Red Wings lineup prediction: How Alex DeBrincat is changing the picture – The Athletic

From the moment Alex DeBrincat’s trade closed, the next questions were clear.

Who could the Red Wings’ newest goalscorer play on a line with? Which Detroit playmaker is best suited to field him?

And somewhere, Derek Lalonde may have been asking himself the exact same questions.

But while we won’t see Lalonde’s ideas until the Red Wings are on the ice in training camp, we won’t have to wait that long to try the same possibilities he’s certainly considering right now. Now that DeBrincat is in—and Dominik Kubalik and Filip Zadina are now out—let’s get straight to the opening night lineup, which looks very different from a week ago.

Forward

Right off the bat there’s an interesting decision between DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond for the top line.

I’m sure there will be some fans who want to see both of them alongside Dylan Larkin, and hey, never says never. Certainly it would be the strongest offensive line the Red Wings could bring to the market. But it would take a lot from Larkin when it comes to forechecking, in addition to the center’s defensive duties, and even beyond that, Detroit might want to spread offense — after all, scoring up and down the lineup seems like a one-off be a big part of their plan.

So who do you put on top? DeBrincat is the high-end triggerman the Red Wings crave, so putting him on their top scorer line from the start definitely makes sense, but it’s just as important for Detroit that Raymond does too having an offensive breakout season. That’s not an easy question, and you can see multiple looks throughout the year.

For now, though, let’s pick the DeBrincat avenue that would put Raymond in line with Andrew Copp and Michael Rasmussen. He brings some high-end skill and flair to this line, and with two strong linemates he should be able to clear space while benefiting from two thoroughly impressive playmakers. In addition, Raymond has the competitive composition to handle the encounters between Copp and Rasmussen. So the fit makes sense.

Meanwhile, David Perron has joined DeBrincat and, with his mix of hockey IQ and wall play, complements Detroit’s potential top scorers. You may want to reverse the pages I’ve listed here to bring DeBrincat to his unique side, but we don’t need to get too specific on July 11th.

As you progress, you’ll encounter some more subtle, but no less important decisions. Yes, that prediction puts Jonatan Berggren and 20-goal striker Daniel Sprong in the fourth row instead of the third, which might not go over well at first glance. But this trio, with Joe Veleno in the middle, could serve as a protected goal line connecting one of Detroit’s most exciting potential playmakers (Berggren) with a dead shooter at Sprong and Veleno to bring some muscle. There is real goal potential in the right encounters.

Meanwhile, the third row, with JT Compher putting Robby Fabbri and Christian Fischer center stage, would serve as a matchup row while still a potential 20 goals with Fabbri and Compher, who flirted with that number last season -Goal scorer is present. This is a marked departure from how I projected the bottom six in my first post-free agency depth chart, but the logic actually came from something Steve Yzerman said when he reviewed the signings of Fischer and Klim Kostin explained.

“Most coaches but Derek in particular – I won’t speak for him – but I’ve watched how he’s used his players this year, sometimes he liked to have a big matchup line, a defensive line to go up against whoever .” on another team,” Yzerman said. “And Christian helps on the right side. Klim is an evolving player, a highly acclaimed youngster, an attacking player, he’s evolving… he’s always been big and strong but he can put the puck in the net, he’s playing hard, I think his role is growing.

“They make us a bigger team. Klim adds a bit of dimension to not only putting the puck in the net (but also the harshness). Christian, a really good checker, direct right winger, can take penalties, can check. I think every player has more room to grow as a hockey player, but they definitely make us a little bit bigger.”

So it certainly sounds like Yzerman likes both players. But Fischer’s description certainly sounds like a simple path to an everyday role, taking penalties and playing on a matchup line.

That means Kostin is excluded from that forecast, but as any coach will tell you, the lineup on opening night might not be the same as the following night, let alone the December or January lineup. Injuries will happen and all of these players should play an important role throughout the year. This is just a look at one such configuration.

Matt Luff, meanwhile, replaces Zadina as the 14th forward, albeit one who has done quite well in his performances over the last season. He’s the perfect player for this type of swing role while also ensuring that up-and-coming talent Marco Kasper, Elmer Soderblom and Carter Mazur get maximum playing time in Grand Rapids.

Of course, one of those three could force Detroit with a great pre-season, and if they do, the decisions will be tough. It’s tempting, for example, to imagine Kasper inspiring in September and winning a job on Larkin’s left wing, stepping in exactly as the current captain did with Henrik Zetterberg aged 19. His fiery brand of hockey would be a nice addition to Larkin and DeBrincat, as would Mazurs.

But for now, the safe bet is these three young forwards starting in Grand Rapids, at least until injuries or their own play necessitate a call-up.

Defense / Goalie

We’ll go through this in a snap since there haven’t been any changes here.

However, with Detroit’s goal need factored in, we can pay a little more attention to how Detroit approached their free agency blue line. Holl certainly adds size to the defense, and Shayne Gostisbehere’s offense from behind — particularly shooting the puck — is a key short-term replacement for Filip Hronek.

But this group needs to prove they can limit mistakes and chances. A pairing of Ben Chiarot and Justin Holl is sure to draw some attention, but the Red Wings are paying both to serve as defenders for the second pair, and I’m convinced that’s the kind of role they’re dealing with will begin. It’s up to them to make it up to them, and the size there should at least make them imposing.

Husso, meanwhile, like any goalkeeper, will be one of the biggest X-Factors of the season. Because no matter how improved Detroit’s playing strength is, any kind of playoff pursuit still depends on his ability to consistently deliver clean games in the goal area. When he was rested last season, he usually did just that. But while it’s up to Detroit to manage his representatives to that end, Ville Husso can also take another step forward of his own accord.

Powerplay projections

Okay, now we’re getting down to business.

PP1: platform

DeBrincat-Larkin-Raymond

silk

If you’re trading in Alex DeBrincat, you certainly expect him to play on the left flank on top power play. And even though Raymond is relegated to the second row in this prediction, he’s still Detroit’s most experienced and creative offensive player and needs to be PP1. This puts Perron on the net front where his vision and puck protection should actually be pretty good. And when Alex Chiasson was there late last season, having a right shot at that point seemed to work well.

The better question might be which defender this unit should be quarterback, between Moritz Seider and Gostisbehere.

I have Seider for the right shot that relays one-timers to DeBrincat, but obviously Gostisbehere’s specialty is power play and Raymond could certainly “drive” the unit from the right flank and make those one-timers himself.

PP2: Rasmussen

Sprong-Fabbri-Berggren

Gostisbehere

For now, though, that’s more of how we envision PP2 – with Sprong still being a one-off option that could benefit from having a right-shot feeding him but instead having a group of left-handers surrounding him. This unit would run through Gostisbehere and Berggren with the aim of teeing off Sprong or working deep down with Rasmussen acting as either a goalscorer on the goal line or a bottom up player for Fabbri, Sprong or Gostisbehere.

Rasmussen’s reputation as a net attack specialist was more of a puck-tipper after his junior days, but he’s a smart enough passer that I’ve seen him have an insidious advantage in that role with puck-tipping still built in is.

It will be fascinating to see Alex Tanguay and Derek Lalonde play with these new options in training camp, and these units are somehow even more speculative than the line predictions.

But just looking at it, Detroit seems to have the potential for two respectable power play sessions.

(Photo by Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond: Raj Mehta / USA Today)