Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman spoke to the media Tuesday, following his signing of extensions for Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren, and ahead of Detroit Red Wings training camp in Traverse City.
Here are five big takeaways from his interview, ranging from Lucas Raymond’s ceiling, the future of Traverse City prospect games and the roster spots available for many young forwards.
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Lucas Raymond Might Continue to Grow
Yzerman’s patient negotiations caused a lot of anxiety among Red Wings fans, but there should be none about the future of Raymond’s contract. His eight-year, $8.075 million AAV contract is incredibly affordable compared to his peers. And if he continues to develop, it could be even more valuable.
“I think he’s just entering the early stages of his prime,” Yzerman said. “I fully expect him to become a better hockey player for a couple of reasons. I think he’s extremely driven, (an) extremely bright player and his motivation and whatnot. He’ll just continue to get better over the next few years.”
Raymond led Detroit in scoring last season with 72 points, including 18 scored in the final 20 games of the season. The hope is that by consistently tapping into that high level of play that he showed late in the season, he can continue to defy expectations as a scorer.
“You can never guarantee how production goes, but I expect him to be one of our top players again,” Yzerman said. “I expect his game to continue to grow this year. But yeah, last year, obviously it helped this case a lot. When you’re talking numbers, he had I think 13 goals in the last 20 games. He really helped his cause, and we were thrilled to see him play that well.”
Yzerman also shared an update on negotiations with Moritz Seider, saying “I don’t think we’re terribly far apart.”
Traverse City Future is “Up in the Air”
At one time, as many as eight teams played in the Red Wings-hosted NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City. But if you watched it over the weekend, you probably noticed that there are only two now — Detroit and the Dallas Stars. The future of the tournament — if you can still call it that — is uncertain.
“The tournament obviously appears to have run its course,” Yzerman said. “A lot of that, over the last three or four years, we’ve gone from eight (teams) down to two for different reasons. Teams wanted to do different things. Some didn’t want to play four games. Some wanted to save the expense and not have to travel to Traverse City. They’re able to do different things.”
What does the path forward look like? Yzerman said there might be interest in a third game, and he and Nill talked about adding a third team to the mix. He also said that a future game in Dallas might be on the radar, too. All this is to say, there are a lot of ideas for how to approach the future of a dying tournament, but the exact steps aren’t defined. As far as a timeline goes, Yzerman said he will reevaluate the situation after training camp.
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Why Jonatan Berggren Signed for 1 Year
Hours before announcing the Lucas Raymond extension, Detroit took care of one of its three unsigned RFAs by inking Jonatan Berggren to a one-year, $825,000 contract. After spending last season in the AHL following his rookie NHL campaign in 2022-23, Berggren’s contract reflects his uncertain status. It’s a prove-it deal, as much for the player as for the team.
“We talked about one or two years,” Yzerman said. “Ultimately, with one player remaining unsigned, knowing what the salary cap is, we probably weren’t in a position at this time to do a two year deal. So, both parties are comfortable with a one year deal. And if Jonatan goes out and has a solid season, he’s in a very good spot to renegotiate after one year.”
So, it figures that Berggren signed for one year not just because it was his only option, but because it gives him the opportunity to earn more money later on. If he were to sign a two-year deal, he could easily outperform such a cheap salary if he thrived this season. Instead, he gets to go to the negotiating table next offseason with more data to support his contract demands.
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“It’s Up to Him”: Albert Johansson Will be on Roster, But Playing Time not Guaranteed
Because he is no longer waiver-exempt, Albert Johansson will be at the NHL level this season. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to play NHL games. He has to earn those.
“This year, he’ll be on our team, and it’s up to him to kind of push and earn a spot in the lineup,” Yzerman said. “It’s going to be a challenge. We currently have 7 D under contract, and hoping to have eight (with the signing of Moritz Seider) obviously, very soon. If everybody’s healthy, there’s some real competition for a job. But I think his skating ability, his competitiveness, really are his strengths, and if he just does the same thing he did at the American League level.”
At the AHL level, Johansson was one of Grand Rapids’ most dependable two-way defenseman. While the star power of Simon Edvinsson took up a lot of air, Johansson anchored a second pairing that helped the Griffins win a lot of games. Teammates described Johansson as “hiding out down here,”
Now, there’s no hiding at the NHL level. Just how much Johansson can contribute will be more apparent in training camp, but what isn’t in question is the uphill climb he’ll have to get in the lineup.
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Injury Update: Becher Out, Buium Day-to-Day, Husso Healthy
Yzerman shared an injury update heading into training camp, and for the most part, the group is healthy.
Forward Ondrej Becher, Detroit’s third round pick in the 2024 draft, is out with a sprained ankle he sustained during his summer training. This injury kept Becher out of the prospect games against Dallas over the weekend.
Defenseman Shai Buium is day-to-day with an unspecified injury he suffered late in Sunday’s prospect game. In that game, he blocked a shot that appeared to go off his ankle, causing him to limp off the ice in evident pain. Yzerman said there is more testing to do to confirm his status.
Finally, Yzerman maintained that goaltender Ville Husso is healthy. The goaltender missed most of last season with multiple lower body injuries. Yzerman was intentional to point out that Husso hasn’t played in a real game for some time — Feb. 13, to be exact. But simply being healthy is a big step forward for Husso as he enters this season looking to reassert himself in the goalie room.
Also from THN Detroit
Yzerman on Seider Negotiations: “We Continue to Talk”
How Lucas Raymond’s Contract Compares to Other Young NHL Stars
Red Wings, Raymond Agree to Max-Term Extension
Breaking Down the Red Wings’ Organizational Goalie Depth ahead of Training Camp
Berggren, Red Wings Agree to 1-year Deal
Report: Larkin AAV May Provide “Internal Cap” on Raymond, Seider Contracts
6 More Takeaways from Day 2 of Red Wings Prospect Games
6 Takeaways from Day 1 of the Red Wings’ Prospect Games
