different outcomes, and it could ultimately be the difference in the Red Wings season. Kane is just two years removed from posting 26 goals and 66 assists in 78 games and if he can bring some of that offense to Detroit’s lineup, along with the leadership that comes with winning three Stanley Cups, then he could push Detroit to be among the contenders in the East. But, if he can’t, Detroit may not be able to outscore some of the subpar goaltending they have received from Ville Husso.

It’s too early to tell how Kane will hold up under the grind of the regular season, but so far, he has looked strong with a goal in two games. Despite starting a huge percentage of his shifts in the defensive zone, Kane has been able to drive play, and get some good looks at both five-on-five and on the power play. As he gets into better game shape, he could become a difference-maker for the Red Wings and that would be something for Detroit fans to be even more thankful for.

What should be on the Red Wings holiday wish list?

A starting goaltender.

Ville Husso isn’t it for Detroit. The 28-year-old has started the majority of the Red Wings games this year and has not been good. In 14 games thus far, the native of Helsinki, Finland has gone 8-4-2 with a .886 save percentage and 3.65 goals against average. Those numbers will not do for a team that is desperate to get back into the playoffs and who has a good enough lineup to do so if they can get the goaltending.

What complicates matters is that backups James Reimer and Alex Lyon have outplayed Husso by a very wide margin. Reimer is 2-2-2 in six starts and has a .922 save percentage with a 2.18 goals-against average, while Lyon is 4-2-0 with a .931 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.13.

The wings are faced with several choices when it comes to their goaltending. They can ride it out with Husso and hope he finds his game while having Lyon and Reimer as backup options in case he falters. Or they can try and move Husso and his $4.75MM cap hit and then try and find another starting goaltender to replace him. Another option might be to add some additional depth, but with Lyon and Reimer already in the system it would become tricky to carry four goaltenders as one would have to be exposed to waivers. Carrying three goaltenders is already unusual, and if Detroit was to target a depth option, they would probably have to move one from one of their netminders.

Something that could work in Detroit’s favor is that they are one of the only contending teams that have a sizeable amount of cap space, meaning they could potentially acquire a goaltender and keep Husso if they wanted to, or move on from Husso and retain some of his cap hit in a trade.

If Husso does continue to struggle Detroit’s starting goalie job will be available, and it could become something to keep an eye on as we get closer to the trade deadline.

Red Wings Will Not Re-Sign Jonathan Ericsson Or Trevor Daley

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The Detroit blue line will have a very different look next season. After acquiring Marc Staal from the New York Rangers yesterday, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman spoke with the media, including MLive’s Ansar Khan, and stated that veteran defensemen Jonathan Ericsson and Trevor Daley will not return to the team next season. The pair are both unrestricted free agents and will have to test the market if they hope to extend their careers.

Detroit’s decision to cut ties with Ericsson and Daley should not come as a shock; both blue liners saw their roles greatly reduced this season. Ericsson, a career Red Wing, was buried in the AHL for much of the year, skating in just 18 games with Detroit. In those limited appearances, he posted a career-low zero points and 14:15 average time on ice. While Daley spent the whole year in Detroit, he didn’t fare much better than Ericsson. Daley recorded seven points in 43 games, failing to score a goal for the first time in his career, and a career-worst -22 rating and 15:19 average time on ice. The Red Wings had 14 different defensemen suit up this season, nine of whom are under contract or team control next season, and just added Staal and still might not be done. The team had no reason to hold on to either struggling veteran.

The question is whether Ericsson and Daley will be able to continue their NHL careers, if they even desire to do so. The 36-year-old duo each had arguably their worst season in 2019-20 and may simply be out of gas. Given the tight finances facing most NHL clubs, no team is going to commit a meaningful amount to an aging defender who brings little upside. If either one wants to extend their career, they will likely have to settle for a minimum contract. Even at that price point, the market could be limited for the former Red Wings. Daley stands a slightly better chance than Ericsson at finding employment, but there is a strong chance that we have seen the last of both blue liners in the NHL.

Jonathan Ericsson Clears Waivers

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Wednesday: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Ericsson has cleared waivers. He can now be assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Tuesday: The Detroit Red Wings have placed Jonathan Ericsson on waivers today according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. This is the second time the veteran defenseman finds himself waived, after clearing in late October and suiting up in the minor leagues for the first time in over a decade.

That’s where he’s headed again should he clear this time, which is very likely for Ericsson at this point in his career. The 35-year old was once a pillar of the Red Wings’ stifling puck-possession defense, but has regressed considerably with age and injury. Ericsson has played just 11 games in the NHL this season and has yet to register a point, but still carries a $4.25MM cap hit.

That six-year contract, signed back in 2013, expires at the end of this season leaving Ericsson an unrestricted free agent. That may mean it is the end of his time in the NHL altogether, unless he tries a comeback on a much more inexpensive deal. The very last pick (291st overall) in the 2009 draft, Ericsson has carved out a long career in Detroit, playing 673 regular season games. That total actually puts him sixth among all defensemen from his draft class—not bad for a ninth-round pick.

East Notes: Muzzin, Gerbe, Ovechkin, Ericsson

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The Maple Leafs are hoping to have defenseman Jake Muzzin back in the lineup in their first game following the All-Star break, notes Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun.  He’s working his way back from a broken foot that has caused him to miss the last nine games and is expected to skate through the break.  He’s well past the minimum required number of days on LTIR so he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s ready.  If that does indeed happen, that will certainly lessen the short-term urgency to try to bring in another defenseman with Morgan Reilly on LTIR and out for the better part of the next two months.

More from the East:

  • Blue Jackets winger Nathan Gerbe has withdrawn from the upcoming AHL All-Star game, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). This is noteworthy as it suggests that Columbus is planning to keep him up for the foreseeable future.  It’s worth mentioning that Gerbe has already played in 12 games since his recall which means that he will have to pass through waivers to make it back to the minors.  Considering he has seven points in those contests, making it through unclaimed is far from a guarantee.
  • Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin has selected which game he will sit out under suspension as a result of skipping the NHL All-Star game, reports Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. He has chosen to miss their first game after the break against Montreal, a reasonable decision considering their final game before it is against the Islanders, a division rival.
  • Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson is close to returning, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. He has been out for the last month due to a broken nose but has been skating regularly and taking part in practice.  Detroit has kept him on the active roster this whole time so no corresponding move will be required when he gets the green light.

Minor Transactions: 12/17/19

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Eleven games on the schedule for this evening make this a busy and important night in the NHL. One of those games will feature the Arizona Coyotes with their newest star Taylor Hall take on the San Jose Sharks. As they and others prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Mitchell Stephens from the minor leagues as they deal with a minor injury to Nikita Kucherov. Stephens made his NHL debut this season and has played in four games for the Lightning.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Evan Cormier back to the minor leagues, bringing up Gilles Senn in his place. Senn, 23, is in his first season in North America after signing out of Switzerland and currently carries an .896 save percentage through 13 AHL games. Neither Cormier nor Senn have made an appearance at the NHL level.
  • Brian Lashoff has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, as they place Jonathan Ericsson on injured reserve. The team also placed Jimmy Howard on long-term injured reserve in order to send him on a conditioning stint to the AHL. Howard, injured last month against the Toronto Maple Leafs, is getting closer to a return and will get in some game action in the minors.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have swapped Carsen Twarynski and Andy Andreoff, with the latter coming up to the NHL. Twarynski has played in 15 games with the Flyers this season but will have to spend some more time in the minor leagues.
  • Though Trevor Moore was originally expected to return for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, he suffered a slight setback after being bumped in practice. Instead, the Maple Leafs have recalled Adam Brooks from the minor leagues under emergency conditions to serve as some insurance for the forward group.
  • Similarly, Adin Hill has been recalled by the Arizona Coyotes under emergency conditions to fill in for Antti Raanta, who is sick. Hill will backup Darcy Kuemper tonight, but likely won’t see any action on this recall.
  • The San Jose Sharks have sent Joachim Blichfeld back to the minor leagues, recalling Jacob Middleton in the process. Blichfeld played in two games with the Sharks but didn’t score, and will have to wait for his next NHL opportunity.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Detroit Red Wings.

What are the Red Wings most thankful for?

Very little has gone right for Detroit this season as the team finds itself dead last in the league, four points out of 30th place and nine points out of 29th place, suggesting the team is likely to land another significant lottery in June. And while none of that is worthy of being thankful for, Detroit’s general manager Steve Yzerman, is eager to complete the team’s rebuild and likely has no qualms about seeing this franchise at the bottom in hopes of completely rebuilding the franchise up. It has plenty of complementary pieces and several players who could be stars, but a picking up a franchise player in a stacked draft might be the most valuable piece to this franchise.

Who are the Red Wings most thankful for?

Anthony Mantha.

Mantha missed eight games with a knee injury, returning today, but continues to be the team’s leading scorer with 12 goals and 23 points this season, which puts him on pace for almost a goal per game. After posting 48 points for the past two seasons, Mantha looks ready for a potential breakout season if he can remain healthy. He is third on the team among forwards in TOI, averaging 18:54 and looks to have taken his game to another level this year.

Considering that Dylan Larkin has seen a slight decline in his play so far, the team should be thankful that Mantha continues to improve season after season.

What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?

Defense.

Detroit has struggled defensively this season with injuries as the team has been without several of their veteran blueliners for chunks of the season already. Other than Filip Hronek, the defense has looked to be in serious trouble. Danny DeKeyser has missed all but eight games so far this season. Trevor Daley has missed 20 games, Mike Green has missed eight games and isn’t the same player he once was, while Jonathan Ericsson has been waived and used just eight times this season. Even Dennis Cholowski has failed to live up to expectations this year and has been sent to the AHL as well.

The team needs the defense to get healthy and more importantly, they need some of their young blueliners to take that next step and provide some defense to give the team a chance.

What should be on the Red Wings’ Holiday Wish List?

Goaltending.

The teams goaltending has hit some hard times. The star of the team is Jonathan Bernier, who is boasting a 3.34 GAA and a .890 save percentage in 20 appearances. And yes, that’s the best of the bunch. 35-year-old Jimmy Howard, who is currently out with a strained groin, is struggling even worse with a 3.94 GAA and a .887 save percentage in just eight appearances. The team did add Eric Comrie to the team in a trade with Arizona. However, so far there hasn’t been any indication that he’s the answer in two appearances, although it’s still early.

Unfortunately, the team may not find the answer during the holidays. They may be more likely to fix that problem by making a big splash in the free agent market this summer when some interesting names might be available, including Washington’s Braden Holtby, Jacob Markstrom, Robin Lehner amongst others.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 12/1/19

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When thinking of the Minnesota Wild and their history, several players may come to mind, but perhaps one of the most significant is Mikko Koivu, who has played his entire career in Minnesota and will be playing in his 1,000th game as a member of the Wild. The 36-year-old has struggled over the last couple of years with injuries and a decline in play (although he remains a solid defensive center), but he hits a major milestone Sunday when the Dallas Stars come to town.

  • The Washington Capitals announced they have re-assigned forward Beck Malenstyn and defenseman Christian Djoos to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The move is likely a precursor to the team getting back some of their veteran players in the coming days. The team is expected to activate Carl Hagelin off of LTIR prior to Tuesday’s game against San Jose, while center Nicklas Backstrom is also near a return.
  • The Boston Bruins announced the team has assigned defenseman John Moore to the Providence Bruins on a LTIR conditioning loan. Moore has been out all season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and now is close to returning. The team also announced that they have assigned forward Jack Studnicka to Providence as well. Studnicka made his NHL debut on Tuesday, picking up his first NHL point. The 20-year-old has nine goals and 18 points in 21 AHL games as well.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled defenseman Jonathan Ericsson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL and returned goaltender Calvin Pickard there. Ericsson was assigned to Grand Rapids on Saturday, likely a paper transaction, while Pickard can now be returned after the Red Wings acquiregoaltender Eric Comrie in a trade.
  • The St. Louis Blues have assigned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. The 25-year-old has dominated for the Rampage this year, scoring 18 points in 20 games and appeared in back-to-back games with the Blues this weekend. With Robert Bortuzzo back from his four-game suspension, Pouliot wasn’t needed anymore.
  • With Travis Hamonic nearing a return, the Calgary Flames have returned Alexander Yelesin to the minor leagues. Yelesin has yet to get into an NHL game with the Flames, but has two points in 15 games with the Stockton Heat in his first year of North American professional hockey.

Minor Transactions: 11/30/19

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As usual, Saturday presents a large slate of games around the league with 26 teams in action.  That means there will likely be plenty of roster movement which we’ll keep track of here.

  • The Golden Knights announced that they’ve returned goalie Garret Sparks to Chicago of the AHL. He was brought up on an emergency basis to serve as the backup while Marc-Andre Fleury tended to an illness in the family but it appears that Fleury is ready to return. The team also announced they have recalled forward Nicolas Roy from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis. Roy has been up and down between Vegas and Chicago for much of the season. The 22-year-old has played in six games for the Golden Knights, scoring a goal and three points and has appeared in 11 games for the Wolves, tallying two goals and six points. Since it’s an emergency recall, Roy could be recalled while the team determines if Cody Eakin is seriously hurt after taking an elbow to the head Friday against Arizona.
  • A.J. Greer’s stint with the Avalanche was short-lived. One day after being recalled, he has been returned to AHL Colorado, per the AHL’s Transactions Page.  The winger has had two NHL call-ups this season but has yet to play with the big club.  Greer has two goals and 44 penalty minutes in nine games with the Eagles so far.
  • The Avs also announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned center Sheldon Dries to the minors.  He has just one NHL game under his belt this season after playing 40 a year ago.  He has been productive with the Eagles though, leading them in scoring with 14 points in 17 contests.
  • With Carl Soderberg suffering a lower-body injury late yesterday against Vegas, the Coyotes have recalled center Michael Chaput from AHL Tucson.  This will be his first NHL action of the season but the 27-year-old got into 32 games with Montreal last year.  He has 12 points (9-3-12) in 15 games with the Roadrunners.
  • The Jets announced that they have placed defenseman Nathan Beaulieu on IR, creating a roster spot that they used to recall defenseman Cameron Schilling from AHL Manitoba.  With Beaulieu and Dmitry Kulikov both injured, Winnipeg needed to get an extra defender on the roster.  The 31-year-old has just 10 games of NHL experience but has played in 512 AHL contests.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have assigned defenseman Jonathan Ericsson to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. The 35-year-old has been a major piece to the Red Wings success over the years, but has been the odd man out as Detroit continues to get younger. Ericsson made the team out of camp, but was placed on waivers on Oct. 23 and sent to the Griffins where he played 10 games for the AHL squad. He was recalled again due to injuries on Nov. 14 and now returns to Grand Rapids. Ericsson is on the final year of a six-year, $25.5MM contract.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have assigned defenseman Jacob Larsson to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. Larsson appeared in 25 games for the Ducks so far this season in a bottom-pairing role with a goal, two assists and a minus-three rating, while averaging 17:31 ATOI.

Minor Transactions: 11/14/19

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If you’re looking for NHL action tonight the league has plenty of it, with eight games on the schedule including a Western Conference tilt between two of the best centers in the league. Nathan MacKinnon will lead the Colorado Avalanche into Edmonton to face off against Connor McDavid and the Oilers, with both teams trying to continue their early season success. As teams prepare for the action, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Jonathan Ericsson and Joe Hicketts, giving them some more depth on defense for the rest of their road trip. The Red Wings are out west to take on the Los Angeles Kings tonight after defeating the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.
  • J.C. Beaudin and Jonathan Davidsson have been sent to the AHL by the Ottawa Senators, as Logan Brown is ready to return to action. Brown has two points in four games with the team this season after his agent was outspoken about his lack of NHL opportunity so far.
  • The Dallas Stars have recalled Rhett Gardner, bringing him up for the second time this season. Gardner got into seven games with Dallas last time around, but is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • San Jose Sharks defenseman Dalton Prout has been recalled from his conditioning stint and is expected to play tonight against the Anaheim Ducks. The 29-year old has just one game under his belt so far with the Sharks after signing a one-year, $800K contract this summer.

Jonathan Ericsson, Luca Sbisa Placed On Waivers

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Wednesday: Ericsson has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the AHL, while Sbisa was claimed by the Winnipeg Jets. The Red Wings recalled Alex Biega to take Ericsson’s place on the roster.

Tuesday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Detroit Red Wings have placed Jonathan Ericsson on waivers. That must mean he’s healthy enough to return, given he has been on injured reserve all season. Luca Sbisa has also been placed on waivers, and Friedman reports that he’ll be signing with the Anaheim Ducks after skating with the New York Islanders on a professional tryout.

Ericsson, 35, has been a staple in the Red Wings lineup for more than a decade, making his debut in 2008 and playing 662 regular season games for the team. Unfortunately, his play has declined with age and his minutes reduced accordingly. The Red Wings have now seemingly moved on from their previous core, with Ericsson likely being the latest victim of their turn to the younger generation of talent.

Still, the veteran defenseman has one year left on his contract that carries a $4.25MM cap hit. That will almost certainly mean he clears waivers, at which point he could be buried in the minor leagues if the Red Wings decide to do so. If they do send him to the AHL, $1.075MM of his contract would be removed from the Red Wings cap total.

Sbisa meanwhile is just trying to hold on to an NHL career that was so promising a few years ago. The 29-year old defenseman has played in just 39 regular season games since the start of the 2017-18 season, including just nine last year with the Islanders. A first round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2008, his skating ability made him a strong option early in his career. Perhaps the Ducks can reclaim some greatness out of the veteran, as they were the team that Sbisa recorded his career-high 24 points for in 2011-12.

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