Listen, everyone knows the Red Wings are in a state of flux right now. There’s no general manager, the captain wants out, their second-best defenseman doesn’t have a contract, the list goes on. Still, the 2026-27 season is just around the corner, and this is usually the time to take stock of things ahead of training camp.
Given all the other noise surrounding the Red Wings, it can maybe be forgiven if roster battles have slipped your mind. Even with a majority of the team under contract for next season, it’s hard to say exactly what shape the roster will take as head coach Todd McLellan enters his second full season as Detroit’s bench boss.
But make no mistake: these three players will be expected to battle for a roster spot next season, and, in some cases, that puts them in an awkward spot to start this season. Before these roster battles fully commence, let’s take stock of who might be on the outside looking in to start this season.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka
When a player has played over 60 games in the NHL before their 21st birthday, that’s usually a pretty good sign for that player’s future. When that player is also a defenseman, it’s an especially good sign as defensemen usually take longer to find a consistent role at the highest level.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka enjoyed a solid rookie season with the Red Wings last season. He had 21 points in 68 games and, at times, showed the pure offensive instincts and skill that made him such a coveted prospect in the 2023 draft. However, he was often overmatched defensively, as evidenced by his minus-20 plus-minus rating. He averaged 16:13 in ice-time over the course of the season.
The general assumption with a player like Sandin-Pellikka is that he will arrive at training camp next month and look better and stronger than he did last season. Those reps in the NHL should also help him slow things down on the ice as he looks to play a full 84-game season in 2026-27.
Sandin-Pellikka’s place in this season’s lineup is far from a given, however. Once Simon Edvinsson (assumingly) signs a new contract, Detroit will have six defensemen playing on contracts that are not entry-level. On the right side, where Sandin-Pellikka lines up, the Red Wings have Moritz Seider, Justin Faulk and Jacob Bernard-Docker returning from last season’s squad, meaning there isn’t exactly a clear spot that is up for grabs on that side.
Additionally, Sandin-Pellikka should face competition from other defensemen looking to claim a spot in the NHL lineup. Jacob Bryson was brought in as a free agent this summer. William Wallinder (32nd overall, 2020) must pass through waivers this season if Detroit wants to send him down to the American Hockey League (AHL). To cap it off, Anton Johansson (105th overall, 2022) looks like a dark horse candidate to steal a roster spot after his impressive showings with the Grand Rapids Griffins late last season.
Sandin-Pellikka may very well be the Red Wings’ third-most talented defenseman already, but he will need to show exponential growth in the defensive end to justify a roster spot, especially for a team that is expected to struggle to produce consistent offense again. His offensive abilities taking a big step forward would certainly help his cause as well.
But if you thought that Sandin-Pellikka making the team out of training camp last season meant he was a slam dunk to make the team this season, you would be wrong. He secured a roster spot last season with impressive play on the blue line, but he’ll need to be even more impressive to beat out the competition and secure a spot this time around.
Nate Danielson
The Red Wings’ first pick in the 2023 draft (ninth overall) shed his rookie status last season after featuring in 28 NHL games. While averaging just over 11 minutes in ice-time, Nate Danielson produced two goals and seven points in 28 games, with three of his seven points coming on the power play.
Danielson’s final game with the Red Wings was on Jan. 3. His final game with the Griffins was on Feb. 18, and then he missed the rest of the season and playoffs with a lower-body injury. In total, he played in just 46 games last season, though he did produce quite well in the AHL with 15 points in 18 games.
If nothing else, Danielson has established himself as a legitimate prospect in Detroit’s pool, but for one reason or another, he has yet to justify the draft capital the Red Wings invested in him. Given the uncertainty clouding the Red Wings’ depth chart at center, this seems like a prime opportunity for him to stake a claim in Detroit’s future.
Despite that, Danielson almost seems destined to begin this season with the Griffins yet again, barring an impressive showing in training camp. Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp, Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, Emmitt Finnie and Michael Rasmussen are all under contract and can reasonably be expected to play down the middle for some length of time this season. Even if Larkin’s trade request is granted, there’s a possibility that another center is part of the return.
This is about the time you’d expect a player with Danielson’s pedigree to announce himself as a full-time NHLer. While he will likely need some time to shake off the rust, he should be making it difficult to keep him in the AHL not long after the season starts. If he isn’t firmly in call-up territory by the new year, some difficult conversations may start to pop up – especially if the Red Wings’ season really goes south and they find themselves in position to snag a high-end center in next year’s draft.
J.T. Compher
Speaking of the Red Wings’ quantity of centers, Compher finds himself in a weird spot after two consecutive years of seeing his average ice-time decline. After registering 48 points while averaging 19:23 in ice-time in his first season in Detroit, he finished last season – his third as a Red Wing – with just 28 points while averaging 15:40 in ice-time.
Compher was the Red Wings’ de facto second line center in his first season, but he has primarily resided in the team’s bottom six the last two seasons. While he is capable in his own end, he isn’t paid to be a defensive specialist, nor does he play like one. In fact, he shows just enough offensive ability every now and then to make you think he’s about to rediscover his game before he does his best Danny Phantom impression and disappears.
Aside from his own shortcomings, the Red Wings’ projected lineup for next season also puts him in an odd spot. Barring any surprises in the forward group coming out of training camp, Detroit’s bottom six looks to be a mix of high-energy and physical forwards, effectively tasked with providing the “hard to play against” game the Red Wings lacked last season. Whenever Compher has had success in the NHL, it was not in a high-energy or physical role.
Larkin, Copp and Kasper are likely getting the first shot at securing top six minutes down the middle, so Compher is either going to be penciled into a role he isn’t ideally suited for, or he’s going to be an expensive healthy scratch on a near-nightly basis. With his sister Jesse signed to play for PWHL Detroit’s inaugural team, however, fans should expect the Red Wings to give J.T. every opportunity to reestablish himself with the Red Wings. It’s an easy win for the organization if they can market the Compher siblings together.
Still so much to decide
But let’s be honest: there are still so many questions to be answered in the coming weeks before the start of the season. How the depth chart looks today may not be anything like how it looks on opening night against the New York Rangers. Players that seem to be on the outside looking in could blow the door down as soon as training camp begins.
Make no mistake, there is a ton of opportunity on the table for players that have yet to establish themselves in the Red Wings’ lineup, as well as players that have fallen out of favor in recent years. Change has already come to Detroit this offseason, and even more is on the horizon. It’s up to the players to decide if they’re going to be part of positive change for an organization that desperately needs it.
The Red Wings’ lineup may be in a state of flux, but it should start coming into focus soon.
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