Red Wings Hot Takes That Get Progressively Hotter

Starting slow here, it’s all but confirmed Brandsegg-Nygård makes the team. After making the roster out of camp last season and succumbing to a poor offensive stint to start the season, Brandsegg-Nygård really refined his game in Grand Rapids and looks poised to seize a spot this season.

Without Patrick Kane on the right wing, a spot seems to have opened up for Brandsegg-Nygård in the top six. It’s going to be hard to replace Patrick Kane’s offensive production, but what Brandsegg-Nygård might lack in production out of the gate, he can make up for in speed and physicality.

The Red Wings are going into a year where the talent on the roster is at a new low. The only way forward is going to be seeing what some of their prospects look like at the NHL level, and Brandsegg-Nygård is naturally the best of the crop after making the AHL top prospect team. It’s too perfect to pass up; how he will play is still up for debate.

20%: Albert Johansson Plays on the Second Pair

There are some really good flashes of play from Albert Johansson that have led to Todd McLellan speaking highly of the young defenceman. The first half of the season was genuinely abysmal from Johansson, and most analysts had him among the league’s worst players, but after a really solid second half it may be time to see a bigger role.

While Ben Chiarot got an extension this season and certainly has the frame to log big minutes, his age and skating have declined consistently to a point where he’s no longer able to hold down the second pair. Despite Johansson not being as stocky or physical as Chiarot, his skating and decision-making make him a far better candidate to play next to Justin Faulk next season.

As mentioned before, Detroit is likely going to be seeking a youth movement, and deploying veterans into spots where they barely tread water probably isn’t the best way to do that. Albert Johansson has earned himself a bigger role, and that will likely see him getting significant run on the second pair.

30%: John Gibson is Traded

John Gibson was willing to leave Anaheim, as the chance to make the playoffs seemed better in Detroit. Despite a Herculean effort at times from Gibson, Detroit still missed, and Gibson isn’t getting any younger. John Gibson’s UFA status and the multiple teams needing goaltending make John Gibson a natural candidate to be moved.

There’s a slew of teams looking for help in net. New Jersey, Edmonton, Carolina, and Pittsburgh could all stand to make a serious upgrade. A lot of those teams are on short clocks to start competing. New Jersey to attract Quinn Hughes, Edmonton to appease McDavid, Carolina to carry on the Cup window, and so on. Getting Gibson during the season would shore up a major position and help them get back to competing.

It’s a shame it didn’t work out in Detroit for Gibson. He genuinely was playing at a Vézina level for the bulk of this season. But if he wants to compete, it’s not going to be in Detroit, and the Red Wings are better off not letting him walk for nothing. Unless they’re somehow in the playoff race.

40%: Lucas Raymond Leads the Team in Points

It’ll certainly be close between Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, both of whom are likely to play with one another. While Alex DeBrincat was show-stopping last season offensively, Lucas Raymond being the Red Wings primary (and only) true playmaker is going to let him rack up assists.

Without Patrick Kane, Lucas Raymond is going to have his role expanded into being the team’s dominant playmaker. Alex DeBrincat, Marco Kasper, Dylan Larkin, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård all live to shoot, and those are likely going to be the guys he sees the ice with most. Raymond will be the catalyst to their success and likely reap the benefits in the point totals.

The story with Raymond will be the shooting. Steve Yzerman and Todd McLellan were both very vocal about wanting Lucas Raymond to be shooting the puck more. He’s only hit the 30-goal mark once, but with the team likely giving him the reins without Kane and possibly Larkin, it’s not impossible he shoots enough to reach the plateau again.

50%: Nate Danielson is Ruled a Bust

Drafted as an over-ager, Danielson needed to pop to be worth the top-10 pick. Now, three years later, many of his peers have taken significant steps toward becoming NHL-level contributors, and Danielson lacks the health and tools to make a difference.

This is the absolute last chance for Danielson to redeem his otherwise lackluster development. Nate Danielson will see time on this NHL roster, but his role is one I still don’t understand. Danielson is a good skater with good playmaking and defensive instincts, but he lacks the power to convert those instincts into winning plays.

He’s a non-factor when it comes to scoring the puck as well. He’s yet to score a goal off his stick, with both goals coming from body deflections. Multiple times last season, he was set up on a silver platter and couldn’t score.

All of that is second to his poor bill of health. There are serious questions about whether Danielson will even be able to play 60 games. All of these things come together, and they seriously make me think that this season will expose what Red Wings fans were worried about with Nate Danielson.

60%: Multiple Prospects are Traded

With a new general manager coming, it’s possible that he won’t value the draft picks made by Steve Yzerman in the same light. There are no promises for anyone on this team, and I feel like that certainly rings true for this team’s prospect pool.

It’s not impossible that this general manager sees a lot of these prospects as expendable. Why have Nate Danielson, Ondrej Becher, Carter Bear, and Carter Mazur when you already have Marco Kasper in that role? Especially when there may be elite talent those players can be packaged for. Why not try to get an elite forward for Sandin-Pellikka if you trust Moritz Seider and Anton Johansson to hold down the right side?

I’m only using those names as examples. I’m not saying I think those guys are going to be on the move, but I think this team clearly lacks top-six wingers and another left-side defenceman that the new GM may look to fix through trade.

70%: The Red Wings Mend the Relationship with Dylan Larkin

I’m not saying I want this to happen. I’m saying I think it’s going to happen. It’s well documented that Dylan Larkin and Steve Yzerman didn’t get along, and frankly, I don’t know that I blame him. The Quinn Hughes saga being both an elite defenceman and one of Larkin’s close friends, and not resulting in Hughes as a Red Wing might leave me bitter too.

A new general manager who makes it clear that he’s going to do his best to bring in some talent regardless of the future might swing Larkin into coming back. Is that the right move? I don’t know. What I do know is that this team’s prospect pool isn’t exactly elite at the moment.

So I do think in spite of all the fans, the Red Wings are going to view Larkin as crucial to this team, and they’re going to invest in getting this current roster some help. Hell, it might result in keeping Alex DeBrincat.

80%: Moritz Seider Remains on Power Play 1

Despite Axel Sandin-Pellikka being an obvious candidate to get some run on the top unit, I don’t think the Red Wings are going to take Seider away from the top unit. While I do believe the youth is going to get a big role this season, replacing an elite player with a question mark anywhere in the lineup probably won’t happen.

Now, I will say, that doesn’t mean Sandin-Pellikka won’t get some run on the top unit. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets games up there or even a two-defenceman look like the Red Wings had with Seider and Gostisbehere before Patrick Kane arrived.

Regardless, Moritz Seider is going to get run on the top unit until he retires or simply gets bested for it. Besides, Seider had 40+ points in 2023-24 behind Ghostisbehere, and if Sandin-Pellikka can do the same, it’s still a great feat.

90%: The Red Wings Will Not Sell Key Pieces & Instead Buy

I believe that the Red Wings will not face the music this season. Despite the stacked division and internal controversy, openly looking to repair the relationship with Larkin screams that the Red Wings are looking to push for the postseason.

I do think that the General Manager they bring in to do this won’t be as diluted as Yzerman seemed to be with his own product. They will likely see just how badly this roster needs help, and along with my prospects-being-traded prediction, they’re going to pay some high prices.

Again, good idea? Probably not. But Chris Illitch has made a series of moves that suggest the Red Wings are not looking to get worse in the short term.

100%: The Red Wings Will Be Better Than You Think

How good? I’m not sure. How much better? I’m also not sure. Is that a cowardly answer? Yes, yes it is. It seems blindly optimistic and maybe overly optimistic, but here’s some food for thought.

The Red Wings will have a true top line for the first time in a decade; DeBrincat, Larkin, and Raymond will rack up points, and their numbers last season were dominant in goals, CF%, and SF%. It will give them their offensive crux each game.

The depth will be faster, grittier, and more skilled. Brandsegg-Nygard and Mazur are going to be in big roles, and Victor Arvidsson has similar production to Patrick Kane without needing to be sheltered. For the first time, the second line won’t be sheltered, meaning everyone gets fair matchups. Not to mention Kolesar, Finnie, Kasper, Mazur, and Brandsegg-Nygard are going to bring some real bite.

The Red Wings are going to have a full season of Justin Faulk. Simply think about how much of an upgrade over Travis Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker that is? The defense core is going to be watertight all season.

Finally, the new general manager seems like they’re going to want to get some new bodies into the roster. Who knows, maybe a big trade to bring in some talent is coming to supplement this all.

Playoffs? I’m not sure. But I don’t think they’re going to be worst in the NHL levels of bad.

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