Khan estimates the Red Wings’ starting lines for the 2020-2021 season

MLive’s Ansar Khan has posted an estimated set of lines for the Red Wings’ 2020-2021 season roster:

First line

LW: Tyler Bertuzzi, C: Dylan Larkin, RW: Anthony Mantha

Blashill hasn’t played the team’s top three forwards together often, wanting to spread the wealth over the top two lines, but the Red Wings might have more depth now to keep the trio together for longer stretches. They have finished with a flurry in each of the past two seasons. In the final 10 games of 2019-20, the three combined for 11 goals and 22 assists.

Second line

LW: Robby Fabbri, C: Vladislav Namestnikov, RW: Bobby Ryan

The additions of Namestnikov (two years/$4 million) and Ryan (one year/$1 million) gives the Red Wings more skilled options for their top six. Namestnikov can play all three forward positions but will fill an important void as the second-line center. Ryan provides a much-needed right-handed shot up front, someone with a shooting mentality, another need for this team. Fabbri was rejuvenated last season and saw some time at center late in the year, so that remains an option.

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, when MLive hired me to work their SlapShots blog, and I joined Kukla's Korner in 2011 as The Malik Report. I'm starting The Malik Report as a stand-alone site, hoping that having my readers fund the website is indeed the way to go to build a better community and create better content.