With the summer coming to a close, the start of the NHL season is right around the corner – but before that comes the preseason. The new additions to the roster should get Detroit Red Wings fans excited for the early action.
The New Additions
The most obvious opening storyline for the Red Wings will be the new offseason acquisitions on the roster.
Pius Suter was Detroit’s biggest “splash” in free agency. The young center had a very solid season with Chicago last year and he’s stepping into a major position of need this year. If all goes well, Suter is going to have a direct affect on the offense, especially on the power play. His intelligent and safe center play actually fit quite well into Blashill’s system.
Also, Suter’s first preseason game with the Wings should be a good one – he’ll be pitted against his former teammates in Chicago.
Alex Nedeljkovic may be the most important change to Detroit’s roster, at least in terms of wins and losses. Former goaltender Jonathan Bernier may not garner a lot of attention around the league, but he was rock solid with the Red Wings, offering a stabilizing presence in net. Even in Detroit’s worst season in decades, he managed to hold a save percentage of .907 in 46 starts in 2019-20. Nedeljkovic has big shoes to fill.
Detroit’s defense is already trending upwards and Nick Leddy will continue that trend. His skills as a puck mover and distributor are pretty unique among the defensemen that were on the main roster last season. Leddy gives Blashill and the coaching staff more creativity for offensive game plans, especially on the man advantage.
Perhaps more exciting is the role Leddy will have in guiding the best defensive prospect in Detroit’s pipeline.
Any Prospects Getting a Shot?
Moritz Seider will be starting day one at this point. It is all but guaranteed. All signs point to a pairing with the aforementioned Leddy and the preseason will be the first chance fans will get to watch the new pair in action.
The upcoming prospect tournament and training camp could decide whether particular prospects in the pipeline receive another shot to illustrate their skills in the preseason. While a lot of the younger prospects will start heading to Europe after the tournament, a strong showing by older prospects like Taro Hirose and Chase Pearson will earn them a spot on the preseason lines – which is just another chance to push for a role with the team in the regular season.
There is a good chance that fans will see Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren in the winged wheel for the first time the preseason. The two are finally in North America and they’ll be pushing for a roster spot as soon as they arrive at camp. While they might not earn an immediate spot on the regular season roster, the pair could find themselves in Detroit for a few of the preseason matchups.
With new faces and prospects arriving, this preseason promises to be one of the most exciting in years for Detroit fans.