Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Luke Witkowski didn’t take long to make his presence felt in Europe. Suiting up for Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga, the 36-year-old has already played two preseason games and scored in both as the club won the Dolomiten Cup in Neumarkt, Italy.
That kind of offense is not what usually defines Witkowski, but the rest of his game showed up too. He was also a physical force, which fits the reputation he built over the years.
Kometa Brno is the same club Detroit acquired goalie prospect Michal Postava from.
Another former Red Wing, Martin Frk, is dealing with a much tougher start. The KHL Shanghai Dragons brought in the hard-shooting winger hoping for offense, but he was hurt soon after arriving for preseason and is now expected to miss time.
“I think he’ll be out for one or two months,” Shanghai coach Mitch Love told Russian website Sport-Express. “It’s quite possible that his absence will be a plus for other players on the team. “
Frk, who won a 2017 AHL Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins, appeared in 98 games for Detroit from 2017-19.
There was also a frightening moment for teenage goalie Herman Liv, who is in his first SHL season with HV71. The 19-year-old is following the path of his father, former Red Wings prospect Stefan Liv, and has spoken about what it means to play for the same club.
“I have, of course, dreamed of this for many years when I grew up and played in HV as a child,” Liv told Swedish website Jönköpings-Posten.
On Friday, though, he was forced out of practice after taking a puck to the neck. The puck got through some protection, according to HV71 trainer Patrick Häggström.
“He got a puck on him, which found its way through some protection,” Häggström said. “He is fine, and it should be okay. But it could have been bad.”
Stefan Liv was a Red Wings draft pick who played for the AHL Griffins before dying in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash.
And then there’s Dick Axelsson, another former Red Wings draft pick, who may not be done yet. Axelsson was selected 62nd overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft while playing for Huddinge IK, and now the Swedish club is trying to bring him back.
Linus Klasen, 40, has already returned to Huddinge IK, and he’s talking with Axelsson about a possible reunion. Back in 2006, the two finished 1-3 in scoring for the club in HockeyAllsvenskan.
“I’ll talk to him a bit, so we’ll see,” Klasen told Swedish website Aftonbladet. “He has to want to play ice hockey too.
“If Dick comes, Huddinge has every chance in the world to put together a good team.”
Axelsson, 39, already made one comeback, returning for the 2024-25 season and helping Djurgården earn promotion to the SHL. The 2018 Swedish Olympian isn’t closing the door on another one.
“Haven’t thought about it that far,” Axelsson said. “But fun idea.”
In Other News...
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Appletons place is not locked in, and the club has a few ways it could handle the situation. He could remain as a depth forward if the staff decides his game fits the group, or a younger prospect could ultimately take that roster spot. For a veteran trying to stay in the mix, the next decision point carries real weight, because Detroit appears prepared to keep looking at every option before it finalizes the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Now Face A Dylan Larkin Situation Nobody Saw Coming
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For the Red Wings, the challenge is obvious: this is not the kind of decision that can be handled casually, especially with a player of Larkins stature and importance to the organization. Comparisons are already being made to other franchise-defining situations around the league, but for now there is still no deal in place, and the uncertainty leaves Detroit waiting to see whether this develops into a real market or stays in the rumor stage. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Lose A Camp Look At Prospect They Wanted To Track Closely
The Red Wings were hoping for a closer look at Eddie Genborg this fall, but the prospects plans have taken a detour. Genborg is still recovering from an undisclosed American Hockey League playoff injury, and he has not been cleared to get into any SHL preseason games, leaving Detroit without the camp evaluation it had wanted on one of its younger organizational pieces.
Genborg will stay in Sweden and play for Timra this season instead of coming to Red Wings training camp, according to his agent. Detroit still holds his rights, so this is not a separation from the organization, but it does push his next step farther from the NHL spotlight for now and leaves his development path tied to health and timing. [Read more 🡒]