MLive’s Ansar Khan examines the Red Wings’ depth chart this afternoon, surmising what the team’s forward lines might look like at the start of the 2025-2026 regular season.
We all know that the top lines will include a Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond duo and the Alex DeBrincat-Marco Kasper-Patrick Kane trio, so here are Khan’s third and fourth lines:
Third line: Michael Rasmussen-Andrew Copp-James van Riemsdyk
Copp and Rasmussen, with their size and forechecking ability, are a natural fit together at even strength and on the penalty kill. The team missed Copp following his season-ending shoulder injury on Feb. 22. It might have affected Rasmussen, whose performance declined (from 33 points in 2023-24 to 21 and from plus-8 to minus-12). The veteran van Riemsdyk’s net-front presence might land him on the top line, but he can play up and down the lineup and provide secondary scoring.
Fourth line: Elmer Soderblom-J.T. Compher-Mason Appleton
The 6-8 Soderblom wasn’t out of place when used on the top line, so that’s an option. He missed 10 of the final 14 games with a nagging injury. Compher had a disappointing season with 11 goals and 32 points after producing 19 goals and 48 points his first season in Detroit. He’s out of place as a fourth-line center, but where else is he going to play? The Red Wings invested a good sum in Appleton (two years, $2.9 million average annual value), who is coming off a 10-goal, 22-point season, and he’s another player who’s not a natural fourth-liner.
Continued (paywall); Khan believes that Carter Mazur, Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are all in the mix for call-ups, but he doesn’t see them making the opening-night roster.
