Michael Brandsegg-Nygard gave the Red Wings exactly the kind of preseason jolt they were looking for Tuesday.
With Detroit beginning the day by sending players to the AHL, the Norwegian left wing stepped up in a big way, scoring twice and piling up eight hits in a 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh dressed top names Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell, but Detroit’s young group drove the night.
That was the message Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff delivered when camp opened, and the prospects took it seriously.
“Of course we want our young players to play and impact our team as soon as possible,” Horcoff said. “But they have to be ready, right?
“The NHL is not a development league. They have to be able to come in and contribute.”
Brandsegg-Nygard made a strong case, but he wasn’t alone. Defenseman Anton Johansson collected four assists, Axel Sandin-Pellikka scored, and center Nate Danielson helped set up one of Brandsegg-Nygard’s goals with a cross-ice pass. Theo Rochette, who was signed out of the Swiss National League, chipped in with two assists as well.
For a team that struggled to find offense last season, the outburst stood out. The Red Wings never scored seven goals in any game last year, and they finished 22nd in scoring. They had also opened the preseason with a 1-0 shutout loss Monday in Columbus, so Tuesday’s production was a sharp change of pace.
Detroit also made more roster moves before the game, placing forwards Dominik Shine, Sheldon Dries and John Leonard, along with defenseman Jacob Bryson, on waivers for the purpose of sending them to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
And the physical edge the Red Wings have been talking about showed up too. Detroit out-hit Pittsburgh 31-19, with Brandsegg-Nygard leading the way and Emmitt Finnie adding six. Sutter Muzzatti and Wilmer Skoog had three hits apiece, helping fuel a performance that matched the team’s goal of becoming harder to play against.
In Other News...
Red Wings Just Got An Early Injury Watch In Columbus
A preseason tuneup in Columbus brought an early injury note for a Blue Jackets defense group that could matter to the Red Wings once the games start counting. Dante Fabbro, projected to open the regular season on the third pairing, was knocked out of the game with an upper-body injury and did not return, adding a little uncertainty to a blue line that is still sorting itself out before opening night.
For Detroit, it is the sort of roster wrinkle worth watching because it can affect how Columbus lines up in division play. If Fabbro is sidelined, veteran Erik Gudbranson is the most likely option to step in, which would give the Blue Jackets a different look on the back end while they wait for more clarity on Fabbros status. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings May Have One Wild Shot To Fix Their Center Problem
Detroits search for help down the middle has already turned into one of the more interesting roster questions of the preseason, and one possible answer sits in the restricted free-agent market. The Red Wings have been casting around for ways to bolster their center depth, and the idea of taking a big swing on a young, high-end talent has come into view as the kind of aggressive move that can change the look of a lineup in a hurry.
The appeal is obvious: a player with top-line upside would immediately address a need that has lingered for Detroit, even if the path to getting him is loaded with risk and complications under the NHLs collective bargaining agreement. Any offer-sheet pursuit would be the sort of cap-and-picks gamble that forces a team to weigh the long-term cost against the chance to land a difference-making center now, which is why this kind of possibility tends to linger until the final moment before the window closes. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Got One Encouraging Sign In A Frustrating Debut
Detroit had one clear bright spot in a frustrating preseason opener, and it came from the newest face in net. Daniil Tarasov was sharp from the start against the Columbus Blue Jackets, stopping all 15 shots he faced in his first preseason game for the Red Wings. Michal Postava took over in the third period and overtime and added 10 more saves, giving Detroit a steady night in goal even as the rest of the game stayed stuck in a grind.
The problem for the Red Wings was that the scoreboard never moved their way. They could not solve Columbus in regulation, then came up empty in the shootout as the game slipped away in a 1-0 finish. For a team looking to set an early tone, the goaltending offered encouragement, but the lack of finishing left plenty of room for concern. [Read more 🡒]