Todd McLellan isn’t making local ties the top item on his scouting checklist, but Sheldon Dries’ path to Detroit still gives the Red Wings something a little extra.
Dries, a center from Macomb Township, is getting the chance to wear the winged wheel in front of family and friends, and McLellan said that part of the story matters.
“The fact he gets to play in front of family and friends every night is special,” McLellan said. “I’m sure every one of our players would like to do that.”
Dries knows exactly what that means. A lifelong Wings fan, he said being called up now feels different because he can stay in his own home instead of living out of a hotel. His wife, daughter and dog are all there with him, which makes the whole thing easier.
“It’s the best,” Dries said. “Oh yeah, grew up a big Wings fan.
It’s a little different being called up now. I get to stay at my own house.
It’s not in a hotel room or anything like that, so my whole family’s able to come with my wife and daughter and my dog. So that’s what makes it a lot easier being so close.”
For William Wallinder, the adjustment is more about the NHL itself. A month into his career, the defenseman says the game is starting to slow down as he gets a better feel for what he’s facing each night.
“It’s becoming a lot easier, just knowing the way around the game, how every team plays,” Wallinder said. “It’s different every night, so you just gotta be prepared when you get here every day and focus on every game. It’s just one day at a time.
That preparation will be tested immediately. Detroit opens a four-game road trip Saturday in Colorado, and by the time it’s over, the Red Wings will have faced three of the last four Stanley Cup winners in a stretch that includes the Avalanche, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers.
Wallinder said the key is staying sharp against elite talent.
“I think, but you got to be aware when you’re on the ice who you’re playing against,” Wallinder said of the challenge. “Maybe be a little more aware when the star players are out there.
Be more ready for loose pucks and stuff. You can’t just sit back.
You’ve got to be on your toes.”
In Other News...
Red Wings Just Exposed A Bigger Problem On This Road Trip
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Daniil Tarasov was left to absorb the damage behind a skidding lineup, while Andrew Copp and Moritz Seider were among the Detroit names trying to help steady things as the game slipped away. Instead, the momentum swung hard in Colorados favor in the second period, and with Martin Necas, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar all involved in the scoring, the bigger concern for the Red Wings was how quickly one bad stretch exposed the same kinds of issues that can sink a road trip. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Rookie Is Already Changing The Team's Identity
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Todd McLellan has been especially taken with the way Brandsegg-Nygrd plays, praising the rookies style and the effect it has had on the teams identity. For a club trying to build something sturdier and harder to play against, that kind of impact from a young forward matters, and it helps explain why his return has become one of the more encouraging developments in Detroits season. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin Standoff Is Becoming A Red Wings Problem
Dylan Larkins trade situation has gone from a narrow list to a much wider one, but the market still has not moved in Detroits favor. The Red Wings captain has opened things up to 10 teams, and clubs such as Buffalo, Montreal, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Boston have all been linked to the discussion, yet the offers coming back have not apparently been enough to satisfy Detroit.
What makes this more complicated is that Larkin has not broadened the list any further, leaving the two sides in a standoff with no easy next step. The tension has taken on a personal edge, with disappointment on both sides and even former players weighing in, and for the Red Wings the issue now feels bigger than one transaction because it is starting to hang over the teams larger direction. [Read more 🡒]