It's always fun to peek at Daily Faceoff and check out who they got projected on the lines heading into camp. But this one made me do a double take. Keep in mind, these haven't been updated in a month and a half, but it still didn't stop me from narrowing my eyes at James van Riemsdyk listed on the projected first line.
While I can briefly see the logic here, van Riemsdyk hasn't played top-line minutes in a while, and he's better suited for the middle six as someone younger and with more potential should get the call. I've been saying for a while that Elmer Soderblom or even Jonatan Berggren should be the front-runners, and Berggren especially made a case late last season.
Not saying everything needs to be set in stone, but I'm not putting a potential stopgap there when I could be audtioning players to see if they can be a potential long-term fix. Yes, that includes players like Berggren.
That said, I'd have Berggren up there to start things off, and move van Riemsdyk to the third line. Daily Faceoff also had J.T. Compher as the third-line center, but I'd move him to the fourth and bring up Andrew Copp, a player who boasts more value than you may think.
Detroit Red Wings projected lines are only a benchmark right now
Right now, if you looked at the projected lines, you don't need to panic. These are nothing more than benchmarks and talking points. So, go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief.
And those projections didn't include prospects who could make the jump. Nate Danielson's one I wouldn't rule out, and if we saw something like him taking a role on the top line, and the Wings maybe moving Berggren, then optimism in the Motor City's gonna be high, even if Danielson lacks NHL experience.
I can go all day talking about the 'what-ifs,' the ins, outs, and maybes. It's something we'll be discussing when camp heats up later this week. Still, I can tell you this: I'd be very surprised if James van Riemsdyk ended up next to Larkin or Raymond, given the stage he's in as his career winds down.
We also can't rule out last-second or preseason trades, or anything that could change the trajectory of this forwards lineup. And it would get interesting should Steve Yzerman surprise us with the season around the corner.