Although the Detroit Red Wings still need high-level talent at center, the team has plenty of players to slot in at the position – especially after the trade for Mitchell Stephens and the signing of Pius Suter. The upcoming training camp in Traverse City will be key in deciding the day one position of the players vying for center.
Larkin and Suter Are Locks
Although there are questions surrounding the third and fourth line centers in Detroit, the top two are essentially locked in; Dylan Larkin centering the first, with Suter on the second. Larkin has the “C” and has been the Wings top-line center for some time. Suter was a bit all over the place in the Blackhawks lineup last season, playing on the top line some nights and the fourth on others. However, he was always a center. The Red Wings still have a pretty large need for talent at the position, which means Suter will likely hold the title of second line center pretty comfortably.
Rasmussen is the Likely Third
Michael Rasmussen’s progression was obvious this season; after a full 2019-20 season in Grand Rapids, Rasmussen was able to push his onto Detroit’s roster in 2020-21, scoring three goals and nine assists in 40 games. Although the points weren’t too impressive, Rasmussen’s improvements on the ice were clear. He was finally using his body to set screens, his skating had improved and most importantly, he finally seemed comfortable as an NHLer. Steve Yzerman seemed to approve of his ’20-’21 campaign, as Rasmussen received a three-year extension during the offseason.
Training Camp Decides the Last Spot
The fourth line center position is still up for grabs at this point. Although Joe Veleno took that role for the last few games of the season (And looked impressive in that five game stretch), he has competition ready to take the spot.
Newly acquired Mitchell Stephens is definitely an option if Veleno isn’t quite ready. He hasn’t quite stuck to an NHL roster, but he does have a bit of experience under his belt. Stephens notched an assist in seven games with the Tampa Bay Lightning in ’20-’21; the year prior, he scored three goals and three assists in 38 NHL games. Although he’s not the flashy choice, Stephens has shown competency as an NHL center.
The main showdown for Detroit’s fourth line center will likely be between Stephens and Veleno, but Detroit has plenty of other players that could slot in. Namely, Vladislav Namestnikov. Namestnikov was centered for a solid amount of games last season; he was often the stopgap injuries in the lineup, tossed onto a line to act as a safe and comfortable center. However, near the end of the year, he was pushed to the wing to make room for Veleno and Rasmussen.
Sam Gagner and Chase Pearson are both dark horses for center. Gagner was a winger for most of the season, but he was shifted to center the fourth line occasionally and looked pretty comfortable in the role. Pearson has a long road to ahead if he wants a shot to crack the lineup this year: he has yet to play in a single NHL game in his career. Both Gagner and Pearson are almost guaranteed to get beat out by either Stephens or Veleno for the day one role, but injuries and lineup changes are constant in the NHL.
The battle for center will be one of the more intriguing storylines to watch during training camp. The performances in those few days will be key in figuring out how the roster will shake out for the start of the ’21-’22 season. But With Yzerman as the GM, fans might not find out the final positions until the start of the season.
Statistics sourced from Eliteprospects.com