Latest news with #PetrMrazek
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks Prospect Drew Commesso Has An NHL Future
Coming into 2024-25, the Chicago Blackhawks were expected to use a goalie tandem of Petr Mrazek and Laurent Brossoit. Well, Brossoit was hurt before the season even began and never returned to action. That opened the door for Arvid Soderblom to take the gig, and he did. It was an impressive year for him, as there were times he was the number one over Mrazek. Advertisement The Hawks made a big-time move ahead of the trade deadline, however, that changed the present and future of the organization's plans in the net. In sending Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers, Spencer Knight came the other way. He is seen as the goalie of the future in Chicago. What that means for Soderblom and the other goalies in the system remains to be seen. There is a long-term backup to Knight needs to be solidified. Chicago has options for that spot. One goalie who should have an NHL future is Drew Commesso, whether it's with Chicago or elsewhere. Commesso is currently playing for the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. Advertisement Commesso was a second-round pick (46th overall) by the Blackhawks in the 2020 NHL Draft. He has since had success with Boston University, Team USA at different levels, and now with the Hogs down in Rockford. He made his NHL debut in 2024-25 but didn't get more than one start and two appearances. In 39 games with Rockford in 2024-25, Commesso had a 2.54 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. On Wednesday night, Rockford took a 1-0 series lead over the Chicago Wolves in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. It was a tight 2-1 win that came in overtime thanks to a sudden-death goal scored by Artyom Levshunov. Without Commesso's brilliance, Rockford would have never pulled off the win. He made some game-changing saves throughout, including on high-danger chances in the final minute of regulation. Advertisement "Just a continuation of the way he's been the last month and a half, two months," interim head coach Mark Eaton said of Commesso after the big win. "He's been so solid, making the saves that you expect him to make, but then making the big ones when called upon." In the second half of this AHL season, Commesso has seemed to turn a corner in his development, which has allowed the IceHogs to elevate their overall game in front of him. It was apparent in their first postseason victory of this potential run. "Drew's been huge." IceHogs captain Brett Seney said following the victory. "All year, he's been great. The second half, especially down the stretch, he's won us a lot of games. He made a couple of huge saves tonight that turned the tide for us. He lets our [defense & forwards ] play a little more free." When skaters know that they have a solid netminder back there, they can play to their strengths with a lot more confidence. That much was clear with Commesso in the net on Wednesday. Advertisement Next up for the IceHogs is Game 2 of this series on Friday night. If Rockford wins, they will move on and play the Milwaukee Admirals in the second round. If the Wolves take this one, a decisive game three will take place on Sunday. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Petr Mrazek, Elmer Söderblom out for Detroit Red Wings, Cam Talbot OK to backup
Petr Mrazek, Elmer Söderblom out for Detroit Red Wings, Cam Talbot OK to backup The Detroit Red Wings are still waiting for more clarity on two of their injured players, but at least one already seems to have mended. Todd McLellan said after Thursday's morning skate at Little Caesars Arena that Cam Talbot would be available to back up Alex Lyon during the evening game against the Ottawa Senators. Goaltender Petr Mrazek and forward Elmer Söderblom, however, remain in sick bay. Advertisement "Don't have an update there," McLellan said. "Should know more Friday." Mar 24, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Detroit Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek (43) blocks a shot by Utah Hockey Club right wing Dylan Guenther (11) during the first period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images More: Detroit Red Wings say 'belief is there,' but it's 'obviously not enough' Mrazek was injured during a collision in his crease less than two minutes into Monday's game at Utah Hockey Club. Talbot tweaked something Monday that worsened overnight, forcing the Wings to change plans to have him start that night at the Colorado Avalanche. The Wings called up Sebastian Cossa under emergency conditions to have available as backup in Denver, but he'll be reassigned back to Grand Rapids with Talbot cleared. Advertisement Söderblom re-aggravated an injury late in the Utah game. Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@ Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, 'The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,' was released October 2024. Her books, 'On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,' and 'The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings' are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings injury updates: Petr Mrazek, Elmer Söderblom out,
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Wings Weekly News Recap: Post 2025 Trade Deadline
While nagging can build frustration, a little reminder never hurt anyone. The Detroit Red Wings have been a busy team over the last week. Like the rest of the NHL, they are dealing with the aftermath of a hectic trade deadline. Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. *Highlights from the Red Wings' most recent win. Last Sunday (March 9th, to be precise), Red Wings newcomers Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith joined the team for their first practice. Their new jersey numbers were also revealed at that time. Former Red Wing David Perron Heating Up Detroit Red Wings Schedule For March 2025 Can The Red Wings Make The Playoffs? Red Wings Playoff Chances Haven't Evaporated (Yet) So, you are saying there's a chance? The following day, the Red Wings took on the Ottawa Senators in a very important matchup. They ultimately lost the contest 2-1, with goaltender Linus Ullmark pulling out all the stops - 48 of them. Players can only participate in a playoff run if they are acquired by the NHL's Trade Deadline. However, teams are still allowed to make trades. The Red Wings AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, pulled off a minor deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins by acquiring defender Nikolai Knyzhov for future considerations. Swedish prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka is having a season. Just this past week, he set an SHL record. Additionally, rumors are swirling that he will join the Red Wings once his SHL season and playoffs have reached their end. While this hasn't been officially confirmed at this time, all signs point to it being the case. The Red Wings broke a streak of bad luck by walloping the Buffalo Sabres 7-3. Patrick Kane had a huge night, recording two goals and three assists in 17:21 minutes of work to propel them to a victory. Another Swedish defenseman made headlines with the Red Wings last week. Anton Johansson signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team. The 6-foot-4 right-handed defender has played full-time in the SHL for the last two years and will report to the Griffins under an AHL tryout. And just when you thought things were going well, the Red Wings get handed another loss. This time, it came at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex DeBrincat and Michael Rasmussen scored for the Red Wings in a 4-2 result. Thanks to Trey Augustine, Michigan State is going to the Big Ten Championship game. Augustine is having quite the season. He's already won a World Junior Gold Medal with Team USA this season, and adding another Big Ten Championship would put an emphatic exclamation point on his season. Finally, the Red Wings capped off their week by gaining ground on the final Eastern Conference Wild Card spot. They earned a 3-0 shutout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Mrazek earned an 18-save shutout while Albert Johansson, Lucas Raymond, and Marco Kasper contributed the run support. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites.
New York Times
10-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Weekend NHL rankings: An unpredictable trade deadline shakes up the Top 5
Well, that was something. The annual trade deadline didn't deliver huge numbers as far as the actual volume of trades, but the ones that did happen were significant, with more big names moving than just about any year in recent memory. A lot has changed since we last did this one week ago, and the rankings will reflect that. Advertisement We'll get to those in a minute. But first, let's close the book on a fascinating week with a few final deadline thoughts. 5. The Eastern bubble may have already popped — Even a few weeks ago, you figured that the Eastern Conference wild-card race would be where the action was, as teams scrambled for any advantage in a jam-packed race. But not only did the bubble teams in both conferences mostly sit out the big moves, almost exclusively letting the actual Cup contenders land the big names, some teams actively waved the white flag. The Bruins certainly did. The Islanders and Flyers mostly did, too. Meanwhile, the Red Wings basically did nothing, the Habs stood pat and the Rangers are at best trying to straddle the line between contender and seller. It all adds up to great news for the Senators, who made a fun hockey trade that I think they won before notching a comeback win. They now have what looks like a clear path to their first postseason in years. Same for the Blue Jackets, who did some light adding and then smoked the Rangers. The West wasn't much better, with the four teams still in the running for one wild-card basically all standing pat (more on that in a bit). At least they didn't sell, but it sure feels like they all realize that whoever gets the spot is going to get swept in the first round anyway. 4. The first-round picks were flying — Prices were high in general in what was clearly a seller's market. But even so, the sheer volume of firsts being moved was surprising. I'd have more to say on that, but James covers it all here. 3. The goalies basically stayed put — With apologies to Petr Mrazek and Vitek Vanecek, who moved in the aftermath of Spencer Knight being involved in the Seth Jones trade, the goalies were basically left out of the impact moves. No John Gibson trade, no Jordan Binnington, and a Karel Vejmelka extension that took him off of a market he may have never been on. None of this is all that surprising; big midseason goalie trades aren't unheard of, but they're relatively rare. But it does leave some teams open to some serious second-guessing, with the Oilers on top of the list. Advertisement 2. It was a humbling week for wingers — Hockey fans know wingers are generally the least valuable position, but the point was really driven home by the prices paid last week. The asking price for anyone who could line up down the middle seemed to start with a second-rounder, with gusts up to a first if the guy also knew how to find his own zone. Blueliners were pricey, as always. Meanwhile, future Hall of Famer Brad Marchand couldn't even fetch an unconditional first, while Rickard Rakell and Brock Boeser didn't move at all. (Side note: I've seen a few takes that were critical of Canucks GM Patrik Allvin for this dismissive soundbite about the quality of offers he received for Boeser. I don't see it that way. To me, that's a GM who knows he's going to be shredded for not moving a guy being honest about the offers just not being there. He's not going out of his way to bury a player, he's just describing reality. You can absolutely rip Allvin for how he handled the deadline, especially if Boeser now walks for nothing. But that quote didn't bother me.) Even the biggest name to move, winger Mikko Rantanen, did so only after having three teams refuse to meet his reported asking price and in a trade that feels like a short-term loss for the Hurricanes. Might want to learn to take a faceoff, Mikko, because the league's GMs have made it clear where they think the value is. 1. The trend toward term continues — For years, the deadline has been all about rentals, with the top targets almost exclusively pending UFAs on expiring deals. That started to change a few years ago, led by the Lightning paying up for cheaper deals with term on guys like Brandon Hagel, Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman. This year, we saw the Leafs add two veterans with term, the Avs get two playoff runs' worth of Charlie Coyle, and the Oilers add Jake Walman with a full year left. The Panthers weren't scared off by the five years left for Seth Jones. And of course, Rantanen's deal was contingent on a max-length extension. We still saw traditional rentals, like Brock Nelson and Marchand. But that's no longer the only way to do business this time of year. On to the rankings, where as you'd expect, we're getting a deadline shakeup in the top five … The five teams with the best chances of winning the Stanley Cup. If you missed it, we handed out letter grades to every team for their deadline work. 5. Winnipeg Jets (44-17-4, +76 true goals differential*) — They've held down top spot for the last month, but I came very close to dropping them off the list completely to make room for the Avalanche. That would probably have been an overreaction, but this was certainly not a great deadline for the Jets, who saw the two biggest obstacles on their path out of the Central get significantly better. Meanwhile, Murat pretty much nails the vibe in Winnipeg: a missed opportunity. The priority now is to hold on to first in the Central and hope that means Winnipeg doesn't have to go through both Colorado and Dallas. Advertisement 4. Edmonton Oilers (37-22-4, +20) — I'm still higher on them than the Friday boys, but they're not making it easy in a week in which their own coach called them fragile. Seeing them beat Dallas on Saturday certainly helps, and at least they added at the deadline, if only a little. Meanwhile, the Kings didn't seem to realize there was a deadline, while the Golden Knights faked us all out but then stood pat. I'll give the Oilers another week, but I'm getting nervous. 3. Washington Capitals (42-14-8, +67) — They settled for tinkering instead of taking a big swing, which was what most were expecting. The bigger news may be that the Hurricanes got worse, while the Devils lost Jack Hughes for the season. In other words, the Caps didn't improve much, but their odds to emerge from the Metro probably did. 2. Florida Panthers (40-21-3, +37) — They continue their mission to almost single-handedly disprove the whole 'you can't build through trades' trope that timid GMs love so much. Jones was an intriguing add, one with plenty of points in both the risk and reward columns. Marchand? That's just flat-out Team Chaos stuff. Tkachuk-Marchand-Bennett would be the most scummy dirtbag line of all time, and I mean that as a compliment. — Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) March 7, 2025 As is often the case, there was a little bit of heartlessness involved, as the arrival of Jones seems to all but ensure Aaron Ekblad won't be re-signed. But the Panthers were very close to already being the best in the East, and nobody in the conference came close to improving as much as they did over the last week. 1. Dallas Stars (42-20-2, +55) — No huge surprise here, as a team that was already near the top of most lists landed the biggest impact player to be moved at the deadline in years. There are two question marks here: whether Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin can get back to full health by the playoffs, and whether the Stars can avoid running into the Avalanche in Round 1. But for now, this is the best team in the league. *Goals differential without counting shootout decisions like the NHL does for some reason. Not ranked: Toronto Maple Leafs — They traded away two first-round picks and two of their top prospects and lost ground in the Atlantic. I'm not sure there's any other way to look at it. Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo are both good players who should fit in nicely, and both are signed for at least one more year on deals that (thanks to retention) will provide strong value. The two firsts should be late, and the two prospects were good but far from blue chips. And of course, people like me would have absolutely ripped Brad Treliving if he'd stood pat. With Auston Matthews basically calling for reinforcements and the possibility of some big names leaving in the summer, they did what they had to do. Advertisement Will it be enough? It sure doesn't feel like it, with the Panthers and Lightning both adding big names, and now the pipeline of future assets is all but drained. Their best (and maybe only) path out of the Atlantic now involves finishing first and letting the two Florida teams tear each other apart in Round 1 while the Leafs lose to Ottawa get an easy wild-card warmup. That's plausible, but far less likely after the last few days, especially with regulation losses in both Vegas and Colorado. The bigger story in Toronto might be the trade that didn't happen, with reports that Treliving was in on trading for and extending Rantanen before the Hurricanes decided to send him to Dallas instead. That would have been a jaw-dropping move for a team already loaded with top-end forwards, and it makes the pivot to an apparent Plan B of two defense-first options all the more interesting. If true, you have to wonder what their interest in committing to Rantanen says about the talks with Mitch Marner, who Carolina was apparently asking for in return at one point. While we're at it, does the other big-name winger coming off the UFA market increase Marner's asking price, or does Rantanen settling for a very reasonable $12 million AAV bring it down? History tells us which option Marner's reps will pick; he's certainly used to having all the leverage in Toronto and squeezing for every dollar. So was this week the bump in the road that pushes both sides to get a reasonable deal done, or (finally) the beginning of the end? GO DEEPER Brad Treliving addresses Mitch Marner trade reports: 'We want Mitch here for a long time' For now, the Leafs find themselves in familiar territory: A very good team that's all but locked into a playoff spot but facing the prospect of heading into the postseason as slight underdogs with a ton of pressure and a summer of turmoil on deck. The five teams headed toward dead last and the best lottery odds for a top pick that could be James Hagens, Matthew Schaefer or someone else. Marc-Andre Fleury faced the Penguins for the final time yesterday, and the final goal he allowed came from a fitting source. 5. Seattle Kraken (27-34-4, -18) — Credit to Ron Francis for knowing when to throw in the towel, I guess. But where do they go from here? Even with Shane Wright starting to live up to the hype, it's getting hard to find a path back to relevance for this team. Advertisement 4. Nashville Predators (24-32-7, -43) — Not moving Ryan O'Reilly in this market for centers, especially when he didn't have any formal NTC protection, will either look smart in a year or two when he's part of the turnaround or … not that. Anyway, Steven Stamkos is still cool. 3. Buffalo Sabres (24-32-6, -23) — I don't hate the Josh Norris deal, even though I think the Senators got the better end of it. It's certainly a fun one as a neutral fan, a true hockey trade that will take years to truly get a verdict on. What would frustrate me as a Sabres fan is that, for now, this feels like a lateral move at best, as opposed to using Dylan Cozens and his potential to land a bigger piece who could help right now. Maybe Norris can get there, assuming he can finally stay healthy. But for the league's most worn-down fan base, even the blockbusters feel like more wheel-spinning. 2. Chicago Blackhawks (20-35-9, -45) — They didn't do much after the Jones blockbuster, nor did anyone really expect them to, although seeing likely UFA target Rantanen come off the board stings a little. Still, they provided an underrated fun moment by trading for Shea Weber's contract, which is somehow still moving around the league four years after he played his last game. In other news, the Artyom Levshunov era has arrived. 1. San Jose Sharks (17-39-9, -71) — To summarize, Mike Grier got a second from Detroit for taking Jake Walman, then got a first from Edmonton for trading him. That's a nice bit of work (and also a disaster for the Red Wings, but their fans already know that). Not ranked: Utah Hockey Club — Remember when they were going to come storming into the league, acquire every big-name player and spend all of Ryan Smith's money? It didn't really happen, and once the novelty of a new team wore off, they kind of faded from the headlines. But now we're heading down the home stretch, and they're right there in the Western wild-card race. If you squint just right, they might even be the favorite. Advertisement They've got three teams to pass, but each looks beatable. The Canucks are a team in disarray. The Flames seem to be just happy to be there. And the Blues are all over the map, heating up over the last month enough that they chose to stand pat at a deadline in which they could have been popular sellers. In fact, you could argue that none of the four Western bubble teams got any better, with the Flames not spending any of their significant cap room and the Canucks getting snubbed by the market. That could have been a chance for Utah to zoom past its stagnant competition, but if that opportunity was out there, Bill Armstrong chose not to take it. Instead, the focus was on keeping his group together, with extensions for Vejmelka, Alex Kerfoot and Ian Cole coming hours apart. That might end up feeling like a mistake — this is where I'll insert the cliché about how many chances you get to make a first impression. But you can see the plan in place in Utah, and at the very least, they certainly didn't lose any ground. They've got the Leafs at home tonight, then a stretch of very winnable games that culminates with the Canucks on Sunday. That's one of just three games they have left against the trio of bubble teams they're in the mix with; they also get the Flames to kick off April, and then the Blues in the season's final game. There are some tough matchups sprinkled in between, including the Oilers, Jets, Panthers and a pair against the Lightning, so nothing will come easy. But the West's last spot is there for the taking, even if none of the teams involved seem to actually want it that much. (And of course, best wishes to Connor Ingram.) One last quick bit of housekeeping: I'll be away on vacation for the next week, so there will be no rankings next Monday, which is too bad because your favorite team was going to be ranked first. We'll be back on March 24 to set up the stretch run. (Photo of Mikko Rantanen: Bob Frid / Imagn Images)
