Since Todd McLellan has taken over as head coach he has changed the Red Wings. They have spent less time struggling to break out of their own zone, they have changed the structure on the penalty kill, and the line combinations have been shaken up a bit. We have seen Joe Veleno move up to the first line to play with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin.
Andrew Copp has been centering the dynamic duo of Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, who continue to display unmatched chemistry between the two of them. He has split up Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson to play on separate defensive pairs.
So far, it has worked well for the Detroit Red Wings, so there's no reason to change a winning lineup, right? Well, there are a few tweaks I would like to see that I think could make the lineup more potent.
First, I would give Marco Kasper an opportunity on the first line with Larkin and Raymond. It has been nice to see Veleno bring another element of speed to what Larin already brings; however, what the line really needs is someone to win a board battle and help gain control of the puck in the 50/50 situations. Oftentimes, when they gain the offensive zone, if the play ever reaches the perimeter, the other team usually gets control rather easily, either knocking Raymond off the puck or beating Larkin to the spot and clearing the zone.
Larkin likes to stay near the dots, using his superior speed to control the center part of the ice. It's not a great idea to use him wasting energy and getting tied up along the boards. Although Raymond has vastly improved his strength and balance all over the ice, he is still not the type of player to deal with bigger, heavier defensemen along the boards. I think Kasper is much better suited to give the opposition defensemen fits when trying to gain control of the puck in their own zone.
Copp, DeBrincat, Kane, I wouldn’t change. Copp is good at clogging up the center ice area, allowing Kane and DeBrincat to work their magic, which, I will reiterate, has been phenomenal. These two could probably play blindfolded and still find each other; it’s been great watching them together.
I would separate Berggren and Tarasenko. They have been finding each other alright, but oftentimes with little or no space to operate. Instead, I would try Rasmussen with Compher and Tarasenko and a high-volume shooting strategy. Both Compher and Tarasenko seem to thrive in a chaotic environment in the offensive zone, and Rasmussen is the guy to create that environment.
They either jam in pucks near the crease or pick up rebound opportunities just outside the slot, finding scoring opportunities before the other team has a chance to react. That’s how Tarasenko scored the go-ahead goal vs. the Edmonton Oilers en route to a three games to 0 stranglehold in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. It was also the Avalance’s entire team strategy when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Compher’s assist on the overtime game-winning goal in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final is an example. Get in the zone, shoot from everywhere, let Compher and Ras fish out the rebounds, rinse and repeat.
That leaves Berggren, Veleno, and Motte/Fischer. Berggren and Veleno both like playing in space. Finding soft ice in the zone and capitalizing on opportunities. Berggren entering the zone, finding the open man on the rush or, after possession has been established, usually getting lost in coverage and re-appearing at the right moment to shovel in the back-door opportunity.
Conversely, Veleno, after in-zone possession has been established, is usually the guy to get the puck and find that open man or on the rush, can score from the high slot from a Berggren right wall/corner feed.