Red Wings: European talent may not return to United States for 2020-21
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Red Wings may miss out on some of their European talents amid the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Hockey League (NHL) has started back up, and while the Detroit Red Wings are not suiting up, some of the players may be back on the ice sooner than others. With the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, there may be some changes made for European prospects.
While the United States continues the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular-season start date for the 2020-21 season is set for December 1st as the tentative date. However, some of the leagues over in Europe are looking like they will be starting up sooner than later.
In this case, the Red Wings may begin to make some changes, meaning they may not see some of their European talents for awhile. Possibly for the 2019-20 season, if things are deemed safe enough for these players to leave the teams, they are being loaned to or choosing to stay with.
More from Detroit Jock City
- Tigers Sign Manager A.J. Hinch to Long-Term Extension
- Lions vs. Bears Week 14 Opening Odds Disrespect Detroit
- Former Tigers Celebrate Jim Leyland Hall of Fame Call
- This Pistons Team Could be the Worst in Detroit Sports History
- 4 Free Agents Tigers Should Sign During Winter Meetings
For example, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, the Red Wings have loaned Moritz Seider back to his home club of Adler Mannheim.
This means that the 2019 sixth overall selection will play for his home club in which he played for growing up until the Red Wings recall him.
The organization can bring him back when camp opens up, but that also is if things are clearing up here in the United States, and it is safe to bring the European players back over here.
Seider played the 2019-20 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins in his first season of North American hockey.
He will now head back to Adler Mannheim, where he will prepare for whenever the Red Wings give him a call looking for him to come back and don the red and white sweater once more.
Seider is not the only one; the Detroit Red Wings are going to see others loaned to or staying with teams in Europe.
The Red Wings should expect some of the European talent to stay over in Europe to begin the 2020-21 season. Some players like Kasper Kotkansalo will opt to stay in their home countries to play their hockey.
Kotkansalo opted to stay in Finland rather than return to the Boston University NCAA D1 hockey program, signing a contract with Ässät HC in Finland. There are other players like Jonatan Berggren, Albin Grewe, and maybe even Antti Tuomisto, who could delay there travel over to the United States.
Not all of these players have signed their entry-level contracts and could choose to stay in Europe. This is, depending on what could happen given the uncertainty of some of the amateur leagues and NCAA college hockey for the 2020-21 season.
There are plenty of players who could wind up staying over there, including rumors that the Red Wings could loan Joseph Veleno and Filip Zadina to teams in Europe to get them on the ice. Now, these two players would return when the Red Wings hit the ice.
However, players like Kotkansalo may not be back on the ice over here in North America for a considerable amount of time. The 2020-21 season uncertainty will lead to many players having to make tough decisions as well as the Red Wings, making tough decisions on loaning players.
Trending. NFL needs to adopt the bubble format before it’s too late. light
The Detroit Red Wings should expect some more players to be spending time in Europe for the 2020-21 season or until it is deemed safe for them to return to the organization.