Breaking down the main takeaways from Red Wings training camp, Sunday's Red and White Game in Grand Rapids.
The Detroit Red Wings are entering the final phase of their preseason preparations, with training camp now complete and their first exhibition game set for Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Sunday's sold-out Red and White Game in Grand Rapids, along with the overall camp, revealed several key storylines that insiders are watching closely.
These developments add intrigue to the upcoming preseason matchups, as there are still several important roster decisions for Detroit bench boss Todd McLellan to be made either before the regular season begins or in its early stages.
Marco Kasper and the 2nd Line
The first and most impactful note for the Red Wings lineup moving forward is how effective the second line of Alex DeBrincat, Marco Kasper and Patrick Kane was. Red Wings writer for the Athletic Max Bultman called the line "the most game-ready and could be in for a strong season." The unit reportedly dominated in scrimmages, making it a tough decision for McLellan to consider breaking up the line.
Kasper finished off last season very strong with 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points in his final 42 games that included a hot streak down the final eight games of the season in which he recorded seven points. The Austrian center could look to take another step this season and turn last season's 37 total points on the season into closer to 50-60 points if the reports on the effectiveness of his line turn out to be true. The only thing that would disrupt this line would be if McLellan does experimented with putting Kasper on the top line left wing with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. The team has yet to find an answer to this problem but they have been narrowing down more options.
"It's Getting Better and Better": Elmer Söderblom Beams After Two-Goal Performance
The annual <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/unbelievable-atmosphere-red-wings-play-in-front-of-sold-out-crowd-in-grand-rapids">Red & White game</a> for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings</a> was played in a non-traditional location this time around, as it was moved from Center I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City, where the Red Wings hold Training Camp, to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, the home of their AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.
Top LW Position Battle
On the first day of training camp, the towering 6-foot-8 Elmer Söderblom slotted into the top line position and worked into it for a couple scrimmages before being replaced by 2023 seventh round pick Emmitt Finnie, who has been quickly rising up the prospect rankings for his edgy style of play that never sees him shy away from getting physical in puck battles or in front of the net.
The 20-year-old Lethbridge native made the most of his time in the role as the line scored three goals in a Saturday scrimmage with Finnie adding another goal as part of the unit in the Red and White game off a feed from Raymond. Söderblom didn't want his name to be forgotten from the mix as he tallied two goals during the Red and White game and showcased his elite shooting ability.
When speaking with Finnie in an exclusive interview, he told the Hockey News that he likened his style of play to Adrian Kempe as the Kings star winger is the best example at the pro level of how a gritty, hard-nosed winger that also has offensive talent can be a true gamebreaker in the NHL. Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Dan Watson earlier in the off-season, he told us that Finnie will be a player to watch going forward.
"I think Emmitt Finnie is a guy, he's a seventh round pick, but every time I see him, he continually gets better and better, he gets bigger, he gets stronger," Watson explained "[Finnie] had a great Western Hockey League career, stepped in two years ago with us and played three games and wasn't expected to play any games but did quite well during his playing time."
Red Wings top prospect Nate Danielson was also a name that was in conversation to take over the top line role as he was an extra attacker during a scrimmage and got minutes with Larkin and Raymond. This doesn't seem likely however as he mainly saw minutes in training camp with non-NHLers like fellow first-round pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and veteran John Leonard. Danielson has mainly developed as a center and could prove to be a better fit for him just lower in Detroit's lineup.
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Bottom-Six Line Solidifying
The projected lines for the Red Wings this upcoming season saw Michael Rasmussen slated on the fourth line alongside Mason Appleton with Andrew Copp at center. This line could turn out to be true as the unit played together during training camp with many team insiders noting the line had a similar feel to one in recent memory where former Detroit winger Christian Fischer was in Appleton's role, under former head coach Derek Lalonde.
The new projected lines have this unit moving up to the third line while expected top line winger James van Riemsdyk saw his lineup placement drop to the fourth line, where he'll be playing alongside J.T. Compher and Jonatan Berggren. There's still room for changes like if a Nate Danielson or another top end prospect pushes for a roster spot but as of today this bottom-six forward group for the Red Wings could be more impactful than in years past.
"Unbelievable Atmosphere": Red Wings Play In Front of Sold Out Crowd in Grand Rapids
The annual <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings</a> Red & White game, which is typically played at Center I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City, Mich., was moved to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. for the first time since 2011.
Longer Looks for Tralmaks, Lombardi
The 6-foot-4 Lativian winger in Eduards Tralmaks took over while van Riemsdyk, who was out for the first day of camp to take care of a personal family matter, and got to see minutes with NHLers in Compher and Berggren. Hard to say what it will lead to but Tralmaks had 51 points in 48 games last season in Czechia and could be a name to look out for in the pre-season.
We recently talked about Amadeus Lombardi and how he impressed during last week's Prospect Showcase with the Dallas Stars, totaling a goal and four assists through two games. The 2022 fourth round pick continued his success into camp, where he dished for two assists and scored in an exhibition shootout during the Red and White game. If he can continue his hot streak into the pre-season, he could contend for a bottom six role with the Red Wings.
Red Wings Announce Roster Cuts Ahead of Pre-Season Slate
Training Camp has officially wrapped up for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings</a>, who have one internal event remaining on the schedule before the pre-season begins on Tuesday.
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