The Detroit Red Wings have added some new parts to the roster this offseason. J.T. Compher, Daniel Sprong, Klim Kostin are set to join the forwards group while Justin Holl, Shayne Gostisbehere have been added to the defence. James Reimer along with Alex Lyon are added goalie depth. Still needing scoring, Red Wings GM, Steve Yzerman swung a trade for Alex DeBrincat and signed him to a four-year extension. So how do the new Detroit additions fit into the lineup and does the organization have enough scoring to stay in the playoff race? As that will be closely watched, here is a projection of what the Red Wings lines could look like.
Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines
On the top line: Lucas Raymond– Dylan Larkin– Alex DeBrincat. The nod goes to Raymond over Klim Kostin based on speed. Also, he and Larkin already have chemistry from previous seasons on the top line. The Red Wings may be wanting to keep chemistry and not have two new linemates right out of the gate which would be a wise move. This gives Detroit a very solid top line with scoring prowess and speed.
The Red Wings top defensive pairing from last season will once again remain, Moritz Seider and Jake Walman. This pair was solid last season, and both were able to gel quickly together. No reason to break the duo up. Seider has improved both of his NHL seasons while Walman resurrected his career last season.
Second Line and Pairing
On the second line: Jonatan Berggren– J.T. Compher– Klim Kostin. I do believe two new members of the Red Wings will be on the same line. Based on how the organization views Berggren, placing two solid veterans around him will give the young forward the help he needs to take his game to the next level. How quickly the line forms chemistry will be a key part of the early schedule and dictate the pace of the season.
To keep up with the theme of new teammates on the same line I am going to say Justin Holl and Shayne Gostisbehere will form the second line defensive pairing. It is tempting to put Olli Maatta with Holl on this line. However, for skills that compliment each other, Holl and Gostisbehere appear to be a better fit.
The Bottom Six and Pairing with Depth
The Detroit Red Wings third line will return a group that had some success last season and had good chemistry. That is Michael Rasmussen– Andrew Copp– David Perron. The hope is Rasmussen can return to form as he recovered from an injury. Perron with 24 goals last season is a valuable piece to the line. While more is needed from Andrew Copp, the players around him make the line solid.
Olli Maatta and Ben Chiarot will be the third line defensive pairing. Maatta had a very good season last year and Chiarot found a home in Detroit. Look for Maatta and Chiarot to pick up where they left off.
The Red Wings fourth line looks to be Robby Fabbri– Joe Veleno– Daniel Sprong. Sprong who scored 21 goals for the Seattle Kraken last season hopes to impact the Detroit roster with more of the same. The X-Factor is Veleno who has shown glimpses of being a solid center yet needs to take the next step for the Red Wings.
The extra defensive player is unknown as Simon Edvinsson could be that player. However, it is hard to reason with that based on the fact he needs ice time. Edvinsson seems like a prime candidate for the AHL if he does not win a roster spot.
The Detroit Red Wings finally possess four lines with players who can reach double digit goals. This is a step forward in the rebuilding process. This is a team that looks like it can stay in the playoff race a bit longer and with a few breaks and some luck can get into the playoffs next season.
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
