The Free Press’s Helene St. James examines the Detroit Red Wings’ roster this morning, discussing a possible lineup that the Wings could ice on opening night in October. Here are her second and third forward lines:
Line 2: Jakub Vrana-Pius Suter-Robby Fabbri
Suter has good hockey IQ and hands. Vrana made a terrific impression after being acquired at the trade deadline, pumping 11 points into 11 games. He’s an opportunistic, savvy scorer, and could help Suter as he transitions to a new team. A concussion sidelined Fabbri in early April, but he said in July that he’s fully recovered. He’s been a solid, steady scoring threat since arriving in December 2019, and he adds a nice bit of grit.
Line 3: Vladislav Namestnikov–Joe Veleno-Sam Gagner
Yzerman said in late July that Veleno, who played five games for the Wings after his season in the Swedish Hockey League ended, isn’t a shoo-in for a spot in Detroit. But Veleno looks poised to stake a claim, strengthened by the experience he gained playing for Malmö and by gotten significantly stronger. Gagner is a good fit because he’s a savvy veteran who keeps things calm. Both he and Namestnikov can take faceoffs if needed.
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