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New York Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Red Wings depth chart 1.0: Detroit has flexibility, but which option is best?
The Detroit Red Wings' offseason might or might not be done. When general manager Steve Yzerman met with the media last week, he still alluded to the possibility of trade opportunities that could arise in the wake of free agency. He even mentioned there were 'a couple teams looking to do some things that we do have some interest in and are possibilities.' Advertisement In the days (and possibly weeks) to come, we'll find out whether any of those will materialize into anything more than tire kicking. If not, perhaps a 13th forward or third goaltender will come into the mix instead. But as of now, as the dust begins to settle, Yzerman and the Red Wings have a roster in place. And that means the rest of us have a chance to start imagining how the pieces could fit together. Granted, coach Todd McLellan doesn't have to pick just one arrangement. Throughout the long NHL season, there are all kinds of combinations he can experiment with — more than we can realistically project here. And the new lineup players the Red Wings added — wingers James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton, defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker — give McLellan plenty of flexibility. So today, even acknowledging the possibility of one more move, it's worth examining what kind of options Detroit is looking at with its new depth chart. I'm calling this the default because when I look at the names on Detroit's roster, it's the one that makes the most sense to me. But rather than start at the top, I want to start in the middle of the lineup, because the rest of the decisions ultimately flow out from there. We know Yzerman views Appleton as a classic checking-line winger who can contribute offensively as well. That makes it easy to slot him onto the third line at right wing. The first question, though, is whether Andrew Copp or J.T. Compher will center that checking line — and the answer might turn out to be both. When I asked Yzerman after the draft how he saw his center situation playing out after Marco Kasper's great finish to the season as the team's No. 2 center, he noted the possibility of Compher and Copp's playing on the same line together, determining who takes faceoffs by which side of the ice the draw is on. Yzerman is ultimately going to leave those decisions to McLellan, so he's not tipping a hand or anything here, but keeping both players higher in the lineup in a matchup role that would give Detroit a real advantage on faceoffs is an interesting idea. Advertisement So, for Scenario 1, let's go with that as the construction for the third line. From there, the question is who will move into the top-line left-wing role. And there are a lot of options, with no clear choice. But looking at it on paper in early July, I found myself homing in on two players: veteran van Riemsdyk and young winger Elmer Söderblom. My gut, though, is to give the close call to van Riemsdyk, who had 16 goals last year and is as proven a net-front presence as you'll find in the NHL. He's no longer in his prime, at 36, but being able to dig pucks out of a scrum or bang home a rebound? That's still right in his wheelhouse, and it makes a lot of sense to put him with two players who funnel plenty of pucks into that area. There is a question of pace, but none of the alternatives answers that question any better. The biggest issue might be workload, as van Riemsdyk averaged just 12:24 of ice time last season. But there were games van Riemsdyk got as high as 17 minutes, and if he can give 15 good minutes at even strength, that might be enough. It's not ideal, but no top-line option is, and van Riemsdyk's size and touch around the net make him an interesting option. That leaves a fourth line of Söderblom, Michael Rasmussen and Jonatan Berggren, which is admittedly a bit of a mishmash of skills. But it still has a solid defensive center in Rasmussen, a nifty playmaker in Berggren and a skilled stickhandler with a big shot in Söderblom. That could work, even if the line feels like it lacks a real identity. Meanwhile, on defense, there's not a lot of analysis needed because it's basically what Detroit went with when Jeff Petry was out last season. In that time, Albert Johansson broke through and earned a lot of trust from McLellan and assistant coach Trent Yawney, although some of the underlying numbers weren't as encouraging. For a young defenseman, though, Johansson can continue to grow into being a steady puck-mover, and his ability to play either side is a real asset. Advertisement Going into the season like this would once again ask a lot of Johansson and Ben Chiarot, but absent an upgrade from outside, this looks like the obvious top four. As for the third pair, some will be itching to see new addition Bernard-Docker on the right side, and I'll get to that later in this piece. But in sheltered minutes last season, Justin Holl did turn in an expected goals share of 50 percent for the season, and it was even better under McLellan. That goes against a lot of the narratives around him. The actual goals share was a different story, which is where the frustration stems from — and of course, that is the number that counts on the scoreboard. But I wouldn't be quite so quick to write off Holl as an extra. He'll still be in plenty of games for Detroit this year. Here's a different way of approaching those same decisions, and there's a real argument to be made that this could be a better overall construction. For starters, van Riemsdyk goes from the top line into a depth role more in line with his average ice time last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was effective in that kind of role, and for a big body of his age, maybe it will turn out to be the best way to use him. That leaves a hole up top, and in this scenario, it's Söderblom who will get that look. I did have some pace questions when Söderblom got some limited run with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond last season, but like van Riemsdyk, he brings a needed size element to that line and does so with considerable skill to boot. If the 24-year-old can take a step in the skating department over the summer, he might even offer a little higher upside because of his combination of size, hands and shot. The big difference, here, though, is in how Detroit will use Compher and Copp. I struggle with the idea of the Red Wings' top three centers all being left-handed, but we saw how effective Copp, Rasmussen and Christian Fischer were as a checking line in recent seasons, and Appleton could offer a similar look with the potential for a touch more offense, too. Advertisement That would free up Compher to center the fourth line, still keeping van Riemsdyk with a veteran center who has offense in his game. I could have left Berggren on the right wing here as the playmaker on the line, but I also wanted to acknowledge that Mazur could make this team out of camp. He's had some rotten injury luck in recent years, but is still an intriguing young player who (when healthy) probably better suits a fourth-line identity than Berggren does and still brings scoring touch in the hard areas of the ice. This bottom six would have a clear checking line plus a fourth-line trio that has real scoring potential, and the bottom six as a whole would be harder to play against on paper. On the blue line, Bernard-Docker gets into the lineup in this scenario, and I am curious to see what he can do in new surroundings. He's had some decent underlying numbers in limited action thus far in his NHL career, and Yawney has a great track record for developing young defensemen. Maybe Detroit can tap into something there. All right, now let's get a little more wild. In the first two scenarios, I've assumed Detroit would stick with Kasper as the 2C, since that's where he projects long-term. But it's worth noting he was also excellent as a top-line left wing for a stretch last season, and Copp showed pretty well between Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat under McLellan. So, absent a clear answer at top-line wing before camp, who's to say the coach doesn't go right back to that to begin the season? It would give Larkin and Raymond a great high-paced complement who can mix it up down low, and Copp has the size and hockey sense to work with the two smaller skilled wingers on line two. Ideally, Rasmussen would probably be the checking line winger in that scenario, but with no other center options left, he instead stays at 4C. The question then becomes who gets the bump up to third-line left wing among van Riemsdyk, Söderblom, Berggren or even Carter Mazur. Instead, though, what about Nate Danielson? Yes, Danielson is also a natural center, but it's not uncommon to break in young centers on the wing, and his mature defensive game could fit right in next to Compher and Appleton — while also bringing great skating and some playmaking flavor to the line. I can't see Detroit bringing Danielson up to play on the fourth line, and frankly, even this third-line wing role might be stretching it. But if Danielson has a great camp, this would be one way to get him top-nine minutes, and he could move up the lineup by season's end, like Kasper. Advertisement I'd be fascinated to see Danielson play with Kane and DeBrincat — though that seems like more of a March consideration than an October one. In this scenario, too, the fourth line would have a lot of size but also some real offense, with van Riemsdyk plugging into a new version of the old 'Redwoods' line that used to feature Ramussen, Söderblom and Oskar Sundqvist. There are other options to work with beyond what we've laid out here. It wouldn't be unthinkable for Berggren — who finished last season on the top line — to get another look there. It also wouldn't be unreasonable to give Copp or Compher a look in that spot. Would it be unheard of to even see Danielson there at some point, after how well that worked for Kasper? Though Detroit's offseason left plenty to be desired in terms of sizzle, it has also left McLellan plenty of options in how he can arrange his lineup — regardless of whether one really sticks or whether he instead cycles between them throughout the year. (Photo of Andrew Copp and Ben Chiarot: Brett Holmes / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Wings Announce Michael Leighton Hired As New Goaltending Coach
The Detroit Red Wings had a vacancy to fill after deciding to part ways with goaltending coach Alex Westlund in late April. They've officially filled that position, announcing that former NHL veteran Michael Leighton has accepted the job as Detroit's new goaltending coach. He'll be overseeing Detroit's tandem of John Gibson, who was recently acquired from the Anaheim Ducks, and Cam Talbot, who is entering his second season in Detroit. Advertisement Leighton, who played 110 regular season NHL games, already has a connection to a pair of current Red Wings players. In 2010, he and James van Riemsdyk helped the Philadelphia Flyers advance to the Stanley Cup Final, where they would be defeated by Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane's wrist shot from a sharp angle slipped under the pads of Leighton shortly into overtime of the decisive Game 6, clinching the first Stanley Cup win for the Blackhawks in 49 years. van Riemsdyk was also on the ice for the Flyers at the time of the infamous Cup-winning goal. It was Philadelphia's first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since they were swept by the Red Wings in 1997. Advertisement Leighton was originally selected by the Blackhawks in the 1999 NHL Draft after rising through the ranks of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, the Western Ontario Hockey League, and the Ontario Hockey League. After playing two seasons with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals, Leighton would officially debut in the NHL for the Blackhawks in January of 2003 and recorded a shutout in his first start, a scoreless tie against the Phoenix Coyotes. Leighton then spent brief stints with the Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators before he began what would be the first of a pair of tenures with the Flyers. While playing with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009, the club signed former Red Wings goaltender Manny Legace after starter Cam Ward suffered a leg injury, and he was placed on waivers and subsequently claimed by the Flyers. Advertisement Leighton would eventually help lead the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, which included an improbable reverse sweep over the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semi Final. He recorded three shutouts in the Eastern Conference Final over the Montreal Canadiens, which tied an NHL record for most shutouts by a goaltender in a single postseason series. The bulk of the remainder of Leighton's professional playing career, which lasted until his retirement in 2019, was spent playing in the AHL. Overall, he was named to five All-Star Classic appearances during his time in the AHL , including in 2012, 2016, and 2017. His 50 shutouts are the most by any goaltender in AHL history, and he also holds the AHL record for most saves in a single game, stopping an astounding 98 shots as part of a five-overtime marathon contest while with the Albany River Rats against the Philadelphia Phantoms. Leighton amassed an NHL record of 37-43-14 with a 2.98 goals-against average, a .900 save percentage, and four shutouts. Advertisement He also racked up a 250-186-50 record in 507 AHL games, with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Projecting Red Wings' Forward Lines For The 2025-26 Season
Early line projections come out for Detroit Red Wings 2025-26 offence. As the Detroit Red Wings prepare for the next NHL season, the buzz around their projected lineup has started to commence with fans wondering what they can expect to see from the 2025-26 team. Advertisement It's very early to say what the coaching staff decide to roll out with but Daily Faceoff has started their early predictions for the Red Wings lineup and it appears to have some accurate aspects to it. We look to break down the projected top 12 forwards and how likely it is for the lines to come into fruition come opening night. With the help of MoneyPuck, we'll be looking at some numbers available for the lines past performance and how successful they were. More Red Wings: Projecting Red Wings' Defensive Pairings For The 2025-26 Season 1st Line: James van Riemsdyk - Dylan Larkin - Lucas Raymond There was never any doubt that we would see the dynamic duo of Larkin and Raymond on the top line but the team's newest addition in veteran James van Riemsdyk is a surprising sight. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman spoke to the versatility of van Riemsdyk's potential role with the team and that he could see minutes anywhere from the top line to the third with some also on the power play. The 36-year-old New Jersey native has found middle-six consistency in old age with 36 or more points in all but one of his last nine seasons. He is an elite netfront presence as uses his large frame at 6-foot-3 almost 210 pounds to carve out a spot in front of the net and impose his will upon opposing defenders. Last season, van Riemsdyk scored 16 goals with all but two of them coming from the slot. Advertisement This is a trend for van Riemsdyk as 33 of his 39 of his goals over the last three seasons have come from the netfront and could give Larkin and Raymond a chance to dish the puck around the zone with the help of the blueline while JVR applies screens and tries to tip in pucks. More Red Wings: Red Wings Sign Former First Round Pick to One-Year Deal 2nd Line: Alex DeBrincat - Marco Kasper - Patrick Kane Detroit's second line trio was the most effective last season with a team-best plus/minus as a unit at +4 on the season after playing 192.2 minutes together over 30 games. Kasper's 14 points over his final 18 games was noted by many including Yzerman, who said that the team would like to see him continue and prolong his stellar play into this upcoming season. Advertisement The Red Wings elite top line with Larkin and Raymond normally garner all the league's toughest defenders while the second line can hopefully excel and put up more solid numbers with more time together this season. Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 3rd Line: Elmer Soderblom - J.T. Compher - Jonatan Berggren Two recent re-signings for the franchise will be featured alongside Compher, who is looking to bounce back after a lackluster season. The veteran centre finished with 32 points last season and was a disappointment after recording 48 and 52 points in the two seasons prior. Advertisement Compher will have the chance to help two newcomers find their footing with a 6-foot-8 giant in Soderblom and a former second round pick in Berggren. Both players are looking to carve out a role for themselves and could learn from the newcomers joining the team. Soderblom could look to better utilize his large frame with the help of van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton while Berggren and Compher move the puck and make plays around the netfront. Not too many teams have gone against Soderblom before and with his mystery box upside as an everyday player, there's no telling what this line could be. 4th Line: Michael Rasmussen - Andrew Copp - Mason Appleton Appleton is coming from a system where he excelled playing alongside a physical player like Jets captain Adam Lowry and he should find some chemistry with a player like Rasmussen on his opposite wing. Advertisement The fourth line would likely be used as a physical, forechecking unit that can lay the body and keep opposing forward groups in check. Rasmussen is a towering 6-foot-6 and could help with the forecheck while Copp tries to bring some level of offence down the middle as a regular 30-40 point producer. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites.
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Red Wings sign winger Mason Appleton to 2-year contract worth $2.9 million per season
DETROIT — The Red Wings are adding some size to their bottom six, signing winger Mason Appleton to a two-year deal with a $2.9 million average annual value, league sources told The Athletic's Chris Johnston on Wednesday. Appleton had 10 goals and 22 points last season for the Jets but is only one year removed from a 14-goal, 36-point campaign in 2023-24. Detroit had been looking to add size and hardness to its lineup, and Appleton will help with that as a 6-foot-2 winger with good territorial impacts. Appleton profiles as a true third-liner and could slot in alongside fellow former Jet Andrew Copp, JT Compher, or both in that role for Detroit. The Red Wings have needed a harder element in their lineup, and Appleton looks like that style of role player who can still chip in some secondary offense. What's interesting is that the move comes a day after the Red Wings added James van Riemsdyk, who also would have been a logical third-line fit. It's possible both van Riemsdyk and Appleton could flank Copp or Compher on that line, with the other either playing up the lineup or centering the fourth line. It's also possible the veteran van Riemsdyk could get a look high in the lineup after a 16-goal campaign last season. Neither of those options would classify as the kind of splashy top-line addition fans in Detroit were hoping for, though. Advertisement It also remains to be seen if the Red Wings are done making moves, as Detroit still has more than $11 million in cap space. But in signing the 29-year-old Appleton to a fairly inexpensive short-term deal, the Red Wings have added to their depth and given themselves a veteran role player. — Max Bultman, Red Wings beat reporter
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
As NHL free agency opens, Blue Jackets make news for departures, not additions
COLUMBUS, Ohio — When the offseason started, the Columbus Blue Jackets highlighted three or four significant positions on the ice they wanted to upgrade. Optimism abounded for a club that outperformed expectations and missed the playoffs by one win. This summer held the hope of being transformative. At the start, the Blue Jackets were young and promising. After they cashed in their chips — their two first-round picks and their abundant salary cap space —the Jackets would be armed and dangerous. Advertisement It hasn't worked out that way, and that came into a new focus at the start of the league's free-agent sell-off on Tuesday. If the Blue Jackets made news in free agency, it was for what they let leave Nationwide Arena, not what they managed to bring into the fold. Columbus native Sean Kuraly, who spent four years with the Blue Jackets, signed a two-year, $3.7 million contract with the Boston Bruins, where his career began. Justin Danforth signed a two-year, $3.6 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres, and James van Riemsdyk, who had 16 goals last season, signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Thank you for inspiring the next generation and all you've done for your hometown! ♥️ Best of luck in Boston, Kurls! — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 1, 2025 General manager Don Waddell made one preemptive move ahead of those departures, which he believes brought upgrades. Last Friday, he acquired forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche. He also also made a signing on Tuesday when it was clear that Danforth, who would have been the fourth-line center, would depart for upstate New York. Isac Lundestrom, who spent six seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, signed a two-year, $2.6 million contract. Waddell, who had a full year's honeymoon since his hiring last summer, was asked to explain how the Blue Jackets of July 1 are an improved version of the club that won six straight games and walked off the ice to a standing ovation in mid-April. He highlighted three areas: That's always been part of the plan, though. By now, though, in an ideal summer, the Blue Jackets would have added a top-six scoring winger, a right-side defenseman to play in their top four, a right-shot center to help them with faceoffs, and — perhaps, though never stated publicly — a new starting goaltender. Advertisement It left Waddell on Tuesday to pledge his allegiance to a roster whose only significant change is on the third and fourth forward lines. 'This is a special group,' Waddell said. 'Everything that happened last year, how they stuck together and how they finished the season … we felt trying to keep the nucleus together was important. It doesn't mean we don't explore. We always have to look to see what's out there to see if we can make our team better.' The boldest example of that was with defenseman Ivan Provorov, who the Blue Jackets tried to replace with the aforementioned right-side defenseman. When it became clear to Waddell that the trade market was not going to provide an upgrade, he circled back with little time to spare to get Provorov signed. By then, the leverage was firmly in Provorov's camp, and he benefitted tremendously. The seven-year, $59.5 million contract ($8.5 million salary cap hit) that Provorov agreed to late Monday was finalized just before noon on Tuesday, when the markets opened. Provorov will make $9 million this season, $8.5 million in years two through six, and $8 million in the seventh year (2031-32). A total of $9.5 million will be paid via signing bonuses in the first six years of the contract. Also, there's a no-move clause in the first two years of the deal, and a modified no-trade clause in the final five. Dotted the i ✍️@PNCBank | #CBJ — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 1, 2025 It made for a potentially awkward scene on Tuesday when Provorov and Waddell held back-to-back press conferences in Nationwide Arena. 'They knew I wanted to stay,' Provorov said. 'My understanding is they wanted to keep me. It's not a secret that they, obviously, explored and looked at other options. 'Definitely it was a stressful week. For a little bit, I definitely did not know if I was coming back or not. Obviously, the want from me was to stay and re-sign here, and I'm glad we were able to come to an agreement.' Advertisement Waddell was reluctant to go long-term with Provorov before the trade deadline last March, but only because NHL GMs like the flexibility of shorter contracts. There is no concern, Waddell said, in giving Provorov such a long term — the NHL max is eight years — because of his reliability. Provorov has never missed a game in two years with the Blue Jackets. In fact, he's never missed a game in his 696-game career due to injury. He was forced out of the lineup due to a positive COVID-19 test when he played in Philadelphia. 'This is a guy who plays every night,' Waddell said. 'I've told this story many times. We were up in Canada (on Dec. 6 in Vancouver) when he dislocated his thumb. I asked him how long he's going to be out, and he looked at me and said, 'Don, I broke my thumb, not my foot.' 'This is true warrior, and we're very comfortable going with the term of seven years.' Lundestrom, 25, was a first-round pick (No. 23 overall) of the Ducks in 2018. He looked the part in his first full NHL season (2021-22), too, totaling 16-13-29 in 80 games. He's played in a mostly fourth-line capacity in Anaheim the past three seasons. Right place, right time! Congrats on your first career goal, Isac Lundestrom! — NHL (@NHL) February 7, 2021 The Blue Jackets also made a pair of signings designed to help AHL Cleveland and, if necessary, provide depth in Columbus. Defenseman Christian Jaros and forward Owen Sillinger signed one-year, two-way deals. Jaros, who has played briefly in the NHL with Ottawa, San Jose and New Jersey, spent the past three seasons in Russia's KHL. Waddell said he's looking for a depth goaltender, too, one could fill a No. 2 or No. 3 role, similar to Jet Greaves' role last season. Ideally, he'd like a goaltender who doesn't need to clear waivers. Advertisement But as for the top remaining free agents? Don't expect the Blue Jackets to be active, Waddell said. No, they aren't going to sign Nikolaj Ehlers, the top free agent forward still on the board. 'Where we're at right now, we're comfortable with our group,' Waddell said. 'But it's my job to continue to explore throughout the summer and see if we can make us better.' Meanwhile, defenseman Jordan Harris, who became a free agent on Monday when the Blue Jackets declined to extend a qualifying offer, signed a one-year, $835,000 contract with the Boston Bruins. (Photo of Sean Kuraly: Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
