Reviewing the Detroit Red Wings blueliners of 2022 predicting 2023

The Detroit Red Wings defensive corps were restructured entirely in 2022. The direction is positive. But is it enough to be a contender in 2023 and beyond?

There are many ways to be a consistent playoff team with realistic Stanley Cup aspirations. One of the fastest is to have a solid blue line. A rule of thumb is having two-star defensemen, two well-above-average defensemen, and four decent depth players make a team playoff ready.

In April 2022, the team had a one-star defenseman (Moritz Seider), zero well-above-average defensemen, and three decent depth players (Jake Walman, Filip Hronek, and Marc Staal). Based on the blue line, this is not close to a playoff team.

Over the summer, several pieces were added. Some of the pieces have worked well, and some have not. Based on the play so far this season, the playoff-ready count as of December 2022 is one-star defenseman (Seider), two well-above-average defensemen (Hronek, Olli Määttä), and two decent depth players (Walman, Ben Chiarot). This is closer to the blueline of a playoff team. But still, a long way to go.

Positive surprises from the Detroit Red Wings blueline.

The second pairing was a massive surprise for the first 25 games of the year. Hronek and Määttä meshed perfectly. Määttä’s superior positioning and sound defensive play allowed Hronek to play his best game. Hronek still has defensive limitations, but as he began dialing in his shot, he became a team leader. This was the best pairing on the team.

Jake Walman missed the early season with an injury. As he returned, he found his game quickly and gave the third pairing some consistency and solid play. He is a plus 12 in 19 games played. He was so good that Coach Derek Lalonde broke up the team’s best defensive pairing to pair Walman with Hronek. The experiment is in its ninth game, but the second pairing still looks excellent.

Also, the overtime goal against Pittsburgh after returning from an 0-4 hole and the Walman Ice Griddy Celly will be one of the highlights of the 2022-2023 season.

Improvement needed on the Detroit Red Wings blueline…

The first pairing has been a disappointment. Moritz Seider has received a lot of criticism, and I have even speculated that he has a nagging injury. He is still the best skater, penalty killer, hitter, and powerplay contributor for this team.

Seider will continue to improve, and his status as a star will continue to grow. Chiarot has been a problem. He does not play well with Seider. Careless pinches and fruitless offensive forays leave Seider alone or facing odd-man breaks far too often.

Chiarot serves the valuable purpose of making the Red Wings harder to play against. Chiarot is a fine skating tough guy, a shot blocker, and is precisely what this team needed. He would be excellent on the third pairing.

The third pairing was barely holding on for the first part of the season. Lindstrom and Hagg are smart and solid players. But they were physically beaten with size or speed on nearly every shift. When the third pairing was on the ice, the Red Wings were hemmed in their own end, holding on for dear life while the first two pairs rested.

Oesterle and Walman did a fine job of making the third pairing less of a weak link. They are limited, but the breakouts were cleaner, and Walman has the strength and skating to break up the defensive zone cycle. Now, Määttä and Oesterle are a reasonable third pairing and an improved component of the blue line.

Prospect Watch for the Detroit Red Wings blueline.

There are unlikely to be any of the prospects called up this season. Even if Määttä, Robert Hagg, Gustav Lindstrom, or Jordan Oesterle are traded before the deadline, there will likely be a veteran call-up. Brian Lashoff, Steve Kampfer, or Mark Pysyk are the likely replacements rather than a prospect.

The Red Wings have six blue-chip defensemen in development. None of them are ready for a regular shift with the big team. However, a brief stint is possible. Two of these six will likely start with the Red Wings in the fall of 2023.

Donovan Sebrango has split time between Grand Rapids and Toledo this season. He continues to develop a solid all-around game. Yet, he has not established himself as a dominant or regular AHL player.

Eemil Viro has also split time between Grand Rapids and Toledo this season. He is gaining confidence and is improving his defensive coverage. Most importantly, his decision-making is improving. This is helping him put his strong skating to use to play a faster game.

Simon Edvinsson is developing his defensive zone play, coverage, and rink awareness. He has 10 points in 20 games for Grand Rapids. This is impressive output for a player in the AHL to focus primarily on his defense. He is not ready for the call-up to the big team. Yet, at this rate of improvement, he will likely be ready for the 2023-2024 season.

Jared McIsaac is still a strong skating and tough prospect. Although his development was delayed with injury, he is at the point when the Red Wings will need to make a decision about his future in 2023.

Albert Johansson is developing quickly. He looked somewhat lost early in the season, especially in center ice. His ice time is increasing, and so is his confidence. Like Edvinsson, he is not NHL-ready yet but should be sometime in the 2023-2024 season.

William Wallinder is playing exceptionally well as the number-one defenseman for Rogle in the SHL. He is improving rapidly. He will almost certainly come to North America next year and play for Grand Rapids.