Vrana out, Erne in coming from G.R..

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Bert highlights

Great coverage, Paul.

Damn...Larks fighting back tears over the loss of his friend and teammate...I love this kid. That's gotta be tough. So glad we finally got him him locked up long-term. Anyone who questioned his heart, ability and/or loyalty can piss right off. 

No Vrana tonight? He gone?

DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings today recalled left wing Adam Erne from the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins.

Erne, 27, has skated in 43 games with the Red Wings this season, recording 14 points (6-8-14), eight penalty minutes and 122 hits in 13:56 average time on ice. The 6-foot-1, 212-pound forward has also tallied five assists and four penalty minutes in nine appearances with the Griffins. Erne enjoyed a breakout season in his second campaign with Detroit in 2020-21, ranking among the team leaders with 11 goals (T1st), nine assists (T5th), 26 penalty minutes (T3rd), three power play goals (T1st), six power play points (T2nd), 71 shots (9th), a 15.5 shooting percentage (5th) and 82 hits (1st) in 45 games. Erne also authored Detroit's longest point streak of the 2020-21 season, collecting eight points (5-3-8) in an eight-game span from April 1-15. Originally selected by Tampa Bay in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Erne has compiled 85 points (38-47-85) and 158 penalty minutes in 337 games between the Lightning and Red Wings since 2016-17. Erne made his Stanley Cup playoff debut with Tampa Bay in 2019, playing in three postseason contests. He has also logged 93 points (41-52-93) and 160 penalty minutes in 159 AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch and Griffins. Erne helped the Crunch reach the 2017 Calder Cup Final, showing 10 points (3-7-10) in 22 postseason games.

I'm not surprised by the trades. But Bert was such a fun player to watch during these years. My eight year old is pretty devastated. I wonder about the timeline of this team now. When are we supposed to start making the playoffs, let alone competing for the Cup? 2024 late first rounders are not speeding things up.

I understand that Bert wanted money and term, probably a lot more than what made business sense. Essentially we lost 50+ goals this season (Bert, Vrana) for a 2024 late first rounder. Not stoked about it.

from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com,

Dylan Larkin fought back tears. The center signed an eight-year, $69.6 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, only to lose two of his teammates shortly afterward.

The Red Wings traded defenseman Filip Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday and forward Tyler Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins on Thursday. The Bertuzzi trade was fresh when Larkin spoke to the media.

"It hurts," Larkin said. "He's one of my best friends."

Larkin choked up.

"Sorry," he said. "But it hurts."

The hope in Detroit is that short-term pain will lead to long-term gain.

The Larkin signing is great news for the Red Wings -- so great that coach Derek Lalonde said he jumped two inches into the air and pumped his fist because of its significance.

"I was absolutely ecstatic," Lalonde said.

Larkin, the Red Wings leading scorer with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 59 games, could have become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Theoretically, on the open market, the 26-year-old could have landed an average annual value higher than $8.7 million, gone to a team in better position to contend for the Stanley Cup or both.

continued

https://www.detroitnews.com/st...from the Detroit News (no byline),

He's very unique in his style and I've said it many times, it doesn't look pretty, but it's highly effective," Larkin said. "His hair and sticks flying everywhere and he comes up with that big, toothless smile and he's always the first one to laugh when something happens. Last game in Ottawa, he was the first one to jump in and protect me.

"It's going to be tough. I always loved to play with him and I felt I was at my best playing with him."

The Wings' locker room will have to quickly let news of the trades disappear and concentrate on Thursday's game against Seattle, and the games ahead.

"I'm not going to lie to you; it's really difficult right now and it's going to be hard," Larkin said. "But, we have to come out to the rink and forget about it. We had a team meeting and what happened with the two guys (Bertuzzi, Filip Hronek) moved, we can't let it affect what we're trying to do."

A prospective unrestricted free agent, Bertuzzi was hampered with injuries to both hands this season, along with a minor groin injury, that derailed most of his season.

Bertuzzi has only played 29 games, with four goals and 10 assists.

"He's been trying to come around (after Bertuzzi's injuries) to a team game and he's done a lot of good things," Lalonde said. "(And) Fil is having a career year. Both of those trades are probably offers in the 'you can't refuse' thing."

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This has been the nuttiest trade deadline I can remember. Very sad to see Bert go, but I understand both sides.

Back to business- SY is on the clock to find several guys who take/ give a freaking check! He  needs to stop the "soft"!

The mistake was letting Mcillrath go as a ufa to washington. He is a RD man that isnt fast but clears the front of the net. Might have been a different 2 games in Ottawa with him in the lineup. He isnt any worse than the other 3 right dmen behind Seider. He is playing regular limited minutes for Wash. 

Well I guess it's still possible Bert could re-sign with us after he's done being a rental.  Maybe once gets a taste of what the UFA market is really willing to give him he'll come back down to earth.

Michael Clifford over at Dobber Hockey had a good write up today about how Raymond is dragging down Larkin on the top line.  I'm beginning to think we need to keep him on the 2nd for a while longer to develop, especially now without Bert.

[courtesy Corey Sznajder's tracking data & Dobber Hockey]
With Raymond (Red is good for offense and bad for defense)

Without Raymond: