The Red Wings’ roster squeeze is starting to get real.
Jacob Bernard-Docker clearing waivers this weekend left Detroit at 25 players, and that number is only going to get more crowded once J.T. Compher, Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton are healthy again. Add in the possibility that Simon Edvinsson gets signed, and the front office is headed for a few tough calls.
That’s why four names are suddenly worth watching closely.
Mason Appleton is running out of time to show something. The free-agent pickup started last season strong, piling up goals and points in October, but that burst has faded.
More than a year later, he has appeared in only two games for Detroit, and he’s averaged 9:51 a night. Injury has played a big part in that, but when he has suited up, the production hasn’t followed.
He hasn’t generated offense in either of those appearances, and unless the next few games look different, waivers could be waiting.
Carter Mazur is in a similar spot, except his problem isn’t health. He’s also logged only a handful of games and hasn’t made much of an impact.
His 8:24 average ice time per game is the lowest on the team, and Detroit’s preference for an 11-7 look has made that fourth-line opening a revolving door of healthy scratches. That leaves Mazur in a brutal cycle: limited minutes when he plays, and not enough runway to do much with them.
Right now, that’s the kind of situation that can quietly push a player out.
On defense, Andreas Englund looks like a temporary patch rather than a long-term piece. When Detroit claimed him off waivers, the move raised eyebrows, especially with Simon Edvinsson supposedly close to being signed.
But the purpose is clear now: Englund is holding down the fort until the larger issue gets solved. He’s not been a liability, but the Red Wings are likely to put young defensemen like Anton Johansson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka ahead of him.
If he clears waivers again, a return to Detroit would not be a surprise whenever an injury opens a door.
Then there’s William Wallinder, whose game has swung between impressive and messy. Against the Philadelphia Flyers, he looked like a steady force, shutting down plays before they could develop.
Against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, though, one mistake turned into a tic tac toe goal. That kind of up-and-down sequence is what makes his situation so delicate.
Wallinder has shown both sides of the coin, and the next game matters a lot for where he goes from here.
In Other News...
Dylan Larkin Trade Talk Just Hit Another Complication
Dylan Larkins future has become one of the bigger side stories around the Red Wings this summer after the former captain requested a trade, and Montreal has already surfaced as a possible landing spot. Any chatter around a deal has naturally turned toward what the Canadiens might be willing to part with, including the kind of package that could center on top prospect Michael Hage, though nothing formal has been put on the table.
Montreals interest, however, is not a simple matter of hockey fit or assets. The deeper question is whether Larkin and his family would even want to make that move, which is the kind of complication that can stall speculation before it ever becomes real. For now, the Canadiens remain connected to the story, but the path to a deal is anything but straightforward. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Blue-Line Move Puts More Focus On Simon Edvinsson
The Red Wings crowded blue line forced a roster decision this week, with Jacob Bernard-Docker going on waivers, clearing, and heading to Grand Rapids as Detroit trims down a defense group that has become difficult to sort out. Because his contract is a one-way deal, the move does not close the door on a return, and he remains a sensible call-up option if injuries hit the back end and the club needs another body in a hurry.
For now, though, the bigger picture keeps circling back to Simon Edvinsson and what Detroit wants its defense to look like going forward. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff said the team is working to re-sign Edvinsson and has no intention of moving him, a useful sign for a player whose role only grows more important as the Red Wings continue to manage a roster that is getting tight on the blue line. [Read more 🡒]
Former Red Wings Defenseman Disciplined Overseas After Ugly Incident
Former Red Wings defenseman Robert Hagg is dealing with discipline overseas after an ugly moment in Sweden, where the Brynas blue liner was cited by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association for his role in a game incident. The disciplinary committee said Hagg was guilty of fighting after a confrontation with Olivier Nadeau, describing it as a punch to a player who could not defend himself.
Hagg has denied trying to injure Nadeau, saying his hand slid up to the opponents neck during a push. Even so, the ruling adds another uncomfortable chapter to the career of a veteran defenseman who once wore a Detroit sweater, and it leaves Brynas having to move forward without one of its experienced defensemen for the immediate future. [Read more 🡒]