Professional hockey is back on the calendar, and the preseason opener already delivered one of the sport’s biggest talking points. No. 1 overall draft pick Gavin McKenna made his debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
McKenna was slotted onto the top line alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. He didn’t record a point in his first NHL game, and he also wasn’t used on Toronto’s top power-play unit. Even so, he looked comfortable enough in his first real action at this level.
For the Red Wings, the day carries a different kind of significance: it’s the midpoint of training camp. Detroit is set for its final practice at the Belfor Rink before heading to Columbus to begin its preseason schedule. With the NHL’s shortened camp format, players are required to sit out at least one day during the eight-day acclimation period, so practice availability could look a little different than usual.
That makes this a key stretch for a roster with several young players still fighting for jobs. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Nate Danielson, and Carter Bear are among the names in the mix, and once the games begin, those spots will start being judged in earnest against fringe veterans such as Micheal Rasmussen and Mason Appleton.
Around the league, a few situations are already making life complicated for their clubs. Adam Fantilli remains away from Columbus Blue Jackets camp because of an ongoing contract dispute, while teammate Kirill Marchenko has been careful when asked about his long-term future with the team in recent media availability.
Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request has also drawn plenty of attention around the league, in the same way Dylan Larkin’s has. Neither player is currently taking part in hockey activities, though the reasons differ: Larkin is recovering from injury, while Winnipeg has suspended Hellebuyck for failing to report to camp.
There was also a note on Patrick Kane, who is back “at home” in Chicago, according to some of his former teammates.
And for Red Wings watchers, the line combinations in preseason are worth keeping an eye on. Even in exhibition games, how Detroit deploys its forwards could tell a lot.
One more thing for fans tracking the organization’s young talent: they won’t have to travel far to see some of the top prospects over the next year or two. JP Hurlbert is at the University of Michigan, and Michal Svrcek is with the Windsor Spitfires, putting plenty of those games within easy driving - or broadcast - distance for Detroit supporters.
In San Jose, Darnell Nurse had plenty to say about Macklin Celebrini and his new team.
In Other News...
Red Wings Veterans Just Got An Early Camp Wake Up Call
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 🡒]
Red Wings Put Early Pressure On One New-Look Line
Todd McLellan has wasted little time shaking up his forward groups, and the most intriguing test case is a new second line built around Marco Kasper. The Red Wings are asking the young center to handle that role with Viktor Arvidsson and Emmitt Finnie on his wings, a setup that gives Detroit a chance to see how quickly its newer pieces can settle into bigger responsibilities.
Arvidsson arrives with a familiar edge for McLellan after their time together in Los Angeles, and that background matters as Detroit tries to absorb the offense it lost over the summer. The hope is that Arvidsson can steady the line while helping guide Kasper and Finnie through the early growing pains, but the real question is how much that group can deliver once the games start carrying more weight. [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 🡒]