Alex DeBrincat's the Detroit Red Wings biggest enigma in the preseason because we don't know where he could end up. Is he a first-liner with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin? Or, do you put DeBrincat on the second line to maximize chemistry with Patrick Kane?
Or, do you roll with a third option, and split DeBrincat between the first and second lines? No matter what the Wings do with DeBrincat, expect an even better player when the puck drops to kick off the regular season next month.
And the fact DeBrincat could float between different lines more than any other player on the Wings, it gives them a major advantage. Are Larkin and Raymond struggling through an off-night? Put DeBrincat alongside them.
Do Patrick Kane and Marco Kasper need a better option lining up next to them? DeBrincat can sidle right in and turn their fortunes.
What's the ideal scenario for Alex DeBrincat and the Detroit Red Wings?
I'd love to see Jonatan Berggren pick up where he left off toward the end of 2024-25 and grab a spot next to Larkin and Raymond. This would let DeBrincat kick off the season skating with Kasper and Kane.
And, if Berggren's play holds and he finally breaks out, then the Wings got one of the NHL's most dynamic top-six units. There could be question marks on the third and fourth lines, which I see Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher anchoring, but there wouldn't be a single team in hockey the top six couldn't go head-to-head with and get the best of.
And we don't need to limit Berggren winning a spot on that top line. Players like Elmer Soderblom, Carter Mazur, and maybe even Nate Danielson if he has a good preseason could be in the running. While some fans would be in the "no one but Danielson" camp, any youngster enjoying a solid camp would work here since it'd free DeBrincat to play on the second line no matter what.
Expect that high-octane Red Wings team to return
DeBrincat playing on the second line could give us flashbacks to the 2023-24 season, when the Red Wings finished with 275 goals, good for ninth in the league. That's the kind of potential we're talking about, especially if and when DeBrincat takes another step forward.
And with what should be better goaltending this season, don't expect the Wings to finish 24th in the league in goals allowed like they did in that 2023-24 campaign when they let 273 in the net. Sure, the skaters need to play defense, but, overall, play in the crease should be better.
It shows you the ripple effect of what can happen if DeBrincat can play most of his minutes alongside the player he has more chemistry with than anyone else on the team. Or, that's the case on paper.