Dylan Larkin is asking for a trade, and if that isn’t enough, the Detroit Red Wings are also rocking a new interim general manager. Alex DeBrincat and Simon Edvinsson are caught up in contract talks, and the squad doesn’t even have a captain. Talk about a messy preseason in Hockeytown right now.
Chaos on the Ice, Chaos Off It
The Red Wings’ preseason is a straight-up circus, and it just keeps getting wilder. Coach Todd McLellan is trying to keep his guys focused, but how do you do that when your star player wants out, you’re missing a permanent GM, and two key players are still haggling over contracts? McLellan put it best, saying, “By this time next week, we’re almost done , three exhibition games and only have one left. You don’t have time to wade.” They’re trying to pack in their exhibition schedule, playing at Columbus on Monday, then at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, home against Buffalo on Thursday, and wrapping up at LCA on Saturday against the Blue Jackets. It’s a brutal pace.
Player J.T. Compher knows the score. He flat out said, “It’s part of the business. Unfortunately, when you don’t reach the goals that you set out for as a team, that’s what tends to happen. Teams maybe get broken up, players get moved, coaches, all the way to the top.” That’s a cold truth. This team is trying to use the sheer busy-ness of preseason to block out all the noise, but you have to wonder if it’s even possible. With the regular season starting two weeks from today, there’s no time to sort out this drama.
The Goalie Gambit and a Young Gun’s Challenge
Beyond the front office and locker room drama, there’s a serious goaltending plan taking shape. McLellan hinted they might have pushed John Gibson too hard last season, so they’re looking to Daniil Tarasov to step up big time. Tarasov, their new netminder, apparently hit Detroit super early, got his family settled, and truly embedded himself in the community. McLellan praised him, saying he’s “very receptive to coaching, which is a nice thing.” Tarasov has had some “really good years and then maybe other years that he’d like to have portions of them back,” but the coach is clear: “We are going to need both of them up and running” for crunch time. It sounds like a big gamble on the new guy, especially after Gibson got worn out.
Meanwhile, young Nate Danielson is getting a direct message from the coaching staff: they need him to take more chances and not be “too responsible.” It’s a tough ask for any player, let alone one trying to make his mark amidst all this chaos.
This Red Wings squad has its work cut out for them, especially with the 84-game regular season hitting in just two weeks. They play at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, then are home on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Can they find some rhythm and shut out the noise before the real games even begin? We’ll be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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