Quick Hits: The Playoff Possibilities Edition
In Red Wings Land
OctoPulse podcast: Sweden coach says Gustav Lindstrom ‘top-four defenseman’ | Detroit News
“I think he (Lindstrom) can be a top-four defenseman (with the Red Wings),” Ragnarsson said. ”As he progresses, he’s going to be even better as he gets more comfortable playing against better players.”
The six-foot-two, 190-pound Lindstrom, 21, was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft. He had one assist and was minus-seven in 16 games with the Red Wings this year after picking up five assists in 45 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
”Playing on the smaller ice surface suits him better,” Ragnarsson said. “He’s not the best skater on the big ice but he plays the game more of the way I want to see him play over here. He gets more physical with shorter strides out to the corners to hit the opposition. He’s been doing really well. He doesn’t back down. What I’m trying to tell him is to go out and play your game and keep your head up.”
Sounds good to me.
COVID-19
Fox Sports Detroit freelancers getting no financial help or answers from parent company | Freep
There are more than 100 freelancers who work for FSD — 35 to 40 are needed to produce each game — and right now, they have no source of income, or any information coming from the corporate office.
“This feels like there’s no coming back from,” said Abdella, who specializes in instant replay. “That is the real punch in the gut for a lot of us. You preach teamwork, have meetings, send information out, then when the times get the hardest, you’re radio silent. That is devastating to us.”
This is unfortunate and sad. It would be great if Sinclair Broadcast Group would do the right thing and pay the freelancers for their scheduled gigs.
Around the League
Brainstorming six Stanley Cup Playoff format ideas for 2020 | Sportsnet
• Rank the teams by points percentage, the top seven in each conference get in, leaving one spot open on each side of the draw. Now have your single-elimination bracket, as the next eight teams — seeds eight through 15 — compete for that final playoff spot in both the East and West. Naturally, you rank the competing teams one through eight in each conference. Sorry, Detroit, you’re the only one sitting this out.
If Detroit is the only team that doesn’t make the playoffs, it’s only fair that they’re also the only team that is eligible for the NHL Draft Lottery!