The Flying Octopus

Episode 35: Detroit’s Goaltending, Ken Holland is Back & Kashawn Aitcheson Prospect Profile

In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus Podcast, the fellas dive into Detroit’s goaltending as the final installment of a four-part team review series. Cam Talbot, Alex Lyon, and Petr Mrazek combined to form a better goaltending core than what we’ve seen in years passed, but still left a bit to be desired. Now, Talbot and Mrazek look to hold down Detroit’s crease in 2025-26. The guys then pivot to Kashawn Aitcheson for this week’s draft prospect profile. The Barrie Colts blueliner racked up 26 goals this season and plays a physical game. Might he be Detroit’s pick at 13? And finally, the show wraps up with some news, including a post-mortem on the Grand Rapids Griffins, World Championships updates, and Ken Holland being named the general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, plus what that might mean for the Red Wings. Link for the article mentioned in the last segment: https://thehockeywriters.com/red-wings-kings-future-trade-partners/

Episode 34: Detroit’s Divergent Special Teams, Kane + Kasper + Tarasenko Evaluations & Carter Bear Prospect Profile

In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus Podcast, the fellas do a deep dive on Detroit’s special teams from the 2024-25 season as the third installment of a four-part team review series. The Red Wings had one of the hottest power plays in the league, but also THE coldest penalty kill. Next up are evaluations of Patrick Kane, Marco Kasper, and Vladimir Tarasenko. What does the future hold for these three? The guys then pivot to Carter Bear, one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2025 draft class. The Everett Silvertips forward finished the year with 50 goals and 82 points in 57 games, but also suffered a lacerated achilles. Will that allow him to fall to the Red Wings? And finally, the show wraps up with some news, including a farewell to Trevor Thompson and Mickey York, who were let go from FanDuel Sports, plus notes on Isaac Howard, the Utah Mammoth, and Nicklas Lidstrom.

Episode 33: Dissecting Detroit’s Defense, Seider + Edvinsson + Chiarot Evaluations & Jackson Smith Draft Prospect Profile

In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus Podcast, the guys do a deep dive on Detroit’s five-on-five defense from 2024-25 as the second part of a four-part team review series. The Red Wings ranked poorly relative to the league in defensive metrics, but improved year-over-year. Next up are evaluations of Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Ben Chiarot as the defensive focus continues. What did these players do well? Where can they improve? Also, reactions to Steve Yzerman and Todd McLellan’s end-of-year press conference. Finally, the fellas highlight 2025 draft prospect Jackson Smith, a left defenseman from the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. As one of the top defensemen in the draft, Smith could be an excellent addition to Detroit’s prospect pipeline

Episode 32: Analyzing Detroit’s Offense, Larkin + Raymond + DeBrincat Evaluations & Jake O’Brien Draft Prospect Profile

 In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus Podcast, the fellas review Detroit’s five-on-five offense from the 2024-25 as part of a four-part team review series. The Red Wings ranked poorly relative to the league in offensive production, and the guys analyze why that was the case, plus what changed from a year ago. Next up are evaluations of Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Alex DeBrincat. What did these players do well? (A lot.) Where can they improve? Also, reactions to Larkin’s end-of-year press conference comments about Detroit’s lack of trade deadline additions and the impact on the locker room. Finally, the guys bring it home with the first 2025 draft prospect profile of the season, which featured Jake O’Brien, a high-scoring center from the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL.

Episode 31: Red Wings Close Out 2024-25, Key Takeaways & Looking Ahead to a Pivotal Offseason

In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus Podcast, the guys discuss the final three Detroit Red Wings games of the 2024-25 season: a 6-4 win over the Dallas Stars, a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils, and a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the final day of the season. The conversation then turns to key takeaways from the 2024-25 season, including the youth movement, Detroit’s decision to hire Todd McLellan, and a few scoring milestones along the way. Finally, the fellas look ahead to the offseason - the first The Flying Octopus Podcast will cover as a team. Coming up, you can expect wall-to-wall coverage that includes player and team evaluations, draft targets and strategy (with boots on the ground at the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles), free agents, buyouts, trade candidates, and much more. Thank you for following along for the 2024-25 season - it’s been an honor to share Red Wings content with the greatest fans in the world. We’re already looking forward to what’s next.

Episode 30: Red Wings’ Playoff Hopes Fizzle Out, Prospect Updates & Ovechkin’s Impact On the NHL

In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus Podcast, the guys discuss Detroit’s outings against Montreal and Florida that effectively ended their playoff hopes. The games also illuminated a season-long trend: Detroit’s inability to generate offense on a consistent basis. The fellas talk about the timing of the Red Wings’ offensive woes, offseason priorities, and the forwards heading into 2025-26. The discussion then turns to Detroit’s prospects and who might get a cameo in the remaining games. Sebastian Cossa? Nate Danielson? Amadeus Lombardi? Axel Sandin Pellikka or Michael Brandsegg-Nygard? Also updates on Dmitri Buchelnikov and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Isaac Howard, who, like Trey Augustine, will be returning to Michigan State for another crack at the title. Finally, the guys covered Alex Ovechkin’s goal-scoring record, his impact on the metro-Washington D.C. area, and his rockstar status. Oh, and some gentle parenting for Red Wings Social Media and the meltdowns there.

Episode 29: Red Wings Enter April In the D, Realizing the Progress Made & Trey Augustine

In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus podcast, the guys discuss the Red Wings’ remaining schedule and what to watch for down the stretch, including the young core playing pivotal roles, an improved penalty kill, and more. The discussion then turns to the positives to take away from the 2024-25 season and why the Red Wings are in great shape heading into the offseason. Finally, the fellas discuss Trey Augustine’s decision to return to Michigan State for his junior campaign, plus what that means for the Red Wings and Grand Rapid Griffins next year.

Episode 28: Red Wings On the Brink, Fixing the Goal-Scoring Woes & More

In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus podcast, the guys discuss the Red Wings’ three games this week – their 5-1 win over Utah, the 5-2 loss to Colorado, and Thursday’s 4-3 loss to Ottawa. It’s not all doom and gloom, though – there are plenty of positive and neutral takeaways from the latest loss and the season as a whole. Next, the fellas turn to the 2025 NHL Draft where the Red Wings are likely to pick in the 9-12 range. Could they land a Jackson Smith or Victor Eklund to bolster their prospect pool? How about Carter Bear, Jake O’Brien, or even Roger McQueen? And finally, the episode wraps up with a discussion about Jakob Chychrun’s 8-year, $9 million AAV contract with the Capitals, what it means for the Red Wings, and the new reality we’re living in when it comes to the NHL salary cap.

Episode 27: Red Wings On the Brink, Fixing the Goal-Scoring Woes & More

 In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus podcast, the guys discuss the current state of the Red Wings heading into a critical road trip. Detroit faces off against Vegas on Saturday, Utah on Monday, and Colorado on Tuesday before returning home to take on the Senators on Thursday. The discussion then turns to Detroit’s faltering offensive output and what the Red Wings can do to put more pucks in the net. The fellas also touch on playoff odds, Axel Sandin Pellikka, and the Avengers.

Episode 26: Red Wings (Finally) Win, Marco Kasper’s Emergence, Jonatan Berggren’s Future & More

In this week’s episode of The Flying Octopus podcast, the guys discuss Tony and Devin’s experience at the Navy Federal NHL Stadium Series. Next up, the fellas recap Detroit’s 7-3 win vs. Buffalo, including the dominance of the DeBrincat-Kasper-Kane line, Marco Kasper’s emergence as a true 2C, and Petr Mrazek’s second debut in Detroit. The discussion then turns to Jonatan Berggren, who has been scratched the last two games - what is his future? Is it in Detroit? And finally, the focus turns to Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson, who signed an entry-level contract Thursday. What does his future hold? What can Grand Rapids Griffins fans expect from him down the stretch and beyond?