Detroit Red Wings

I'm not extremely optimistic, but I sure hope for the best. Not a Blashill fan and Holland is too much 'oldschool'.

The youth movement and development of the farm system is cool and exciting, but not adding FA's that can come in and produce right now bugs me.

I understand what their trying to do, I just think its going to take a long time and I'm not the most patient person.

I wish they would have done the 'rebuild on the fly', but they may say they are, but not in my book.

 

The thing that bothers me the most about this situation is the limboness of it all. I hate being the team that's good enough to compete where you aren't exactly a bottom feeder, but at the same time don't make it into the playoffs. Most of the canadian teams fit into that mould except for the jets and leafs. The oilers are a special case though.
The sabres will score big if they get dhalin, and that took years. Where would the leafs be if they didn't sink low enough to get matthews and marner?

 

That's scary to even think about, because judging the transformation to the NHL is tricky if not a crap shoot. I hate the stuck in limbo land too. They neither flat out suck or flat out rock... they are mediocre in a League of parody.

I still think the Wings should have seen this coming 5 years ago and addressed the situation then... now they are in deep.

 

Two playoff appearances in 14 years, don't I know it.

 

• Despite missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, the Detroit Red Wings will bring Jeff Blashill back next season.

I can hardly wait...

 

The ron wilson era.

 

Woo! A throwback pic.... Gordie Howe?
(just kidding)

 

On this day, 2016, the hockey world lost an icon... RIP

 

DALLAS -- About an hour before the draft started, Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland was asked if he might sprint to the stage if forward Filip Zadina was still on the board at No. 6.

Holland laughed it off, saying the Wings would get a good player but the truth is Zadina was not supposed to be available there.

Every mock draft had the Buffalo Sabres taking defenseman Rasmus Dahlin first and the Carolina Hurricanes taking Andrei Svechnikov second.

Most of the same mock drafts had Zadina going third to the Montreal Canadiens but the Canadiens knocked everyone a bit for a loop by taking center Jesperi Kotkaniemi with the No. 3 pick.

Then the Ottawa Senators grabbed forward Brady Tkachuk fourth, leaving the Arizona Coyotes as the one team that could prevent the Wings from taking Zadina.

Instead, the Coyotes selected center Barrett Hayton.

While Holland didn't sprint, he didn't hesitate to grab Zadina when he and the rest of Detroit's management reached the stage at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

"It feels awesome," Zadina said. "I feel so happy right now. I don't get it still that I am in Detroit, so maybe tomorrow when I wake up I will just say, 'OK I am in Detroit.' I am so happy. It's gone so quick that I can't even realize it that I am in Detroit."

Zadina, listed at 6-feet, 190 pounds, led all Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rookies in goals with 44 and points with 82 this past season for the Halifax Mooseheads.

"Nikita Kucherov, I love to watch him on the ice, a special player," Zadina said. "I model my game after him."

The Wings would certainly love it if Zadina turns out to be as prolific a scorer as the Tampa Bay Lightning's Kucherov is in the NHL.

Mike Morreale of NHL.com said the Czech forward "goes to the tough areas to generate chances and has the makings of a perennial 30-goal scorer in the NHL."

Guillaume Lepage, also of NHL.com, said, "He had a great season and took advantage of every opportunity to showcase his individual skills. A sharpshooter with good size, he can change the course of a game when he decides to take matters into his own hands."

The Red Line Report projected Zadina as a first line sniper that they compared to St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko, saying, "Deadly shooter is a pure sniper who doesn't need much time or space to score. Has a heavy, accurate shot and a sixth sense about finding soft areas to release it. Shows excellent puck control. Can score in a variety of ways, and like all great scorers, he's never deterred -- just keeps shooting knowing he'll eventually find the back of the net. Has a dynamic 1-timer and smartly uses d-men to screen his release. Cares a ton about winning and wants to be a good teammate. Skating is not exceptional but he changes directions and speeds well and is incredibly persistent and determined to get the puck and do something with it. More than willing to go into dangerous areas to score, but sometimes makes himself vulnerable to big hits. His playmaking ability gets overlooked, but he's got good vision to find open teammates or make simple little plays to get the puck out of trouble in his own end."

 

Red Wings hire Dan Bylsma as assistant coach
Michigan native won Stanley Cup in 2009, captured Jack Adams Award in 2011

DETROIT - Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland announced today that the team has hired Dan Bylsma as an assistant coach.

Bylsma, 47, most recently worked as an assistant coach alongside Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark, helping the United States capture just its fifth medal in the tournament's history, beating Canada 4-1 to win the bronze medal. Previous to that, Bylsma spent two seasons as the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 2015-17 and six seasons as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2008-14, taking over the Penguins during the 2008-09 campaign and helping the team to an 18-3-4 regular-season finish en route to defeating the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. In 565 career games as an NHL head coach, Bylsma compiled a 320-190-55 record alongside a 43-45 postseason mark and was the recipient of the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year in 2011.

"I know that Dan will make a great impact on our team, and we're excited to add him to the bench," said Blashill. "His resume speaks for itself, including the Stanley Cup championship and Jack Adams Award. I also had the unique opportunity to work with Dan at this year's World Championship, and that experience leaves no doubt that Dan will bring innovative ideas and tremendous attention to detail to our coaching staff."

The Grand Haven, Mich., native started his coaching career in 2004-05 as an assistant coach for the American Hockey League's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, prior to moving on to work in the same role with the New York Islanders in 2005-06. Bylsma joined the Pittsburgh organization in 2006-07, serving two seasons as an assistant with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL (2006-08) before he was elevated to head coach to begin the 2008-09 season. He also has additional international experience with USA Hockey, serving as head coach for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and winning his first bronze medal at the 2015 IIHF World Championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic.

 

Zadina and Velano. Wow.

Two picks in the top five to start the second round. There's a lot of D still to be had - good D; guys with first round grades. Woo.

 

Joseph Veleno
Drummondville center selected by Red Wings at No. 30

When the Red Wings called my name at No. 30, it was such a special feeling. So ecstatic, so excited to hear my name called. I've watched the draft for a couple years now and I put myself in that situation, imagining my name getting called and going up on stage, shaking hands with the organization. It was an awesome feeling to actually do it. Words can't describe the emotions that I was feeling getting up from my seat.

And I had no idea it was coming. I had gone out for dinner with Detroit at the combine -- they were the only ones I went out for dinner with -- so that showed they had a little bit of interest in me, but I didn't know how much until now.

I got to talk to Commissioner Gary Bettman on the stage and he said, 'welcome, the day has finally arrived.' I'm never going to forget that. I also talked to some of the Red Wings people. They congratulated me, said they were happy they got to pick me, they're happy I'm with their organization, they had me high on their list, and they really liked me.

I'm going to try to enjoy this moment with everyone here, but I have development camp coming up June 26 and then I'm going home to Montreal to train for the summer before I have rookie camp in August.

Detroit is a first-class organization with a lot of history, a good winning mentality, and a good staff. It's going to be fun to see what the future holds and how I'm going to progress with that organization.

 

@ 3/67

 

@ 3/84

 

I missed this one... @ 3/81