Todd McLellan is leaning on Viktor Arvidsson to help steady a Red Wings team that has spent the offseason in transition and is still trying to sort out its identity before the games start counting.
Detroit’s roster has taken a hit from the summer departures, including Patrick Kane, and with a shortened preseason, there hasn’t been much time to build the kind of chemistry this group needs. That’s made every camp rep matter a little more, especially for a lineup that looks very different from last season’s.
The most interesting experiment right now is the second line. Arvidsson is on one wing, sophomore winger Emmitt Finnie is on the other, and Marco Kasper is centered between them. McLellan has kept Kasper in that middle spot throughout camp, and he likes what he’s seeing from the young Austrian when the pressure is stripped away.
“I can already tell the pressure that Marco had on him last year doesn’t even exist… It’s perfect for Marco, he can just be Marco,” said McLellan
That setup gives Kasper a chance to reset after last season’s difficult stretch. He opened the year trying to center Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, a task that asked a lot from a young forward still trying to keep pace with two experienced linemates who had years of chemistry together. The result was a tough fit, and this year’s alignment looks built to be far more manageable.
Finnie and Kasper already have some familiarity, too. The two spent a decent amount of time together late last season, and Arvidsson gives the line a veteran presence who can help keep the attack from getting too chaotic.
Said Arvidsson, “It’s going to take a few games and being with each other… They’re really energetic players and they wanna go to the goal.”
Arvidsson’s value goes beyond what he can bring offensively. He’s already familiar with McLellan’s system from their time together with the LA Kings, and that makes him a useful reference point for a locker room still sorting out who sets the tone. Detroit doesn’t have a clear-cut on-ice leader yet, so McLellan is pulling from multiple places while trying to establish the structure he wants.
“Just his leadership is pretty direct. He’s really structured and can push you,” said Arvidsson, “He’s easy to work with and he’ll give it to you in a really honest way.”
That structure is going to matter. The Red Wings lost 34 goals and 91 points over the summer, and Arvidsson’s track record - six 20-plus goal seasons - gives Detroit a chance to absorb some of that loss. Still, the real test will be whether Kasper and Finnie can follow his lead and make the line work as more than just a camp arrangement.
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Training camp brought an early jolt for Detroit as the Red Wings split into an NHL group and an AHL group for scrimmages, with the work centered on special teams and several players already getting mandated rest days as part of the preseason schedule. It was the kind of checkpoint that can sharpen a roster quickly, and coach Todd McLellan came away impressed by the energy and execution from the younger side while using the session to continue sorting out potential lineup decisions for the games ahead.
The takeaway for the veterans was less encouraging, even if no one is reading too much into a single camp session in September. McLellan made clear he wanted more from the established NHL group, and the contrast with the AHL players was impossible to miss in a drill set up to expose details and habits. For a team still trying to settle roles, that kind of wake-up call can be useful, but only if the response comes fast. [Read more 🡒]
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At the same time, the league backdrop is a reminder that preseason is never just about line combinations and exhibition games, with contract disputes and trade requests hanging over the status of players such as Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin. For Detroit, the bigger question is how its camp battles will look once the pace picks up and the attention shifts from evaluation to answers. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face A Blue-Line Decision Fans Wont Ignore
Todd McLellan is still sorting through Detroits blue-line puzzle, and Albert Johansson has emerged as one of the more interesting pieces in the mix. The Red Wings coach has been testing Johansson up on the second defensive pairing with Justin Faulk, a look that would alter the familiar pecking order on the back end and give the staff another option as it evaluates who fits where.
The larger question is what Detroit wants its top pair to look like once the season gets moving. Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson have been the obvious tandem to watch, but the staff is not treating that combination as untouchable, especially with Edvinsson still unsigned as a restricted free agent. For a team trying to settle on the right deployment strategy, the blue line suddenly feels less fixed than fans might have expected. [Read more 🡒]