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The Detroit Red Wings’ signing of Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko made waves across the NHL. With Tarasenko on board, the Detroit Red Wings have significantly improved their overall depth and talent.
Overall, the Red Wings made a great move in signing Tarasenko, but that move is just one of several clever actions GM Steve Yzerman has taken. Other interesting moves include re-signing Christian Fischer to a one-year, forward Tyler Motte and defensemen Erik Gustafsson and Willian Lagesson while adding depth with Joe Snively.
In goal, the Red Wings brought in veteran Cam Talbot along with recently bought-out Jack Campbell. Campbell will look for a fresh start, but he projects to play at the AHL level to start the season.
With the free-agent signing in mind, here’s a look at how the Red Wings’ projected lines could look like on opening night:
- Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymon
- Vladimir Tarasenko – J.T. Compher – Patrick Kane
- Michael Rasmussen – Adrew Copp – Jonathan Berggren
- Tyler Motte – Joe Veleno – Christian Fischer
The defensive pairings could shape up as follows:
- Ben Chiarot – Mortiz Seider
- Simon Edvinsson – Jeff Petry
- Erick Gustafsson – Olli Maata
The netminders are as listed below:
- Alex Lyon – Cam Talbot
This Detroit Red Wings lineup could become very dangerous throughout the season.
With Tampa Bay and Florida seemingly taking steps back, this season could open up an opportunity for the Red Wings to climb into a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.
Grading the Detroit Red Wings free agent moves
The Hockey News ran a piece in which it graded the Detroit Red Wings’ free-agent signings. It graded the Wings’ overall moves as a B-. The argument is based on the fact that the Red Wings didn't make a big splash on the market.
However, there's a method to the madness. In particular, the article underscores how future RFAs Luchas Raymond and Moritz Seider will need new contracts after this upcoming season. As a result, the Red Wings cannot afford to tie up valuable cap space until knowing how much it will cost them to keep the two valuable players.
Moreover, The Hockey News pointed out that several signings are more based on depth moves than actually impacting the NHL roster. Players like Lagesson and Snively figure to be a key part of Detroit’s AHL affiliate.
Likewise, Campbell doesn’t figure to play a significant role at the NHL level. If anything, he would be an emergency option should Lyon and Cam Talbot get injured.
Lastly, it’s worth pointing out that the Patrick Kane signing got an A, according to the article. Specifically, the deal gets a high score because the Wings brought Kane back on a relatively cheap one-year deal. This situation allows the Wings to utilize Kane’s cap hit next season as needed.
