On the Detroit Red Wings …
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press: It’s looking like the Red Wings will enter next season with Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek in net. The Wings also have Jared Coreau who lead their AHL team to a Calder Cup.
The Wings left Mrazek unprotected in the expansion draft and have been unable to trade him so far this offseason.
Howard appears to be their No. 1 goalie this year and is expected to play over 50 games.
“We’re very comfortable with Jared as a third,” goaltending coach Jeff Salajko told the Free Press during development camp in Traverse City in early July. “I have no problem with him being the backup goalie, either. If we can keep Jimmy Howard healthy to play 50-55 games, I was comfortable with Jared in a role like that. But we obviously have Petr back – Vegas didn’t have interest in him, so I’m hoping he comes in with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.”
Mrazek entered last season as their No. 1 goalie but was a disappointment. They are hoping he’ll be motivated to have a bounce back season.
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press: 23-year old defenseman Libor Sulak will be at the Red Wings training camp and should get into some exhibition games. He has a contract with Lahti of the Finnish league and will likely end up back there.
Sulak is expected to come over to North America after next year.
Craig Custance of The Athletic: Source said that there is “nothing imminent” in a text about whether the Red Wings and RFA Andreas Athanasiou are close on a new contract.
The Red Wings are already $3 million over the salary cap and need to re-sign Athanasiou. They will get cap relief when they place Johan Franzen on the LTIR.
Talks between the Red Wings and UFA Thomas Vanek’s camp continue.
The Red Wings don’t plan on buying anyone out, so clearing cap room will have to come through a trade.
Some teams have kicked tires on Petr Mrazek.
The Red Wings could look to move the salaries of forwards Gustav Nyquist and Riley Sheahan.
The Wings could bury someone like Luke Witkowski‘s contract in the AHL. Allowable cap space that you can bury in the AHL rose to $1.025 million for this season.