In the inaugural Alumni Report segment, we take a look at former Red Wings who are with other NHL teams, with a focus this week on Pius Suter. Also, some notes on Tyler Bertuzzi, Anthony Mantha, Vladislav Namestnikov, Petr Mrazek and Nick Leddy.

Movement is a fact of life in the NHL. Teams trade players, players sign free agent deals, not to mention waivers and call-ups. Because of those moves, a lot of former Red Wings are playing for other organizations.

In this week’s inaugural edition of the Alumni Club, I recap what former Detroit players are up to across the league. I plan for this to be a biweekly segment, so stay tuned two weeks from now for the sequel. This week, I want to start us off with a closer look at the success of Pius Suter with Vancouver.

Suter’s success is probably familiar to you, given that he just notched an assist for the Canucks’ fourth line in Saturday’s game against Detroit. And while that scoring came as depth, Suter has also been promoted up and down the lineup as Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet sees fit. Such versatility also showed for the Red Wings, when he started with opportunities as the second line center, but gradually fit into the bottom six over time. The Canucks signed Suter to a two-year, $1.6 million contract during the offseason after Detroit did not retain him.

Being able to plug-and-play across the lineup makes Suter valuable, not only because he possesses the skill to handle most assignments but also because he doesn’t scrap his discipline. He sticks to the system that helps his team win — even if it’s one he had to learn the current with Vancouver.

“That’s one of the reasons we acquired him,” Tocchet said to The Province’s Ben Kuzma back in December. “You can’t have enough of those guys. Early in camp, he was feeling his way. For me, every day I’ve seen improvement. Playing him in four exhibition games really helped him with systems and pace.”

In his first season with the Canucks, Suter has 19 points (12 goals, 7 assists) in 39 games played, which is a career-best rate. He scored 29 goals and 60 points with the Red Wings across his 161 games. Part of the slight bump in production might come from who Suter has played with in Vancouver. He spent time with Elias Petterson for a spell, and he’s averaging an additional 1:38 in ice time compared to when he was in Detroit.

“He makes plays. He’s smart out there,” Pettersson said about Suter. “He’s a center, normally, and that helps me. I don’t have to worry or think too much if I’m up on the forecheck. He or (Ilya Mikheyev) will track back for me.”

Suter’s play in Vancouver has helped the Canucks top their Pacific Division, and he’ll get the chance to face his former team again this Thursday at home. If he plays anything like he did Saturday, expect him to make an impact.

Around the League

Tyler Bertuzzi
Tyler Bertuzzi is amid a 17-game goalless streak for the Toronto Maple Leafs. In that span, he has seven assists including one that came against Detroit back in January. For a Maple Leafs team that’s in the same playoff boat as the Red Wings, getting the gritty power forward going could be a welcome bonus to make the playoff hunt easier.

Anthony Mantha
Ahead of the trade deadline, there’s potential for Anthony Mantha to hit the trade block if the Capitals can’t make a push toward the playoffs the next few weeks. He’d be a good pickup with his knack for goal scoring, including his latest against the Florida Panthers. However, his overall impact has been inconsistent at times, leading to Mantha being healthy scratched in early January. Teams will have to weigh the risk vs. reward of picking up Mantha.

Vladislav Namestnikov
The nephew of Russian Five winger Vyacheslav Kozlov made his own name for himself in two seasons with Detroit, but now Vladislav Namestnikov is off to a great start in Winnipeg. The eighth organization he has played for, Winnipeg has seen timely contributions from Namestnikov that often influence the outcome of its games. In 28 wins, he has scored five of his six goals this season and 20 of his 25 points on the season. Across 19 losses, his five points and lone goal show what happens when he’s not producing.

Petr Mrazek
This season hasn’t gone well for Chicago, as almost everyone projected. However, the Blackhawks found a bright spot in net with Petr Mrazek. He has posted a .920 save percentage or better in seven of his past nine starts, though he has just a 2-6-1 record to show for it. Signed to a two-year, $4.25 million deal after the conclusion of his current contract, offers some stability for the Blackhawks when they haven’t had much overall.

Nick Leddy
The Nick Leddy trade back in 2022 has turned into a big win for both St. Louis and Detroit. The Red Wings got Jake Walman of Griddy heroics, meanwhile the Blues gained a key two-way defender in Leddy. He’s averaging north of 22 minutes a night, including an average of 23:39 across an eight-game span when the Blues have won seven games.