The Athletic’s Max Bultman attempts to predict what the 2028-2029 Detroit Red Wings’ roster might look like at forward, on defense and in goal this morning:
Forwards
Carter Bear (21) Dylan Larkin (32) Lucas Raymond (26) Alex DeBrincat (30) Marco Kasper (24) Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (23) Max Plante (22) Nate Danielson (24) Carter Mazur (26) Elmer Söderblom (27) Emmitt Finnie (23) Jesse Kiiskinen (23) When we did a similar projection one year ago, there was a glaring need at the top of the Red Wings’ future forward corps. That gap has been filled with Detroit drafting Carter Bear in the first round of this summer’s NHL Draft.
Bear projects as a top-six winger who brings significant offensive ability as well as sandpaper to complement the skilled players already playing at the top of Detroit’s lineup. And even though he’ll be just 21 on opening night in 2028, he should be in the NHL by this time, and Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond would be a great pair of linemates for him to break in with.
Larkin is one of the most interesting pieces of this projection. The Red Wings’ captain will be 32 in 2028, likely at the tail end of (or perhaps even beyond) his prime. Could that mean one of Marco Kasper or Nate Danielson is manning the 1C slot by then? Possibly. And one of those two young centers ascending to that level is arguably Detroit’s best path to true contention. But for now, we’re going to stick with Larkin until we see one of the younger pivots show they can produce true top-line offense. The good news is, Kasper and Danielson certainly look capable of being strong centers at the levels they’re slotted here.
Kasper’s production and underlying numbers from Jan. 10 (when he entered the top six full-time) through the end of the season were strikingly similar to those of Sam Bennett, the No. 2 center on the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers, in the same span — and not far off some of the other second-line centers on some of the league’s elite teams.
Continued at length (paywall)
