Alex DeBrincat, Todd McLellan Morning Skate Media | Oct. 25, 2025

Alex DeBrincat, Todd McLellan Morning Skate Media | Oct. 25, 2025

You know, I think it’s nice to get away from the rink. Um, you know, kind of put that one in the rearview mirror and show up today ready to go. Um, obviously we know we have better. Um, we know we have to be better and um, you know, I think today we’ll come out strong. Different games obviously those two, but is there anything about the road that’s giving you guys trouble or any kind of themes you identify between those two? Um, no. I mean, I think the Islanders game, uh, obviously not our best. Sometimes it’s easier to throw those away when you get absolutely pounded like that. Um, you know, the Buffalo game, we’re right there. We we had chances to win and um, you know, just we let it slip. So, that one’s a little bit tougher to go, but you know, we we did some video today, learned from from the stuff we we messed up and, um, we’ll be ready to go today. Getting quite a few chances, a lot of shots on the kind of ease your concern that the puck hasn’t gone in yet. Uh, yeah. I mean, I think um right now I’m just getting a little unlucky. Uh I got to bear down a little bit more in front and uh make sure one goes in. So um it’s it’s it’s been too long. I got to I got to be better. I got to help the team win by scoring some goals and um obviously doing other things as well, but um you know, I would like to pull it in. So how do you how do you avoid kind of maybe starting to grip the stick a little a little straight? Uh, you know, I think you look at some of the chances I’ve had. Um, you know, maybe nine times out of 10 they happen it probably goes in. So sometimes you got to look at that and um, you know, chalk it up to some unluckiness and um, you know, just go out there, play your game and um, it’ll go in eventually. So, um, when it does, I got to, um, figure out how to capture that feeling and and and continue with that. And, um, but yeah, I’m not too worried. With the Lucas there, does it kind of bring kind of the same vision that Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think a little bit different dynamic, but um you know, him being a righty versus lefty and um you know, a lot of other things, but I think the way me and Ray and Casper can play together, we can all um you know, move pretty fast. We battle for pucks and we can uh you know, play in the ozone with the pucks. So, u I’m excited to play tonight and uh you know, it’s it’s fun to play with those guys. Thanks. Uh Todd, any update on Kane? Is he still in the day-to-day phase there? Skating uh but not playing. Yeah. Um just with uh with Marco, what are you seeing from him? What need What does he need to do to get jump started here offensively? Marco Casper you’re talking about? Yeah. Marco has to play and has um you know some nights, not consistently a complete two-way game. Uh so we’re not um you know completely evaluating him on on offense. He’s had some opportunities breakaway the other night in in Buffalo. It’ll go in for him eventually. Um, you know, I don’t know if he’s a notoriously a little bit of a slow starter as far as offense goes, but the more competitive he is, the more uh um snot, I guess, that he brings to his game, the better he is. And uh I thought we got a little more out of that in New York than we did in Buffalo. We talked about it a bit, but um I’m confident he will he will hit the score sheet at some point, but the complete game is how we evaluate him. And any changes on defense tonight? Um there could be. Yeah, just another player in Michael Rasmusen, a player who has size and he’s shown that he has good hands. Um another player who the the puck isn’t exactly going in the most from right now. What have you seen the most out of him this season and what would you like to see more out of forh from from him? Ras is um our penalty kill is drastically improved and he’s a big part of it and we gave him that assignment at the beginning of the year. So he’s done a real good job in that area. um cop comfort as well. They the three of them uh have been charged with leading at least up front uh the penalty kill and getting the job done. Um you know, so we’re we’re quite happy with what he’s done there and in those situations. Um five on five, we’ve asked him to play the wing, we’ve asked him to play center, he’s moved around from line to line. Uh a little bit of a utility guy. Um you know, he’s had like our team, he’s had some real good nights and some average nights. and as you get bumped uh get bumps and bruises um and if he’s not included in that list there there has to be more from him um all over the ice surface and we’ve talked about that but the the real positive is his contribution on the penalty kill and this team responded very well to the opening night loss rattling off five straight wins. What is the biggest message in the room right now to once again respond after uh two games that you would certainly have preferred a different outcome in? Yeah, we would have preferred a different outcome. The the the Buffalo or pardon me, the um Islander game reminded me uh very much of opening night against uh Montreal. A lot off the rush, a lot of um you know, errors. When you watch them, again, you’re going like, what what were we thinking? Why were we doing that? Um so, we’ve got to definitely clean that up if we want to give ourselves a chance at success. Um you know, we played better when we’ve played with the lead. um we have a little more jump in that situation. So, it’s certainly something we want to do every night. Uh but when you can’t um you got to stay in the game long enough to try and work your way back in and I didn’t think we did that um in New York the other night. Is there anything about the road that you think has given you guys trouble so far or is that kind of a more coincidence? Well, we’ve only played three games. Our goalie stole us one. Um you know, it’s it’s it’s early. I think this team still has to figure out its uh its identity on the road and and how they’re going to approach games. Um any coach sitting up here answering the question will tell you you don’t get the matches. It’s a little bit different. The environments a little more hostile of course that’s but we only have three players that haven’t really experienced road life. Everybody else has. So uh we’ve got to find our game there. And Simon didn’t play much down the stretch on the island. What are you looking to see more of out of him? Oh, just a better overall game. Like, you know, I’m not going to go into uh, you know, I spent three questions and I did evaluations of of individual players. A lot of that stuff, you know, I’m going to do with the players and not necessarily with you guys quite as much. Uh, but he didn’t play down the last didn’t play the last 12 minutes of the game in New York. Could have been many players, but that probably gives you an idea of what we thought about his game. You guys will play the Blues here twice in the next four days. when you look at them on film, what stands out? Well, they’re kind of going through I think they’re going through what we are a little bit where it’s uh one real good night kind of an average night the next night. Um kind of trying to find their uh their footing consistently, but they can certainly make you pay uh you know, their top two lines have um a lot of scoring or potential scoring on it. Their D can skate and they tend to get up in the rush. Um, you know, so they they, you know, and I think I’ve known Monty for a long time. He’s going to have them well organized. So, they’re not going to beat themselves. You’re going to have to uh to play a a pretty good game, calculated game, and and take advantage of the mistakes they do make uh because they’re not just going to give it to you.

Alex DeBrincat and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s morning skate on Saturday October 25, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena.