With the World Junior Summer Showcase still split in two, Team USA got exactly what it needed on Monday: wins from both sides of the roster. Team White bounced back from its opening-day loss to Finland with a 6-4 win over Sweden, and Team Blue stayed perfect by beating the Finns 5-1.
Victor Plante was right in the middle of Team White’s surge. Skating on the top line and working the power play, he finished with three assists.
For Plante, JP Hurlbert and Brent Solomon, the next step is less about one good day and more about whether the week has been enough to earn a place on the United States’ final roster. Once the showcase shifts to one team, the Americans will face Finland again on Wednesday, Sweden on Thursday and Canada on Saturday.
If that trio doesn’t stick, there’s still another shot at lining up together later this year. The three could reunite in December at the World Junior Championship in Red Deer and Edmonton.
Elsewhere, Patrick Kane’s return to the Chicago Blackhawks is becoming one more painful note in what has already been a rough offseason for the Detroit Red Wings. Kane said on Pardon My Take that he had planned to remain in Detroit, but, as he put it, “Things happened.”
That exit probably isn’t shocking to many. With Dylan Larkin’s trade request and Steve Yzerman leaving as GM, the road back to the playoffs looks uncertain, and the 37-year-old Kane wants a chance to chase another ring.
There was also plenty of confusion for Red Wings fans on the site formerly known as Twitter. A number of aggregator accounts claimed insider Jeff Marek had said the Red Wings were weighing Jim Rutherford for their open GM job, but Marek responded multiple times to say otherwise. Another account posing as “NHL Rumour Report,” an aggregator run by PolyMarket Sport, also spread false and inflammatory claims about Larkin and his latest appearance on “Family Feud.”
Ryan Whitney: Re Larkin: Dylan Larkin was telling anyone that would listen at the Family Feud taping that team USA has been a better family to him than the Red Wings organization ever has - Spittin Chiclets (7/21)
- NHL Rumor Reqort (@VEGASCRINGE) July 27, 2026
It’s a reminder to check the source before believing what shows up in your feed - and to double-check the account name, too.
Bob Duff also wrote about why Alex DeBrincat is not likely to be changing addresses anytime soon, while the youngest Plante sibling is eager for the challenge of college hockey.
In Other News...
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What makes the situation so interesting is where the next contract could land if the sides do decide to keep building together. DeBrincat is already one of the most important offensive pieces on the roster, and the price of keeping a scorer like that only rises in a market this aggressive. For a front office trying to balance present urgency with long-term flexibility, the question is no longer whether DeBrincat matters. It is how far Detroit is willing to go to make sure he remains part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Just Reopened A Goalie Question Fans Can't Ignore
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What makes his situation worth watching is the uncertainty around where he fits next fall. Gylander has spent most of his time with the clubs AHL and ECHL affiliates, but the Red Wings also have other young netminders in the mix, which leaves his starting point for the season unsettled for now. [Read more 🡒]