Albert Johansson, James van Riemsdyk, Todd McLellan Morning Skate Media | Nov. 2, 2025

Albert Johansson, James van Riemsdyk, Todd McLellan Morning Skate Media | Nov. 2, 2025

What makes him a special player? Oh, I mean, he’s he’s fast. Um, you know, got good skill, got a good shot and good vision. So, yeah, overall he’s a he’s a good player. He can skate. So, um, yeah, we got to keep an eye on him tonight. How much of the game plan centers around a player like that prep for this team? No, I mean, of course, we we have to know when when he’s on ice and make sure we’re we’re on the right side of him and stand above him, but um you know, overall, you know, it’s a full team over there that we’re playing, so we’re not trying to put that much focus on him, but yeah, of course, we we need to keep an eye on him. What kind of things do you guys take away from the last game in Anaheim? No, I mean, just just our game management. Uh I think like you know we got to stay ahead of of the the other team. I know uh you know I mean sh and everything and you know try to get the the puck deep in their zone and and get our forche going cuz we got our forche going and can win some puck battles down there. when you don’t have your a game as a team sometimes, how important is it to focus on some of those little things that you were mentioning? Yeah, I mean you sometimes you’re not your best and you know you you have to play good uh defensively and be be smart around uh the blue lines and the red lines and you have to just overall play a smarter game and uh I said the game management uh with Michael and Elmer has seemed to be pretty productive lately. What’s been clicking? Um yeah, I think uh for us like I think we just got to continue to play to our strengths and that’s uh getting in on the for check and being very just predictable in the offensive zone. I think uh when we when we play below the goal line and play a lot behind the net, I think uh be a lot for the other teams to handle. So I think just playing that cycle game and really uh leaning into that I think uh is is what’s going to allow us to be a productive line. How much of it is is kind of learning each other? I know you’re a veteran player, but learning how to play alongside two new players. Yeah. No, that’s always part of it, I think. Uh just getting on the same wavelength as far as when it’s time to just extend a play to keep it alive or when it’s time to maybe uh um uh make make a play that’s not a losing play, if that makes any sense. Uh so um or when it’s time to try to win a battle and skate out with the puck. So, I think those, especially on the cycle, I think all those little nuances are different because it changes what whether you’re trying to um kind of play in a more defensive uh um spot on the ice or maybe you’re trying to be a an outlet to release the puck to relieve pressure to to hang on to um the offensive zone time or if you’re trying to be in a scoring area uh for that. So, all those little things and they’re all subtle and kind of different decisions you’re making all throughout your shift, but I think if we uh continue to get better at some of that, I think uh we can uh take it to another level. From our perspective, we’ve seen Elmer’s game take a step over the the last few games. What stood out to about him to you? Yeah, I actually remember watching him uh when he was playing in the World Juniors like maybe like six or seven years ago, whatever it was, and this giant playing at the net front and had good seemed really good hands for a guy his size and and moved really well for a guy his size. So, uh I think that combination that he has is pretty impressive. Like, um again, you’re never really going to look as fast as as you actually are when you’re that tall, but he moves up and down the ice really well. He’s a really powerful skater and um that’s definitely a big strength of his. So, uh, yeah, it’s, uh, it’s been good to play with him and, uh, I think again, as we continue to develop that chemistry, I think our line can continue to, uh, get better. I have one more for you just about Dylan Lurin. I think fans know the impact that he’s had on this team. What are some of the things that maybe fans can’t see that’s impressed you about Dylan? Yeah, I mean, he’s uh, again, I’ve only been here for what, like maybe a month or so, but uh, he seemingly seems like that guy that’s like a heartbeat uh, of the team. just uh obviously his play speaks for itself, but uh he’s just a guy who just kind of brings everyone into the fight. Um definitely an emotional player and um obviously I’ve gotten a chance to play with him a little bit at some USA hockey stuff and always had um high regard for him and uh just to get to chance to play with him and see him more on a day in dayout basis, you’re even more impressed just with how he carries himself and um uh what he means to the team and just how he leads the team. So uh so yeah, he’s uh it’s been been really impressive to see that all day today. Good one. Looking back on those years that you had in San Jose, how formative obviously were those for you in your career? I was really fortunate as a as a young coach to be leaving the wings and coming here. And uh there was a lot of similarities back then between the two organizations. We just won a cup. We were really trying to win one here in San Jose. We had great players and and an unreal uh support system going on uh within the organization. So, a lot of parallels between the two and um you know, as a young coach, you don’t often get uh a team that’s pushing to win. You often get a team that’s rebuilding or retooling and uh I was very fortunate that way. Fast forward to the present, you guys are obviously looking to correct some of those mistakes in Anaheim. What stood out to you about that game most? Well, the start again, we we fell behind um in a way that we don’t want to. uh we’re not always going to be perfect, but the uh the short-handed goal uh you know, the one the night before is a bad bounce on Finny, but the one in in Anaheim was just very poorly played positionally. And then after that, even a few times in the in the first period, um there were times where we talked about sorting things coming out, sorting things out, coming back into our end, and making sure we pick up the proper people. Well, we couldn’t even do that because of our puck management. I think of their second goal. Um, we had a great scoring chance with about 10 or 12 seconds left in the period where we were um, you know, we’re thinking offense, but we’re doing nothing to help ourselves go the other way. So, we’d like to fix that tonight. Were you here in person for that the game yesterday, the afternoon game? Yeah, we came and uh came and watched them play yesterday. Yeah. Do you get a lot of value? You rarely get to do that, obviously, for a team you’re just about to face. Well, I think it’s good for a bunch of things. One, um, you get to see things from, you know, up top where it’s a lot slower and you can see things evolve. Uh two, uh Yans and I came with Steve, so we get to sit and watch a game together. That never happens. And we can talk about players, we can talk about, uh situations, uh decisions, anything like that. So I thought there was a ton of value in that. Um you know, so there there’s two things that, you know, could have walked around the mall and got nothing done. We we came to the game and uh you know, as far as pre-cout goes, their game didn’t change that much. Um they’re a very very dangerous team. Um you know their two lines can really snap the puck around and have good offensive instincts. So um we’ll have our hands full. What can you say about the maturity that Celibbrini plays with especially for offensive player this young in the league? Well well what impressed me about him is yes all those offensive things and and his creativity and his vision his shot uh but his skating away from the puck. He he wanted to work uh coming back to his own end too and he wanted to check and he wanted to uh you know he managed the game well. He didn’t extend things. He got off and then he got back out and um pretty impressive for a young player his age that is is already a superstar but is going to just grow as as time goes on. Uh to have the sense of playing that way um was you know a lot of young players could learn from that. the Devils and a bunch of teams have started matching line matching Zerini, but he’s just fought through it. How do you defend against a player with that sort of work ethic and IQ at the same time? Well, you kind of answered your own question. It’s it’s awfully difficult. Um, you know, when when a player commits to both sides of the puck and and has the skill and the talent to to go with it, uh, you’re you’re pretty special player and special players are hard to check all the time. They’re going to get away on you at some point. uh you know and then you got to rely on teammates. You have to rely on your goalender and you just hope you don’t give um those individuals that many opportunities. You’ve answered a lot of questions about Dylan Larkin and his leadership to the I think fans can see what he brings to this team, especially on the ice, but what are some of the things that you’ve noticed that fans may not see that that really impacts this team? Yeah, that there’s constant communication between he and I and and other players and people on the on the staff. Uh so no one will ever see that. They don’t see the discussions that we have and talking about where the team is uh physically, mentally um making decisions to together as is how things are going to happen moving forward. Uh and then the auxiliary stuff that we we see um you know him around the hotel. You guys get to witness him with younger players and uh looking out for for the group and um you know the the herd needs a shepherd and uh it can come in many different ways. It can come from the coaching staff. It can come from management. But uh when the herd’s out on its own, somebody has to shepherd them. When I I see larks doing that,

Albert Johansson, James van Riemsdyk, and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detrot’s morning skate in San Jose on Sunday November 2, 2025.