'Cry about it!': Hockey world buzzes as ex-NHL enforcer brawls slowpoke golfer on Alberta course
The video of the fight, which lasts about 30 seconds with plenty of blows and profanity, was taken a few days ago, but went viral today, with tens of millions of views on social media.
It's not clear who is taking the video, though from some of the conversation it sounds it might be a member of Tarnasky's golf party or perhaps a golf course manager or marshal. I've put in a call to the reported golf course where the incident occurred, but haven't got any answer back yet.
Tarnasky, 40, from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, was listed at 6-feet, 2-inches, 230-pounds as a player. He had dozens of fights in 13 years of pro hockey, including 245 NHL games with Tampa and Florida, where he got 297 penalty minutes.
He fought other tough players such as Tanner Glass, Aaron Asham, Zenon Konopka, Milan Lucic, Matt Greene, Mike Commodore, Colton Orr and Zack Stortini.
Said Jordie Demcher of Barstool Sports of Tarnasky and the golf fight: 'He wasn't a hockey player who fought occasionally. He was a fighter who sometimes managed to play ice hockey. He was bashing dudes skulls open while he was skating on a sheet of ice. Do you really think he was even going to break a sweat having to beat the sh*t out of some nerd while standing on foot? So let this be a lesson to all the guys out there who have a short fuse, and have had too much to drink–if you're going to challenge a guy to a fight, maybe do your homework first. At least figure out his name and do a quick Google search. You might think you're just fighting some random massive mutant who was going to kick your ass anyway. But next thing you know, you're dealing with a guy who was legitimately a professional ass kicker. Check the game notes, bud.'
Like most videos, we only have part of the interaction between the two adversaries, but we've got far more of the back story on what starts the fight than on the vast majority of social media fight videos.
The incident started with Tarnasky and his group of golfers frustrated that the two players ahead of them were taking too much time to tee off, possibly due to inebriation.
Tarnasky and his group can be heard telling the two players to either drive or they'll be booted off the course. The two are also warned not to act too tough because they're not tough guys. If they want to keep playing, it's suggested they let Tarnasky's group go ahead because at that moment they been standing there for 15 minutes: 'That's not golf. You guys can't even stand up,' the two were told.
At that point the bearded golfer exploded in response, yelling repeatedly, 'Well, cry about it! F*ckin' cry about ir! F*ckin' cry about it!'
The bearded golfer then taunted Taranasky, calling him a 'p*ssy.'
The bearded golfer was warned to back down and that he was going to take a beating if he did not.
'I don't give a f*ck,' the bearded golfer said, then took off his sunglasses and threw them to the ground: 'Let's f*ckin' go, man. Ho, ho, ho.'
He then started to clap his hands. He advanced on Tarnasky.
Again, he was told to back away, that he was not scaring anybody.
Just then, the bearded man launched himself at Tarnasky, who dodged and used the aggressor's energy and momentum to push him into a golf pond.
Tarnasky backed away, but the soaking assailant got out of the pond and kept after him. The ex-hockey player then grabbed him and hit him twice in the face, yelling 'Bam!' and 'Bang!' with the two blows, knocking down the assailant.
The bearded man's golf partner then tried to intervene, but Tarnasky pushed him aside.
Again, the assailant came at Tarnasky, this time getting punched hard three times in the face, Tarnasky yelling out with each blow, 'Bang! Bang! Bang!'
When the assailant fell down, Tarnasky yelled, 'Enough! Enough! Get out!'
But again the assailant charged him, this time Tarnasky using his momentum to rag-doll him, and toss him high through the air and onto some grass.
Finally, the assailant appeared to have had enough and the incident ended.
Reaction on the hockey world was almost entirely sympathetic to Tarnasky:
Panthers fan Stu Young @utsgnuoy Wow, I didn't know NHL player fought on land just like they do on ice! Guy takes a serious beating!
Sports fan Dylan Barrons 🌍 @Bloop33 The more I watch this the funnier it gets
Writer Steve Skojec @SteveSkojec Yelling 'bang!' every time you punch a d-bag in the mouth is a strangely Baller move. Also, really appreciated the airtime on those launches
Businessman Adam Rossi @rossiadam Anyone looking for a sales guy? He gets thrown in a lake, gets pounded in the face by a Sasquatch yelling 'bam' with each punch, and still keeps a coming. Would make an amazing cold caller.
Hockey news site The Morning Skate @morning_skate Can you imagine running your mouth at the golf course only to get fed by former NHLer Nick Tarnasky 😂 The Bangs were straight out of the WWE and the guy was warned. Mess with the bull you get the horns! Hockey players are the best
Hockey content creator Andrew Weiss @WeissHockeyTalk Looks like former Lightning tough guy Nick Tarnasky is still fully capable of throwing some knuckles 🫡 That's one way to deal with (probably drunk) idiots
Hockey stats analyst Derek Braid @Royal_Arse Tarnasky almost 300 PIMs in 150 games in AHL 04-06. This drunk fool picked a fight with a professional nail gun. Wrong door pal.
Top ranked hockeh podcast Spittin' Chiclets @spittinchiclets BANG BANG BANG 💥🤛 Nick Tarnasky fed some lunch on the golf course and gave a good lesson on not to chirp a former NHLer 😂
Minnesota hockey fan Bob ' The Bear' Murphy @murphfrommidway The Rick Flair 'WOOOOOO' wasn't scaring the big man. Tarnasky gave him more hang time than a Ray Guy punt. And Tarnasky with the Batman sound effect with every blow he landed was priceless. Good thing Percy Pringle finally stopped the carnage. 🤣🤣🤣
Former NHL ref Tim Peel @TimCPeel20 😂😂😂 I reffed Nick. Never saw that side of him!😂
Senators fan Kevin McConville 🇨🇦 @Sensfan001Kevin Golf in Canada … is very much a contact sport it seems. And not just contact on the ball …
1. Three decades ago I interviewed one of Edmonton's toughest but sanest men, Norm Brochu, the top bouncer at Edmonton's roughest bar, the Beverly Crest. Brochu said in his decades of being a bouncer he had rarely fought and had learned that even as he could handle himself well, it was best to avoid a fight, that you never know who you are up against, and the body doesn't always recover from a beating.
Wise words.
2. The assailant in this fight was evidently drunk. He certainly acted as if he'd lost his good sense. He was aggressive and kept coming. He picked the wrong guy to mess with in Tarnasky. But as much damage as Tarnasky did, you can also see him letting up on the assailant. He warns him repeatedly to stand down. He never kicks him. He leaves him alone when he's down. He might well have thrown him onto pavement, not grass, but didn't do so. I see a controlled rage here, which was lucky for the assailant given he instigated the fight and kept on charging even as he was taking a beating.
The fight was comical and Pythonesque in that way, with the maniacal aggression of the instigator repeatedly rebounding on him.
There's also an element of the assailant getting what he richly had coming to him, a key element in so many vigilante movies, from Charles Bronson's 'Death Wish' series to Denzel Washington's 'The Equalizer.'
No one weeps when the bad guy gets punched in the face, even punched repeatedly.
The video is sure to have a long, long, long life on the internet.
3. Finally a few sentences about the bearded assailant, who is took one beating from Tarnasky, and now is taking one in the court of public opinion.
First, got to give the guy the credit as a warrior who kept on coming, even as he was getting trounced.
Second, no harm in sucking up and admitting you were far too aggressive, or, better yet, having a laugh with most everyone else at the temporary insanity that saw you unwittingly challenge one of hard men of hockey, then pay the inevitable price.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Why did Wild trade Declan Chisholm? Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko? Ask Russo and Smith, part 2
As always, thanks so much for your passion for the Minnesota Wild and support of us throughout yet another hockey season. And thanks for the many awesome questions during this two-part offseason mailbag. If you missed Part 1 on Tuesday, you can check it out here. Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and style. Why trade Declan Chisholm? Sounds like we need a left-shot D, especially to start the season, and it seemed like they were heading toward an extension? — Daniel Schauer The Wild liked Chisholm, who was a pretty versatile depth piece on the blue line, even filling in well in the top four when there were injuries last season. Bill Guerin pointed out it was one of the better waiver claims he's seen in a while. But Guerin also felt that the money wasn't going to work out for the restricted free agent, knowing Chisholm would likely cost more than they were willing to pay for what was essentially a seventh defenseman. The Wild want to give Zeev Buium and David Jiricek an opportunity, and Zach Bogosian is still under contract for another year. Chisholm ended up signing a two-year, $1.6 million AAV deal with the Capitals, which would probably have been too rich for Minnesota. — Smith If the Wild feel they need a depth defenseman, I would go the waiver route at the end of camp. There should be plenty available. Wouldn't it be ironic if they went after, let's say, Daemon Hunt if he doesn't make the Columbus roster? — Russo Thoughts on essentially an exchange of Freddy Gaudreau for Nico Sturm. I know faceoffs are huge and have been a big issue for the Wild and Nico will be a needed upgrade, but won't they miss Freddy and his magic on shootouts? — Sam Villella Gaudreau had two shootout attempts last season, as opposed to three years ago when he was a ridiculous 8 for 13. However, you don't keep a player solely on shootout magic when the 65 minutes of game action before are more important. The Wild feel Sturm is an upgrade in the circle and especially on the penalty kill, which is also a major issue. The trade also got the Wild out of three more years of Gaudreau's $2.1 million AAV after going missing in the playoffs. Gaudreau is better than Sturm offensively (18 goals last season, 19 three seasons ago), but the hope is Vladimir Tarasenko can produce, along with some of the young players. As for shootouts, Mats Zuccarello has 39 shootout goals and shoots at a tremendous 45.3 percent rate. Matt Boldy was their best last season at 3 for 6 and is 8 for 15 in his career. Kaprizov was 7 for his first 18 of his career, although he's 0 for 7 in the past two years. Tarasenko is 16 for 52 in shootouts, and I'm betting Danila Yurov is solid in that area. — Russo Do you think Tarasenko will have more points than Brock Boeser? — Joshua Velcheff Boeser has mostly been a 50-to-55-point player in his career, aside from his 40-goal season a few years ago. That doesn't seem likely to change with him staying in Vancouver. They're paying him at $7.25 million AAV over seven years to score. Tarasenko has just one 50-point season since his 2021-22, 82-point season with the Blues (55 in 2023-24 split between Ottawa and Florida). He's coming off a down season with 33 points in Detroit, but the Wild think that with a better role and communication with the coaching staff, Tarasenko could regain his form here. I still think Boeser has more points this year, but Tarasenko could provide an upgrade on the second-line wing from Marcus Johansson (who had 30 and 34 points, respectively, the last two seasons). — Smith Advertisement I see a number of contracts for other teams offer huge signing bonuses each year with a small salary. Do the signing bonuses count against the cap in the same way? Also, I heard Craig Leipold is against using signing bonuses. Does this put the Wild at a disadvantage when competing for players? — @Bjorn_L3 Signing bonuses count against the cap the same way. Sam Bennett just signed an eight-year, $64 million contract with $56 million in annual signing bonuses spread across the contract and $1 million annual base salary. It's still an $8 million cap. Players like signing bonuses because they get much of their money in lump sums, and it allows them to put that money to work earlier (i.e., investing) and makes it harder for them to be bought out because you can't buy out signing bonus money. Leipold has made clear he knows that if Kirill Kaprizov wants signing bonuses, he'll get signing bonuses. — Russo Free agency won't be the way to go moving forward with a skyrocketing salary cap. Trades likely will be the same when teams can afford their top players' next contracts. So, how do you improve other than through development? Yet we have Marco Rossi developing and don't want to pay him what he's worth in terms of comps. — Ben Hertel There are still going to be available trades, as we've seen this offseason. It'll just be harder to compete as other teams have the cap space as well, and with so many modified no-trade clauses, the Wild will have to show they're a destination spot. But you make a good point about the developing angle of this. Guerin talked about how much they valued their picks — and making them — in his first few years as a GM. As a result, director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett and his staff helped put together what The Athletic's Scott Wheeler labels the second-best prospect pool in the league. This year, however, will be a telling one on the team's pool of young players, as there are a handful of prospects who are expected to play a role on the NHL club. It starts, but doesn't end, with Buium, who should grab a regular role on the blue line, with Jiricek vying for time as well. Yurov is making his much-anticipated arrival from North America. Liam Ohgren is hungry for a middle-six role. It's really important for players on their entry-level contracts to make an impact, and these young players could go a long way in helping the team get over the hump. The latest hire of Greg Cronin to run AHL Iowa will be an important one as they try to balance playing younger players and developing a winning culture. — Smith PuckPedia has Vinnie Hinostroza as a non-roster forward. What's the deal there? — Elijah Bond PuckPedia shuffled its Wild roster to get it consistent with ours, so their available cap space is also consistent with ours ($10.186 million). We don't have Hinostroza making the team out of camp if the roster is healthy. If he outplays someone such as Ohgren, sure, he could make the team. — Russo Pending restricted free agents: Rossi, Michael Milne. Roster hopefuls: Yurov ($950,000), Ohgren ($886,666), Tyler Pitlick ($775,000), Nicolas Aube-Kubel ($775,000), Vinnie Hinostroza ($775,000), Ben Jones (775,000), Hunter Haight ($865,833), Riley Heidt ($950,000), Bradley Marek ($775,000), Caedan Bankier ($867,500), Cameron Butler ($858,333), Rasmus Kumpulainen ($897,500), Milne. Advertisement Roster hopefuls: Buium ($966,667), Jiricek ($918,333), Carson Lambos ($863,334), David Spacek ($862,500), Matt Kiersted ($775,000), Ben Gleason ($800,000), Jack Peart ($925,000), Kyle Masters ($865,000), Stevie Leskovar ($860,000). Roster hopefuls: Cal Petersen ($775,000), Samuel Hlavaj ($875,000), Riley Mercer ($819,167). Cap charges (including Ohgren, Buium, Jiricek, Wallstedt, Yurov): $82,546,666 Projected dead-cap buyout charges, bonus overages: $2,766,666 Projected salary cap for 2025-26 season: $95.5 million Projected salary-cap space: $10,186,668 (excludes re-signings) Sources: The Athletic sources and PuckPedia. Who do y'all think will get the C after 'Spurge?' And if it's either Marcus Foligno or Kaprizov, who gets the A? — Luke If Jared Spurgeon plays out the final two years of his contract, it could end up being a really good bridge to the other top right-shot defenseman on the team, Brock Faber. Faber, 22, would fit the bill as the next 'C.' The former Gophers captain is a franchise cornerstone on a long-term deal. He plays, acts and speaks like a captain. While there are other candidates here, and Foligno could indeed get the 'C' temporarily to finish his deal if Spurgeon moves sooner, Faber seems like a fitting choice. Kaprizov, assuming he signs his long-term extension, is another option, though he'd still be great as a permanent 'A,' with Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek. — Smith What's the plan for renovation at Grand Casino Arena now that the legislature has turned down funding? Any chance they move to Minneapolis? — Mark M The Wild were disappointed but not discouraged, they say, and their plan is to wait for the next legislative session in January to make another pitch. The city of St. Paul owns the arena. Leipold, who owns a team that's only in the building 44 times a season (except the playoffs), is willing to chip in roughly half the ask, but right now, they'll get no public money. The arena is 25 years old and has not had any major renovations, unlike most big-league arenas across the country. At some point, this will come to a head, and if new Timberwolves owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore build an arena in Minneapolis, yes, the Wild could theoretically become a future tenant. Nobody wants it to get to that point, especially considering this arena is so integral to the health of St. Paul. — Russo Advertisement Craig Button said Jiricek's ceiling is as a third-pairing guy. Obviously the organization disagrees, given the haul they gave up for him in the trade. So, where does the team see his ceiling, and who do you think is right? — @Elduderin017 I respect Button's opinion; he's an experienced former executive and longtime TSN director of amateur scouting. Does that mean Jiricek's ceiling is a third-pairing guy? Not necessarily. Button's point was that some teams are so stuck on where they drafted players in the first round — they have to be a top-pair or top-four guy — when they need to make realistic expectations for these prospects. I don't think we've seen enough of Jiricek to make a lock determination on how high he can go. There are some things he needs to work on, notably his skating, but the raw tools are there. The good thing for the Wild is that Jiricek is self-aware and realizes how important this summer is to him. Our guess is how he responds and what he shows next season in his contract year could be telling. — Smith Any timeframe for the new jerseys? – AJ Spears My guess is the 25th anniversary jerseys will be unveiled around State Fair time. They can be worn four times this season, per league rule. It's an homage to their early days. — Russo Do you think Jesper Wallstedt will be ready to back up Filip Gustavsson this year? — Cody Zimmerman The Wild are betting on it, and I don't blame them. He's been their 'goalie of the future' since he was drafted in the first round in 2021, and one of the game's top goalie prospects. I see why there's been some concern over his struggles last season with AHL Iowa, and Wallstedt admitted to me it was a 'terrible' year. But there were other factors involved, from his three separate injuries to poor defensive play in front of him. Wallstedt is bullish on his future and his potential, and perhaps playing in the NHL in front of Faber and company will give him more stability to play his best game. What will be the biggest challenge, however, is adjusting to a backup role and a partnership with Gustavsson. — Smith What former Wild player/coach do you miss interviewing the most? — @Dad30655174 Is it too soon to say Marc-Andre Fleury? I haven't been on the Wild beat that long — this will be my fourth season coming up — so Russo probably has a better answer. But in just a couple of seasons, Fleury quickly became one of my all-time favorite people to chat with in the league. Genuine, insightful, funny. You can see why he was so beloved by teammates in his career. — Smith Derek Boogaard. — Russo Why did Jonas Brodin and/or the medical staff wait 2-plus months after the team was once again bounced in the first round to decide he needed surgery? It could have been done in April. — Glenn Guerin says he was cleared medically to go to the worlds, got through the worlds fine, and then the injury flared up again while working out. That's where it was determined he'd fly to Colorado for surgery. Guerin explained it's the type of injury that sometimes does and sometimes doesn't need surgery. I'd agree it's peculiar that Brodin was cleared for the world championships in the first place. — Russo Eleven months from now, the Wild are hoisting the Cup. As beat writers, the team gives you each a day with it. What are you doing with it? — Reid20 First of all, the chance that will happen is squat, but if it did, I'd take it to Starbucks and fill the giant bowl with Americanos, which should last me a day. Joe would take it to Panera and fill the giant bowl with Diet Coke, which should last him till lunchtime. He's very proud of being a member of Panera's Unlimited Sip Club. On June 30, he saved $154 that month alone on Diet Coke and $966 year to date. And everyone thinks I am the one who has a caffeine addiction. — Russo Advertisement Just because I don't spend $7 a pop on an Americano at Starbucks doesn't mean I have the problem. Who wouldn't want to save on their drink of choice? And, Russo, some of that savings goes to coffee for my wife. — Smith (Top photo of Declan Chisholm: Bailey Hillesheim / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
What does the Buffalo Sabres' signing of Alex Lyon mean for Devon Levi?
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres didn't get good enough goaltending last season. There were plenty of other factors that contributed to Buffalo's underwhelming, 79-point season in 2024-25, but it's tough to avoid the fact that their goaltending needs to be better if they have any hope of competing in 2025-26. Last season, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen took a major step back after a breakout 2023-24 led to him signing a lucrative, five-year contract extension worth $4.75 million per year. Devon Levi once again started the season in the NHL but finished the year with only nine games played after getting sent down to the AHL early in the year. James Reimer, who the team put on waivers at the beginning of the season, ended up back on the roster and had the best season of any of the Sabres' goalies. His late-season surge made Buffalo look like a respectable team down the stretch. Advertisement The Sabres need to play better team defense. They allowed the eighth-most high-danger chances in the NHL last season. They've made some improvements on the blue line and added two forwards who have a track record for being defensively responsible players. But they'll need the goaltending to pick up some of the slack, too. That starts with Luukkonen, who is being paid like a No. 1 goalie. But the Sabres also signed veteran goalie Alex Lyon on the first day of NHL free agency. The 32-year-old spent the last two seasons exclusively in the NHL after grinding his way through AHL seasons with the occasional call-up. He parlayed a strong finish to the 2022-23 season with the Florida Panthers into a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. He started a total of 69 games in Detroit with a .901 save percentage and a 2.96 goals-against average. Those are solid numbers for a backup goalie. They're also better numbers than the Sabres got from Luukkonen last season. How Lindy Ruff will split the workload in Buffalo's crease will likely depend on who earns the starts. At the end of last season, Ruff leaned on Reimer because he was the team's more consistent goalie. If Lyon can provide similar stability, he could eat into Luukkonen's workload. But signing Lyon also gives the Sabres the chance to keep Levi in the AHL for another season. Levi, who turns 24 in December, started each of the last two seasons in the NHL only to end up in the AHL. Last season, he posted a 2.20 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in Rochester. He wasn't his best in the Americans' series against Laval and still only has a total of 81 AHL starts. By comparison, Dustin Wolf, who is the same age as Levi, had almost 170 AHL starts in Calgary's organization before having a breakout rookie season last year. There is still a benefit to Levi playing in the AHL. Advertisement 'I don't think it hurts having more reps at the minor league level,' Sabres goalie development coach Seamus Kotyk said. 'I think it benefits the long run of your career, and sometimes when you're young, seeing that long end of things is not easy. I understand training camp can determine many things, but getting a little more reps under your belt can help your consistency down the road when that consistency is really needed in your game. The Sabres have to have goaltending that is there every night for us. So I'm good with it.' Levi, who is a restricted free agent, has an apartment in Buffalo. He spent last season commuting to Rochester and staying in a hotel there during the week. This season, Kotyk noticed Levi being more present in Rochester than he was the year before. '(In) years past, he was never settled,' Kotyk said. 'He had every opportunity to come in with a chip on his shoulder, but that's not him. He was just there, and the group, all the personalities meshed with that team, and he was every day in the moment. He was never thinking, 'I should be in Buffalo' or, 'What's happening?' He was, 'I'm here. Let's make the most of it, and I'm going to get what I have.' That's a little bit of who he is, but also how he chose to handle the situation.' Lyon's presence means there's a good chance Levi will spend the bulk of time in the AHL again. There's also a chance the Sabres end up carrying three goalies at certain points during the season. One of the benefits of having Lyon as the veteran in the room is that he's seen it all. He's been that player shuffling back and forth between the AHL and NHL. He's been a part of three-goalie depth charts before, too. During an energetic half-hour video call with Buffalo reporters on Tuesday, Lyon displayed the type of attitude that should benefit Buffalo's young goalies. Advertisement 'I'm a big believer in goalies have to support goalies,' Lyon said. 'There's only two goalies, or however it shakes out … There was a time in my life where I didn't treat the other goalies that well, and it was a mistake. The reality is in an 82-game season, you need both guys to be going, and you need both guys to win games. 'It's such a delicate balance of being very competitive and pushing each other, but also being very supportive off the ice and having that good relationship.' Someone with Lyon's life experience will be an asset not only to the Sabres' goalies but to the entire locker room. He was a lightly recruited, undrafted goalie who needed to shine at Yale to get a look from NHL teams. He didn't start 15 NHL games in a season until he was 30. He spoke about wanting to be the most competitive player on the ice every time he practices. When playing for the Panthers, he learned the importance of separating yourself from the results and not getting bogged down in the emotional highs and lows that are inevitable in any season. Maybe it's that blend of experiences and traits that makes Lyon the type of person who looks at Buffalo's struggles and sees an opportunity to run toward, not away from. 'I think personally the best way is we have to start with game one, preseason game one,' Lyon said. 'We have to start tomorrow. You have to be the most competitive guy on the ice tomorrow, and then we'll go from there. Even if it's your summer skate … The best guys I've been around are the ones who put their heart on their sleeve every single practice, every single game. There are special players, but that's the number one quality for sure. I try to bring that personally on a day-to-day basis … If you bring competitive energy and passion every single day, good things are going to happen. If you can bring passion and energy through the bad times, it says a lot about character. The guys that struggle to fight through those situations are usually the ones who don't make it … Scar tissue is hard to get around, but it's also foolish to go into the season thinking, 'This is the chance.' You have to live in the moment.' Now those July words just have to turn into action when the Sabres start training camp in September. But Lyon is another piece of the Sabres trying to change their culture with the personalities they're bringing into the locker room. And Lyon, who had to scratch and claw for everything he's gotten in his NHL career, will change that culture most tangibly if he can provide legitimate competition. If he can play well enough to push Luukkonen for starts and make Levi earn every game he gets, the Sabres' goaltending won't be a problem. 'My aspiration is always to play as many games as possible,' Lyon said. (Photos of Alex Lyon and Devon Levi: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images and Timothy T. Ludwig / USA Today)


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
What does Red Wings' path to internal improvement really look like?
While there's still technically more than two months before the Red Wings take the ice for training camp, the majority of Detroit's offseason work is done. Perhaps there could still be one more move — be it big or small — between now and mid-September, but with the NHL getting ready to go into post-July 1 hibernation, we have a pretty good idea what the Red Wings' nightly lineup could look like. Which is to say: a lot like last year. Advertisement There were additions, to be sure. Detroit added a starting goalie in John Gibson, plus a pair of big-bodied forwards in Mason Appleton and James van Riemsdyk. It also added a depth defender in Jacob Bernard-Docker. All, individually, look like solid to good acquisitions. But in terms of a big shakeup, that never really materialized for general manager Steve Yzerman. Of course, Yzerman was prepared for that possibility. After the 2025 NHL Draft, as the focus shifted to the looming frenzy around free agency (and trades to accommodate it), Detroit's seventh-year GM was clear in acknowledging that — while the team wanted to make a move — it was possible the step forward the team so badly needs would have to come another way. 'If we can't do anything, maybe we get better simply by: Marco (Kasper) takes another step, Simon (Edvinsson) takes another step, Albert (Johansson) takes another step,' Yzerman said. 'Maybe one of these young guys that played in GR last year, whoever it is, takes another step and goes on our team. … I'm going to keep trying. We will keep trying. But the worst thing I can do is make a move out of desperation or panic and move our young players out here (in a deal) that doesn't make us any better.' Granted, those comments came before Detroit signed van Riemsdyk, Bernard-Docker and Appleton, so the Red Wings did something. But while those players should help the Red Wings to varying degrees, it's safe to say none qualifies as the kind of needle-mover the Red Wings needed in the top six of their forward corps, or top four on defense. And absent that, or a later-summer trade, Detroit appears to be left with that alternate route laid out by its GM. The question is just what that growth could actually look like. Let's start with the first two players Yzerman mentioned, Kasper and Edvinsson — both former top-10 picks who were functionally rookies last season (Edvinsson didn't technically qualify because he had played six or more games in two preceding seasons, but had only 25 total games to his name). Advertisement Kasper, a young center who played nearly the entire season at age 20, was the breakout story of Detroit's second half. He moved into a full-time role in the top six in January, and never looked back — first playing on the left wing with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and then moving back into the middle after an injury to Andrew Copp, centering Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. In both roles, he thrived. From January 10 through the end of the season, Kasper scored 17 goals and had 30 points in 42 games. That's outstanding output for any rookie (and indeed, he was first in goals and fifth in points among rookies in that span), but particularly for a young center who also displayed a mature two-way game and plays with an edge. If he can be that over a full season — whether at 2C or even at first-line wing at times — that's already a huge deal, let alone if he were to take any kind of step. Unsurprisingly, Dom Luszczyszyn's model already has Kasper projected to deliver top-six value next season. But considering how much the offense, in particular, ticked up in the second half, it's interesting to consider if he could even outpace the already promising projections the model is giving. If he can trend toward first-line impact sooner than expected, that would be one clear way Detroit's outlook could improve. That kind of improvement is not a given, though. While Kasper's 13.1 shooting percentage over the full 2024-25 season looks fairly sustainable, his 18.3 percent marker from Jan. 10 on is notably high. That speaks to the challenge in predicting what his next season could look like, and fittingly, the top comparables via Luszczyszyn's model go in each direction. Certainly, Detroit will be hoping to avoid worst-case outcomes such as Alexander Burmistrov or Nolan Patrick (who battled significant injuries). Meanwhile, the Red Wings would, of course, be over the moon to get an outcome like Jamie Benn. Even Boone Jenner has had a nice career, albeit with some recent injury woes, and was a 30-goal scorer as early as 22. Advertisement The most likely outcome (as always) is probably somewhere in the middle of that range, but based on Kasper's mental makeup, it's hard not to like his odds of continuing his upward trajectory. He's not someone who will take anything for granted or get complacent. But it's important to remember how hard it truly is to consistently deliver strong results in the NHL at a young age, and even Larkin — the Red Wings' most important player of the last decade — fell victim to a sophomore slump once upon a time. Still, if Kasper can play more toward the upper-end of his recent comparables, that stands out as perhaps the most significant way for Detroit to make a meaningful improvement next year. The other top young player Yzerman keyed in on that post-draft statement was Edvinsson, who has a higher-floor set of comparables. Luszczyszyn's model already has Edvinsson comfortably as a top-pair caliber defenseman, and the names who have seen similar results at this age have gone on to some excellent careers as impactful defenders. Josh Morrissey is the most tantalizing name, as a current Norris Trophy candidate, but it's easy to forget just how good Seth Jones has proven to be in the right environment (he was a total force on Florida's Stanley Cup run), and Jacob Trouba, Alex Edler, Esa Lindell and even K'Andre Miller have played massive roles on teams that went on deep runs. The way Edvinsson skates at his size gives him an excellent ability to defend in transition, and he has the puck skills and poise to make good passes to start the break as well. He can at times get overeager, but with more reps and experience, it stands to reason the risk in his game could come down as well — setting him up for star potential if things break right. His role last year as a top-four defender all year (spending some of that time on the top pair with Moritz Seider) means Detroit is already getting plenty of that impact from Edvinsson, which has to be factored in. What is interesting, though, is how much offense Edvinsson was able to generate despite minimal power-play time last season. None of his 31 points came on the power play. Advertisement If the smooth-skating 6-foot-6 defender gets a little more action on PP2 this season, that'd be one way for him to add a bit more offense, and his natural puck-moving at five-on-five provides plenty of reason to think his even-strength numbers can continue to grow as well. The other name Yzerman singled out was Johansson, who didn't have the same kind of statistical success as Kasper or Edvinsson, but nonetheless really won over the coaching staff with how he played in the second half. The underlying numbers weren't as kind — with a 45 percent expected goals share and 43 percent actual goals share, according to Evolving Hockey — but some of that may be a product of often playing a second-pair role as a true rookie, and a smaller-bodied rookie at that. That said, he certainly had his moments, including making a transition stop on Connor McDavid in Edmonton. Not to make this about the Red Wings but remember the time Johansson schooled McDavid? — Delaney Rimer (@delaneydrw) February 16, 2025 On one hand, Johansson's workload likely isn't getting any lighter, considering Detroit didn't make any big additions on defense. But perhaps with the experience under his belt — and a summer to try and add weight — Johansson can come back more ready to handle second-pair minutes for a full season. He certainly has the smarts and skating to do so as a steady complement to Edvinsson. Yzerman also alluded to a young player coming up from Grand Rapids and helping the Red Wings, and there are two names that really come to mind. One is Carter Mazur, who was called up last season only to quickly sustain an upper-body injury and be done for the season. Injuries have followed Mazur as a pro, but he's the kind of gritty forward with offensive touch who could both help build a tougher-to-play against identity and score more goals in the bottom six. The other, and perhaps the higher-ceiling candidate, is Nate Danielson — the 2023 ninth pick who had very similar numbers to Kasper in their respective AHL rookie seasons. Whether Danielson makes the team out of camp or not, his blend of size, skating, smarts and skill gives him the potential to play in the top six and complement Detroit's top players. Advertisement Red Wings assistant director of player development Dan Cleary praised Danielson's finish to last season, particularly the Griffins' final game (a double-overtime playoff loss to Texas), and Detroit will challenge him to pick up where he left off. There are other names to know for the season. Forward Amadeus Lombardi is one, after a great second season in Grand Rapids. Both Shai Buium and William Wallinder could bring more size on the back end. And of course, recent first-rounders Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Axel Sandin Pellikka have big potential once they adjust to North American ice. But Danielson, because of how truly well-rounded he is, has the most potential to move the needle for Detroit in 2025-26 among the prospects, if he can find his top level consistently. The other element to all of this is that first- and second-year players aren't the only players capable of improving. Anyone can. And while certainly Detroit would love to see further steps from everyone on the roster, there are two more players right in the development sweet spot for whom one or two more steps could make a major difference. Seider and Raymond are already two of Detroit's most important, impactful players. Seider is the team leader in ice time, and Raymond is its leading point-producer two years running. But when you look at some of the names Luszczyszyn's model found as comparables to this point in their young careers, there's also clear potential for more. Drew Doughty really stands on Seider's list as a path to taking his already excellent play into true star territory. For Raymond, he may not have Matthew Tkachuk's same edge, but the Panthers star also grew into multiple 100-point seasons, as has Patrick Kane. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has reached that level in a season, too, while Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel have both topped 90. And while Raymond has already been a difference-maker for Detroit, would anyone really be that surprised if he built on his 80-point campaign last season and reached that even more exclusive territory? Advertisement None of this, mind you, is a given. It's a lot of 'ifs,' and odds are, not all of them will come to fruition. It's possible that none will. But if the right ones do, that's what it would take for Detroit's hope for internal improvement to actually turn into a long-awaited playoff berth. (Photo of Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond: Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)