When the Detroit Red Wings drafted Albin Grewe in the third round in 2019, he drew comparisons to Brad Marchand. As it turned out, Grewe does Marcnn’t have Marchand’s offensive ability, but has shown Marchand’s knack for earning.

In 2022, Marchand became the most suspended NHL player when he picked up his eighth suspension. Grewe, now with Djurgardens IF earned a different distinction this season in the Allsvenskan, the second division of Swedish hockey, when he was suspended for the fourth time. The latest five-game suspension resulted from what the website Expressen called a “tackle” against Vasteras player Isac Skedung.

This suspension created more headlines because both Grewe and his team protested the suspension as unreasonable.

The post Former Red Wings Prospect Can’t Stay Out of Trouble (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

There were a numbers of factors conspiring to cause the Detroit Red Wings to miss the NHL playoffs last season. Goaltending was certainly among them.

When Ville Husso’s game was fading down the stretch, there was no Plan B available to stop the bleeding. Neither Alex Nedeljkovic or Magnus Hellberg were proving to be capable NHL backups.

Victor Brattström lånas ut till IF Björklöven till deras matcher på söndag och tisdag. Victor återansluter efter det till HV71 igen. #HV71 pic.twitter.com/g2cRaGx2JK

— HV71 (@HV71) November 4, 2023

Certainly, there was no help coming from down on the farm. Jusse Olkinuora didn’t finish out the season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. When he did play, Victor Brattstrom usually was playing poorly.

Not offered a new contract by Detroit at season’s end, Brattstrom was opting to return to his native season. However, things aren’t going better for him therte. Recently, he was sent on loan by HV71 of the SHL to Bjorkloven of the Allsvenskan, the Swedish Second Division.

Meanwhile, in Detroit, newcomers James Reimer and Alex Lyon are experienced understudies to Husso this season. And Grand Rapids is getting splendid puckstopping from both veteran Michael Hutchinson and top prospect Sebastian Cossa. Cossa owns a .923 save percentage and 2.50 GAA in four games. Hutchinson is sitting with a 2.52 GAA and .919 save percentage.

Grand Rapids coach Dan Watson believes that access to mentoring from a longtime pro like Hutchinson is an ideal scenario to amp up Cossa’s learning curve.

“Michael’s been around, he’s played for a lot of teams, a lot of different coaches,” Watson said. “He can share those experiences, he can share what it’s like for some of these bus rides after a game.

“I think partnering him up with a veteran like that is gonna help him even more. I’m excited to see him continue to grow here.”

Red Wings Prospects Giving College Try

Two of the top four teams in the NCAA hockey top-10 rankings include Red Wings prospects in their lineups.

The Denver Pioneers are currently ranked second overall. Defenseman Shai Buium (36th overall, 2021) has accounted for 2-2-4 totals through eight games and is plus-7. Buium was part of Denver’s 2021-22 NCAA championship club that also including current Griffins players Carter Mazur and Antti Tuomisto.

We the Buium-to-Buium Connection. pic.twitter.com/WNOdnmQdWk

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) November 4, 2023

Meanwhile, the North Dakota Fighting Hawks are fourth in the rankings. Left winger Dylan James (40th overall, 2022) shows three assists on his ledger from eight games. He drew a helper on Saturday as North Dakota beat the Boston Terriers 5-4 in overtime. Ir was North Dakota’s first win over BU since March 16, 1990.

The post Red Wings Prospect Report: Brattstrom Demotion Reminder of Goaltending Woes Past appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Sebastian Cossa’s path to a spot with the Grand Rapids Griffins just got a little bit clearer. HV71 of the SHL, Sweden’s top division, was announcing on the club’s website that they are signing goaltender Victor Brattstrom. Brattstrom spent the last two seasons with the AHL Griffins.

“It will be really fun to play for such a long-standing association like HV71,” Brattstrom said on the HV71 web page. “The club has a lot of history and I am proud and extremely grateful for this opportunity. I look forward to a fun season with much success for the team.”

Välkommen till HV71, Victor Brattström!

Läs mer om nyheten på https://t.co/WnpHoP2trz #HV71 pic.twitter.com/7KfVv8ZI55

— HV71 (@HV71) June 13, 2023

One of eight goaltenders utilized last season by the Griffins, only Alex Nedeljkovic (26) would appear in more games for Grand Rapids than the 18 played by Brattstrom. However, Brattstrom’s numbers were not good. He was 4-8-3 with a 3.71 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage.

With Brattstrom and Jussi Olkinuora (15 games) both departing from the Griffins, and the increasing likelihood that impending UFC Nedeljkovic will not be signing a new contract the the club, it would seem that Cossa, Detroit’s 15th overall selection in the 2021, is likely to be one of the two goalies in Grand Rapids next season.

Cossa played three games last season with Grand Rapids, going 1-1 with a 5.57 GAA and .783 save percentage. He put up outstanding numbers with the ECHL Toledo Walleye. Cossa was 26-16-4 with four shutouts, a .913 save percentage and 2.56 GAA. On Wednesday, Toledo coach Dan Watson was earning promotion to be the new coach of the Griffins.

Brattstrom Spent Two Seasons With Griffins

Detroit’s 160th overall selection in the 2018 NHL entry draft, Brattstrom, 26, would spend two seasons with the AHL Griffins. In 32 games, the Swedish puckstopper was 11-16-3 with an .894 GAA and 3.32 GAA.

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Expectations are that Brattstrom will be backing up Joni Ortio with HV71.

“In Victor, we get an extremely talented goalkeeper who has a strong drive and is very well trained,” HV71 sports manager Kent Norberg said. “He will be a perfect complement to Joni Ortio.”

The post Griffins Brattstrom Leaving Red Wings Organization, Returning to Sweden appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

By the end of the current hockey season, Detroit Red Wings goalie prospects Sebastian Cossa and Victor Brattstrom figure to know every inch of highway between Grand Rapids and Toledo like the back of their hand.

With three goalies under contract in AHL Grand Rapids, the Red Wings are planning to rotate Cossa and Brattstrom between the Griffins and the ECHL Toledo Walleye, to ensure that both goalies get plenty of work and are staying sharp.

UPDATE: The Red Wings on Wednesday reassigned goaltender Victor Brattstrom to the Griffins from the @ToledoWalleye In addition, Detroit reassigned netminder Sebastian Cossa to the Walleye. #GoGRG

Details > https://t.co/3EKQkY0nrC pic.twitter.com/k5rlfHVOsT

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) November 2, 2022

Cossa began the season in Grand Rapids. He was sent down to Toledo after posting a win in his AHL and pro debut. However, an injury to Brattstrom during the third weekend of October was resulting in Cossa’s recall to Grand Rapids.

Upon regaining his health, second-year North American pro Brattstrom was sent to get in some conditioning work with the Walleye. On Wednesday, the musical goalies were at it agaiin. Cossa was heading to Toledo, while Brattstrom was returning to the Griffins. Jussi Olkinuora has been an ever-present in GR through all the shuffling, appearing in four games. He’s 2-2 with a 3.66 GAA and .800 save percentage.

Cossa is 1-1 with a 3.50 GAA and .851 sae percentage for the Griffins. He’s 2-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .904 save percentage for the Walleye. Brattstrom is 1-0 with a 4.32 GAA and .891 save percentage in two games for Grand Rapids.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Red Wings prospect Carter Mazur of the Denver Pioneers is leading the nation in goal scoring
• Detroit is getting center Michael Rasmussen back from NHL suspension for Thursday’s home game against the Washington Capitals
• Nicklas Lidstrom and Scotty Bowman sharing memories of the 1997 and 1998 Stanley Cup champion Red Wings
• The stats aren’t adding up for the Red Wings through the first 10 games of the NHL season

Hockey Now Network

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crsoby and the Penguins have lost six games in a row. Pittsburgh Penguins

Boston: the Bruins are recalling Keith Kincaid following an injury to goalie Jeremy Swayman. Boston Bruins

Philadelphia: Flyers forward Lukas Sedlak believes his time in the KHL is making him a better NHLer. Philadelphia Flyers

Montreal: The Canadiens appear to have found some chemisty with a forward line consisting of Kriby Dach, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Montreal Canadiens

Washington: In time for Thursday’s game at Detroit, the Capitals are recalling forwards Sonny Milano and Garrett Pilon and defenseman Lucas Johansen from AHL Hershey. Washington Capitals

Islanders: Ten takeaways 10 games into the NHL season. New York Islanders

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Florida: Injured defenseman Aaron Ekblad is returning to practicing with the Panthers. Florida Panthers

San Jose: Is his fast start putting Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson in the Norris Trophy conversation? San Jose Sharks

Dallas: With Miro Heiskanen out for three games, the Stars were scoring six goals. In his first game back from injury, Dallas hit for five goals. Dallas Stars

Vegas: Jack Eichel is back to performing among the NHL’s elite players. Vegas Golden Knights

Calgary: Jonathan Huberdeau believes he can play much better than he has so far this season. Calgary Flames

The post The Daily: Brattstrom, Cossa Are Red Wings Musical Goalies; Injury-Riddled Capitals Heading To Detroit appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Red Wings of Tomorrow is assessing every prospect in the Detroit Red Wings system and what they are projecting to be in the future. We’ll be looking at the strengths and weaknesses of their game, as well as what the future holds for them as they advance through the Detroit organization. Today, we feature goalie Victor Brattstrom

Victor Brattstrom

Position: Goalie

How Acquired: Selected 160th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft

2021-22 Stats: (GP-GAA-SV%) 32-3.32-.894 (with Grand Rapids Griffins)

Contract Status: One-Year Contract with Red Wings for $750,000 ($75,000 in Grand Rapids)

Anticipated 2022-23 Team: Grand Rapids (AHL)

Prospect Synopsis

The best evidence of Victor Brattstrom’s potential is that he will be back in Grand Rapids for a second American Hockey League season.

The Swedish netminder gave up four or more goals in four of his first five AHL appearances, but pulled his game together to earn another Red Wings’ contract.

“I think (Brattstrom) learned over the course of the season,” Grand Rapids Griffins coach Ben Simon said. “In practice, in games in certain situations how to battle more, how to fight through traffic to make that extra effort for that second save, that tertiary save, to really compete on a daily basis.”

VICTOR BRATTSTROM DOES IT AGAIN!!! First star hero and a beauty. What a performance tonight #GoGRG #LGRW pic.twitter.com/VaE2240QRU

— Griffins Nest (@GrGriffinsNest) April 16, 2022

With the signing of Villi Husso and Jussi Olkinoura, the Red Wings’ goaltending outlook has changed since last season. Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic will be in Detroit. Nothing has been decided about top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa. But it seems like he will end up back in the Western Hockey League.

That leaves Olkinoura and Brattstrom in Grand Rapids, while former Michigan State goalie John Lethemon possibly shuttles between the Griffins and the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye if there are injuries.

Estimated Time of Arrival in Detroit

Victor Brattstrom is 25. That makes it critical that he makes a move this season to secure his place in the Detroit organization. Olkinuora is on a one-season contract and presumably will move elsewhere if he doesn’t get a shot at the NHL.

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It’s going to be two or three years before Cossa is NHL-ready. The Red Wings will need another consistent AHL goalie. Because of the constant threat of goalie injuries, minor league goalies are important to every NHL organization. Too often AHL goalies end up playing NHL games.

Calvin Pickard was a quality No. 3 goalie for Detroit last season. He boasts 116 games of NHL experience.  Pickard is a pro’s pro. But he is also 30 years old and ended up signing this summer with Edmonton where perhaps he might have a better opportunity to play some NHL games.

That opens the door for Brattstrom just a bit. If the Red Wings didn’t think he has a chance, they would not have re-signed him. He’s 6-foot-4. Grand Rapids coach Ben Simon seems to like him. He turned in quality performances when the Griffins were in their losing battle to make the playoffs. He needs more consistency, more dependability.

“I thought he learned how to battle a lot harder physically and battle a lot harder mentally as the year went on,”  Simon said.

This could be a make or break season for Brattstrom.

The post Red Wings of Tomorrow: Victor Brattstrom appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings re-signed goalie Victor Brattstrom, 25, who showed improvement playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins last season.

“I think (Brattstrom) learned over the course of the season,” Grand Rapids coach Ben Simon said at the end of last season,  “in practice, in games in certain situations how to battle more, how to fight through traffic to make that extra effort for that second save that tertiary save, to really compete on a daily basis.”

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After giving up 22 goals and posting an .845 save percentage in his first five appearances, the Swedish goalie found his game on the North American ice.

“As the games went on, he slowly matured his game. (He) was way more consistent with that. In saying that, when (Calvin Pickard) got hurt he had to carry the load and he was ready,” Simon said. “He did a really good job. I don’t think he’s ever played three games in three nights in three different cities like he did. And a few times he was doing it sick. A lot of people don’t know that. He learned how to battle
harder physically and mentally as the year went on.”

Cossa Will Also Be In GR

Brattstrom was a Detroit sixth-round pick (160th overall) in 2018. He finished last season with an 11-16-3 record for Grand Rapids. His save percentage was .894.

The Red Wings have incumbent Alex Nedeljkovic, Finnish goalie Jussi Olkinuora, first-round pick Sebastian Cossa and Brattstrom under contract for next season.

UPDATE: The Detroit #RedWings today signed goaltender Victor Brattstrom to a one-year contract extension.

: https://t.co/towTgN4Vft pic.twitter.com/5JTXju7FW8

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 24, 2022

As it stands now, Cossa will play in Grand Rapids next season with Brattstrom. The Red Wings could sign another veteran goalie.

The Grand Rapids goalie positions are important to the rebuilding Red Wings because their better prospects will playing there. Thomas Greiss and Calvin Pickard are both unrestricted free agents and expected to sign elsewhere.

The post Red Wings Re-Sign Brattstrom; Four Goalies Signed For 2022-23 appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings have decisions to make about who may play for their Grand Rapids Griffins farm team next season.  Detroit fans certainly understand that goalie Sebastian Cossa is ticketed for Grand Rapids. Defenseman Albert Johansson could end up there, although the Red Wings and their fans hope he is playing in Detroit.

But other personnel decisions are less obvious. Will the Red Wings make a qualifying offer to Chase Pearson? How about goalie Victor Brattstrom?

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Riley Barber isn’t signed yet. Will he get re-signed? Under American Hockey League rules,  teams can only use six veteran players in every game.  To qualify as a veteran, a player must play in 261 or more games in the NHL, AHL and European Elite Leagues and be least 25 years old. AHL teams may dress no more than six veterans each game, not including goalies.

The Red Wings added another one of those players when they signed defenseman Steven Kampfer

The Grand Rapid Griffins have laid out their potential player list in a player tracker on their website. They also explain who must go through waivers.

In Case You Missed It

Liam Dower Nilsson hopes to make the Frolunda team next season as a stepping stone to the Detroit Red Wings

What do we expect from Jakub Vrana moving forward? Maybe a consistent 25+ goals per season.

Maybe there are some clues to GM Steve Yzerman’s head coaching plans in the searches being conducted by other NHL teams.

Hockey Now Network

Boston:  David Pastrnak is trying to recruit David Krejci back to the Boston Bruins.

Montreal: The Montreal Canadiens still don’t know Carey Price’s health status.

New York:  Are the playoffs showing why the New York Islanders should keep Semyon Varlamov rather than trade him? There’s benefit to a quality tandem.

Pittsburgh: The Pittsburgh Penguins are among the many teams looking for a new backup goalie

The post The Daily: Who will play for the Grand Rapids Griffins Next Season? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

With Thomas Greiss still unavailable and Calvin Pickard also injured, the Detroit Red Wings were adding a fourth goalie to the roster Tuesday in as five days.

The Red Wings are summoning Victor Brattstrom from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. Brattstrom, 25, will be suiting up for Wednesday’s game at Little Caesars Arena against the New York Rangers.

UPDATE: The #RedWings today recalled goaltender Victor Brattstrom from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. pic.twitter.com/3E9pCTRKOj

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 30, 2022

It will be Brattstrom’s first stint in the NHL. The Goteborg, Sweden, native is playing his rookie season in North American hockey.

Brattstrom has a 6-10-3 record in the AHL with one shutout. He’s logged a 3.55 goals against average and a 0.890 save percentage with the Griffins. Brattstrom also appeared in three games with the ECHL Toledo Walleye from Nov. 19-Dec. 4, recording a 2-1-0 ledger with a 4.25 goals against average and a 0.829 save percentage.

Red Wings Goalie Brattstrom A North American Rookie

Brattstrom served a stint on Detroit’s taxi squad from Dec. 26-29. However, this will be his first appearance on an active NHL roster.

“It’s fun,” Brattstrom said of being a Red Wing. “Detroit likes Swedes so I’m happy to be a Swede.”

Greiss left Thursday’s 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders following a collision with Isles forward Oliver Wahlstrom. He hasn’t played since. Greiss practised with the Red Wings on Tuesday but afterward, Detroit coach Jeff Blashill’s indications were that Greiss wouldn’t be ready to play on Wednesday.

Pickard was summoned to replace Griess on the roster. However, in Sunday’s 11-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Pickard suffered an apparent leg injury when Penguins forward Bryan Rust fell on his legs during a goal mouth scramble. Greiss beat the Rangers 3-2 earlier this season at Madison Square Garden.

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If Brattstrom should see action, it will mark the first time since the 2019-20 season that the Red Wings have used four netminders. That season, Jonathan Bernier (46 games), Jimmy Howard (27), Pickard (three) and Eric Comrie (three) saw action in the Detroit goal crease.

Brattstrom, chosen 160th overall by the Red Wings in the 2018 NHL entry draft, would also be the first Detroit draftee to play goal for the team since Howard on Feb. 27, 2020 against the Minnesota Wild.

The post Red Wings Recall Goalie Victor Brattstrom From AHL Grand Rapids appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Firsts are proving to be foremost for a number of Detroit Red Wings prospects. They came while playing this weekend for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

Saturday, defenseman Donovan Sebrango scored his first AHL goal. Just back from the cancelled World Junior Championship, which saw him scoring for Canada in the tourney opener, Sebgrango ended up tallying his initial AHL goal and it was the game winner in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals.

A look back at 19 year old Donovan Sebrango's first goal of the season #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/P8VPwvXm1h

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) January 2, 2022

Taro Hirose netted a pair of goals, one of them off a Dan Renouf rebound. The Red Wings only returned Renouf to GR earlier in the day.

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Around The NHL

Detroit: Skating on the second line with Pius Suter and Robby Fabbri, Vladislav Namestnikov continues to be carrying a hot hand for the Red Wings

Boston: At Little Caesars for a Sunday afternoon tilt against the Red Wings, the Bruins were fashioning a comeback win Saturday over the Buffalo Sabres.

However, the Boston Bruins will be arriving in Detroit minus forward Karson Kuhlman. He’s entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

Florida: The Panthers took advantage of a Montreal lineup missing a dozen players to whip the Canadiens 5-2.

Washington: The NHL now has two Johansen brothers. Both Ryan of the Nashville Predators and Lucas of the Capitals can say they’ve beaten the Red Wings this season. Lucas made his NHL debut in Washington’s 3-1 New Year’s Eve win at LCA.

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Calgary: Looking back at how undrafted defenseman Mark Giordano became a Norris Trophy winner and captain of the Flames.

Vegas: Veteran forward Max Pacioretty has undergone wrist surgery and is out indefinitely for the Golden Knights.

The post Duffer’s Dabbles: Red Wings’ Prospect Sebrango Grabs Spotlight Again appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.