from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,
The Red Wings’ defense situation for next season is complicated. With Simon Edvinsson showing this spring that he’s ready to play in Detroit full-time, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman now have seven defensemen under contract.
The Red Wings also have Albert Johansson playing well for the Grand Rapids Griffins. He won’t be waiver-exempt next season. That means he must make Detroit’s roster or go through waivers to be sent down to the Griffins. He is a quality young defender with a penchant for sharp outlet passes. He won’t clear waivers.
All of that makes it more challenging to bring back soon-to-be-unrestricted free agent Shayne Gostisbehere next season. But Yzerman made it clear Friday that he plans to try.
“I’d like to see if we can figure out a way to do it,” Yzerman said. “He’s a valuable player for how we’re set up on the back end.”
continued plus talk on Detroit's UFAs.
If you missed Lalonde and Yzerman today, you can watch them in two separate videos below.
On The NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City,
from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,
But participation has dwindled in recent years, and Detroit GM Steve Yzerman revealed Friday that the competition for the fall is down to two teams.
Probably not the time to announce it, but the reality is us and Dallas are going to play two games, Yzerman said. Things are changing, evolving in the offseason, development camps, rookie tournaments. Teams are doing different things. Were gonna go up with our rookies and were gonna meet Dallas there and play two games.
more
from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
"After five years, more so than just the Red Wings, but the organization in general, Im somewhat pleased. I cant say its perfect, but Im somewhat pleased with the development of our organization. Some of the younger players, not only in Detroit, but in Grand Rapids, are excelling very well. So overall Im encouraged with the progress of the organization and the development of some of our younger players.
"Im kind of disappointed, as most people are, at the end of the season here because particularly the last week was incredibly exciting."
Here are highlights of what Yzerman said:
Where he wants to see improvement
Yzerman brought up team defense as a key area that needs to improve.
"Goals-against is a challenge around the league, its a difficult league to defend in right now. Its become a more offensive league and thats entertaining and exciting, but the best teams in the league are near the top in goals-against and defensive play. Collectively as a team we have to get better, thats the No. 1 thing."
On who he wants back
Forwards Patrick Kane, David Perron, Daniel Sprong, Christian Fischer; defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and goaltender James Reimer are all pending unrestricted free agents. To varying degrees, Yzerman indicated he has interesting in bring several of them back, specifically Kane, Perron and Gostisbehere....
On goaltending
Ville Husso started the season as the No. 1 goaltender, James Reimer as No. 2, and Alex Lyon a distant third. Then Husso got hurt, and Lyon emerged as the starter. Husso and Lyon are signed through next season, but expect the Wings to carry three, again.
"Everyone is looking for a goaltender, whether its a one or a two or a three. All three of those guys at different points in the season had a very positive impact on us and played games that helped us win and put us in a position to almost make the playoffs. Having said that, they need to be better and we need to be better in all aspects of keeping the puck out of our net. Our play collectively has to be better."
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from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
The Wings ranked 24th (out of 32 teams) allowing 273 goals and 24th allowing 3.33 goals per game. Those simply have to get better if the Wings are going to get over that playoff line.
"It's not just the goaltending, and defense, or it's the forwards, its' collectively our entire team, we have to improve in that area," Yzerman said. "It's incumbent upon our coaching staff to instill or improve, continue to work on whether it's a different system or getting better in the way we play, and improving our players in the system.
"Goals against is a challenge around the league. It's more of an offensive league. It's difficult to defend right now. But you see the best teams in the league probably are near the top in goals against and defensive play.
"We took steps this year and at times were good and we also had tough stretches and if you're not scoring for whatever reason, you have to rely on keeping it out of your net."...
Expectations have changed for the Wings after this season, with making the playoffs the Wings have now missed eight consecutive years likely an expectation by fans. But Lalonde is ready for the challenge.
"That's positive," said Lalonde of the increased expectations. "Expectations change when we went 16-4-2 in February, and when we started the season 5-1-0, and we won six straight (during the season) and we don't shy away from that. That's reality. Expectations are going to change as we keep building this and that's all part of it and if we don't have the stomach for it we're going to be in trouble.
"I have the stomach for it and our group has the stomach for it. Our goal for next year is simple, we want to build on what we did this year."...
▶ Yzerman is optimistic new contracts will eventually be worked out for Seider and Raymond, both restricted free agents. But there is likely going to be work that has to be done to fight an agreeable number for both sides.
"Term and dollar amount has to work for both sides," Yzerman said. "That can be a challenge at times. We'll figure something out with all these guys."
▶ There's a good chance forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Albert Johansson will be on the Wings' roster in October as both are no longer waiver-exempt and can't be sent to Grand Rapids without likely being lost on waivers.
▶ Veteran forward Patrick Kane, an unrestricted free agent, had a positive impact on the organization, said Yzerman, but with the salary cap, bringing back all of the Wings' UFA's will be difficult.
"Patrick was great, a wizard with the puck," Yzerman said. "He brought a lot of swagger to our team."
more ($)
Wants to re-sign everyone AND bring up 3 guys from GR (including Edvinsson) AND improve team defense. I'm not sure how that works. Might as well add "AND sign a top-tier free agent" to that wish list.
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