The Detroit Red Wings have reached the point where one preseason game can shape a whole opening-night roster, and that’s exactly where they are heading into tonight’s 7:00 p.m. matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Detroit is down to its final exhibition test before puck drop on October 2, and the club’s practice on September 25 offered a strong hint at how the lineup is starting to settle. Max Bultman of The Athletic noted that the Red Wings skated with what appeared to be their opening-night group, while also pointing to one of the biggest decisions still hanging over the defense.
“It would be surprising if the Red Wings kept both of [Axel Sandin-Pellikka] and [Anton Johansson] unless both will have consistent roles,” Bultman says, “when either could go play huge minutes in GR. But interesting as Detroit prepares for final preseason game tomorrow.”
That’s the central tension for Detroit right now. The roster is full of young players pushing for jobs, which is a nice problem to have, but it also means the front office still has real trimming to do. The preseason roster sits at 28 after the latest cuts, and the Red Wings still need to release, waive or reassign five more players to get compliant.
Up front, the shape of the lineup is becoming clearer. With Dylan Larkin out, Andrew Copp has emerged as the clear first-line center, and Detroit has leaned into a top-heavy look with Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond flanking him. That gives the Red Wings a strong top line, even if it leaves more uncertainty elsewhere.
The next group is where Detroit is hoping the pieces start to fit together. Emmitt Finnie, Marco Kasper and Viktor Arvidsson are projected as the second line, and there’s a lot riding on that trio.
Kasper enters the season in what could be the best-case scenario for a Red Wings forward after a difficult sophomore slump. Finnie is coming off a 30-point freshman season and spent the offseason adding strength and sharpening his game.
Arvidsson, the newcomer on the line, is expected to help offset the loss of Patrick Kane.
The bottom six is less settled. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Nate Danielson appear headed for the roster, and they’d be joined by Keegan Kolesar as the newest faces in the group. The real fight, though, is on the wing, where Carter Mazur and Mason Appleton are battling for what could be a single spot.
Both are waiver eligible, which makes the decision even trickier. Mazur brings youth and physicality.
Appleton brings familiarity and one year left on his contract. Detroit may end up having to choose between carrying an extra forward or preserving more defensive depth, and if the club keeps eight defensemen, someone on the forward side could be the odd man out.
In goal, the picture is much simpler. John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov are the expected tandem going forward. Carter Gylander is still on the roster, and unless there are more cuts, he could stick around as the third goalie Detroit uses as needed when Gibson needs a breather.
The biggest question mark, though, remains on defense. Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, Justin Faulk, Albert Johansson and Ben Chiarot look like five of the six spots are already spoken for, leaving one job open and several names still in the mix.
That final spot is being fought over by Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Anton Johansson, William Wallinder and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Bernard-Docker is day-to-day with an injury, which leaves Wallinder, Johansson and Sandin-Pellikka as the main contenders.
Johansson has led all preseason scorers with five assists in three games. Sandin-Pellikka has scored a goal in two of his three games and has looked ready for the NHL.
Either one would strengthen Detroit’s blue line right away. The harder question is whether there’s room for both.
And then there’s Wallinder, the defender who has done enough to get noticed but not quite enough to separate himself from the pack. He has shown flashes with good shots and solid shifts, but Johansson and Sandin-Pellikka have been more convincing.
If Wallinder is waived, another team would likely take a look. He’s 24, still without NHL experience, but he can still fill a depth role somewhere.
Tonight should bring a much clearer picture of where this roster is headed.
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 🡒]
Dylan Larkin Just Became Detroits Biggest Opening Night Decision
The Red Wings are down to their final preseason game, and the focus in camp has shifted from evaluation to decisions. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has made it clear the club wants to be aggressive as it sorts out the roster, with several young players still under consideration for roles this season and every opening-night call carrying a little extra weight.
Amid that backdrop, Dylan Larkin has become the biggest name hanging over the process. Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the list of teams on Larkins acceptable trade radar has grown to eight, with clubs such as the Avalanche, Capitals, Lightning and Stars among them, adding another layer of intrigue to a situation the Red Wings cannot ignore as they try to balance present-tense roster building with the kind of move that could reshape the lineup. [Read more 🡒]