The Athletic’s Max Bultman attempts to discern the Red Wings’ 2027-2028 season lineup this morning, and here’s the introduction to his article:
Each year, when the dust starts to settle on the offseason and the summer months begin to drag, we take a look into the future and project what the Detroit Red Wings lineup will look like in three years.
The goal of the projections is not to be 100 percent correct three years out, but rather to highlight how the Red Wings’ ongoing rebuild is trending — and what it still lacks. In recent years, we’ve begun leaving blank spots in the lineup to highlight positions at which Detroit has no obvious long-term answer and will need to address.
With all that said, let’s dive into it.
Forward Line 1: Remaining Need – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond
By this point, Raymond will be 25, squarely in his prime. He should be Detroit’s top-scoring forward and the centerpiece of the power play — the latter of which he has not yet been with the Red Wings, even while scoring 31 goals and 72 points last season. Assuming he continues to develop, that growth, along with that potential increased role, could very well make him a star up front.
And really, Detroit will need him to be. Because while the Red Wings have stocked their pipeline with potentially impactful forwards over the past three drafts, there is still a real question about the group’s potential star power. That’s highlighted by the remaining need at top-line left wing, and really, to address that need in time for the 2027-28 season examined here, Detroit would likely need either to find a fast-moving star in the 2025 draft or acquire a more experienced difference-maker via free agency or trade.
Larkin, meanwhile, will be entering his age-31 season. He should still be a highly effective center by then, and part of his growth in the past two years has been his relying a bit less on his pure speed to create offense. He’s a hard-driving competitor and his scoring touch has improved substantially, which should allow him to more easily weather whatever the aging curve may have in store for him. Still, though, 31 is beyond most players’ prime, and it’s reasonable to expect Larkin to feel the effects of aging as he hits his 30s. He should still be a first-line-caliber player — perhaps the New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad could be a relevant comparison — but his age enhances the need to find another impact forward up front in the coming years.
Continued (paywall); it’s an interesting exercise…
