Red Wings’ record-setting goalie prospect vying for Memorial Cup
Detroit Red Wings goaltending prospect Rudy Guimond has an opportunity to end his record-setting season and his major junior career by winning the Memorial Cup.
Guimond and the Moncton Wildcats, winners of the Quebec Major Junior League championship, are competing in the Memorial Cup, along with OHL champ London, WHL winner Medicine Hat and host Rimouski. The tournament starts tonight; Moncton’s first game is Saturday vs. London.
Guimond remarkably won his first 24 games, the best start ever for a CHL goalie, before suffering his one and only loss in his most recent appearance, a 5-1 setback to Rimouski in Game 4 of the QMJHL final.
The Red Wings selected Guimond, who turned 20 on Monday, in the sixth round in 2023 (169th overall). He went 16-0-0 in the regular season and is 8-1 in the playoffs. Overall, he is 24-1-0, with a 1.92 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.
Guimond, despite his dominance, might not be Moncton’s main goalie. That’s because veteran Mathis Rousseau is 8-2 in the playoffs and played the final two games of the QMJHL final.
The 6-4, 175-pound Guimond is the lone Red Wings prospect at the Memorial Cup. He will play at Yale next season.
Guimond started this season with Cedar Rapids of the USHL before a November rules change making CHL players eligible to play in the NCAA prompted him to join Moncton.
Guimond is part of a promising stable of Red Wings goalie prospects that includes Sebastian Cossa of the Grand Rapids Griffins, Trey Augustine of Michigan State and Carter Gylander, who’s had a solid season for Toledo, which is tied 2-2 with Kansas City in the ECHL Eastern Conference final.
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Insider Links Red Wings to Trading $9.5 Million Star to East Rival
The Detroit Red Wings are likely to be one of the more aggressive teams this offseason, and they could add and subtract from their roster.
Last summer, Detroit signed two-time Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year, $9.5 million deal. Tarasenko was expected to be a key part of the Red Wings’ offense, but he struggled in his first season with Detroit.
Now, NHL insider Michael DeRosa of NHLTradeRumors links the Red Wings to trading Tarasenko to the Washington Capitals.
“The Capitals could be a team to watch if Tarasenko is made available this summer,” DeRosa wrote. “When looking at their roster, it is fair to argue that they could use another winger in their top nine, and Tarasenko could give them that. In addition, he would provide the Caps with another solid weapon for their power play.”
Tarasenko would add some offense to Washington’s lineup and add another power-play weapon. The Russian would also fit in nicely with Alexander Ovechkin. The Capitals also likely wouldn’t have to give up much, as Detroit would prefer to just move on from Tarasenko.
Tarasenko recorded 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 80 games last season.
Red Wings GM Believes Tarasenko Will be Better Next Season
Detroit signed Tarasenko to bolster its offense, but the Russian didn’t live up to expectations.
Tarasenko struggled to score or produce much offense, but the Red Wings’ general manager, Steve Yzerman, is confident the Russian will be better next season.
“I think (Tarasenko’s) play was probably better than his production,” Yzerman said. “I would say he was frustrated not being able to produce, and I think that affected his attitude and affected his play…
“You try to reassure him that you’re doing a lot of good things out there and don’t let the missed chances or the inability to score affect your play,” Yzerman added. “I’m hopeful and expecting him to give us more than he did this year because I know we can. I believe he can give us more than what he showed this year. ”
