Goalie Marc Andre Fleury, 38, says he will determine his future based on how well his season goes with the Minnesota Wild.

“I just told myself that I would give myself this season, see how it goes, see how I feel physically, mentally, if I can still stop the puck, and just make a decision at the end,” Fleury said Thursday. “I don’t want to think about it too much, like, every game. It’s going good, I’ll play again, it’s going bad, I don’t want to play anymore,’ you know what I mean? There will be ups and downs this season. I just want to get through it and make a decision at the end.”

Here’s the Spotsnet story on Fleury’s retirement discussion. Fleury was 24-16-4 last season with a .908 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average.

The Wild re-signed Filip Gustavsson to a three-year extension ($3.75 million AAV). That gives rise to the possibility that Fleury will play less this season.

Red Wings’ Next Game

The Red Wings play their first preseason game Tuesday at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ben Chiarot is currently away from the team for personal reasons and Carter Mazur is out with a lower body injury

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• How Simon Edvinsson looks at Red Wings training camp.
• Former Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios slammed Mike Babcock on a podcast.
• Detroit prospect Theodor Niederbach loses his spot to a former Grand Rapids Griffin player.

Hockey Now Network

Chicago:  Blackhawks not overly concerned about Taylor Hall’s injury. The projection is he will play with Connor Bedard. Chicago Blackhawks 

Colorado: Valeri Nichushkin spokes for the first time since the incident in Seattle. He didn’t have much to say. Video included. Colorado Avalanche.

Florida: Even after last season’s extended playoff run, coach Paul Maurice is still planning a demanding training camp for the Florida Panthers. 

Nashville: Which Predators D men are on the bubble in this training camp. Nashville Predators. 

Philadelphia: Flyers’ first-round pick Matvei Michkov scored his first two goals for HC Sochi Thursday. Philadelphia Flyers.

Pittsburgh: Dave Molinari reports that Jake Guentzel is already skating. He is recovering from ankle surgery was expected to miss the first couple of weeks of the season. It’s unknown whether the timetable for his return has changed. Pittsburgh Penguins,

San Jose: Logan Couture is out week-to-week with a lower body injury. He doesn’t know whether he will be ready for the start of the season. San Jose Sharks.

Washington: Max Pacioretty has no concrete timetable for his return to the ice. He’s recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Washington Capitals. 

Fxxxx

The post The Daily: Couture Injury Week-to-Week; Fleury Mulls Retirement appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is a sure Hall of Famer and one of the NHL’s most popular players. That’s why the hockey world has taken note of Fleury’s two crummy starts.

Fleury, 37, has yielded 11 goals in 79 minutes of play this season. He has a cruel 8.37 goals-against average to go with an ugly .776 save percentage. He will take that into Thursday’s home game against the struggling Vancouver Canucks.

Wild fans booed him in his last outing. After the game, Fleury said he didn’t blame the fans. He said he would boo himself, too. Fleury said he needed to be better.

With his experience, Fleury knows that some fans and media will wonder if two poor games is a sign that age is catching up to him. Vegas Hockey Now writer Owen Krepps wrote a piece suggesting that the narrative is changing about whether the Vegas Golden Knights made the right decision in parting ways with Fleury.

The Wild have started 0-3, but there’s no indication they view the Fleury situation as anything more than a bad stretch. But the Thursday game against Vancouver seems like a big game.

In Case You Missed It

The Grand Rapids Griffins are only two games into their season, but plenty is much is going on for the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate. Jonatan Berggren got hurt, Donovan Sebrango isn’t playing and offseason acquisition Austin Czarnik is off to a hot start.

Bob Duff wrote about how Nicklas Lidstrom is doing what he can to help fellow Swede Borje Salming’s fight against ALS.

Jakub Vrana is away from the Red Wings for what the team calls “personal reasons.” No timetable for his return.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Joe Haggerty of BHN wrote that Jake DeBrusk’s strong start shows he’s happy and secure with the Bruins. Boston Bruins. 

New York: Stefen Rosner’s story for New York Islanders Hockey Now spells out how the Islanders are tapping into defenseman Alexander Romanov’s hidden talent. New York Islanders. 

Philadelphia: Sam Carchidi offers five observations about how the Flyers took down the Tampa Bay Lightning. Philadelphia Flyers. 

San Jose: Nico Sturm speaks from the heart after the Sharks start the season 0-5 for the first time in franchise history. San Jose Sharks. 

Washington: Dylan Strome explained why wearing the Capitals special “W” jersey has extra meaning for him. Washington Capitals.

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The post The Daily: Fleury Struggles, Sharks’ Ugly Start, Surprising Flyers appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Colorado Avalanche. Edmonton Oilers. Washington Capitals. Even the Toronto Maple Leafs. Many contenders were connected to Marc-Andre Fleury trade rumors. But in the end, it was the Minnesota Wild stepping in and acquiring goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks for a second-round pick that has potential to become a first-round pick.

The second becomes a first round pick if the Wild advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin knows Fleury from their days playing together in Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury has a no-trade clause but is waiving it to join the Wild.

Minnesota has had a strong season, but the team’s goaltending has been too soft in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins gave Jake DeBrusk a two-year, $8 million contract extension to make it easier to trade him. He has not withdrawn his request to be traded.  At 25, DeBrusk is still young enough to be of interest to a rebuilding team like the Red Wings. However, there has been no indication that the Red Wings have been interest.

#mnwild have traded for Marc-Andre Fleury. It’s going to be a conditional pick. Waiting on specifics.

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) March 21, 2022

In Case You Missed It

The Red Wings have already traded Troy Stecher and could end up moving Nick Leddy and Vladislav Namestnikov before the 3 p.m. deadline today.

Pittsburgh: Are the Penguins interested in Nick Leddy?

Around the NHL

Florida: With defenseman Aaron Ekblad on the long-term injured reserve, general manager Bill Zito may have more work to do.

Philadelphia: The Flyers deny there was a riff between the team and Claude Giroux before the trade to Florida was completed.

Pittsburgh:  Penguins trade for injured D Man Nate Beaulieu

Washington: Marcus Johansson coming back to play for the Capitals. Sprong going to the Kraken.

San Jose: A old fashioned hockey trade with  hard-nosed defenseman Jacob Middleton going to the Minnesota Wild for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. The Sharks had been looking for a younger goalie for their system

The post The Daily: Fleury Dealt to Wild, Bruins Re-sign DeBrusk to Trade Him appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Top NHL contenders are looking for players to help them down the stretch and Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has his eyes out for defensemen who can help him next season and beyond.

Sources say Yzerman has talked to rival general managers about veteran defensemen with term left on their contracts. Detroit Hockey Now reported Yzerman talked to the Arizona Coyotes about Jakob Chychrun. But the asking price was too high.

It makes sense for Yzerman to explore the long-term defense options because it is likely Nick Leddy, Danny Dekeyser and Troy Stecher won’t be back next season. And Marc Staal may not be back. Even if the Red Wings expect Simon Edvinsson to make the NHL next season, they will need two or three new defensemen. The Red Wings have quality prospects, but they presumably need more time to develop.

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The revamp of the defense may have started Sunday when the Red Wings claimed Olli Joulevi. The Red Wings can watch him for the rest of the season to see if he fits into their rebuild.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry, son of former Detroit Tigers player and current broadcaster Dan Petry, is available. But he is 34. Therefore, he probably isn’t on Detroit’s wish list.  Vancouver’s Tyler Myers is another defenseman that could be dealt. But he is 32. Yzerman is likely looking for an experienced defenseman in his prime.

The Red Wings will want to be significantly improved next season on the blue. It’s possible he could start maneuvering before the March 21 trade deadline, although it is more likely he will make his moves this summer. The Red Wings could also look at the free agent market, at someone like Hampus Lindholm, 27, if new GM Pat Verbeek doesn’t get him signed in Anaheim.

In Case You Missed It

• Check out the video of Detroit prospect Pasquale Zito taking care of Logan Mailloux
• Lucas Raymond gives Swedish fans a tour of Detroit
• New Detroit Hockey Now writer Nate Brown talks about growing up a Detroit Red Wings fan

Hot/Not List

Who’s hot: Robby Fabbri is on a pace for his best NHL season. With 16 goals, he’s two short of his career high.

Who’s not: Michael Rasmussen has 21 minus games this season, including 11 when he was -2 or worse.

Fact check: The Red Wings sit 27th in team save percentage at .901. The teams below them are Arizona, Chicago, Montreal, New Jersey and Seattle.

Trade Talk

Chicago: Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons reports one source told him Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has told his team he won’t waive his no-movement clause before the March 21 Trade Deadline. Simmons also reported that another source told him Fleury will be dealt: Bottom line: Situation is confusing.

Philadelphia: Sam Carchidi of Hockey Now reports that the Florida Panthers’ interest in Claude Giroux is growing.

21. Marc-Andre Fleury

• 509 Wins
• 3x Stanley Cup Champion
• 1x Vezina Trophy
• 1x Jennings Trophy
• 1x All-NHL Second Team
• 1x NHL Shutouts Leader
• 1x Olympic Champion
• 3rd Winningest Goalie of All-Time pic.twitter.com/2nyqdAJLbY

— TOP 50 NHL GOALIES (Posting 3/day) (@NHLBESTGOALIES) March 7, 2022

Around the NHL

Boston: Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty lays out the reasons for optimism about the Boston Bruins.

Toronto: Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun has a source telling him that Chicago Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has told the Blackhawks he won’t waive his no-movement clause before the NHL Trade Deadline.

New York: Coach Barry Trotz said don’t be impatient with young New York Islanders player Oliver Wahlstrom.

New York: Hall of Fame writer Larry Brooks used his New York Post column to criticize Alex Ovechkin’s support of Russian leader Vladimir Putin . Brooks also took aim at those who are giving Ovechkin a free pass.

Pittsburgh: A look at Kasperi Kapanen’s struggles on the ice.

Vancouver: Sizing up the Vancouver Canucks playoff chances.

The post Red Wings Wrap: GM Yzerman Shopping for Next Season’s Defense? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The clock is ticking on the Detroit Red Wings’ long-shot playoff hopes. They need to start winning the vast majority of their games, starting with tonight’s home game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Red Wings have lost three of their last four games against top-echelon teams. They gave up 22 goals in those three setbacks against Minnesota, Colorado and Toronto. The Red Wings gave up five goals to the Hurricanes when they lost to them in Raleigh on Dec. 16.

Detroit’s defensive deficiencies came more into focus after last Saturday’s 10-7 loss to Toronto.

“I think every coach wants their team to be defensively responsible because they know that’s how you win over a long period of time,” Coach Jeff Blashill said. “It was more surprising to me that we didn’t have the same kind of compete that we’ve had most of the season. I was probably frustrated at that point on the bench.”

Red Wings Will Tested in Florida

This is a make-or-break time for the Detroit Red Wings because they must travel to Florida this week to play the Lightning and Panthers, two more contenders.

“In order to win long term, just like every single other team in the league, you have to make it hard on the other team to create scoring chances,” Blashill said. “So that’s what we’re gonna continue to focus on.”

The Bruins won again Monday night to give them a 16-point lead over Detroit for the final playoff spot. Boston Globe writer Kevin Dupont pointed out on Twitter that if the Bruins could play .500 hockey the rest of the way, the Red Wings would have to have to post a points percentage of .776 to pass them.

But Boston is no longer the team that Detroit is chasing. The Bruins have moved past Washington into the first Eastern Conference Wild Card. It’s the Capitals that the Wings must catch now.

What else is happening with the Red Wings:

• What teams should consider dealing for Detroit Red Wings defenseman Marc Staal
• Jonatan Berggren leads the Grand Rapids Griffins with 14 goals. He still has work to do before he gets to Detroit.
• Red Wings were first NHL team to sign a black player in 1955

Bruins now 32-17-4 — can play .500 rest of way and finish with 97 points.

Those in pursuit face near-impossible task to reach 97 points
:
Columbus — .724 rest of way
Detroit — .776 rest of way
Isles — .742 rest of way.

— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) March 1, 2022

Trade talk

New York: New York Post writer Larry Brooks says the Rangers should go after Buffalo Sabres defenseman Colin Miller in the NHL trade market. Meanwhile, long-time Toronto Sun writer Steve Simmons is lobbying that the Toronto Maple Leafs must get Marc-Andre Fleury. Since early December, Toronto starting goaltender Jack Campbell has a save percentage of .892.

Around the NHL

Boston: Are the Bruins really going to trade Jake DeBrusk? The winger is on fire and netted the hat trick in the Boston Bruins win over LA.

Philadelphia  Morgan Frost’s game fell apart, and the Philadelphia Flyers demoted him.

Vegas: The Golden Knights are going sideways lately. They’re not getting enough production from several spots in their lineup (sound familiar?). Vegas needs more from William Karlsson.

Washington: Toronto beat Washington, which has just four wins in its last 10 games. The Pittsburgh Penguins rival has lost three of four. However, look at this “no goal.” Did the refs job the Washington Capitals?

The post The Daily Wrap: Red Wings face Carolina, Fleury talk in Toronto, Rangers need D Man appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

With a month to go before the NHL trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to get some shopping done early. They picked up forward Ryan Dzingel and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Arizona Coyotes

The Coyotes receive forward Nick Ritchie and a conditional pick. It will either be a second-round pick in 2025 or a third-round pick in 2023. Ryan Dzingel has four goals in 26 games this season, while Lyubushkin is a right-shot D Man who is playing 18 to 20 minutes per game for the Coyotes. He has nine points in 26 games.

The Washington Capitals inquired about Artturi Lehkonen. Washington Hockey Now has all of the reporting and speculation about a potential trade. The Canadiens want Washington goalie Ilya Samsonov.

The  NHL trade deadline is March 21. Joe Pavelski,  Claude Girioux, Tomas Hertl, John Klingberg, Mark Giordano, Ben Chiarot and Jakob Chychrun are among players who could move.  Detroit Red Wings players who might move include Nick Leddy, Vladislav Namestnikov, Troy Stecher, Marc Staal and Thomas Greiss.

TRADE: We’ve acquired forward Ryan Dzingel & defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin from Arizona in exchange for forward Nick Ritchie & choice of our third-round selection in ’23 or second-round selection in ’25. #LeafsForever

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 20, 2022

Rumor of the Day

Veteran Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons says don’t be surprised to see Marc-Andre Fleury end up playing for the Boston Bruins this season.

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Around the NHL

Detroit: Gemel Smith’s time with the Detroit Red Wings was short. He was claimed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Also, Jakub Vrana could be back in Detroit’s lineup near the end of month.

Boston: Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty says the Boston Bruins need some prickly players

Philadelphia: Hockey Now’s Sam Carchidi says the Philadelphia Flyers should go after Johnny Gaudreau if he becomes a UFA this summer.  Also, Broadcaster Lou Nolan will be honored by the Flyers.

Pittsburgh: Why the Pittsburgh Penguins need Bryan Rust and why they can’t afford him.

Vegas: Frustrating setting in for the Vegas Golden Knights these days.

Vancouver: The Vancouver Canucks lost two defenseman to injury Saturday in a loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

The post The Daily: Leafs Make a Deal, Caps Eye Habs D Man, Fleury to Boston? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Ron Duguay was featured in the newspaper’s social pages as often as the sports section when he played in the NHL. At various times, he dated Patti Lupone, Cheryl Tiegs and Bianca Jagger among others. He married super model Kim Alexis.

Now retired, the former New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings player is still finding the gossip pages. The New York Post, and other publications, reported the single Ron Duguay is dating former vice president candidate Sarah Palin.

He accompanied Palin to court for her lawsuit against the New York Times. Photographers also found them together at a restaurant.

Duguay played three seasons for the Red Wings from 1983-86. He played eight seasons for the Rangers over two different tours. He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings.

JUST IN: Ex-NHL star Ron Duguay confirms he's dating Sarah Palin https://t.co/EMAqMcFQEB pic.twitter.com/wCkm4zgwfN

— New York Post (@nypost) February 12, 2022

Around the NHL

The Detroit Red Wings excited that they still have an outside playoff shot  in the Eastern Conference.  Also, prospect defenseman William Wallinder is making progress playing in Swedish League

Boston: Does Tuukka Rask belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Should his No. 40 be retired? Former Boston Bruins head coach and defenseman Mike Milbury has an opinion. Also,the Boston Bruins bounced back from a bad loss with a resounding 2-0 win over the Ottawa Senators Saturday. Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves.

Colorado: The Colorado Avalanche hummed along when forward Nathan MacKinnon was hurt. But he is returning from the broken nose he suffered two weeks ago.

Montreal: The Canadiens  acquired Andrew ‘The Hamburgler’ Hammond. He gained that nickname playing with the Ottawa Senators.

Ottawa:  Senators forward Austin Watson was suspended two games for his headshot against Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan Saturday.

Pittsburgh: The Pittsburgh Penguins have had considerable bad injury luck this season. Their assistant coach Tood Reirden will undergo knee surgery for a snow shoveling injury.

San Jose: So will San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl be available on the NHL trade market or not?

Vancouver: The Vancouver Canucks and goalie Thatcher Demko were impressive in a 3-2 win over Toronto on Saturday.

Vegas: The Vegas Golden Knights must clean up their salary cap mess before activating Jack Eichel.

The post The Daily: Ron Duguay and Palin, Fleury Trade Talk, What’s Up with Toffoli appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The NHL and NHLPA announced Wednesday that NHL players will not go to Beijing and participate in the Winter Olympics. This will be the second straight Winter Games in which NHLers have not been able to play for their country on what many consider the grandest stage.

“Our focus and goal have been and must remain to responsibly and safely complete the entirety of the NHL regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs in a timely manner,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a press release Wednesday. “Therefore, with stringent health protocols once again in place, we will begin utilizing available dates during the Feb. 6-22 window (originally contemplated to accommodate Olympic participation) to reschedule games that have been, or may yet be, postponed.”

National Hockey Now has confirmed that this decision was not only a difficult one for all involved but that it has also caused some internal strife within the NHLPA.

“There’s definitely some major division within the PA ranks right now,” an NHL player agent told NHN. “Some feel that with how hard the union fought to play in these Olympics that others capitulated like they always seem to do with the league. I think we all get the gravity of COVID and health concerns but are the players going if we had lightened protocol?”

The post OTR: NHLers Not Going To Olympics But Plenty Of Pushback | DHN + appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

When Marc-Andre Fleury clears the puck away from his crease, he always gets good wood on it. Literally.

The veteran Chicago Blackhawks player is one of only three NHL goalies still using a wooden stick. Five years ago, half of the NHL goalies were using the wood stick with foam injected in the blade. They are called “foam core” sticks. Today, the NHL is down to Fleury, Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Brian Elliot and Buffalo Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski. The remainder of the goalies have switched to modern composite.

Scott Woodley wrote a well-researched story for NHL.com detailing why the three guys are holding out. Tokarski is still using an older wooden stick from Warrior. When Warrior announced it was shutting down the Finnish factory where the wooden sticks are made,  some goalies bought 200 of them. “I don’t think I’d ever switch,” Elliot said. ”

Meanwhile, COVID dominates the other news around the NHL as teams try to figure out how to keep the virus out of their dressing rooms. But there was major news in Winnipeg as Paul Maurice stepped down as head coach. That means that five NHL teams (Vancouver, Chicago, Philadelphia, Florida and Winnipeg) have a coach who didn’t start the season with them.

Stay tuned because we may not be done with coaching changes. And make sure you check out Moritz Seider’s puck juggling below.

New record? #LGRW pic.twitter.com/GQUo0Pd3zg

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 11, 2021

Around the NHL

Detroit:  With Paul Maurice stepping down in Winnipeg, Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill is now second in seniority among active NHL coaches with their current teams.  It’s an amazing feat, considering that Blashill has only made the playoffs once in six seasons behind the bench.

Florida: COVID has overrun the Panthers. George Richards provides details of the Panthers’ shutdown.

Montreal: Habs’ game with the Boston Bruins has been cancelled.

Pittsburgh: Hockey Now Editor-in-chief Dan Kingerski offers a report card for the Penguins’ triumph against the Sabres.

San Jose: Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng provides the lowdown on why Bob Boughner changed up the Sharks’ defense pairings.

Toronto: If the Canucks can defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday, then the Canucks will be at .500 for the first time since October. 

Winnipeg: The Jets start the post-Paul Maurice era with a loss to the Washington Capitals.

The post The Daily: Mark-Andre Fleury Among Three Wooden Goalie Sticks Holdouts appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Marc-Andre Fleury talking retirement? Tom Wilson has a Pittsburgh business opportunity? Nikita Gusev looking at the Maple Leafs? Red Wings have so-so history when it comes to acquiring goalies.

Plenty of hockey talk on a college football Saturday. The Hockey Now network has sorted out the headlines for you:

Rumor of the Day

Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy reports that Jack Eichel trade rumors have picked up since he hired Pat Brisson as his agent.

Around the NHL

Pittsburgh: The Penguins have an aptly named new helmet sponsor. More importantly, Sidney Crosby talked to TSN about his wrist surgery. He confirmed that he won’t miss much time and surgery was the last resort. 

Washington: Russian Machine Never Breaks reports that  a box club, partially owned by Washington tough guy Tom Wilson,  is opening its first franchise in Pittsburgh.

Chicago: Marc-Andre Fleury talked retirement to Sportsnet, admitting he could retire after the 2021-22 season. He laughed when he said it, but Fleury knows the end is near.

Toronto:  The Toronto Maple Leafs, according to the Toronto Sun, invited Nikita Gusev into camp for a tryout. 

NHL:  Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said  at the National Media Days that he expected the salary cap to rise by $1 million next season.

Detroit: The Red Wings reviews the three times in Detroit Red Wings history worked…and three times that did NOT. 

Colorado:  Takeaways from the Avalanche rookie camp tournament.

Vancouver: The Vancouver Canucks rookie camp brought some battle drills and highlights. The story

The post Kevin’s Morning Hash: Fleury Talks Retirement and Tom Wilson Owns a Boxing Club appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.