The Detroit Red Wings will be on the ice for training camp in Traverse City in less than two weeks following an offseason that featured more subtractions than additions.
How competitive will this camp be? How many jobs are up for grabs? Other than Moritz Seider, who is a virtual lock to make the team, are there any players poised to make their NHL debut out of camp?
The Prospects Tournament takes place from Sept. 16-20. Following a six-day training camp at Centre I.C.E. Arena, the Red Wings open their eight-game preseason Sept. 29 at Chicago.
Here is what MLive readers had on their minds in this week’s mailbag:
Q: Seems like most of the roster spots are decided even before camp. Is there someone who might surprise in camp and steal a job from a veteran, other than maybe (Joe) Veleno? I’m thinking either (Lucas) Raymond or (Jonatan) Berggren. What are their chances? – C.J.
A: On defense, their top eight is set (Danny DeKeyser, Filip Hronek, Nick Leddy, Gustav Lindstrom, Jordan Oesterle, Moritz Seider, Marc Staal and Troy Stecher), so their goaltending (Thomas Greiss and Alex Nedeljkovic).
There could be an opportunity at forward for a waiver-exempt player to step up and grab a job with an impressive camp and preseason.
Veleno might be in the best position based on his experience, which includes a five-game stint in Detroit at the end of the season. But Mitchell Stephens might have the best chance to emerge from the preseason as the fourth-line center.
Berggren, selected only three spots after Veleno in 2018, is someone to keep an eye on. He had a breakout season in Sweden’s top men’s league (12 goals, 33 assists in 49 games for Skelleftea). His speed and offensive ability could provide a spark if there is an opening at wing on one of the top three lines.
Berggren, 21, is two years older than Raymond and further along in his development. Raymond missed a significant chunk of the season with Frolunda due to elbow surgery and likely will need development time in Grand Rapids, as will Berggren in all likelihood.
Q: I don’t get it. We have a bevy of centers and not enough right wings. Centers – (Dylan) Larkin, (Pius) Suter, (Robby) Fabbri, (Sam) Gagner, (Michael) Rasmussen, Veleno, Mitchell Stephens (signed another when we already have a full house?). Right wings – Anthony Mantha (traded, .50 points per game), Bobby Ryan (.42 points per game, almost same as Mantha. Bobby was injured and did this). Gagner doesn’t even match Ryan’s production but Stevie (Yzerman) signs him again. Yzerman should have signed Bobby Ryan as a fourth-line or third-line RW that can still produce at almost .50 points per game. Am I missing something here? – Brian
A: They might have re-signed Ryan if not for his season-ending triceps surgery. He was expected to make a full recovery and hoped to return for his 15th season but remains unsigned. Perhaps he’ll join a team for a training camp tryout.
Ryan would have filled a need as a right-handed shooter who can play in the top nine and on the power play. He got off to a decent start but finished with only 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 33 games.
I wouldn’t say they have a bevy of centers. Fabbri and Gagner can play center but are better suited on the wing. If Veleno makes the team out of training camp it’ll probably be as a winger. Right now, their four centers are projected to be Larkin, Suter, Rasmussen and Stephens.
Q: Last season the way referees were calling slashing and cross-checking seemed to result in an awful lot of players getting hand, leg, or neck injuries. Is there any indication the league is considering or at least looking at this? Teams pay players an awful lot of money to play, not get laid up with a broken hand or neck injury from a cross-check. Second, considering how things went down with Tom Wilson/N.Y. Rangers, do you think the Wings signed (Luke) Witkowski to deal with him? There are rumors other teams have made moves to protect their players from him and players like him and I’d like to hear your take on that. – Michael
A: I’m not aware of whether the league is cracking down on sticking infractions. Sometimes that is disclosed to teams in training camp. When the league redefined slashing at the start of the 2017-18 season to penalize any slash “on or about the hands” it resulted in a rash of penalties before players adjusted.
Referees missed Jamie Benn’s cross-check to Larkin’s neck off a face-off on April 20 that caused the Detroit captain to miss the final eight games with a significant injury. So there needs to be better enforcement of these more blatant infractions.
Signing Witkowski had anything to do with Wilson or any other opponent. They see Witkowski as someone who can play right wing or defense, can go back and forth from Detroit to Grand Rapids as needed and can be the 13th forward, a role you don’t want filled by a young, waiver-exempt player.
Givani Smith, who will be a regular on the NHL roster, can fill the toughness role for this team, a player who will fight and stand up for teammates.
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