The Red Wings’ early-season mess is making it awfully easy for fans to look backward and wonder about the players who got away. But a few games into the schedule, the story around Detroit’s former castoffs isn’t exactly a flattering one for nostalgia.
The biggest names from that group are not exactly lighting it up elsewhere. Patrick Kane, who finished last season fifth on the Red Wings in scoring, has opened his return to Chicago with just two points in six games.
He’s also being used on the Blackhawks’ top pairing, but the production still hasn’t followed. Kane turns 38 in November, and unless he gets back to last year’s level, Detroit may be better off having moved on.
Elmer Soderblom’s situation looks even shakier. Last season, he managed only three points in 39 games with Detroit and spent plenty of nights as a healthy scratch.
After the Red Wings dealt him to the Pittsburgh Penguins, he suddenly caught fire with 10 points in 20 games, making the trade look rough for Steve Yzerman at the time. That picture has changed fast.
Through six games, Soderblom has been scratched four times, and in the two games he’s played this season, he has no points. His ice time has sat around 10 minutes a night, and Dan Muse’s comments suggest waivers could be a real possibility.
Detroit’s offseason exits also left three unsigned free agents in James van Riemsdyk, David Perron and Travis Hamonic. Kane and Cam Talbot are the only two from the group who have landed new contracts so far.
Van Riemsdyk stands out most because he ended last season with 15 goals and still might help a team looking for offense, like the Philadelphia Flyers. Perron was mentioned by Pierre LeBrun as a possible Red Wings target, but his brief return in Detroit produced only three goals.
Hamonic, meanwhile, struggled to meet expectations and at 36, doesn’t have many obvious NHL openings left.
If there’s one former Red Wing who still looks like he could turn into something useful, it’s Amadeus Lombardi. He never actually played for Detroit, but he made the New Jersey Devils roster out of camp and picked up his first NHL point, an assist, in his fourth game.
He’s on the fourth line with Jesper Boqvist and Cody Glass, though that group isn’t exactly built to pile up offense. Even so, Detroit’s crowded bottom six would have made it hard for Lombardi to carve out a role in Hockeytown, and with the way things are stacked, even Nate Danielson might have to go back to Grand Rapids.
Lombardi’s speed and skill would have been welcome in Detroit. The issue is whether he would have had the chance to show it. For now, he remains a relatively unproven NHL player - but he may still become a regular with New Jersey.
In Other News...
Red Wings Are Fueling A Roster Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Red Wings keep stirring up the same question at a time when they should be sorting out the future: how much runway should the younger players get before the veterans reclaim the spotlight? William Wallinder had put together a pair of steady outings, and Danill Tarasov turned in the teams best goaltending performance in Montreal, yet Detroits recent choices have continued to tilt toward familiar names and proven experience.
For a team trying to build something sustainable, those decisions are hard for fans to ignore because they shape more than one game. Wallinder has been sitting after showing he can contribute, while Tarasovs strong night did not appear to move the needle in a crease that still seems to favor the established order, leaving the broader roster debate very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings May Have Found The Identity Forward They've Been Missing
Michael Brandsegg-Nygrd has quickly given the Red Wings a look they have been searching for, bringing a heavier edge to a forward group that has needed more bite. Playing alongside Alex DeBrincat and Emmitt Finnie, he has emerged as one of Detroits most effective forwards by combining physical play with real impact in the offensive zone, giving the line a different kind of pressure than the club has sometimes lacked.
The fit has been noticeable beyond the hits, too, because the trio has spent a lot of time controlling the puck when deployed together at five-on-five. Todd McLellan has been encouraged by Brandsegg-Nygrds style, and Detroit now has a young forward whose game seems to complement skill rather than just support it, which is exactly the kind of identity piece teams tend to keep close once they find one. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Have A Carter Bear Decision To Make
The Red Wings early-season problems have already forced some uncomfortable conversations about their defensive pairings and a lineup that has not generated enough offense. In that search for answers, prospects Carter Bear and Jesse Kiiskinen have become names worth watching, with Bear standing out for the edge in his game and the kind of compete level coaches tend to notice.
Bears path has been a little more complicated than he likely expected after spending much of the summer training in Detroit and aiming to crack the opening-night roster. A preseason injury pushed his NHL timeline back, but he has kept pressing forward since then, and the organization now has to weigh how soon it wants to lean on his upside as the offense continues to search for a spark. [Read more 🡒]