Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted a subscriber-only article in which he discusses the depth players who may be crucial to the Red Wings’ offensive losses over the course of the 2023-2024 offseason (see: David Perron, Daniel Sprong and Shayne Gostisbehere). In Allen’s eyes, Jonatan Berggren, Michael Rasmussen, Joe Veleno and Christian Fischer can all improve in terms of their offensive output this upcoming season.
Here’s what Allen has to say about Jonatan Berggren’s possible contributions:
Left Wing Jonatan Berggren: On paper, Berggren had an exceptional season. He was one of the AHL’s most dynamic scorers, generating 24 goals and 56 points in 53 games for Grand Rapids. The young Swede added five goals and 10 points in nine playoff games.
But the truth is, it was a frustrating season for Berggren. Coach Derek Lalonde didn’t trust Berggren’s play away from the puck. After he was sent down to the AHL, he lived in a hotel, stored his clothes in his car. It wasn’t a perfect situation. The permanent call to the NHL never came.
Now the Red Wings need Berggren to succeed. There is no reason why he shouldn’t. He has played 79 NHL games and scored 17 goals. Given playing time on a scoring line, 25 goals are not an unreasonable expectation, especially if he gets power play time.
Continued (paywall); I’m not counting on 25 goals from Berggren, but I’m hoping that he scores 15 or so this upcoming season.
Given that Rasmussen, Andrew Copp and Christian Fischer were an excellent third line for the Wings last year, I’d like to see what Berggren and Veleno can do together on a de-facto fourth line, probably working with free agent signing Tyler Motte. It won’t be a physically imposing line as nobody’s tall and imposing there, but the trio could easily become far more than a simple “depth line” if Berggren and Veleno even partially fulfill their potential.
