DETROIT — Derek Lalonde’s sons had planned to stay home Sunday night. But when the Detroit Red Wings“The head coach told his boys that this super prospect Connor Bedard was going to be in the lineup for the visit Chicago Blackhawkswell, that changed things.
Everyone wants to see Bédard — and for good reason. The first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft could very well be the next generation of talent in the sport.
But while Bédard certainly had his flair for enhancementusing his deft hands to create what Lalonde called “a wow moment” around Simon Edvinsson In the second period, Lalonde’s sons mostly watched their father’s team win 6-1. Not a bad consolation, no doubt, especially because the game had a bit of everything.
While Bedard was the attraction that brought them (and probably many others) to the rink Sunday night, you also had the Red Wings’ top picks from the last three drafts lined up across from him. Edvinsson, Nate Danielson And Marco Kasper The latter two each saw big minutes in Detroit’s win over an AHL-caliber Chicago team, and both had assists. Then there was newly minted free agent forward JT Compher and a top infield prospect in Michael Rasmussen, who each had three points. There was even a direct battle in training camp, with James Reimer and Alex Lyon sharing the net while competing to be Detroit’s backup.
Given how thin the Blackhawks’ roster is, aside from Bedard, it would be foolhardy to jump to conclusions. But now that the Red Wings are halfway through their preseason schedule, we have enough sample size to try to answer four burning questions.
1. What can we say about Danielson’s impressive game?
Danielson was good again Sunday and has had three great performances in the preseason. He has a point in each of the three games, and Sunday he had an early assist, in which he cycled a pass to the corner for Daniel Sprongwho collected it coolly, carried it to the net and buried it – with a late shorthanded putback by Bedard creating a Grade A chance for Edvinsson.
The 19-year-old looks impressive, displaying poise and intelligence to go with a fluid skating style. But as for what that means for him next season (and at the risk of spoiling the mood), all roads still seem to lead him to Brandon, Man., of the Western Hockey League.
Due to the CHL’s agreement with the NHL, Danielson is not yet eligible for the American Hockey League at age 19, although he appears ready with his game. That means it’s NHL or junior hockey for him, and as good as he was, it’s still hard to imagine the Red Wings wouldn’t ultimately decide to send him back to Brandon.
That would go against their standard operating procedure with prospects, and even beyond that, it’s not like Danielson doesn’t still have some room for improvement. The poise that’s been on display during several shifts this preseason has also gotten him into trouble a few times, resulting in turnovers and/or penalties. He’s still a raw young player.
He has more playing time in the preseason and could showcase his talent playing outside against an NHL-level team. But Detroit’s centers have looked strong in the NHL, too, and Danielson could take advantage of that by returning to the WHL and proving he can dominate.
The key takeaway so far is that Danielson looks like a bona fide top-6 center prospect. And that should be very exciting without needing to rush him into the league this season.
2. Who is Detroit’s number 2 center?
The answer to that question may be unsatisfying because what the preseason really demonstrated was how versatile and flexible Detroit can be with its midfield centers. Andrew Copp and Compher. We knew that of course — both players have the profile of two-way pivots capable of playing in all situations — this weekend’s games reinforced that.
Copp looked good Sunday playing with a rotating group of wingers after Robby Fabbri left the game due to injury. Compher slotted into Copp’s typical spot between Rasmussen and David Perron and didn’t miss a beat. Compher set up two easy goals for Rasmussen and also finished off a Rasmussen goal to cap a three-point night. His acquisition raised some eyebrows this summer, mostly because of the five-year length of his contract after a career season, but his 52-point output last season has looked repeatable so far due to his patience, decision-making with the puck and a pretty good shot as well.
Of course, all the usual preseason caveats apply, and none of those preseason points count. But Compher already appears capable of playing on an offensive line, a defensive line or anywhere the Red Wings need him. The same goes for Copp, who had 42 points last season and predicted Friday that he’ll “be a different player this year” after a full summer of training and a clean bill of health.
Expect Detroit to do a lot of tinkering with its two middle centers, so much so that the second and third lines might not be particularly discernible without the line sheets handed out in the press box.
Red Wings goalie Ville Husso makes a save against the Predators in March 2023. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today)
3. Who should be Husso CityThe backup of ?
Well, that question hasn’t really been answered yet. That’s a good thing, though, given that Reimer and Lyon have both been impressive for Detroit. Reimer has stopped 19 of 21 shots between games, and Lyon is 29 of 32 — two numbers the Red Wings would happily accept from a replacement for Husso.
Both goalies played Sunday and Lalonde called the goaltending “really good and sneaky.” In fact, the only reason it might be sneaky is the lopsided score. Both goalies made legitimate saves in this game.
All along, it felt like Reimer was the one who lost his job, and he certainly didn’t. But the question is whether the Red Wings will be able to keep three goalies in the regular season. Lalonde has referred that topic to general manager Steve Yzerman, meaning it won’t be discussed publicly. Lalonde said, “I think we want to be smart about the depth at that position because it hurt us last year with injuries and guys going through different times in their game.”
Especially with the news of Andrei Vasilevskiy Injured This week in Tampa, Reimer or Lyon would be a real risk to claim on waivers. And getting back to Lalonde, having all three available is certainly desirable for Detroit in terms of depth. The downside, though, is managing the reps between three goalies, which is a huge challenge both in games and in practice. But it could be an option if Detroit can’t bear the risk of losing one. And it’s looking increasingly defensible.
4. Which young players can be part of this team?
That question becomes even more difficult if the Red Wings keep three goalies, but even with two, there aren’t many spots for promising prospects.
Edvinsson has looked NHL-ready for most of the preseason, even despite his three-penalty exit Sunday. The problem is he’s facing seven established NHL defensemen.
He seemed quite comfortable playing with veterans Jeff Petryand his assist to set up Sprong’s goal in Washington on Thursday was truly impressive. Edvinsson can sometimes find himself out of position, which is what counts, but he appears ready and capable of learning something in the NHL. It’s just that the depth of the roster in front of him complicates things, which could end up sending him to Grand Rapids to start the year, barring a thunderous end to the preseason.
But the important thing to remember at this time of year is that no lineup, formation or line is permanent. And given the way Edvinsson has looked, I believe he’ll play real NHL minutes this season, no matter where he starts.
Opposite, meanwhile, there seems to be a job to be won, if either Elmer Söderblom Or Jonathan Berggren I can reach out and grab it.
Söderblom scored on Sunday and made a big forecheck, two qualities that are good to see from the 6’4″ winger who was part of last year’s opening team. I think one of those two players will make the 23-man squad.
But with both teams exempt from waivers, they’ll need strong finishes to make their case.
(Top photo of Michael Rasmussen playing against the Maple Leafs in 2022: Rick Osentoski/USA Today)
