While Elmer Soderblom looks like the front-runner to snag a spot on the Detroit Red Wings top six, if not the first line, and Carter Mazur could be a dark horse to shock everyone, let's not forget about Jonatan Berggren.
While I'd have Berggren ranked No. 3 here if I had to project whether he, Mazur, or Soderblom would win an opportunity on the first line should everything stay as-is for the Wings, he does have the edge in experience. So, while he hasn't played as expected, the fact he's played a full NHL season and most of another could mean he's finally in for a breakout.
And we need to remember that Berggren saw a lot of ice time toward the end of the season alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. On April 16th, he recorded two points while playing on the top line, and the same thing happened on April 14th. So, he had brewing chemistry late in the year.
Will Jonatan Berggren pick up where he left off and claim a permanent spot on the Red Wings first line?
But then again, where was Berggren before this late-season surge? Yeah, he had a couple of good games lining up alongside Raymond and Larkin, but they could easily be outliers. I'd like to have known where he was all year long before that mini-breakout.
That said, I'm still giving him a lower ceiling, even if he displayed that yes, he can play well when paired with some talented players at times. But it also doesn't take away the 24-point, 12-goal season in 75 games that again indicated he's a 12-13-minute per game player at best.
I get some of the hype surrounding Berggren, and if you're one of those fans, i applaud you for keeping faith in him. But Berggren's production, nevertheless, remains ticky-tacky, and two measly games shouldn't solidify him anywhere near the top line.
Berggren will face competition, but he's already shown some strengths
Still, despite my reservations, he deserves consideration. Could he work well with Raymond and Larkin when training camp kicks off about a month and a half from now, then he'll have an edge over Soderblom, Mazur, and anyone else general manager Steve Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan are thinking of putting alongside Larkin and Raymond.
Of course, this is all contingent on Alex DeBrincat starting the season on the second line to keep teaming with Patrick Kane. DeBrincat, one of the Wings best scorers, could either play on the top line, or float between the first and second, depending on variables like the opponent and how he's serving the team.
Anyway, while I'm ready to try someone new in the top six as opposed to someone who's running out of chances, it doesn't mean I'm saying the Wings need to neglect Berggren. But there may be better options out there.
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