Thanks to Steve Yzerman’s busy summer, the Detroit Red Wings appear to have significantly more depth this fall.
Yzerman used free agency to add three forwards and three defenseman, one week after he acquired a goaltender via trade. Those new faces join the new one behind the bench, where Derek Lalonde takes over, looking to guide the team from respectability to playoff contender.
There are more than 12 NHL-experienced forwards under contract for 2022-23. New associate coach Bob Boughner, hired to run the defense, has more than eight options to choose from.
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The Wings will hold training camp in Traverse City in September, and an eight-game exhibition slate commences Sept. 27.
Injuries are an inevitable part of camp — remember last year, when Jakub Vrana showed up late, spent 10 minutes on the ice, then turned out to needed shoulder surgery that sidelined him 56 games — and forward Robby Fabbri (knee) and defenseman Jake Walman (shoulder) already have been ruled out for the start of the season. But predicting the opening lineup is fun, so here is a look at what the Wings might look like when they take on the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 14 at Little Caesars Arena.
Forwards
First line: Tyler Bertuzzi-Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond
They clicked right away last season, only to be broken up so Bertuzzi could spark another line. Larkin brings speed and sound defensive play, Bertuzzi has a knack for scoring around the net and Raymond has a flair for finding openings.
Second line: Jakub Vrana-Andrew Copp-David Perron
Copp is a skilled two-way forward brought in to center the second line after years of unsuccessful auditions by multiple players. Vrana is a gifted scorer whocreates opportunities out of nowhere, and Perron has multiple 20-goal seasons on his résumé.
Third line: Dominik Kubalik-Pius Suter-Filip Zadina
Kubalik, a newcomer like Copp and Perron, scored 30 goals as a rookie, so the touch is there if he has linemates who can get him the puck. Suter went through dry stretches last season, but he’s a good passer. Zadina has struggled to establish where he fits, and maybe a new coach will Lalonde’s arrival may help. With opponents’ top defenders focused on Larkin’s and Copp’s lines, this trio has the potential to thrive.
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Fourth line: Joe Veleno-Michael Rasmussen-Oskar Sundqvist
Rasmussen showed growth last season, seemingly more comfortable using his 6-foot-6, 210-pound frame to defend the puck. Veleno is entering his second season and certainly has room to grow his game. Sundqvist, acquired at the trade deadline from St. Louis, is a good grinder who can help his younger linemates.
Defense pairings
Top pair: Ben Chiarot-Moritz Seider
Yzerman signed Chiarot for four years and $19 million. The 31-year-old has been a solid defender with the Winnipeg Jets, Canadiens and Florida Panthers, giving Seider the steady, durable partner he deserves. Seider should be even more fun to watch on a more talented team.
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Second pair: Olli Määttä-Filip Hronek
Määttä, 27, has played 534 games, but he’s hungry to prove he should be an NHL regular and earn more than a one-year deal. He brings size (6-2, 210 pounds) and a defense-oriented style that should stabilize the second pairing. Hronek needs to rediscover what makes him effective after losing his top spot last season to Seider; if that happens, this could be a very effective duo.
Third pair: Simon Edvinsson-Mark Pysyk
Yzerman already had Jordan Oesterle and Steven Kampfer under contract when Pysyk was signed. Pysyk has played 521 NHL games (Oesterle has 297; Kampfer, 231). Pysyk is 6-1, 198 pounds, shoots right, and is a former first-round pick (No. 23 overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2010). He could be an ideal veteran to help acclimate Edvinsson, the Wings’ first first-round pick from 2021, as he adjusts to the NHL. Edvinsson, 19, isn’t as developed as Seider was when he made his NHL debut — Seider played in the AHL in 2019-20, and spent 2020-21 in the Swedish Hockey League because of the pandemic — but Edvinsson is 6-6 and 205 and played last season in the SHL. Barring a shaky exhibition showing, he’ll be in Detroit.
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Goaltending
Alex Nedeljkovic and newcomer Ville Husso are both trying to establish they should be No. 1. Nedeljkovic played 59 games for the Wings last season, while Husso played 40 for the Blues. Neither has yet played 100 career games. If they play equally during exhibition, my guess is Nedeljkovic starts the opener — and since the Wings play the next night in New Jersey, Husso won’t have to wait long for his first start.
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Who’s left?
Forward Givani Smith brings grit and energy but needs to show he can play a disciplined game to bump anyone from the lineup. Adam Erne, entering the last season of a two-year deal averaging $2.1 million, scored six goals last season, down from 13 the previous year. Right-side defenseman Gustav Lindstrom, 23, struggled with consistency last season, and if Edvinsson makes the lineup, the Wings are likelier to want a veteran as his partner. Oesterle and Kampfer have dropped on the depth chart with the additions of Chiarot, Määttä and Pysyk. The Wings are bringing over multiple players from Europe — draft picks in forward Elmer Söderblom and defensemen Albert Johansson and Eemil Viro, and a free-agent signing in forward Pontus Andreasson — but they’re likelier to start the season in Grand Rapids.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.