Detroit Red Wings fans who wanted to see more of a youth movement in the upcoming 2025-26 NHL campaign, which officially begins for them on Thursday, have gotten their wish.
Minutes ago, the Red Wings submitted their final roster for Opening Night on Oct. 9, and young draft picks of GM Steve Yzerman including Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and Emmitt Finnie have all made the cut.
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Meanwhile, both Nate Danielson and Shai Buium were designated as injured non-roster.
Other Yzerman draft selections who saw playing time during the pre-season like Sebastian Cossa, Carter Bear, and William Wallinder were recently assigned to the American Hockey League.
Both Finnie and Brandsegg-Nygård impressed Detroit management during the pre-season, which saw the Red Wings earn a 5-3 record.
Sandin-Pellikka showed flashes of being a reliable presence on the blue line on the power-play.
Final Form? Red Wings Hint At Opening Night Lines During Practice
The Detroit Red Wings were back at practice this morning at Little Caesars Arena, and the lines they skated with could give a good indication as to what things could look like on Opening Night this coming Thursday.
Detroit will be carrying 13 forwards with eight defensemen and two goaltenders to start the season.
It was a good indicator during today’s practice that the aforementioned rookies stood a good chance of making the roster based on the line combinations:
Emmitt Finnie-Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat-Marco Kasper-Patrick Kane
Andrew Copp-J.T. Compher-Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
Elmer Soderblom-Michael Rasmussen-Mason Appleton
Ben Chariot-Moritz Seider
Simon Edvinsson-Travis Hamonic/Jacob Bernard-Docker
Albert Johansson-Axel Sandin Pellikka
Earlier in the week, the Red Wings also waived defensemen Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson; because both players cleared waivers, they can now be sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Last season, the Red Wings saw the emergence of players like Marco Kasper and Simon Edvinsson, and now, this upcoming campaign will feature an injection of even more intriguing youth into the lineup.
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