The Detroit Red Wings are close to having their opening night picture sorted out, and that makes one roster battle stand out more than the rest. With Patrick Kane gone, Dylan Larkin’s looming trade request hanging over everything, and additions like Keegan Kolesar and Viktor Arvidsson in the mix, the door is open for young players to grab real jobs.
That also leaves a few uncomfortable questions behind.
Todd McLellan spent last season calling out several Red Wings for being “just jerseys” - players who showed up but didn’t deliver much of anything. Michael Rasmussen and J.T.
Compher have both been floated as possible fits for that label, and Larkin’s situation now complicates the whole picture. Detroit’s thin center depth likely pushes Andrew Copp and Compher into bigger roles than they should have, while Rasmussen may have to serve as emergency depth down the middle.
That leaves Mason Appleton in a tricky spot.
Appleton’s problem is simple: he doesn’t separate himself in any obvious way. He’s a solid defensive forward, but Detroit already has a crowd of those. Copp, Compher and Rasmussen all fit that same general mold, and carrying four defense-first forwards would only make an offense that finished with a -17 goal differential in 2025-26 even harder to live with.
The other issue is that Appleton doesn’t offset that with enough offense.
He wrapped up the season with six goals and 14 points, matching Rasmussen for the lowest scoring output among forwards who played more than 28 games. Rasmussen, though, can at least cover center in a pinch.
Appleton is a winger. He also averaged 13:31 per night, compared with Rasmussen’s 12:39, which only sharpens the comparison.
Rasmussen ended up doing more with less.
Detroit does have ways to handle Appleton if the roster settles the way it currently looks. If the youth movement stalls, the team can keep him on the third or fourth line and hope the production picks up. If a prospect wins a job, Appleton could remain as the extra forward, ready to step in if injuries hit without forcing a call-up from the Grand Rapids Griffins.
If that still doesn’t work, waiving him is on the table. Like Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson, he’d have to clear the rest of the NHL before heading to the AHL, where he’d likely see plenty of ice time on a strong Grand Rapids roster.
There is another route Detroit could consider, but it sounds like a fallback option rather than a real plan.
For now, Mason Appleton looks like the odd man out in Hockeytown. If the Red Wings want to show they’re serious about taking a step forward, this is one of the places where change has to come soon.
In Other News...
Red Wings Suddenly Tied To A Goalie Decision That Could Change Everything
Connor Hellebuycks revelation that he privately asked the Winnipeg Jets for a trade a few months ago immediately put a new spotlight on one of the NHLs most important goalie situations. The request was made with Hellebuyck saying he wanted a change for himself and his family, and Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has since acknowledged the desire without offering any update on where things stand.
Around the league, the idea has naturally stirred speculation about possible landing spots, including a handful of teams that could use stability in net. Detroit has been mentioned in that broader conversation, which makes this worth watching from the Red Wings perspective even if nothing is imminent, because a franchise-altering goalie move like this would ripple far beyond Winnipeg and could reshape the market in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Now Face A Dylan Larkin Situation Nobody Saw Coming
Dylan Larkins future has become one of the most unexpected storylines in the league as the longtime Red Wings center enters a new phase of his career. With a move now on the table and rival front offices starting to circle, the conversation in Detroit has shifted quickly from what he means to the franchise to what it would take to move him at all.
Minnesota and Florida have both been mentioned as possible landing spots, but the market still feels unsettled and there is no deal in place. The situation has the kind of ripple effect that reaches beyond one locker room, especially when a player of Larkins stature is involved, and it is the sort of development that invites comparisons to other star situations around the NHL while leaving the real answer frustratingly out of reach for now. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Lose A Camp Look At Prospect They Wanted To Track Closely
Detroit had been hoping for a close look at Eddie Genborg this fall, but the latest update makes that impossible for now. The Red Wings prospect is still working his way back from an undisclosed American Hockey League playoff injury and has not been cleared for any SHL preseason games, which has already slowed the start of his offseason ramp-up.
Genborg will stay in Sweden and play for Timra this season instead of coming to Detroits training camp, and his agent said a camp appearance is not currently an option. He remains part of the Red Wings organization, but for a team trying to track his development up close, the wait for that evaluation will continue. [Read more 🡒]