The Detroit Red Wings head into their final preseason game tonight with more than one roster storyline hanging over the lineup. They host Columbus at 7 p.m. on DSN/ESPN+, and the biggest buzz around the team still centers on Dylan Larkin and where his situation goes next.
Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reports that Larkin’s list of acceptable trade destinations has expanded to eight teams. The Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars are now on that list, joining the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild, which were the three original teams.
That broader list gives Detroit a better chance of moving quickly if the right deal materializes, though nothing is guaranteed. The Red Wings view Larkin as their only true offensive center, and if they do deal him, they want a proven scorer coming back. They are not looking to move him strictly for futures, but they will consider prospects who are close to NHL-ready.
Interim GM Shawn Horcoff is expected to take an aggressive approach, and that should show up in the final roster choices as well. Rookie Anton Johansson could wind up with a significant role on Detroit’s blue line this season. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is part of the Red Wings’ plans for 2026-27, while the organization is also taking a hard look at younger center Nate Danielson and defensemen Axel Sandin-Pellikka and William Wallinder.
Detroit opens the season next Friday at home against the New York Rangers at 6:30 p.m.
Elsewhere in camp, former Red Wings prospect Amadeus Lombardi is trying to win a spot with the New Jersey Devils. He has plenty of support back in Detroit, where both fans and people in the organization remember him as a popular presence in Grand Rapids. The Devils are hoping he can develop into a Pius Suter-type player.
There were also a few other notes around the league: Mason Appleton has used training camp to re-establish his value to the Red Wings, Nate Danielson is quietly making his case for a roster spot, Boko Imama is battling for a place with the Florida Panthers, the Canadiens reportedly asked the Winnipeg Jets about Mark Schiefele, and New Jersey is looking ahead to what a $127.5 million salary cap in 2028-29 would mean for the Devils.
In Other News...
Flames Already Have A New Blue Line Question After Camp
The Red Wings added another layer to their blue line plans by claiming defenseman Andreas Englund off waivers from Calgary, giving them a veteran depth piece as camp moves into its final stretch. Englund, 30, signed a one-year deal with the Flames, but his time there ended quickly after he was outplayed in camp, and Detroit now gets a player with NHL experience across several teams at a position where extra bodies can matter.
For the Red Wings, the move fits into a broader defensive picture that still has one important unfinished piece. They are working to finalize a deal with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson, and until that is settled, there is still some uncertainty about how the back end will line up when the roster takes shape for real. Englund does not change the headline as much as he adds insurance, but in September, that kind of insurance can be useful. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Roster Battle Just Got A Lot Tougher To Call
Mason Appleton has made himself part of one of the more interesting decisions lingering over Red Wings camp. His work in training camp and the preseason has stood out enough to keep him in the conversation, even as younger players push hard for jobs and the roster picture begins to take shape. Coach Todd McLellan has made it clear this is still a competition, and Appletons case is built on showing he can bring value in a crowded fight for spots.
The pressure is real because some of the younger players have already done enough to stick, while others are still trying to win over the coaching staff. Carter Mazur is among the names in that second group, and his situation helps explain why the final decisions are not so simple. For Appleton, the challenge is straightforward but unforgiving: keep performing well enough that the team has no choice but to keep him around. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Final Preseason Game Will Force Tough Roster Calls
The final preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets is arriving at the right time for the Red Wings, because the roster picture is getting crowded in the areas that matter most. Detroit has already begun sorting through a group that includes Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Anton Johansson, Carter Mazur and Mason Appleton, while the goaltending tandem of John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov looks set heading into the regular season.
What remains unsettled is the kind of late-stage trimming that can reshape the back end of the roster and the forward mix all at once. The Red Wings still need to make more cuts to get under the required limits, and the final defense spot is part of the problem, with several young blue-liners still in the mix and at least one candidate working through an injury, leaving the front office with a few difficult decisions to settle before opening night. [Read more 🡒]