OctoPulse: Taking the pulse of the Red Wings rebuild

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Detroit Red Wings' season-ending news conference with general manager Steve Yzerman and coach Todd McLellan.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' 4-1 loss in Montreal which all but eliminates them from the playoffs for the ninth straight year and Panthers analyst Bill Lindsay is the interview guest on this episode of the OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' slim playoff chances after a 2-1 OT loss in St. Louis and ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan is the interview guest on this episode of the OctoPulse podcast.

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' 5-2 loss in Denver on Tuesday and Ottawa Sun reporter Bruce Garrioch is the interview guest.

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' slim playoff chances with 14 games left in the season and David Legwand is the interview guest.

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Joe Veleno trade with the Blackhawks and PWHL defenseman Mellissa Channell-Watkins is the interview guest.

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' 5-3 loss against the Blue Jackets in the Stadium Series on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan talks about Saturday's outdoor game in Columbus, the Ville Husso trade to Anaheim and Ducks analyst Brian Hayward is the interview guest.

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan talks about the team's four-game sweep on the western road trip and Sportsnet draft analyst Jason Bukala is the interview guest. Before Christmas, the odds of the Red Wings making the playoffs were less than one percent under coach Derek Lalonde. After Christmas, under new coaches Todd McLellan and Trent Yawney, Detroit has gone 15-4-1 and the odds, according to moneypuck.com/predictions, are 50-50 of ending the franchise's eight-year playoff drought. "As we sit here doing this podcast, I would be a little surprised at this point if they didn't make the playoffs," Kulfan said. "This has been about as good as they've played in years, quite honestly. The one thing which really stood out during this four-game road trip, you kind of expected them to win during points in these games."

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan talks about Dominik Shine's successful NHL debut at age 31 and NHL podcaster Julie Petry is the interview guest. After nine years in the minor leagues, Shine played in Monday's 5-2 win over the L.A. Kings and he'll make this week's road trip which begins Thursday in Edmonton (9 p.m., FDSN, 97.1). "It is a great story," Kulfan said on the podcast. "You need these type of stories throughout the course of a long season. I think the team really embraced it last night. He's kind of an everyman Joe. He's 31 years old, a career minor leaguer from the area, from Pinckney and went to play at Northern (Michigan). He's stayed in Grand Rapids since 2016 because he wants to build a base for his family."

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan talks about the Red Wings' mini slide after the seven-game winning and Kraken broadcaster John Forslund is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the red-hot Red Wings, who have a seven-game winning streak heading into Tuesday's game against San Jose and ex-Wings defenseman Brad Stuart is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the resurgent Red Wings who are on a four-game winning streak heading into Tuesday's game against Ottawa and broadcaster Kenny Albert is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings under new coach Todd McLellan and L.A. Kings TV analyst Jim Fox is the interview guest. Fox, a former first-round draft choice who scored his first NHL goal against Detroit goalie Gilles Gilbert in 1980, worked with McLellan in Los Angeles from 2019-2024. "There will be doubt whatsover the way Todd wants things done," Fox said. "That will not be an issue. It will be communicated. It will be explained. You'll see it. You'll see it in practice. Once they get on the ice, it's all business. Todd is clear. He's up front. That's what you're going to get."

In this special edition of the OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings firing Derek Lalonde and assistant coach Bob Boughner and replacing them with head coach Todd McLellan and assistant Trent Yawney. Steve Yzerman went back into the team's history and hired McLellan, who was a 41-year-old assistant coach with the Red Wings when they won the Stanley Cup in 2008. Now 57 years old, McLellan is just two wins away from 600 career wins and will be behind the bench as a head coach for his fourth NHL team (San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings) when the Red Wings face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m./FDSN/97.1).

In this edition of the OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings after two disappointing losses to the Canadiens and Hall of Famer Mats Sundin is the interview guest.

In this edition of the OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at Sebastian Cossa's successful NHL debut and three-time Cup champion Ken Daneyko is the interview guest.

In this edition of the OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings at the 20-game mark, on pace for 74 points and out of the playoffs for the ninth straight year. He also talks about the unlikely possibility of Steve Yzerman making the third coaching change in the NHL (Bruins fired Jim Montgomery, who replaced Drew Bannister of the Blues on Sunday), the upside of defenseman Jeff Petry perhaps in his final year in Detroit and how first-round draft pick Marco Kasper is outplaying J.T. Compher as the second-line center. In addition, Mike Keenan is the interview guest. In Keenan's book, "Iron Mike: My Life Behind the Bench," he details for the first time two meetings he had with Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch about coaching and managing the team, which could've changed the course of Red Wings history for good, bad, or indifferent.

In this edition of the OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' offense, which has dropped to third worst in the league from ninth last year. He also talks with Pavel Datsyuk ahead of Monday night's Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony and he previews Detroit's upcoming four-game roadtrip with host Mark Falkner. In addition, Hall of Fame broadcaster Sam Rosen is the interview guest. Rosen is the New York Rangers' play-by-play announcer who called the team's first Stanley Cup championship in 54 years in 1994.  

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings (4-5-1) at the 10-game mark and Dylan Larkin's decreased production from last year's fast start.

Ted Kulfan previews the Red Wings' 2024-25 season and Penguins' radio analyst Phil Bourque is the interview guest on the 105th edition of The News' OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan talks about the Red Wings' veteran roster after free agency and coach Mike Leone is the podcast guest.

Ted Kulfan talks about Jake Walman's trade to San Jose, Pavel Datsyuk joining the Hockey Hall of Fame and Spitfires captain Liam Greentree is the interview guest.

Saginaw Spirit defenseman Zayne Parekh has taken a unique path on his way to the NHL and welcomes his role model status as a player of Indian descent.

Ted Kulfan wraps up the Red Wings' season with his final grades and 6-8 goalie Cooper Black of Alpena is the podcast guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the final seven games of the regular season for the Red Wings and Capitals analyst Craig Laughlin is the special guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' improved playoff chances after winning three of the last four games and Wisconsin forward Kirsten Simms is the podcast guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings after the trade deadline and former Red Wing Ted Nolan is the special guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Wings' improved playoff chances two weeks before the trade deadline and Madison Packer is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' roller-coaster first half of the season and USA Hockey's Cole Eiserman is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan talks about Patrick Kane's debut, the latest Vegas odds of Detroit making the playoffs, including a 3% chance of winning the Stanley Cup and former NHLer and TSN analyst Dave Poulin is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan previews Saturday's showdown between the Wings and Bruins and Jordan Forgione is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan previews the Red Wings' season opener in New Jersey and ex-Red Wings assistant general manager Doug MacLean is the podcast guest.

Ted Kulfan says expect the Red Wings' playoff chase to fall just short this year and team statistician Greg Innis is the interview guest on the OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan reviews the Red Wings' free agency and draft additions, Filip Zadina's options and forrmer Michigan Tech and Red Wings forward Steve Coates is the podcast guest.

Ted Kulfan says free agents Radko Gudas and Tom Wilson would benefit the Red Wings and Wheat Kings center Nate Danielson is the interview guest on the OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings staying put with the ninth overall pick in the NHL Draft Lottery and USA Hockey's Trey Augustine is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan talks about the Red Wings' season-ending news conferences with general manager Steve Yzerman and coach Derek Lalonde and William and Shawn Horcoff are the interview guests.

Ted Kulfan talks about the Red Wings recalling first-round draft pick Marco Kasper and Hurricanes TV analyst Tripp Tracy is the guest on the OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at ex-Red Wing Jakub Vrana's hot start with the Blues, Simon Edvinsson about to make his NHL debut against the Avalanche, and Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier is the podcast guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings after the trade deadline and Grand Rapids rookie Riley Sawchuk is the interview guest on the podcast.

Ted Kulfan previews the Red Wings' final game of a successful five-game road trip in Washington and Sweden's top NHL prospect Leo Carlsson is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan previews the Red Wings' after the All-Star break, including Tuesday's game against Connor McDavid and the Oilers and Oilers broadcaster Bob Stauffer is the guest on the OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan previews the Red Wings' western road trip next week, takes a look at the return to the lineup of Robby Fabbri and Tyler Bertuzzi, and USA Hockey's Gabe Perreault, Will Smith, and Ryan Leonard are the guests on the OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings in 2023 heading into Wednesday's game against the Devils and USA Hockey goalie Annelies Bergmann is the interview guest.

Ted Kulfan talks about the Red Wings' four-game winless streak, the Ryan Reaves hit and NCAA champ Riley Brengman of China Township is the guest.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings at the one-quarter mark of the season and former Hockey Night in Canada executive director John Shannon is the podcast guest. Kulfan also comments on Steve Yzerman's interview in the first intermission of the TNT broadcast on Wednesday. The Red Wings' GM explained the increase in NHL rallies, including the Wings' comeback from a 4-1 deficit against the Sabres in a 5-4 shootout loss at Little Caesars Arena.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at Thursday's 8-2 loss at home against the Rangers,  previews the western road trip beginning in Los Angeles on Saturday and Czechia U18 head coach Jakub Petr is the special interview guest.

Ted Kulfan talks about the Red Wings' 5-1 loss in Boston, the team's 3-2-2 start and author John Bacon is the guest on this edition of the OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan previews the Red Wings' season opener against the Canadiens and former Wings defenseman Rick Zombo is the guest on this week's OctoPulse podcast.

Ted Kulfan takes a look at the new-look Red Wings after two days of training camp in Traverse City and former Michigan coach Red Berenson is the guest on the OctoPulse podcast.