Detroit Red Wings Clips April 26, 2016redwings.nhl.com/v2/ext/DRW_Clips_PDF/DRWClips042616.pdf ·...

Detroit Red Wings Clips April 26, 2016

Detroit Red Wings PAGE 2 Detroit Red Wings, Jimmy Howard agree it might be time to move on PAGE 3 6 Red Wings headed to world championships PAGE 4 Detroit Red Wings expect Pavel Datsyuk to leave PAGE 5 Detroit Red Wings clean out lockers; what's next? PAGE 7 Red Wings' Kyle Quincey, a free agent, wants to stay in Detroit PAGE 9 Sharp: GM Holland knows future will be hard for Wings, spoiled fans PAGE 11 Seidel: No quick fix after Red Wings’ latest crash landing PAGE 13 Howard, Helm would be OK leaving Red Wings PAGE 14 Ilitch family ‘absolutely’ backs Wings’ Holland PAGE 15 Holland thinks Datsyuk won’t return to Wings PAGE 17 Niyo: Red Wings in limbo, stuck in mediocrity PAGE 20 Red Wings' Ken Holland: 'I'm going to be more aggressive in exploring

trades' PAGE 22 Red Wings notes: Luke Glendening added to Team USA for World

Championship PAGE 24 Ken Holland expects news that Pavel Datsyuk won't return to Red Wings PAGE 26 Red Wings top pick Evgeny Svechnikov joins Griffins, talks about

expectations PAGE 28 Red Wings might look to Dylan Larkin to fill potential void at center PAGE 31 Teammates have ‘good idea' Datsyuk will leave

Detroit Red Wings, Jimmy Howard agree it might be time to move on

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 4:44 p.m. EDT April 25, 2016

Drew Sharp and Helene St. James discuss Pavel Datsyuk's expected exit and GM Ken Holland's strategy for fixing the Detroit Red Wings.

There's recognition on both sides that it might be best for the Detroit Red Wings and goalie Jimmy Howard to part ways.

Howard said today that he'd be "OK" with being traded from the only NHL team he has known, because he understands the situation. The Wings are committed to re-signing restricted free agent Petr Mrazek, who, at 24, is their goalie of the future.

General manager Ken Holland said he has "thought about it lots. I'm going to get to the draft, I'm going to talk to a lot of people, see what's out there."

Howard has a three years left on a contract that carries a $5.3-million annual salary cap hit, meaning that the Wings would have close to $10 million committed to goaltending salaries. That's why it make sense to try to move Howard, maybe to a team such as Calgary that needs goaltending help.

"It would be disappointing," he said. "I've made a lot of great friends here, but that's the nature of this business. Sometimes you have to pack up and leave."

Howard, 32 has had a turbulent couple of seasons, finishing 2014-15 on such a low that he lost the starting job to Mrazek. After sharing duties for the first few months this season, Howard hit another slump, and Mrazek rose to once again earn the No. 1 job. But Howard bailed out the Wings when Mrazek struggled through March and started the first two playoff games, before coach Jeff Blashill changed goaltenders.

Howard said, "I've considered it," when asked whether he might have played his last game for the Wings, who drafted him in the second round in 2003.

Holland said his first step in sorting out the goaltending situation is meeting with Mrazek's representative and "get him signed. I've got my ideas on what the next deal should be, and they've got their ideas. You've got to find a solution in then middle.

"We'll see. I can see, on one hand, having two goaltenders. It's a nice luxury. Certainly, Jimmy Howard played an important role down the stretch in us qualifying for the playoffs when Petr hit the wall a little bit. But certainly, I also could see if things could work out better via trade. Might be good for the organization, good for some careers."

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 04.26.2016

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6 Red Wings headed to world championships


The Detroit Red Wings have at least five players going to the hockey world championship.

Dylan Larkin and Luke Glendening (USA), Teemu Pulkkinen (Finland), Pavel Datsyuk and Alexey Marchenko (both Russia) and Tomas Jurco (Slovakia) have committed to playing in May event in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.

General manager Ken Holland said Justin Abdelkader will not be joining the U.S. because of a dislocated finger. Fellow American Danny DeKeyser was asked but is getting married this summer and might not go, Holland said. Holland was unsure if Glendening would participate because he has been playing with "a severely bruised foot," but later, it was confirmed Glendening would suit up.

Tomas Tatar needs an MRI for a rotator cuff injury but said he will play for Slovakia if medically cleared.


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Detroit Red Wings expect Pavel Datsyuk to leave


From the way those around him talked today, it sure sounds like the Detroit Red Wings believe that Pavel Datsyuk is gone.

Speaking after the team picture was taken today at Joe Louis Arena, Datsyuk said he wouldn't decide on his future until after the world championship next month in his native Russia.

"I think I be more 100% with my decision when world championships ending," Datsyuk said. "I more happy play here more playoffs series, but go back home to play in front of fans. It's exciting."

Datsyuk has said he wants to go home to be closer to his daughter from his first marriage.

"You need to consider, tougher decision hockey career, tougher decision life, or something different," he said. "Lots of different subjects. It's tough decision for me."

But Wings general manager Ken Holland noted that, based on "past conversations" with Datsyuk and agent Dan Milsten, "I guess I would expect news that he's not coming back."

Longtime friend and fellow forward Henrik Zetterberg said he had "a good idea" of Datsyuk's decision. So did defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Neither would reveal what they believe, out of respect for Datsyuk, but Zetterberg especially sounded like he knows that Datsyuk is gone.

Players signed a Datsyuk jersey while cleaning out their lockers. Many took pictures with him.

Datsyuk retiring with a year left on his contract would put the Wings in a hard spot. Because he signed his last deal after he turned 35, the $7.5-million salary cap hit would remain if he retires. The best the Wings can do is hope to trade the contract to a team that needs the hit to make the minimum payroll requirements, but Holland said that only would be realistic if the asking price is reasonable. If it involves "lots of futures" to entice a team to take the contract, Holland said it wouldn't make sense, given the importance of development from within in today's NHL.


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Detroit Red Wings clean out lockers; what's next?

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press 1 p.m. EDT April 25, 2016

The Detroit Red Wings are meeting for the last time today, to commemorate a 2015-16 season that included a very short playoff run.

A team picture will be taken, after which players clean out their gear from their lockers at Joe Louis Arena. The Wings finished the season 41-30-11 (93 points), placing third in the Atlantic Division.

The playoffs were over in just five games, with a first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Some Wings will find other ways to play hockey, such as Dylan Larkin and Teemu Pulkkinen, who already have agreed to play for the U.S. and Finland, respectively, at the world championship next month.

The biggest question looming over the team is what will Pavel Datsyuk do? If he leaves them with a year left on his contract, they're going to have to pay the price of a higher-end draft pick or B-grade prospect to trade his contract to a team that could use its $7.5-million salary cap hit to reach the minimum required payroll.

Datsyuk, 37, probably didn't know that if a contract goes into effect after a player turns 35, the cap hit still counts against the team even if a player retires early. (Datsyuk has made $17 million of the $22.5 million, but though his salary for next season is $5.5 million, the cap hit is the contract's average annual value.) Maybe the long relationship Datsyuk has with the Wings convinces him to stay and play another season, rather than put them in a spot that's going to cost them. If he plays out his contract, his No. 13 will go straight to the rafters in the new arena (that probably will happen no matter what, though).

General manager Ken Holland has said that he doesn't need to know Datsyuk's decision for a month.

If the Wings gain the cap maneuverability, they'd be capable of making a run at Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Steven Stamkos, should he reach unrestricted free agency.

As the Wings gather at the Joe for the last time this season, let's take a look at who's back, who's gone, and who's iffy.

Returning: Forwards Henrik Zetterberg, Dylan Larkin, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Justin Abdelkader, Riley Sheahan (restricted free agent), Luke Glendening, Andreas Athanasiou, Teemu Pulkkinen (restricted). Defensemen Niklas Kronwall. Danny DeKeyser (restricted), Mike Green, Alexey Marchenko (restricted), Jonathan Ericsson. Brendan Smith could have value in a trade package.

Gone: It's hard to see a future in Detroit for veteran Brad Richards. Forward Darren Helm is eligible for unrestricted free agency and might opt to see what he can get elsewhere, given his fluctuating role under coach Jeff Blashill. Defenseman Kyle

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Quincey also is a pending UFA. So is forward Drew Miller, who didn't play after suffering an injury in January. Assistant Tony Granato is off to Wisconsin, so there's an opportunity to add an assistant with a considerable resume (like Mike Babcock did with Tom Renney a few years back).

Iffy: There's Datsyuk, as mentioned above. The Wings need to re-sign Petr Mrazek (restricted). Even with his late-season slump, he's the goaltender of the future. Given that Jimmy Howard has a $5.3-million cap hit, that'd be hard to commit to a backup. He could be moved in a trade package. If so, the Wings would need to find a veteran with a really good resume to back up Mrazek. There isn't anyone in the system deemed ready.

New faces: If forward Anthony Mantha has a good AHL playoffs, he should be able to translate that into a spot on next season's Detroit squad. He was able to score twice in a 10-game audition in March. Athanasiou should be back full-time after the season he had. Defenseman Xavier Ouelllet is penned in to be on next season's squad. He and fellow defense prospects Nick Jensen and Ryan Sproul are out of waiver eligibility.


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Red Wings' Kyle Quincey, a free agent, wants to stay in Detroit

George Sipple, Detroit Free Press 1:43 a.m. EDT April 26, 2016

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey said he’d love to come to an agreement with general manager Ken Holland on a new contract. Otherwise, Quincey will try to find a new home as an unrestricted free agent July 1.

“If Kenny offers me something, I’d love to come back,” Quincey said during the annual locker room cleanout at Joe Louis Arena.

“I’m not dwelling on it. It’s nothing new. We’ve been in this line of work for a lot of years. We know how it works.”

After having off-season surgery to remove bone spurs from one ankle, Quincey had surgery on his other ankle in November. He finished with four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 47 regular-season games and added one assist in four playoff games.

“Battling injuries to start off, had a really good start through a lot of pain,” Quincey said. “I thought I got back in the swing of things very quickly. I was playing my best hockey at the end of the year, when we needed it the most.”

Quincey, 30, was a healthy scratch for Game 3 of the first-round playoff series with Tampa Bay, even though it can be argued that other players, such as Jonathan Ericsson, deserved to be benched instead.


“I don’t really want to talk about that,” Quincey said of being scratched. “Nothing really positive is going to come out of that. I’m not going to go through that again.”

Quincey said the Wings know what he can do for the club.

“I’m assuming they’re not going to put me on the power play again and me try to put up 40, 50 points,” Quincey said. “I know my role. That’s kind of what I focused on. I’ve been playing the same way for this team since I came back here.”

Quincey set career highs in assists (34) and points (38) when he played for the Kings in 2008-09. He scored a career-high six goals and had 23 assists for 29 points in 79 games the next season for the Avalanche.

Over the past three seasons, he has chipped in 11 goals and 31 assists for 42 points for the Wings.

Quincey said he won over first-year coach Jeff Blashill during the season.

“Going into the season, I had a meeting with Blash right away and it wasn’t what I really wanted to hear,” Quincey said. “But I feel like I changed his mind with my play and moved up in his eyes.”

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Quincey said he wanted to come back with Danny DeKeyser and be a shutdown pairing. Quincey said that how things ended.

“For me, that’s a huge win in my book,” Quincey said. “For the most part, I think we did a good job. We shut down some very good lines. That’s really important for teams to do well, a good shutdown D pair.”

Quincey said he hopes teams view him as someone that’s hard to play against.

Quincey was switched to playing on the right side as a defenseman under former Wings coach Mike Babcock.

“I can obviously play both sides comfortably,” Quincey said. “It was a challenge that I ran with. A lot of pride in that.

Quincey would like to continue playing with DeKeyser.

“Danny’s a great player, so it’s very easy to play with him,” he said. “I would rather play with a good defenseman that makes my job easier, yeah.”


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Sharp: GM Holland knows future will be hard for Wings, spoiled fans

Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press Columnist 12:04 a.m. EDT April 26, 2016


Question now: how much patience will Hockeytown fan base, Ilitch have for shaking up the pot?

This was unfamiliar terrain for Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, and he navigated it clumsily at times. Defiant one instant. Logic-defying the next. Holland spun himself in circles Monday as the Wings formally closed up shop for the season. Another early playoff exit leaving far more questions than answers.

He strongly defended his personnel decisions while dismissing his growing legion of critics as merely beneficiaries of always-clear hindsight. Holland stubbornly insisted that his prescribed path out of first-round playoff mediocrity is the only realistic approach in a salary-cap era that usually demands long playoff absences before any possible competitive recovery. He added that those expecting annual Stanley Cup contention in a more balanced league today are watching the wrong sport.

Thin skin isn’t a good look for a general manager who has enjoyed overall career success worthy of Hall of Fame induction.

Holland’s message: Listen to me. I know what I’m talking about.

When asked whether fans should expect less in the future, he grudgingly conceded, “Yeah, I think so.”

But he added that less could be exciting.

Huh?

“You can’t wave a magic wand and find superstars,” Holland said.

He didn’t articulate the right message. There are no guarantees the Wings can return to their glory days because they had no shortage of stars over the past 20 years, and they’re out of stars now. After listening to Holland and players Monday, it seems even more certain that Pavel Datsyuk is returning to his native Russia. Henrik Zetterberg is skating on fumes, and likely is looking at a reduced role next season, creating more opportunities for younger players.

Holland tried being honest and hopeful while defusing hysteria at the same time. And that simply can’t work. Not in this town. The Wings spoiled Detroit. They’ve celebrated a tradition of stability that naturally convinced themselves and others that there always would be a rolling assembly line of exceptional young talent eventually growing into elite players.

Those days are over.

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Holland said he’s more inclined to “shake up the pot” this summer. He promised more aggressiveness on the trade market and adamantly stated that the young prospects he has coddled like an overprotective parent will get their chances to seize the reins of this team’s future. That’s an important concession for Holland. But it’s going to be a long, arduous road for Holland and the Wings.

You can tell people tough times are coming. It’s just being truthful. But you can’t tell them they have to like it, accept it and keep quiet.

Holland maintains the support of the Ilitch family.

“Absolutely,” Chris Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, said Monday, joining players, coaches and front-office personnel for the end-of-season team picture on the Joe Louis ice. “Undoubtedly. We support Ken Holland, undoubtedly.”

When asked if he or his parents thought the team needed dramatic changes after a fourth first-round playoff exit in five years, Ilitch deferred to his GM.

“That’s a great question for Ken Holland,” he said. “That’s his job. That’s his approach. That’s up to him.”

Holland said he had a couple of phone conversations with Mike and Marian Ilitch following the Game 5 series-ending loss against Tampa Bay on Thursday. He plans on talking with both in person within the next week to go over the organization’s crucial next steps.

Everyone witnessed Ilitch’s impulsiveness last summer when he stunningly fired Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski during a phone conversation in the Tigers’ clubhouse at Comerica Park. He later said he wasn’t happy with the results and wanted change. He’s the boss. It’s his prerogative.

The question now is his level of patience with Holland.

But don’t forget that it was the senior Ilitch who first articulated the operating strategy for the Wings and the Tigers: attract big stars. They win games, sell tickets and generate buzz.

They also grow expectations exponentially until they’re out of reach.


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Seidel: No quick fix after Red Wings’ latest crash landing

Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press Columnist 11:39 p.m. EDT April 25, 2016


Good to hear that Ken Holland is finally thinking long term

One by one, they walked into the locker room one last time.

The fallen Detroit Red Wings.

Making no excuses for another first-round exit from the playoffs.

“If you look at this year, I don’t think we were good enough — to a man,” Niklas Kronwall said. “I wasn’t good enough. Nowhere near where I need to be.”

The captain said the same thing. “I should have performed better than I did,” Henrik Zetterberg said.

Zetterberg’s eyes were strained, his face looked tired. He played in 82 games this season. “If it took a toll on me, I’m not sure,” he said.

As the Wings enter the off-season, the organization is in a precarious position. Zetterberg and Kronwall are showing their age. And all signs suggest that Pavel Datsyuk is as good as gone. “It’s up to us that we can show that we can still play,” Zetterberg said. “Me personally, I have to be better than this year.”

Assuming that Datsyuk is gone, it will be hard for Zetterberg and Kronwall to age gracefully, in a reduced role, as Steve Yzerman once did. Because they don’t have a new set of stars who can take their place. Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar were disappointments this season, and Tatar said he never felt comfortable. And Dylan Larkin might, one day, take the mantel, but he’s only 19.

So what should the Wings do now?

In the middle of a long, rambling news conference, general manager Ken Holland revealed his plan. “I’ve got to try to do more than adding to what we’ve got,” Holland said Monday. “Maybe we’ve got to shake up the pot a little bit.”

Hallelujah! Put the Band-Aids away and make some real changes.

That’s a big step, realizing you have a problem.

For years, the Pistons have tried to rebuild on the fly. But the Wings have not been flying. They have been crash-landing in the first round of the playoffs. The first step is to realize that strategy isn’t working. The Wings have lost in the first round of the playoffs for three straight seasons. One-and-done isn’t working.

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The goal should be clear: Building a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup, not just backing into the playoffs so you can sell T-shirts that celebrate a 25-year-old streak.

So, as Holland shakes up this team, he should, first and foremost, focus on the long-term future of the organization. No more Band-Aids just to get into the playoffs to keep the playoff streak alive. That philosophy has perpetuated first-round losses and frustration.

“There are no easy fixes,” coach Jeff Blashill said.

True. Especially here.

This is a team saddled with some bad contracts, some aging veterans who slipped this season, a roster with several players coming off disappointing seasons (Jonathan Ericsson, Nyquist and Tatar), and — finally, here is a glimmer of hope — some youngsters you can build around ( Larkin and defenseman Danny DeKeyser).

And then there is the whole Datsyuk situation. If he retires, as expected, the organization will have to deal with a $7.5-million salary-cap hit. That’s a frightening black hole, and there is no Band-Aid for that.

“If he’s not here, certainly you would like to move the cap space,” Holland said. “But if the price is going to be lots of futures, it doesn’t make any sense.”

That’s a great sign Holland is thinking about the long-term future. “Rebuilds take eight to 10 years, and that’s if you want to tank it,” Holland said. “I don’t think anybody wants to go through a rebuild.”

Agreed. Not a total rebuild. I’m talking about a shake-up that is focused on winning when this team moves into the new arena, not shaking up the team so it can get back into the playoffs it its final season in the Joe.

That means being aggressive in the draft and acquiring young talent, which Holland said he is planning to do.

That means that the Wings should give the younger players more of a role next season, which is what Holland said will happen.

Hopefully, that includes Andreas Athanasiou.

That means finding complementary pieces to place around Larkin, not Zetterberg and Kronwall.

“From my perspective, we need some of our young players to become elite players in the NHL,” Blashill said. “That is extraordinarily hard to do.”

On the ice, the Wings have to improve their special teams. They should trade Jimmy Howard, if they have a chance. And they need a No. 1 defenseman. But here’s the problem: Nobody is giving them away. So don’t mortgage the future trying to get one.

Focus on building a team that will win when the Wings enter their new arena. Don’t worry about next season. Don’t worry about the Streak.

Trying to do both hasn’t worked for years.


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Howard, Helm would be OK leaving Red Wings

Staff

Detroit – The Red Wings are the only organization Jimmy Howard and Darren Helm have known in their pro careers.

But it appears that might be changing this offseason – and both appear fine with that.

Howard is potential trade bait and Helm can be an unrestricted free agent July 1, but both sounded as if their Red Wings careers might be over for various reasons – along with potential unrestricted free agents Kyle Quincey, Brad Richards and Drew Miller as the Red Wings embark on a summer of change.

Howard and Petr Mrazek split the goalie workload up until late December when Mrazek’s performance took off while Howard slumped.

“I’ve considered it but we’ll see what happens,” said Howard of whether he may have played his last game with the Red Wings. “It’s part of the business (being traded). A lot of people go through it. If that were to happen, it happens.”

Howard has three more years left with a salary cap hit of just over $5 million per season, and understands if general manager Ken Holland looks to trade Howard, as Mrazek likely will be the starting goaltender heading into next season.

Holland said it may have been a luxury to have two goaltenders of this quality on the roster, and it might be best for the organization and players involved to look for make a deal at the NHL draft.

Along with the obvious financial part of things, Helm wants to find out what his role would be heading into the future. Helm made $2.5 million this past season.

“There were situations I definitely wasn’t happy with this year, when those situations arose,” said Helm, though he would not provide details. “I want to see why that happened as often as it did and make sure I find a place where it won’t happen as often.”

Said Holland: “I have interest in Helmer coming back but it takes two to tango.”

Quincey said he’d love to return but understands not winning usually brings changes to the lineup.

Detroit News LOADED: 04.26.2016

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Ilitch family ‘absolutely’ backs Wings’ Holland

Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News 5:29 p.m. EDT April 25, 2016

Detroit – In the aftermath of another early playoff exit, the Red Wings face a swirl of questions. But the future of GM Ken Holland isn't one of them.

Chris Ilitch, who represented ownership at the annual team photo Monday at Joe Louis Arena, said the family fully, "absolutely" supports Holland, who has been in charge since 1997. Mike and Marian Ilitch were not present for the photo.

Based on the Wings' 25-year playoff run, it's not a surprise Holland appears to be safe. Based on four first-round playoff exits in five years, there is justifiable criticism.

Holland will need to be much more proactive retooling the roster this offseason, especially with the expected departure of Pavel Datsyuk, who plans to return to Russia. Captain Henrik Zetterberg said he expected plenty of changes, more than in the past.

The leadership at the top won't be one of those changes, according to Chris Ilitch, who spoke very briefly as he left the arena, and reiterated the Ilitches "undoubtedly" support Holland.

Holland said he'd spoken with Mike and Marian Ilitch, as well as Chris Ilitch, and planned to meet with them in the next week or so. Clearly, there is more urgency to fixing the Wings, without going through a full rebuild.

Playing it safe has become less and less of an option as the Wings have become less and less of a Stanley Cup contender.

"I'm going to be more aggressive going to the draft and exploring trades," Holland said. "We've got to explore free agency to try to change the mix a bit."


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Holland thinks Datsyuk won’t return to Wings

Staff

Detroit – Pavel Datsyuk said Monday he will decide in June, after playing in the World Championships next month, whether he will return to the Red Wings. General manager Ken Holland said that if the price is too high to dump Datsyuk’s $7.5 million hit on the salary cap, the team will simply swallow it.

Meanwhile, Wings players and management appear to assume Datsyuk will leave.

“It’s not enough time now, and I don’t want to rush,” Datsyuk said, standing in the Red Wings’ dressing room as it was cleaned out after the annual team photograph.

“It’s a real tough decision for me.

“Hopefully, when I got back to play for the World Championships, I’ll think about it more. Probably after World Championship in June, I’ll meet with Ken Holland and make a final decision, probably.”

Datsyuk, 37, said he is feeling “a lot” of pressure because of the potential impact on the Wings’ salary cap. But he reiterated he believes he made a mistake when he signed a three-year deal, and that he was unaware of the potential of leaving the team strapped with his salary.

“Of course, I feel pressure,” he said. “I made a mistake with this one.”

Holland said he believes Datsyuk is likely gone.

“Given my conversations with Pav and (his agent) Dan Milstein over the past year, given what’s going on back there with his teammates taking pictures and doing things with him, I guess I could probably expect news that he’s not coming back,” Holland said.

“Going to give him all the time he needs.

“I’m hoping he’s coming back but I’d probably be a bit naïve to sit here and say, ‘Oh, life’s going to go on. Pav’s going to be back.’”

Both Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall said they believe they know what Datsyuk will do, but they were unwilling to discuss it until he makes the decision public.

Holland said he is making contingency plans.

“As we head into the summer, I’m probably formulating two plans,” he said. “A plan with Pav and a plan without Pav.

“And, obviously, another question I have is: If you don’t have Pav, what do you do about the cap space? That’s certainly going to be a problem, a concern, something to deal with.”

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As NHL teams have done in the past amid similar circumstances, teams can trade a high-value contract under the cap to a team that must struggle to make the minimum salary floor set by the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the players’ union. A few teams every year barely make the minimum and some are interested in absorbing a big salary, even if the player does not play.”

But they often expect a valuable draft pick or prospect in return, and the Wings view of the status of the roster is that draft picks and prospects are exactly what they need.

“My take would be if he’s not here, certainly you’d like to move the cap space,” Holland said. “If the price is going to be lots of futures, it doesn’t make any sense.

“It doesn’t make any sense if Pav’s got one year left on the contract to pay prime prospects or a prime draft pick to free up one year of cap space, given where this franchise is because of the 25 years of being in the playoffs and not picking very high. So, we’ll see.”

A number of Red Wings seemed resigned to Datsyuk’s fate and expressed a lot of support for one of their leaders over the past decade.

“He’s going to do what he wants to do,” Gustav Nyquist said. “He’s been a great player with this organization for a long time and he’s still one of the best players in the league. It’s been great having him here as a teammate and I learned a lot from him.

“But whatever he wants to do, he’ll do what’s best for him and his family. We’d love to have him back but it’s up to him.”

Justin Abdelkader, who earned Datsyuk’s respect for his work habits as a linemate, said, “It’s his decision to make. He’ll do what’s in his heart. All we can do is just thank him for what he’s done for this organization.”

Datsyuk said playing in Russia for a month in the World Championships will give him time to think.

“I need more time,” he said.

He said that the idea of last games, last practices, last times with his Red Wings’ teammates had not yet crossed his mind.

“I’m not thinking about last time,” he said. “To me it’s a bad time now, especially when we didn’t get our job done (in the playoffs).”

As he has done, sometimes, Datsyuk tried to steer clear of discussing his family and its impact on his decision.

“There are many factors,” he said. “Everybody has their own decision and own opinion. I want to make it my decision. I don’t want to hear from people what they want.”

Asked if he still believes he has better hockey in him than he played this year, especially if his balky ankle has a better chance to heal, he said, “You never hear any players say before they die, ‘Oh, I can’t play anymore.’

“I think every player believes they can keep playing.”


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Niyo: Red Wings in limbo, stuck in mediocrity

John Niyo, The Detroit News 12:09 a.m. EDT April 26, 2016

Detroit — So this is what limbo sounds like.

We already knew what it looked like, watching the Red Wings run themselves through the rinse cycle again this season, stuck in a mediocrity of their own making.

But on Monday, as players cleared out their lockers following a fourth first-round playoff exit in five seasons — a chore once reserved for May or June at Joe Louis Arena, but no more — the collective frustration was audible, if not intractable.

Pavel Datsyuk is all but gone, and seemingly full of regrets, including the unwieldy contract he’ll leave behind. Others, from Jimmy Howard to Darren Helm to Tomas Tatar, know they might be going, too, like it or not. Even the entrenched, or entitled, know they’re on shaky ground, if only because of where they all stand.

“We’re not far off,” Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said Monday, “but we’re not playing.”

No, they’re not. And while the 25-year playoff streak remains a source of pride, this new Red Wings tradition — the first playoff team eliminated for the second time in three years — is a problem. One that general manager Ken Holland couldn’t ignore Monday in his postseason news conference, a nearly-hourlong session that essentially tied a toe tag on the franchise’s storied past while putting a not-so-pretty bow on the uneasy present.

Holland, with two years remaining on his contract and an emphatic vote of confidence from ownership earlier in the day, clearly isn’t going anywhere. But he’s keenly aware of the criticism suggesting his hockey team isn’t, either.

“I know what a championship team looks like,” Holland said. “I also know what an expansion team looks like.”

And in so many words Monday — and to Holland’s credit, there were so many words — the Red Wings general manager acknowledged he sees neither here in Detroit right now. Maybe for the foreseeable future, too, though Holland, entering his 20th season in his current post, wasn’t quite conceding that point, even as he talked about crystal balls — he doesn’t own one, in case you were wondering — and other fanciful ideas.

No easy solutions

We can all agree something’s broken here, and that's a much-needed concession, I suppose. But “there are no quick fixes,” Holland insisted. And if the fans want to fantasize about what Steven Stamkos might look like wearing the Winged Wheel should he bolt Steve Yzerman’s Lightning in Tampa this summer, that’s fine. Just don’t get your hopes up.

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“There are no magic men that come in and wave magic wands and find superstars,” Holland added. “It doesn’t happen.”

Yet something has to happen here, doesn't it? Because the magic is gone. And in his next breath, there was Holland repeating what he has been saying ever since Nicklas Lidstrom retired four years ago.

“You need stars,” he said. “You need stars.”

He thinks — or hopes — he has a couple of budding ones in rookie Dylan Larkin and goaltender Petr Mrazek.

But beyond that? Well, that’s the problem, one Holland & Co. have tried — and failed — to address again and again. (See Ryan Suter, Zach Parise, Shea Weber, Matt Niskanen and so on.) And it’s one that’ll only be magnified by Datsyuk’s pending departure and the salary-cap trap the Red Wings have set for themselves.

The former seems like a mere formality now. With Datsyuk posing for farewell photos in the locker room Monday, Holland admitted it’d be “naïve” to think he’s coming back. And there’s no escaping the latter, either, with all the back-diving deals and no-trade clauses the Red Wings have handed out just to keep this current roster together.

That leaves Jeff Blashill, who took his lumps — some of them self-inflicted — as a first-year head coach, asking the same question his predecessor was asking a year ago on his way to Toronto.

"But who's gonna replace Pav?” Mike Babcock wondered aloud after last year’s early playoff exit.

“We need some of our younger players to become elite players in the NHL,” Blashill said. “Who is that gonna be? I can’t answer that.”

Regression

It wasn’t the players they were counting on this past season, that's for sure. Gustav Nyquist went from 27 goals to 17, Justin Abdelkader saw his goals-per-60 fall by more than 30 percent, and Tomas Tatar saw a similar dropoff, which left him grumbling about his role — he spent time on the fourth line in the playoffs — after managing just five shots in five playoff games.

“Obviously, this team will need some changes — I don’t know who’s gonna be affected by that,” Tatar said.

“But we have to do something else, something different, to get back on track.”

Even Danny Dekeyser saw his play decline on a deteriorating blue line, finishing with just 12 assists and 20 points in 78 games. Holland called him a “legitimate top-four defenseman” and reiterated he’s a big fan, which means he’s probably due for a hefty raise as restricted free agent.

Holland insists he’ll be “more aggressive” in pursuing trades this summer, and Zetterberg, while accepting his share of the blame for this latest playoff pratfall, readily endorsed that idea. (“You have to be a little aggressive if you want to be in the race,” he

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said.) A top-pair defenseman like the Blues’ Kevin Shattenkirk seems like an obvious target.

But it’s the homegrown young talent — go ahead and add Brendan Smith to that group — along with top prospects like Anthony Mantha and coveted draft picks that other NHL teams will want for the kind of help Holland is seeking.

The Red Wings absolutely will explore trade possibilities for Howard, assuming they can strike a deal with Mrazek, another restricted free agent. And they’ll try to get out from under Datsyuk’s final-year cap number, though not if it requires a ransom.

“There’s got to be deals that make good business sense,” Holland said.

But therein lies the dilemma here. The Red Wings are caught in between a rock and a hard place, and it’s about as uncomfortable as it looked this spring for a franchise that enjoyed a much different perch for a long time.

“We’ve won enough in the regular season to be in the top half of the league,” Holland said. “But we’ve lost too much to be a factor come playoff time. This is the first offseason, in my opinion, where what we did over the last eight months wasn’t good enough. ...

“It was a very disappointing season."

And a daunting challenge ahead.


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Red Wings' Ken Holland: 'I'm going to be more aggressive in exploring trades'

Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

on April 25, 2016 at 6:01 PM

DETROIT – Another first-round playoff exit, the impending departure of his most talented player and the advancing age of others on the roster will lead to a busy off-season for Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland.

Holland said he intends to be more aggressive this summer in trying to upgrade his roster. The goal not only is to make the playoffs for a 26th consecutive season, but also to go on a postseason run.

They're not dumping assets for futures.

"We've got to draft. We've got to develop. I'm not into a rebuild," Holland said. "Rebuilds take eight-to-10 years in my opinion, and that's if you want to tank it and go through a massive rebuild. I don't think anybody wants to go through a massive rebuild.

"I think we've got to try to marginally get better, maybe change the look of our team a little bit and we've got to try to find a way to make the playoffs and give ourselves another opportunity."

The Red Wings cleaned out their lockers Monday following the team photo at Joe Louis Arena.

Coming off what Holland called a "disappointing" season, the club has several needs. They must get more scoring, after finishing 23rd in the NHL in goals per game. They need some size. They could use a top-pair defenseman.

And it appears they'll need to replace Pavel Datsyuk, who Holland doesn't expect to return, though he is still holding out hope.

"I'm going to be more aggressive going to the draft this year and exploring trades," Holland said.

They will explore free agency on July 1 again, but realize the market could be thin as many teams lock up their own players. There aren't many quality defensemen in free agency. Some bigger forwards set to hit the market include Andrew Ladd (Chicago), David Backes and Troy Brouwer (St. Louis), Eric Staal (New York Rangers) and Milan Lucic (Los Angeles).

"Those players that are out there on July 1, for the most part, are support players," Holland said. "They're not players that carry franchises around."

The exception would be Steven Stamkos of Tampa Bay, who could be the premier free agent available. But he might command upwards of $10 million per season.

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Holland said they'll give more responsibility to younger players. That could mean moving Dylan Larkin to center to replace Datsyuk. That should mean giving Andreas Athanasiou more ice time and having Anthony Mantha and Xavier Ouellet on the roster from the start of the season.

"We've got some good young players. Do we have stars? I don't know," Holland said. "I've got to watch. We've got to draft, we've got to develop, we've got to explore free agency, we've got to change the mix a little bit."

Coach Jeff Blashill said they need a couple of the younger players to become elite but admitted that is "extraordinarily hard to do."

"Some of our young guys are going to have to become that elite, go-to player that Pav and Z (Henrik Zetterberg) have been here for a long, long time," Blashill said. "And that means you have to put the team on your shoulders every night. That means you have to produce while still playing great defense. That means you're seeing the best opponents have every single night and it's extremely hard to do.

"Who is that going to be? I can't answer that. You certainly have your group of young forwards, whether it's (Tomas Tatar), (Gustav Nyquist), Larkin. You got young guys that have come up, AA and Mantha and some guys that are in the minors. But ultimately for us to be better we're going to need guys to take that step to elite players. And it's not going to be 10, it's going to be one or two and help in that transition from Pav and Z."

Holland said the team's size is a legitimate criticism. They will look to get bigger.

But improving the roster won't be easy.

"We had a disappointing year," Holland said. "We could never gain any momentum going over the 82 games and lost out in five games to Tampa Bay, so there are no quick fixes. There are no magic men that can come in, wave magic wands and find superstars."

Holland said the roster remains competitive.

"It's about trying to go on playoff run but you can't go on a playoff run if you don't make the playoffs," Holland said. "And if I come in here and tell you 'Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup next year' you guys are going to think I'm foolish because we've won one playoff round in five years."

Michigan Live LOADED: 04.26.2016

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Red Wings notes: Luke Glendening added to Team USA for World Championship

Brendan Savage | [email protected] By Brendan Savage | [email protected]

on April 25, 2016 at 5:37 PM

DETROIT – Add Luke Glendening to the list of Detroit Red Wings who will play in next month's World Championship in Russia.

Glendening was named Monday to Team USA, which also includes teammate Dylan Larkin. The United States will begin World Championship play May 6 against Canada.

The third-year veteran will be representing Team USA for the first time.

In 81 games with the Red Wings this season, Glendening had eight goals, 13 assists and a plus-4 role while primarily focusing on penalty killing and defense.

He was one of the Red Wings' top players during their first-round playoff loss to Tampa Bay, getting one assist and a minus-2 rating in five games while playing a major role in holding the Lightning's top line of Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn without a shot in Game 2.

Other Red Wings who are scheduled to play in the World Championship include Pavel Datsyuk and Alexey Marchenko for Russia; Tomas Jurco for Slovakia; Teemu Pulkkinen for Finland; and Gustav Nyquist for Sweden.

Tomas Tatar has been asked to play for Slovakia but is questionable because of a shoulder injury.

Other Red Wings could also be invited to take part in the event.

Helm could return for ninth season: Darren Helm is among the Red Wings' unrestricted free agents and could return next season depending on the price, according to general manager Ken Holland, who said he's interested in having Helm back. The speedy forward had 13 goals and 13 assists in 77 regular-season games before scoring once in the playoffs. Helm, 29, made $2.125 million this season.

Zetterberg denies have say in lineup: There was a report over the weekend that veterans Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall influenced the Red Wings' lineup and were responsible for Joakim Andersson being recalled for the playoffs after prospect Anthony Mantha was sent to Grand Rapids. Zetterberg said it wasn't true. "It would be nice to talk to him, whoever wrote that," Zetterberg said. "I haven't really read the whole thing. I saw pieces of it. If he thinks the organization is run like that he should spend some more time here I think."

Miller wants to return: Forward Drew Miller appeared in just 28 games after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL in January. Miller, who has spent the past seven years with the Red Wings, began skating near the end of the season and said his rehab is going well. He's among the team's unrestricted free agents after making $1.35 million last

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season, when he had one goal and one assist while filling a defensive role. "I'd like to come back," Miller said. "Definitely got to get myself healthy and cleared and then go from there."

No World Championship for Abdelkader: Justin Abdelkader has represented the Red Wings in the World Championship twice, serving as the American captain in 2014, but a dislocated finger will keep him off this year's team. Abdelkader said he dislocated the finger near the end of the regular season and then aggravated it further during a Game 2 fight against Tampa Bay's Mike Blunden.

Howard wouldn't oppose trade: Jimmy Howard's future in Detroit has been up in the air since the veteran goaltender had a midseason slump that saw him go almost three months without winning a game. With Petr Mrazek becoming a restricted free agent and Howard slated to make almost $5.3 million for the next three seasons, they're speculation the Red Wings might try and trade Howard this summer. Howard knows that and wouldn't oppose a trade if it happens. "It's part of the business," Howard said. "A lot of times a lot of people go through it in this business. If that were to happen, it happens."


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Ken Holland expects news that Pavel Datsyuk won't return to Red Wings

Brendan Savage | [email protected] By Brendan Savage | [email protected]

on April 25, 2016 at 4:13 PM

DETROIT – Pavel Datsyuk said Monday he still hasn't made a decision as to whether he'll fulfill the final year of his contract with the Detroit Red Wings or continue his career in his native Russia next season.

But Red Wings general manager Ken Holland doesn't expect Datsyuk to be back in a Red Wings uniform for a 15th season next fall.

Holland has yet to talk to Datsyuk about his future but he has spoken with the 37-year-old forward's agent, Dan Milstein, and based on what he's heard from other Red Wings Holland thinks Datsyuk's days in Detroit could be over.

"His agent told me (Sunday) he's going to go to the World Championship and then he'll give me his decision at that point in time," Holland said Monday after the Red Wings cleaned out their lockers at Joe Louis Arena.

"Given my past conversations with Pav and Dan Milstein over the last year, given the article that came out by Mitch Albom, given what's going on back there, with his teammates taking pictures and doing things with him, I guess I would probably expect news that he's not coming back.

"I'm going to give him all the time he needs. I plan to go to the World Championships. I'm hoping he's coming back but I'd probably be a bit naïve to be sitting here and saying life's going to go on and Pav's going to be back, so certainly as we head into summertime I'm formulating two plans, a plan with Pav and plan without Pav."

In a Detroit Free Press story this month, Datsyuk told Albom that he wants to return home to be closer to his 13-year-old daughter, who lives in Russia with her mother.

Datsyuk said he doesn't want to rush making a decision and hasn't had time to give the matter the attention it deserves given the Red Wings season ended four days ago.

"It's so fast," Datsyuk said. "I don't want to make a fast decision. I need more time. I go to world champion, play there and of course during world champion, I'll be thinking about it more."

The World Championship begins May 6 and the title game isn't until May 22 so the Red Wings could be in for a long wait until they get Datsyuk's decision.

If Datsyuk does return to Russia, he would leave the Red Wings with a $7.5-million salary cap hit for next season.

Holland doesn't expect having a problem trading the $7.5-million hit to a team such as Arizona that needs to reach the salary cap ceiling. But the question is what would the Red Wings have to include to seal the deal?

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Any team taking on Datsyuk's cap hit would likely want something like a draft pick or prospect or both included in the deal.

"If he's not here you'd like to move the cap space but if the price is going to be lots of futures, it doesn't make any sense," Holland said. "Pav's got one year left.

"To pay prime prospects or prime draft picks to free up one year of cap space, given where this franchise is, because of 25 years of being in the playoffs and not picking very high ... we'll see."

Coach Jeff Blashill said he had no idea what Datsyuk is likely to do.

Captain Henrik Zetterberg sounded like he knew but he wasn't saying.

"I probably know," said Zetterberg, Datsyuk's teammate since 2002-03. "But I think he's the one who should" say.


27

Red Wings top pick Evgeny Svechnikov joins Griffins, talks about expectations

Peter J. Wallner | [email protected] By Peter J. Wallner | [email protected]

on April 25, 2016 at 3:43 PM, updated April 25, 2016 at 3:55 PM

GRAND RAPIDS – The likelihood of Evgeny Svechnikov playing in the postseason for the Grand Rapids Griffins is slim, but the chance to have the future of the Detroit Red Wings practicing with them is invaluable.

Svechnikov, the Red Wings first choice (19th overall) in the 2015 NHL draft, practiced for the first time with the Griffins on Monday at Van Andel Arena.

With the Griffins ahead 2-0 in their Central Division semifinal series against Milwaukee, coach Todd Nelson didn't think Svechnikov would play immediately, but he liked what he's seen so far.

"I've seen him in training camp and he's a big body that has skill," Nelson said. "He looked fine out there today along with the rest of the juniors."

As for playing possibilities?

"Right now it's not in the plans; we're going to go with pretty much the same lineup," he said of Tuesday 7 p.m. game at Van Andel Arena. "The thing about guys like him and the others is we can evaluate their talents but also have that depth that we can plug in it we need them."

Svechnikov, a left winger, is one of the "Black Aces," players from juniors and invitees we are with the Griffins for the postseason. The group includes second choice (third round) defenseman Vili Saarijarvi and fellow defenseman Joe Hicketts, from the WHL's Victoria Royals who is expected to be with the Griffins next season.

CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS

MILWAUKEE ADMIRALS VS. GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

Game 1: Griffins 3, Admirals 1

Game 2: Saturday - at Milwaukee, 8

Game 3: Tuesday - at Grand Rapids, 7

*Game 4: Wednesday – at Grand Rapids, 7

*Game 5: April 30 – at Milwaukee, 8

*if necessary... All times EDT

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound 19-year-old, who played the past two season for Cape Breton in the QMJHL, admitted he was tired from traveling overseas before arriving late Sunday to join the team, but ready to learn.

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"This is pro hockey and a lot of older guys and more experience," he said. "There are more details to learn, how they prepare and just learning a lot."

Even if he doesn't play, Svechniko thinks he can contribute with hard practices.

"I think I can bring some power and play hard and, again, it's a lot of improving for me," he said. "I going to work on getting quicker and working in the corners and a lot to account for."

This season, Svechniko had 32 goals and 79 points in 50 games for Cape Breton. A highlight was his 13 power play goals, tied for eighth in the league.

In two seasons in juniors, he had 157 points (64-93-157).

A native of Neftegorsk, Russia, Svechnikov skated in seven games for his country during the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship and helped the Russians win the silver medal.

He also played two seasons in Russia. From 2012-14, he appeared in six games (2-2-4) for Irbis Kazan Jr., 63 games (23-22-45) for Bars Kazan Jr., and three games (0-0-0) for Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL.


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Red Wings might look to Dylan Larkin to fill potential void at center

Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

on April 25, 2016 at 6:03 AM, updated April 25, 2016 at 6:07 AM

DETROIT – With Pavel Datsyuk possibly returning to Russia and Henrik Zetterberg's career winding down, the Detroit Red Wings will need a future anchor in the middle.

It could be Dylan Larkin, the 19-year-old rookie who was one of the team's few bright spots this season. Larkin played almost exclusively on the wing this season, but that's not necessarily where he'll play going forward.

"I think we see him as a center; that's what he's been," general manager Ken Holland said. "A center has more responsibility than a winger, so in order to take some of that responsibility away from him and let him use some of his assets, his speed and his ability to transport the puck, we had Zetterberg, Datsyuk and (Riley) Sheahan down the middle."

Holland isn't sure if coach Jeff Blashill will move Larkin to center at the start of training camp but said Blashill sees Larkin's future at center.

Larkin became the sixth rookie to lead the team in goals, the first since Dale McCourt in 1979-80. He tallied the most goals (23) by a Red Wings rookie since Sergei Fedorov in 1990-91 (31) and the most points (45) by a first-year Red Wing since Nicklas Lidstrom in 1991-92 (60).

The organization's highest pick since 1992, Larkin took a fast track to the NHL after being selected 15th overall in 2014.

"He was a great story for us, a great pick by our scouts," Holland said. "He brings skills, but he's very competitive and in this league you need competitive people.

"He's physical. When someone hits him he goes right back at them. He was psychical in the Tampa series. For a 19-year-old to have that kind of an impact on a team that qualified for the playoffs makes for a very impressive rookie year and certainly we're looking forward to things to come."

Holland said he didn't know how good Datsyuk and Zetterberg were going to be until after the 2004-05 work stoppage. Datsyuk was 27 and Zetterberg was 25. So it's difficult to project Larkin's ceiling.

"I really don't know if he's going to level off or keep going and keep going. This isn't an exact science," Holland said.

"He's going to be an important part of our team for a lot of years and for a lot of different reasons. He's got skill and talent, but he's a very determined athlete, which are ingredients that a lot of our other good players have had throughout the years. That's what makes them push themselves to be better all the time."

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Larkin slowed down the second half of the season, which often happens with players not accustomed to the NHL grind. He had 18 goals and 37 points in his first 51 games, through Feb. 6. He had five goals and eight points in his final 29 games.

His only point in the first-round playoff series against the Lightning was a goal in Game 2, as the whole team struggled to score against Ben Bishop.

Larkin's season will continue in Russia, where he'll represent the U.S. at the World Championship from May 6-22.

Larkin called his rookie season "intense" and a learning experience.

"It's been a pretty crazy experience, but I've learned a lot about myself and the guys in this room," Larkin said during the series.

"I think the intensity and physicality of the play, it was eye-opening after Game 1.

You still wish you could do a little bit more to help the team defensively or offensively, but I think as the series (progressed), every game I felt more comfortable and took experiences from the previous games into the next game."

Larkin played most of the season on Zetterberg's line and earned a lot from him.

"I just think it's patience with the puck," Larkin said. "He makes players around him better. I learned how he defends. He's an elite defender, a 200-foot player. He's not the fastest guy, but he out-thinks everyone on the ice and just watching him, you learn his tendencies and what he likes to do in the defensive zone. It's pretty impressive that even though he's not the fastest guy or the strongest, he definitely out-thinks everyone on the ice."

Blashill, during the series, spoke of Larkin's learning experience.

"I think it's an incredible benefit for young players to be in the locker room with Zetterberg and Datsyuk and (Niklas) Kronwall and I'd add Brad Richards to that list, and see how hard those guys work every day, how much attention to detail they have," Blashill said. "That's why they have been big-time winners for a long time.

"We don't want to develop good, skill players, we want to develop winners. Winners means you have to be complete on both sides of the puck and winners means you have to pay a price every night and winners means you have to come with an incredible effort every single day in practice and he's got unreal examples of that.

"And beyond that, Dylan's demonstrated the ability to learn little tricks of the trade from both Z and Pavel, little ways to manipulate the puck, little ways to protect the puck that those guys do as well as anybody in the league."

Chicago's Artemi Panarin is the overwhelming favorite to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Larkin has a chance to be a finalist, but the competition is tough, with Edmonton's Connor McDavid, who had 48 points in just 45 games, and Philadelphia defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who had 17 goals and 46 points in 64 games.

Jack Eichel of Buffalo, Maxi Domi and Anthony Duclair of Arizona and Colton Parayko of St. Louis were also part of a strong NHL rookie class.

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Datsyuk, Marchenko headed to World Championship

Datsyuk and defenseman Alexey Marchenko have committed to play for Russia in the World Championship, which runs May 6-22 in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.

It will Datsyuk's sixth appearance in this event and the first for Marchenko, who missed the final two playoff games with a head injury.

Larkin (USA) and Teemu Pulkkinen (Finland) also have committed to play in the tournament and more Red Wings are expected to do likewise in the coming days.


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Teammates have ‘good idea' Datsyuk will leave

By Chuck Pleiness, The Macomb Daily

Posted: 04/25/16, 6:11 PM EDT | Updated: 6 hrs ago

DETROIT >> Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall both feel they know what decision Pavel Datsyuk has made regarding his future with the Detroit Red Wings.

“We’ve talked, I have a good idea,” Zetterberg said Monday at Joe Louis Arena as players cleaned out their lockers.

“Yeah it kind of feels like he’s made up his mind but at the same time there’s a part of you that wants to keep the hope alive,” Kronwall said. “I say let’s keep hoping until we hear something.”

Datsyuk, who just wrapped up his 14th season in Detroit, said he needs more time.

“It’s a tough decision for me about my career,” Datsyuk said. “I need more thinking about this one.”

Datsyuk said he’ll have a decision after he plays for Russia at the World Championships that begins on May 6 with the title game on May 22.

“I don’t want to make a fast decision,” Datsyuk said. “I need more time. I go to (World Championships), play there and of course I’ll be thinking about it more.”

Wings general manager Ken Holland feels Datsyuk has made up his mind.

“Given my past conversations with Pav and Dan Milstein over the last year, given the article that came out by Mitch Albom, given what’s going on back there, with his teammates taking pictures and doing things with him, I guess I would probably expect news that he’s not coming back,” Holland said. “I’m going to give him all the time he needs.”

The decision to leave, which he has thought about since lockout shortened 2012 season, would be so he can spend more time with his 13-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who lives in Russia with his ex-wife, Svetlana.

“I’m hoping he’s coming back, but I’d probably be a bit naïve to be sitting here and saying life’s going to go on and Pav’s going to be back, so certainly as we head into summertime I’m formulating two plans, a plan with Pav and plan without Pav,” Holland said. “And if you don’t have Pav what do you do to clear up that cap space. That’s certainly going to be a problem or a concern we have to deal with.”

If Datsyuk, who turns 38 on July 20, does decide not to fulfill the final year of his deal the Wings won’t get any relief for his $7.5 million salary, unless they’re able to unload his contract to a team that needs to reach the salary-cap floor.

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“I don’t want to like really share factors, it’s many factors, good thing, bad thing,” Datsyuk said. “I don’t want to get involved, especially when many people, everybody have their own decision, own opinion. I just want to be more when I make a decision, I want to just more figure out it’s my decision, not hear from people what their thoughts, everything.”

Datsyuk was held without a point in the five games with Tampa Bay, but did lead the Wings with 18 shots on goal. It was just the second time in his 14 seasons that he was held without a point in the playoffs. The other time was in 2003 when Anaheim swept the Wings.

“If he’s not here you’d like to move the cap space but if the price is going to be lots of futures it doesn’t make any sense,” Holland said. “Pav’s got one year left. To pay prime prospects or prime draft picks to free up one year of cap space, given where this franchise is, because of 25 years of being in the playoffs and not picking very high, so we’ll see.”

Datsyuk, who was drafted in the sixth round (171st overall) in 1998, had 16 goals and 33 assists in 66 games during the regular season.

“It’s last day here for all the team this year for this season,” Datsyuk said. “I (haven’t talked) to Mr. Ilitch (for a) long time now. We just (got) done with playoffs. I think he just really good man, experienced, he understand that I need more time, don’t want to push or rush something.”

Datsyuk won the Selke Trophy three years in a row (2008-10) and helped the Wings win the Stanley Cup in 2002 as a rookie and in 2008.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 04.26.2016

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