The Red Wings are back home Tuesday night with a tough one waiting for them: the Vegas Golden Knights, one of the NHL’s better teams by record and one of its steadier clubs in both directions.
Vegas comes in at 10-5-2, good for the league’s fifth-best record, while Detroit sits at 7-6-3 and 19th overall. The matchup is set for DSN and 97.1 FM, with Vegas listed at -1.5 (+180) and Detroit at +1.5 (-218).
For Detroit, Lucas Raymond is the name to watch. He started slowly, picking up points in just two of his first seven games, but he’s turned it on in a big way lately. Over his last eight, Raymond has scored six goals and added six assists, with points in seven of those games.
At the other end of the ice, John Gibson’s numbers have not matched what he gave the Red Wings last season. He enters at 4-5-1 with a 3.46 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage.
There’s also a longer-term wrinkle in goal for Detroit. There is no timetable for the Red Wings to consider bringing up Michal Postava permanently, but both Gibson and Daniil Tarasov are on expiring contracts. If their play, the team’s performance, and Postava’s ability to keep up his impressive level all line up, Detroit could eventually look at moving Gibson and/or Tarasov to open a permanent roster spot.
Detroit’s projected forward groups have Alex DeBrincat with Emmitt Finnie and Victor Arvidsson on the top line, followed by Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Andrew Copp and Raymond. Michael Rasmussen is listed with J.T. Compher and John Leonard, while Carter Mazur, Sheldon Dries and Keegan Kolesar round out the forwards.
On defense, the pairings are Ben Chiarot with Moritz Seider, Andreas Englund with Anton Johansson, and William Wallinder with Justin Faulk.
Daniil Tarasov is expected to start, with Michal Postava backing him up. Jacob Bernard-Docker and Nate Danielson are the extra skaters.
Vegas arrives with some momentum of its own after a 3-2 win at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. The Golden Knights are 5-3-2 over their last 10 and are in the middle of a four-game road trip, with this one marking their third stop.
Jack Eichel continues to drive the offense, leading Vegas with five goals and 17 assists for 22 points. The Golden Knights also bring a strong defensive profile, sitting sixth in goals-against average at 2.82, while scoring 3.35 goals per game.
Their injury list is short. Parker Weatherspoon, who is dealing with an undisclosed issue, could be back later this week, and Victor Olofsson is day-to-day.
Vegas’ projected top line has Ivan Barbashev, Eichel and Mark Stone. Brett Howden, William Karlsson and Mitch Marner are listed together on the second line, with Trevor Connelly, Tomas Hertl and Braeden Bowman next. Jonas Rondbjerg, Nic Dowd and Marc Gatcomb make up the fourth line.
The Golden Knights’ defense pairs are Brayden McNabb with Shea Theodore, Jeremy Lauzon with Rasmus Andersson, and Noah Hanifin with Dylan Coghlan.
In goal, Vegas is expected to go with Adin Hill or Carter Hart. Raphael Lavoie and Viliam Kmec are the extra skaters.
In Other News...
Red Wings Face A Crucial Anton Johansson Decision On Defense
Anton Johansson has given the Red Wings a little something to think about on the back end. The rookie has flashed offensive upside, but his current pairing with Andreas Englund has not been the cleanest fit for a young defenseman trying to show what he can do with the puck. Detroit has enough moving parts on defense right now that every combination matters, and Johanssons development is quickly becoming part of the bigger lineup conversation.
Jacob Bernard-Dockers recent recall adds another wrinkle, since he offers a different kind of temporary partner for Johansson while the Red Wings sort through their options. With Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson also in the mix as possible returnees, Detroit may soon have to decide not just who plays, but which pairing gives Anton Johansson the best chance to keep building on the promise he has already shown. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings May Have Found Their Second Pair Answer Too Late
The Red Wings have been sorting through their defensive combinations for weeks, and one pairing has started to separate itself from the rest: Justin Faulk and William Wallinder. In a season where Detroit has been searching for answers on the blue line, the two have logged meaningful minutes together and produced the kind of underlying results that make coaches pay attention, especially when the rest of the pairings have been more uneven.
The question now is less about whether the duo has worked and more about how far the team can push it without creating other problems. Detroit has to balance a possible increase in their workload with the bigger picture of player development and deployment, which is never simple this late in the season. If this really is the best second-pair option the Red Wings have found, the lingering issue is whether they found it in time to make the most of it. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Blue Line Debate Starts With Moritz Seiders Heavy Lift
Moritz Seider has become the center of a familiar Red Wings discussion on the blue line: who best complements him, and what Detroit is really getting from its top defensive pair. The numbers around Seider and Ben Chiarot suggest the pairing has been serviceable more than dominant, even with both players seeing plenty of time together, and the contrast in their underlying results has only sharpened the conversation about how the defense should be arranged.
Seider has done the heavier lifting, showing better impact in several advanced measures while Chiarot has been asked to handle a role that stretches beyond what he usually provides. Other defensemen have entered the picture as well, and lineup changes have already altered the mix once, which makes the debate less about one pair in isolation and more about whether Detroit can find a better fit around its most important blueliner. [Read more 🡒]