Detroit Red Wings

The Daily: Leonard Team USA Hero: Ex-Red Wings Tatar Tallies for Devils

Tatar helps New Jersey eliminate Rangers

Published

12 months ago

May 2, 2023

Bob Duff

Ryan Leonard could be available if the Red Wings are picking at No. 9 overall in the NHL entry draft.

Ryan Leonard was Team USA’s hero at the World U18 championship on the weekend, which just might be of interest to Detroit Red Wings fans. Leonard scored 2:20 into overtime as the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team came back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 3-2 win over Sweden and capture the gold medal in Basel, Switzerland.

🇺🇸🇸🇪 RYAN LEONARD SCORES THE GOLD WINNING GOAL FOR THE USA! 🥇 #u18mensworlds #USASWE @usahockey pic.twitter.com/hOP27JydWZ

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) April 30, 2023

If Detroit’s usual draft lottery luck holds up – meaning the Red Wings will have no luck at all – they’ll be picking ninth in the first round of the NHL entry draft. Last week, Kevin Allen detailed the list of players who are projecting to be in the wheelhouse at No. 9 and Leonard is a prominent figure among that group. He scored 50 goals in 55 games this season for the USNTDP U18 squad.

Another member of that USA Hockey championship club was defenseman Zeev Buium. He’s the younger brother of 2021 Red Wings draftee Shai Buium, currently playing college hockey at Denver and isn’t draft-eligible until 2024.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

A look at what forward Matt Luff was offering to the Red Wings this season
Joe Veleno is getting plenty of advice of all nature from his veteran Detroit teammates
Red Wings draftee Theodor Niederbach will be back in the SHL next season
Detroit figures to be in the market this offseason for a right-shot defenseman

Red Wings Offseason

Whipping the New York Rangers 4-0 in Game 7 of their Stanley Cup first-round series, one of the scorers for the New Jersey Devils was former Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar. It was his first goal of the postseason.

This place is on FIRE🔥🔥 TOMAS TATAR!!! pic.twitter.com/rhpVbFO0Zz

— x – Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) May 2, 2023

On April 17, 2016, Tatar drew an assist in a 2-0 Detroit victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in what remains the most recent playoff victory by a Red Wings team. Just eight players who suited up for Detroit in that game are still active in the NBHL – Tatar, Luke Glendening, Darren Helm, Andreas Athanasiou, Gustav Nyquist, Brendan Smith, Petr Mrazek and Dylan Larkin.

Hockey Now Network

Florida: Canadians may be nice, polite folks but that doesn’t mean the Florida Panthers want to see any of them in their rink as they battle the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the playoffs.

Vegas: Defenseman Brayden McNabb was an absentee from Monday’s Vegas Golden Knights practice and is uncertain for Game 1 of the second round against the Edmonton Oilers.

Boston: There are reports that Boston Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark was playing hurt during the playoffs.

Colorado: It was painfully evident as the Colorado Avalanche lost to the Seattle Kraken in the opening playoff round. This team is in need of a second-line center.

Montreal: Big decisions loom on the horizon for the Montreal Canadiens regarding their restricted free agents.