Detroit’s rookie tournament is in the books, and the Red Wings can point to a pretty solid showing from their young group. Over three games, the rookies won two, with Carter Bear and Dylan James standing out along the way.
Now the focus shifts to the next stage of the calendar. The rookies get a short break before veterans report and training camp opens on Sep. 17th, and there’s plenty for Detroit to sort through after a hectic offseason. When Dylan Larkin and the rest of the roster arrive at Little Caesars Arena, the competition for open spots will be front and center.
That battle now has a clearer decision-maker attached to it. Shawn Horcoff is officially the Red Wings’ interim general manager, a role he had effectively been filling since Steve Yzerman resigned from the job in July.
Horcoff has served as Detroit’s assistant general manager for several years, and while Chris Ilitch and the organization continue to look for a permanent GM, Horcoff is the one running the show to start the season. Ilitch has also left the door open for Horcoff to keep the job beyond the interim tag depending on how the year unfolds.
There were a few other bright spots worth noting from the rookie event. Noah Dower-Nilsson had an impressive showing, and Detroit closed the tournament with a win over Columbus.
Another name that keeps pushing into the conversation is Trey Augustine. The former Michigan State netminder started both of the Red Wings’ rookie tournament wins, and in the two games that went beyond regulation, he was perfect in overtime and the shootout.
Augustine is expected to begin the season in Grand Rapids behind Michal Postava, though how many starts he ultimately gets remains to be seen. Detroit has traditionally taken its time with goaltending prospects, but after a Mike Richter Award-winning season, Augustine has made a strong case to move faster through that process.
In Other News...
Dylan Larkin News Just Put Detroit's Leadership Plan In Flux
Detroits leadership picture changed quickly around Dylan Larkin, with the Red Wings confirming he has been stripped of the captaincy in a move that immediately alters the tone of camp. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said Larkin is dealing with an upper-body injury, and the forward will not be able to take part in training camp exercises as the team sorts through its next steps.
Horcoff also said Larkin will be traded when the time is right, though he stopped short of putting any timeline on it. For a club already navigating an interim front office and trying to stabilize its direction, the uncertainty around one of its most recognizable players only adds another layer to an already unsettled start. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face An Early Horcoff Test With Simon Edvinsson
With Shawn Horcoff stepping into the interim GM role, one of his first orders of business has been the contract situation with restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson. Talks are underway between the sides, according to Edvinssons agent, giving Detroit an early look at how its new front office setup will handle a key young player who has become part of the teams longer-term blueprint.
The timing matters because Edvinsson is still planning to show up for training camp without a deal in hand, leaving the Red Wings with a familiar late-summer tension around a player they want to keep in the fold. The expectation is that Detroit will push a contract in the range of $7 million to $9 million annually, but the real question now is how quickly the new interim GM can turn a negotiation into something both sides can live with. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Contract Mess Just Got More Frustrating For Key Deals
The NHLs new collective bargaining agreement has added another layer of complication to a Red Wings offseason that already had enough moving parts. With Detroit working through an interim general manager situation after Steve Yzerman stepped down, the clubs contract talks have slowed, and that delay is making life less predictable for a team trying to sort out key business with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson and pending unrestricted free agent Alex DeBrincat.
The broader rules shift matters here because the league has changed the way teams can structure deals, while also adding new guardrails around signing bonuses, emergency backup goalies and emergency call-ups. For the Red Wings, the practical problem is more immediate than any policy debate: until the front office picture settles, players and agents are left waiting on clarity about who is actually steering the process, and that uncertainty hangs over some of the most important negotiations on the docket. [Read more 🡒]