Red Wings: 2021 Preseason Preview and Storylines
Before the regular season, the Detroit Red Wings will have the preseason to finalize roster decisions and shake off a bit more of that offseason rust. Let’s look at some of the storylines to keep an eye on through the eight games.
The Opponents:
Sept. 29: Chicago Blackhawks
Sept. 30: Buffalo Sabres
Oct. 2: Columbus Blue Jackets
Oct. 3: Pittsburgh Penguins
Oct. 4: Chicago Blackhawks
Oct. 6: Columbus Blue Jackets
Oct. 7: Pittsburgh Penguins
Oct. 9: Buffalo Sabres
New Faces in the Starting Lineup
This offseason was busy for the Detroit Red Wings, as trades and free agency brought a slew of new players to the roster. One of the most noticeable storylines to watch in the preseason will be the performances of these new additions.
Alex Nedeljkovic was one of the three players Detroit acquired by trade in the offseason. He had an impressive season with the Carolina Hurricanes last year; his .932 save percentage and 1.9 goals against through 23 games were enough to push him to third place in Calder voting. He also performed well in the playoffs, with a .920 save percentage and 2.17 average goals against in nine games. Nedeljkovic is going to be an extremely important player for the Red Wings this season, as he’s taking the reigns from Jonthan Bernier, who often willed the team to victory through some stellar performances. If the team takes wants to take steps forward this year, they are going to need some rock solid goaltending. Red Wings fans will get their first look at Nedeljkovic in net for Detroit in the preseason.
Nick Leddy was another player traded to the Red Wings in the offseason. He’s going to be an important figure in Detroit this year, paired with the team’s exciting defensive prospect, Moritz Seider. Leddy will also give Head Coach Jeff Blashill some more freedom in creating plays and scheming, as his excellent puck-moving and offensive distribution are skills that were missing on Detroit’s defense last year. In the preseason, fans will finally get to see the exciting new pairing and what Leddy is going to add to the team.
Mitchell Stephens is the final player the Red Wings acquired through trade in the offseason. He was drafted by Yzerman when he led the Tampa Bay Lightning back in 2015. Since then, Stephens has mostly been relegated to a backup/AHL with the organization, filling in for injury when needed. However, with Detroit, there’s a good chance he starts day one. He fits Blashill’s scheming as a two-way forward and center is a major position of need for the team. Stephens is in a battle with some prospects for the role of fourth line center, so a good preseason is important in retaining that spot.
Pius Suter was Steve Yzerman’s biggest splash in free agency. The 25 year old center had a good season with the Chicago Blackhawks last year and since he’s stepping into a major position of need, he’s likely straight to the middle of the second line. If all goes well, Suter is going play an important role in improving the team’s offensive abilities, especially on the power play. His intelligent and safe style as a center actually fit quite well into Blashill’s system.
Also, Detroit’s first preseason game is against Suter’s former team. That’s a pretty exciting way to kick off his career with the Wings.
Jordan Oesterle and Carter Rowney are also relatively notable free agents, although their roles will more than likely be as depth on the main roster. Oesterle is a left-shot defenseman that’ll be the team’s seventh (or eighth) defenseman and Rowney is a center/right-winger that’ll fill a similar role position on the offense.
Spotlight on the prospects
All eyes are on Moritz Seider. It’s his first year back in North America since dominating the Swedish Hockey League and earning SHL Defenseman of the Year. He’s been penciled in as a day-one starter, so now the preseason isn’t a battle to make the roster – it’s a tune-up. Expectations will be high for Seider in his first year and the preseason will be his first test. However, SHL players and NHL players are not the same. Seider isn’t going to come in and immediately dominate like he did in Sweden. It’s going to take some time adjusting to the best hockey league in the world. The preseason will be a good place to calibrate reasonable expectations for Seider’s upcoming season.
Right behind Seider is Lucas Raymond. With Seider as a lock for the main roster, Raymond’s preseason performance has to be impressive if he wants to make an early run at the roster. Octopus Thrower’s Nate Brown put it perfectly in his article on Jakub Vrana’s injury:
Another name to certainly keep an eye on: Lucas Raymond. The 19-year-old seemingly has the best shot since Dylan Larkin to crack the roster following a strong prospects tournament, a steady camp, and now, with just one additional hurdle to clear: the preseason slate of games. Raymond’s hockey IQ that was lauded by scouts and analysts has been on full display during the prospects tournaments, during camp drills, and in the Red and White game. Should Raymond hold his own and pitch in offensively with some goals during the preseason, it will certainly give head coach Jeff Blashill some reason to consider him more.
Jonattan Berggren is another European prospect close to making the main roster. While he hasn’t had quite the fanfare of Raymond, Berggren actually had a much stronger season in the SHL. He tied for first in points scored by U-25 players in the entire SHL, nabbing 12 goals and 33 assists in 49 games. Berggren’s an excellent offensive playmaker, with great puck control, offensive drive and passing abilities. Although he’s likely to start in Grand Rapids, Berggren is going to be a fun player to keep an eye on throughout the season and many Red Wings fans will get their first extended look at him in the preseason.
Joe Veleno is very, very close to making the main roster. At the end of last season, Veleno got his first chance to play with the Red Wings, where he scored his first NHL goal in five games and looked very comfortable in the pros. He also had a strong offseason of strength and conditioning, becoming visibly larger (and shredded). Add to that a strong prospect tournament, where Veleno looked like the best player on the ice at times. Also, considering that Veleno is competing for the weakest position on the team, center, there’s a possibility that a strong preseason showing can bump Veleno above Stephens on the depth chart.
Finalizing the Roster Spots… and is This Team Improved?
On paper, it’s hard to argue that this team didn’t take steps in the right direction. But first, the dust of the offseason must settle. That means the positional battles and prospect progress fans have been following throughout the offseason essentially have eight games to finalize.
The battle for the fourth line center position is one of the battles that’ll be settled the opening day. Essentially, the choices are Stephens, Veleno, Rowney and even Chase Pearson. Pearson is the least likely to make the spot, as he hasn’t really proved himself even after years with the organization. Rowney’s use will probably be more as a backup forward than a center. That brings us to Veleno and Stephens. Right now, Stephens has the experience and age on Veleno – as of now, he’s likely the day one starter. But Veleno is hot on his heels. If Stephen struggles in the preseason and Veleno continues to impress, he might just pull ahead in the positional battle.
The other possible roster changes are mostly dependent on the prospects – are they ready? With Jakub Vrana still out with an injury, there’s room for prospects like Raymond or camp tryouts like Bobby Ryan to make a last-minute grab at a spot on the roster. If Vrana is still when the regular season starts, there could be an unexpected face on the roster. And the upcoming eight games will likely decide who that is.
While the preseason won’t properly illustrate how good this team is, it’s going to give fans a taste of what is to come. Detroit is finally starting to hit the point in the rebuild where progress becomes important. It’s essential to the organizations future that their biggest prospects pan out and Seider, Veleno, Raymond and Berggren are the closest to the roster. Again, the preseason won’t matter in the long run, but it’ll start to paint a picture of which direction this team is trending.
The offseason is done. It’s time for results.
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