Detroit Red Wings Clips July 1, 2014

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1 Detroit Red Wings Clips July 1, 2014 Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Detroit Red Wings hold last free agent prep session, assess Christian Ehrhoff PAGE 3 NHL free agency: Questions on Red Wings' needs, top players available PAGE 5 NHL free agency rumor mill: The latest updates PAGE 6 Red Wings make qualifying offers to seven restricted free agents PAGE 7 Red Wings looking to bolster defense as free agency begins PAGE 9 Detroit Red Wings announce roster, schedule for Development Camp beginning this weekend PAGE 10 Red Wings plan on signing goalie Tom McCollum to one-year contract to remain in Grand Rapids PAGE 11 Red Wings make qualifying offers to seven players; Cory Emmerton among those not qualified PAGE 12 Red Wings aggressively pursuing Matt Niskanen, Dan Boyle in free agency; out on Christian Ehrhoff PAGE 14 Red Wings have one need to address... top four right-handed D-man PAGE 16 Source: Wings will go all in for Matt Niskanen

2 Detroit Red Wings hold last free agent prep session, assess Christian Ehrhoff 7:18 PM, June 30, 2014 By Helene St. James The Detroit Red Wings have gone through one last round of meetings to address how to upgrade their defense. Their options opened over the weekend, but the priority when NHL free agency kicks off Tuesday remains Dan Boyle. General manager Ken Holland spoke to both Boyle's camp and that of the premier defensemen who will be available, Matt Niskanen, during the weekend draft in Philadelphia, but the Wings aren't likely to be bidders for Niskanen because of what he'll command. Boyle tops the list because he shoots right, but the Wings could double-dip in the market thanks to Buffalo's decision to buy out Christian Ehrhoff, an offensive defenseman who turns 32 on Sunday. The Wings will be offering Boyle, who turns 38 in July, a two-year contract in the $11 million range. That's a lot to pay, but this is a weak market for UFA defensemen, and Detroit will be up against at least a handful of other bidders (Niskanen is going to be pursued by at least a dozen teams, and someone willl give him seven years and money into the mid-$40 million). Ehrhoff is probably going to command $ million, and term of 3-4 years, at least. The Wings do have room to add both - they have just under $15 million in cap room, though roughly $6 million of that will go to re-signing restricted free agents Danny DeKeyser, Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan. However, if the Wings add both Boyle and Ehrhoff, they'll move Jakub Kindl and his $2.4 million. That'd leave a defense of Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Brendan Smith, DeKeyser, Boyle and Ehrhoff, with Brian Lashoff slotted in the seventh spot, which is where he belongs. Ehrhoff was one of two defensemen bought out Sunday. The other was Ed Jovanovski of Windsor, a guy the Wings pursued when he was on the open market three years ago. Maybe he ends up being a reserve plan option, for no more than one year and $1 million at the most. Holland gathered his pro scouts for one last prep session Monday, partly to address the Ehrhoff and Jovanoski market additions. Teams have been able to talk contract parameters with agents since last Wednesday, and offers can be fielded at noon Tuesday. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

3 NHL free agency: Questions on Red Wings' needs, top players available 3:39 AM, July 1, 2014 By Kevin Allen No NHL player seems more talented, more effective and better suited to play for your team than on free agent signing day. Every July 1, players flaws disappear. General managers see only the good in a player s game. Many GMs finish the day believing they have signed the one guy they needed most. Questions and answers about today s opening of the free agent signing period (noon ET): Does signing free agents lead to instant success? The Los Angeles Kings didn t dip into last summer s free agent pool and won the Stanley Cup. The Chicago Blackhawks didn t sign any significant players and were one win short of reaching the Final. The New York Rangers signed role players Dominic Moore and Benoit Pouliot last summer and reached the Final. There are certain years where you have to be involved, said Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan I think if it s something that year after year, you re relying on the first to build your team, you re putting yourself behind the eight ball. Toronto signed David Clarkson last year to a seven-year deal that initially looks like a mistake. What were the Tampa Bay Lightning's trades about? General manager Steve Yzerman, who moved out Teddy Purcell and Nate Thompson and flipped Sam Gagner, appears to be freeing up cap space to land a top defenseman such as Matt Niskanen, Dan Boyle or Anton Stralman. All three are right-hand shots, which are harder to find. The aggressive Yzerman has acquired Jason Garrison. If he lands another defenseman, it would significantly alter the look of his team s defense. What's the goalie market? Good if you want to be a backup, not so good for a starter. Unless the Anaheim Ducks worry that Frederik Andersen and John Gibson aren t ready or a team surprises us, the Vancouver Canucks are the only team seeking a No. 1. The Minnesota Wild face medical uncertainty about Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding. That means Ryan Miller or Jonas Hiller could end up disappointed in their salary or status. Which free agents are more useful than fans realize? 3

4 1. Brian Boyle. 2. Niskanen. 3. Paul Stastny. 4. Steve Ott. 5. Stralman. Boyle is leaving the Rangers because he wants a bigger role. Niskanen is entering his prime years and is starting to explore his talent. Stastny is a two-way center who can make a difference in many ways. Ott was born to play in the postseason. Stralman has blossomed into a dependable defenseman. Once Stastny signs, it could help sort out the market for Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza, who wants to be traded. Will any offer sheets made to restricted free agents? Probably not, because it s usually a futile exercise. Teams find a way to match and then there could be retaliation the next time the offer sheet maker has a restricted free agent. The collective bargaining rules make it difficult to structure a deal that a team wouldn t match. Who will be buying? The Buffalo Sabres have to add about $20 million to their payroll to reach the salary cap floor. The Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings and Lightning want defensive help. Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said he will be active, and the Penguins Penguins are seeking a possible winger for Evgeni Malkin. Chicago, Los Angeles, the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers lack the cap room to sign someone unless they make a trade. The Rangers are $23 million under the cap, but half of their roster is either a restricted or unrestricted free agent. They are likely to lose Stralman, Brian Boyle, Moore and Pouliot. Detroit Free Press LOADED:

5 NHL free agency rumor mill: The latest updates By Brian Manzullo 11:52 PM, Jun. 28, 2014 NHL free agency is officially open. And the Detroit Red Wings could be busy, at least looking for a top-4 defenseman. Free agency season these days is usually loaded with news, reports, rumors and jabber across all 30 hockey teams. So we want to make it as easy for you to follow as possible: A real-time Twitter feed following our very own Helene St. James and select NHL insiders across the country. No refreshes necessary. Keep your eyes on the Twitter feed below for the latest up-tothe-minute NHL news and trade rumors! Detroit Free Press LOADED:

6 Red Wings make qualifying offers to seven restricted free agents Ted Kulfan Detroit -- The Red Wings made qualifying offers Tuesday for seven restricted free agents. Forwards Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar, Landon Ferraro, Mitch Callahan and Andrej Nestrasil, and defensemen Danny DeKeyser and Adam Almquist were qualified, and the Wings retain their rights. Almquist, 23, who didn't want to play another season in the minor leagues, has signed a two-year contract with Severstal in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League. By qualifying Almquist, the Red Wings retain their rights to him if he returns to play in North America. Not qualified were forwards Cory Emmerton, Willie Coetzee and Trevor Parkes, and defensemen Gleason Fournier and Max Nicastro. Emmerton, 26, spent most of last season in Grand Rapids and also has signed to play in the KHL next season with Sochi. Emmerton was a 2006 second-round draft pick by Detroit. Detroit News LOADED:

7 Red Wings looking to bolster defense as free agency begins Ted Kulfan June 30, 2014 at 11:25 pm Detroit All the preparation and meetings are over. At noon today, unrestricted free agency in the NHL begins. And the Red Wings expect to be in the thick of the player movement. We ll explore everything that s out there, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. We ll see if there s a fit. It has to make sense for both sides. Holland is looking to bolster his defense, primarily finding a right-hand shot to add to the current all-lefty corps. Among the targets: Dan Boyle, who will be 38 on July 12, had 26 points (12 goals) in 75 games for the Sharks last season. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Boyle is expected to get a lot of attention. Matt Niskanen, 27, completed a career-best season with the Penguins. He finished with 46 points (10 goals) in 81 games, posting a plus-33 rating. Niskanen (6-0, 200) is likely to garner a seven-year contract worth nearly $7 million per season or more. Christian Ehrhoff, who will be 32 on Sunday, was bought out by the Sabres last weekend. The left-hander finished with 33 points (six goals) and a minus-27 in 79 games last season. Ehrhoff (6-2, 196) is a plus skater, power-play quarterback and passer. Holland and coach Mike Babcock have been able to contact potential free agents and their representatives since last Wednesday. The hope was they could sell the organization with no urgency or deadlines staring at both sides. It s an opportunity for players not to make a decision in 20 minutes with two or three teams offering long-term contracts and deciding what he wants to do, said Holland, who has between $8 million and $10 million to work with. Setting rights The Red Wings made necessary qualifying offers Monday for seven restricted free agents: forwards Riley Sheahan, Tomas Tatar, Landon Ferraro, Mitch Callahan and Andrej Nestrasil, and defensemen Danny DeKeyser and Adam Almquist. With the moves, the players were qualified, meaning the team retains their rights. For example, Almquist, who didn t want to play another season in the minors, signed a two-year deal with Severestal in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League. By qualifying him, the Red Wings retain his rights should he return to play in North America. 7

8 Those not qualified were: forwards Cory Emmerton, Willie Coetzee and Trevor Parkes, and defensemen Gleason Fournier and Max Nicastro. Emmerton, who spent most of last season in Grand Rapids, also has signed to play in the KHL next season (Sochi). Detroit News LOADED:

9 Detroit Red Wings announce roster, schedule for Development Camp beginning this weekend Brendan Savage on June 30, 2014 at 7:42 PM, updated June 30, 2014 at 8:17 PM Anthony Mantha and Dylan Larkin, the Detroit Red Wings first-round draft picks the last two years, headline the list of players who will be attending the club's annual Development Camp beginning Friday in Traverse City. Mantha, Detroit's No. 1 pick (20th overall) in last year's draft, was the QMJHL Most Valuable Player this season and Larkin was the Red Wings first-round selection (15th overall) in last weekend's draft. Other players scheduled to be on hand include defenseman Alexey Marchenko, who was an AHL All-Star for the Grand Rapids Griffins last season; 2013 second-round pick Tyler Bertuzzi of the OHL champion Guelph Storm; Dominic Turgeon, the Red Wings third-round pick in this year's draft; and 2012 fourth-round pick Andreas Athanasiou, who had 49 goals and 98 points for the OHL's Barrie Colts last season. The 44 players will be divided into two groups and will work out once on the ice and once off of it per day beginning at 9:45 a.m. Friday at Centre I.C.E. Arena. The on-ice workouts will be at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Friday; 9 a.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday and Monday. There will be scrimmages at 3 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Tuesday. All practices and scrimmages are open to the public. Admission is $5 each day and tickets are available only at Centre I.C.E. Other players who are scheduled to attend include 2014 draft picks Christoffer Ehn, Julius Vahatalo and Axel Holmstrom; 2013 second-round pick Zach Nastasiuk; Michigan State's Dean Chelios, son of former Red Wings great Chris Chelios; and Tomas Nosek, who was signed as a free agent this year after leading the Czech pro league in scoring. Players also scheduled to take part in the camp are former draft picks David Pope, James de Haas, Ben Marshall, Mike McKee, Marc McNulty, Richard Nedomlel, Jake Paterson and free-agent signing Jared Coreau. The camp invites are Michael Babcock, Cole Bardeau, Kyle Braun, Blake Clarke, Mark Cooper, Andrew D'Agostini, Alex Grobke, Hampus Gustafsson, Hayden Hodgson, David Johnstone, Darby Llewellyn, Edwin Minney, Brandon Robinson, Luke Sandler, Tylor Spink, Tyson Spink, Kevin Clare, Scott Czarnowczan, Trevor Hamilton, Joe Hicketts, Ryan Obuchowski, River Rymsha, Logan Schmidt and Nick Zottl. Michigan Live LOADED:

10 Red Wings plan on signing goalie Tom McCollum to one-year contract to remain in Grand Rapids Ansar Khan on June 30, 2014 at 12:56 PM, updated June 30, 2014 at 4:43 PM DETROIT When goaltender Tom McCollum struggled during his first three seasons with Grand Rapids, it appeared he was a first-round bust for the Detroit Red Wings. But McCollum bounced back strong the past two seasons and is coming off his best year in the AHL. As a result, the Red Wings will sign him to a one-year, two-way NHL contract. They are still discussing the money. "McCollum has made strides and is developing into the prospect we hoped he would be -- a little slower than we thought, but he's become a real solid AHL goaltender," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said earlier this month.. "Some players bloom a little later." McCollum posted a record, with a 2.30 goals-against average and.922 save percentage, in with the Griffins, when he was signed to an AHL contract. McCollum, 24, and top goalie prospect Petr Mrazek will man the nets in Grand Rapids. The Red Wings also have goalies Jared Coreau and Jake Paterson, who will enter his first pro season, in the system. The Red Wings selected McCollum with their top pick, 30th overall, in He has made only one NHL appearance, allowing three goals in 15 minutes of mop-up duty in a 10-3 loss to St. Louis on March 30, Michigan Live LOADED:

11 Red Wings make qualifying offers to seven players; Cory Emmerton among those not qualified Ansar Khan on June 30, 2014 at 12:02 PM, updated June 30, 2014 at 12:12 PM DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings have made qualifying offers to seven restricted free agents, retaining their rights. The Red Wings qualified forwards Tomas Tatar, Riley Sheahan, Landon Ferraro, Mitch Callahan and Andrej Nestrasil and defensemen Danny DeKeyser and Adam Almquist. The club did not qualify forwards Cory Emmerton, Trevor Parkes and Willie Coetzee and defensemen Gleason Fournier and Max Nicastro, relinquishing their rights. Almquist, 23, recently signed a two-year contract with the Kontinental Hockey League's Severestal Cherepovets because he realized his chances of making the Red Wings roster were slim and he no longer wanted to play in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins. If he wants to return to North America in a couple of years, the Red Wings would retain his rights, as long as they continue to qualify him. Emmerton, 26, is most notable player the club did not qualify. After spending most of the season in Grand Rapids, he signed a one-year deal with the KHL's Sochi Leopards. He would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer anyway. Emmerton was the Red Wings' regular fourth-line center the previous two seasons but others (Joakim Andersson, Luke Glendening and Sheahan) moved ahead of him on the depth chart. Emmerton was Detroit's top pick (41st overall in the second round) in He had 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 139 games for the club. Michigan Live LOADED:

12 Red Wings aggressively pursuing Matt Niskanen, Dan Boyle in free agency; out on Christian Ehrhoff Ansar Khan on June 30, 2014 at 11:01 PM DETROIT The Detroit Red Wings need to upgrade their defense and bolster their power play. They could do it with one signing Tuesday when NHL free agency opens at noon. The Red Wings' top priority is a top-four defenseman to replace Kyle Quincey. They would prefer a right-handed shooter, since their other six defensemen shoot left. They would like someone who can quarterback the first power-play unit, an area that needs much improvement. The Red Wings have been told they're on the short lists for both Matt Niskanen and Dan Boyle, the top right-handed shooting defensemen available. They're no longer in the running for the left-handed shooting Christian Ehrhoff, who is seeking a five-year deal, two more years than the Red Wings are willing to give. Niskanen, coming off a career season with the Pittsburgh Penguins (10 goals, 46 points) is the premier defenseman available because of his skills and age (27). He likely will be seeking a maximum seven-year deal worth more than $6 million per season. The Red Wings don't have an issue with the term, since he's young. They might be willing to meet his high salary demand as well. The Red Wings would like to sign Boyle for two years for around $5 million to $5.5 million per season. He might get a three-year offer from someone, however, despite his age (turns 38 on July 12). In addition to the Red Wings, Boyle reportedly has drawn interest from Toronto, Montreal, Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers. The Red Wings have plenty of salary-cap space (roughly $9-10 million after signing restricted free agents Danny DeKeyser, Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan). But it's a thin free-agent class and there are many teams seeking what the Red Wings want. If the Red Wings don't land Niskanen or Boyle, they might opt to trade for a top-four defenseman rather than sign a lower-cost alternatives like Anton Stralman (Rangers), Tom Gilbert (Florida) or Stephane Robidas (Anaheim). But the cost of trading is high and the Red Wings are reluctant to part with one of their top young forwards. Trade possibilities include Keith Yandle (Arizona), Tyler Myers (Buffalo) and Jeff Petry (Edmonton). Vancouver president Trevor Linden indicated several weeks ago that the Canucks will not trade Alexander Edler. The Red Wings have discussed some possible free-agent forward targets, including Jarome Iginla, but that is much less of a priority. They will have 13 forwards signed (after they ink Tatar and Sheahan). 12

13 They also might sign Daniel Cleary and/or Daniel Alfredsson later this summer. They will be so crowded up front that Tomas Jurco, their only forward who is exempt from waivers, might be forced to start the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Michigan Live LOADED:

14 Red Wings have one need to address... top four right-handed D-man By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily Posted: 06/30/14, 7:37 PM EDT DETROIT >> The Detroit Red Wings have one need to address when teams can begin signing free agents at noon Tuesday a top four defensemen, who s preferably a righthanded shot. We ve got a couple of specific needs, Wings general manager Ken Holland said. Free agency is always competitive. It appears to be a little deeper pool than last year, but there are lots of teams in the mix. It ll be an interesting time. I anticipate things will happen fast (Tuesday), Holland continued. There should be lots of activity the first four or five hours. Detroit s shopping list for a right-handed blue liner starts at Dan Boyle (New York Islanders), who ll turn 38 next month, and could be had for a two-deal at around $5.5 million a season. Matt Niskanen (Pittsburgh), 27, is next on the list, but he s looking for a lengthy deal at the maximum seven years and possibly in the upwards of $6 million a season to sign. The Wings would be OK with the length, but they re not going to break the bank to get him. They most likely won t pay him much more annually than what Niklas Kronwall ($4.75 million) is making. (Brendan) Smith can play left or right, Holland said. (Jonathan) Ericsson has played the off-side for a number of years, but ideally you d like to have three left and three right but it doesn t always work out that way. Detroit, which wants its young right-handed defensemen to start the season in Grand Rapids, also could settle on Anton Stralman (New York Rangers), Stephane Robidas (Anaheim) or Tom Gilbert (Florida). From that point it could be a left-handed shot the Wings have to settle for. Christian Ehrhoff, who was bought out of the final seven years of a 10-year deal with Buffalo, has the offensive abilities they re looking for. He s a premier skater who logs a ton of minutes who can move the puck and likes to join the rush. He can also quarterback the power play. Detroit had interest in Ehrhoff in 2011 when Brian Rafalski retired, but didn t want to overpay him. There was also talk between the teams a couple of times about possibly trading Ehrhoff to the Wings, but Buffalo decided to hang onto him. We ve got seven left-hand D, Wings coach Mike Babcock said. I love it but how do you get (a righty)? It s great to have this fantasy, like Kenny Holland would tell you, there s no tree. I ve been all over him but there s no tree to grab them off of, so we ll get what we get. 14

15 Lefty Michael Del Zotto (Nashville) was also added to the pool of unrestricted free agents. I just think it s so much easier when you have a right and lefty on every pair, Babcock said. All you ve got to do is look at L.A., a right and lefty on every pair. It makes it easier to get through the neutral zone. It s easier off D-zone faceoffs to execute, you have the puck more. You can get it off the wall and shoot it in the offensive zone. To me it just makes sense. The free agent pool for right-handed defensemen is thin and the asking price via a trade Buffalo s Tyler Myers or Arizona s Keith Yandle is quite steep (Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar or Tomas Jurco). We ll explore the forward market a little bit, but we ve got 13 forwards and we can send Tomas Jurco to the minors if we wanted to, Holland said. We ll see how Daniel Alfredsson is and where (Anthony) Mantha is in September. The Wings also have enough money to sign two high-end blue liners. Detroit has $54.2 million tied up in 18 players for next season and still need to sign restricted free agents Danny DeKeyser, Tatar and Riley Sheahan. With the salary cap at $69 million for next season that ll leave the Wings close to $10 million to spend on other free agents. Defenseman Kyle Quincey will hit the open market. Daniel Cleary, who was promised a possible extension after signing a one-year deal on the first day of training camp, could also be back. Ins and outs Goalie Tom McCollum, who Detroit selected with its top pick (30th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract. After struggling for three straight seasons within the organization, McCollum is coming off his best season in the American Hockey League, going with a 2.30 goalsagainst average and a.922 save percentage. He has made strides and is developing into the prospect we hoped he would be, Wings general manager Ken Holland said. It s a little slower than we thought, but he s become a real solid goaltender in the (AHL). Some players bloom a little later. The team also made qualifying offers to seven of its restricted free agents DeKeyser, Tatar, Sheahan, Landon Ferraro, Mitch Callahan, Adam Almquist and Andrej Nestrasil to retain their rights. Almquist signed a two-year deal in the KHL with Severestal Cherepovets. The Wings didn t make offers to Cory Emmerton, Trevor Parkes, Willie Coetzee, Gleason Fournier and Max Nicastro, thus relinquishing their rights. Emmerton, who was the Wings top pick (41st overall) in 2006, played most of last season in Grand Rapids after being waived. He s signed to play with the Sochi Leopards of the KHL next season. Macomb Daily LOADED:

16 Source: Wings will go all in for Matt Niskanen By Art Regner / Fox Sports Detroit According to a team source, the Red Wings -- at least for now -- are no longer in the running for unrestricted free-agent defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. The source says that Ehrhoff has interest in Detroit, but he's seeking a five-year deal while the Wings are willing to go only three years. If Ehrhoff can't secure a five-year contract, the source says that the Wings are more than willing to reopen negotiations with the 31-year-old power-play specialist. The Wings will now aggressively pursue Matt Niskanen and Dan Boyle, according to the source, who also said that the team believes the rest of the free-agent crop of defensemen doesn't upgrade from what they already have. Niskanen appears to be the Wings' top target, and the source indicated that they're prepared to sign him for seven years and will even overpay him if that's what it takes to get the 27-year-old Minnesota native to commit to Detroit. The 6-foot, 209-pound Niskanen had a breakout season last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 81 games, he had 10 goals, 36 assists and was a plus-33. Six of his goals were game-winners. Boyle apparently isn't far behind Niskanen on the Wings' wish list. The source says that the Wings would like to nail him down to a two-year deal for up to $11 million. Boyle, 37, is a mobile and creative defenseman who can run the power play and is reliable in his own end. He has always put up numbers from the back end, but his lack of size (5-11, 190 pounds) causes problems for him in front of his own net. In 75 games with the Sharks last season, Boyle had 12 goals, 24 assists and was a minus-8. The Wings seem to have some interest in a few free-agent forwards, but their main focus obviously is to upgrade on defense. The team source is convinced that they're two good defensemen away from being an exceptional team. The free-agency period all begins Tuesday at noon, and Wings GM Ken Holland feels that there could be a flurry of early signings. 16

17 "We're making some calls today (Monday)," he said. "It's been a busy day talking to lots of agents. I anticipate things will happen fast tomorrow, after the interview period (which is ongoing). "I talked to four to five players personally, with Kris Draper and Mike Babcock, talked to a number of agents. You're telling them about your program. At the end of the day, the agent gives you a feel of what's out there. "There should be lots of activity the first four to five hours." Activity that Holland hopes includes the Red Wings. 17