Ruslan Salei

OTD: Plane crash kills entire KHL team that included several former Red Wings

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Today marks the 9th anniversary, which ultimately claimed 44 of the 45 lives on board. Among those lost included former Detroit Red Wings defenseman and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon, defenseman Ruslan Salei, and goaltending prospect Stefan Liv. The team was on its way to Minsk, Belarus for the beginning of the KHL’s 2011-12 Season. In what … Read more

Red Wings, Ericsson Agree to 3 Year Deal

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On the eve of free agency, the Red Wings have come to terms with Jonathan Ericsson, meaning they will return five of their top 7 defensemen from last season. Ruslan Salei will not be offered a contract, and Brian Rafalski has opted out of the last year of his 5 year, $30M contract for retirement. Ericsson was taken by the Wings at 291st overall, the last pick in the 2002 draft. Ericsson’s will be under contract with the Wings for three seasons, at a cap hit of $3.25M.

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Red Wings Off-season Preview: Defense

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This is the second installment of a three part series where I will look at the three segments of the Wings roster, and what moves they might make in the off-season to shape their lineup. On Saturday, I walked you through the potential candidates to become Jimmy Howard’s understudy. Today, the defense is under the microscope.

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Same Story, Different Location

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The start time may have been more than three hours later than we are used to, but the story was much of the same. The Wings stormed out to a three goal lead that never was in serious doubt, pushing the Coyotes to the brink of elimination and relocation. Follow along after the jump for the breakdown.

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Salei v. Kindl: The Battle for #6

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The pecking order on defense was more or less set in stone at the start of the season. Nicklas Lidstrom was your number one. Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart and Niklas Kronwall made up two through four, in whatever order you so pleased. Jonathan Ericsson was the de facto fifth defenseman, if you want to call it that. Then Ruslan Salei was the number 6 guy, with Jakub Kindl only ever getting game action when those above him on the depth chart needed time off.

But with the start of the playoffs just days away, has there been a shift in the ordering at the bottom of the depth chart? Follow along after the jump and we’ll find out!

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Plenty to Play for in Season’s Final Week

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The Wings may have wrapped up a playoff spot with a huge overtime victory against the Predators on Saturday. And yes, they may have clinched the Central division title for the 9th time in 10 years the next day with a 4-2 win over Minnesota. And while they may be locked into either the second or third seed in the Western Conference, they still have plenty to play for in the last week of the 2010-2011 NHL regular season.

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Wings Can’t Solve Rinne

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Well,  so much for that whole “what players do we make healthy scratches” issue. Tonight, the Red Wings played one man under the limit of 18 skaters, because Jiri Hudler (flu), Pavel Datsyuk (lower body), and Johan Franzen (undisclosed) were all unavailable. They could have gone with 7 defensemen to offset the loss up front, but Ruslan Salei is still in California with his family after the birth of he and his wife’s third child.

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Crucial 2 Points Won, $14k Raised for Charity

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There was something a little sweeter about this one. When Pavel Datsyuk showed off a little bit of his classic dangle dangle, and then went snipe snipe for good measure, and the crowd roared in approval of the Red Wings first victory in March…there was something a little magical about it. Join me after the jump and I’ll explain a little of the magic to you…

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Late Rally Gives Wings SO Win

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The Buffalo Sabres were 58 seconds from winning in regulation, but ended up dropping the decision in the skills competition after over time solved nothing. With them chasing the Hurricanes for 8th place in the Eastern Conference, acquiring any point that can be had is vital. Only time will tell if letting the second point slip away against Detroit last night will come back to bite them.

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Take Your Measuring Stick and Shove it

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Red Wings 6  – Lightning 2

In a game that was a measuring stick of sorts for the Lightning, they did not stack up well against the Red Wings. With players coming back in droves off of the injured reserve, the Wings have begun playing like the team we were treated to in the first two months of the season. Follow along after the jump for the breakdown.

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Stuart’s Back, Salei’s still in Cali, Kindl Gets One More

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Tonight, the Detroit Red Wings will welcome back Brad Stuart to the lineup. Stuart has been sidelined since breaking his jaw in a game against the Calgary Flames on January 7th. Tom Kostopoulos received a six game suspension for the hit.

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What to do with all these healthy bodies?

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Very soon, the Red Wings will have to deal with a problem they’ve barely had to think about for two full seasons. When Brad Stuart, Valtteri Filppula and Mike Modano all return sometime this month (hopefully) the Red Wings will have…*gasp* too many healthy players!

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