Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith suggests that the Red Wings must promote Alex DeBrincat to the top line to unleash his full potential.
Given that the Wings may end up utilizing Andrew Copp as an interim #1 center, and given Lucas Raymond’s self-driven evolution into an elite playmaker as opposed to a 35-goal-scorer, I agree with Smith’s argument:
The 28-year-old Farmington Hills-born forward is known for his speed and ability to shoot the puck from just about any point of the ice, but one wonders if he has been somewhat limited by having to stay on the second line.
With 37-year-old Kane likely not returning to the roster, the Red Wings have no reason not to put their best goal-scorer with their best center and best winger on the other side, Lucas Raymond.
Not only would putting DeBrincat on the top line likely help to drive the Red Wings’ offense, but it would also help to alleviate pressure on some of the Red Wings’ younger players. Marco Kasper and Emmitt Finnie spent most of their rookie campaigns on the top line wing. The jury is still out for what Finnie’s sophomore season will look like, but Kasper seemed to take a major step back this last season and bounced around the lineup.
With DeBrincat partnered with Larkin and Raymond, the second line would be able to field two experienced veterans in Andrew Copp and Viktor Arvidsson to help the development of Finnie, taking away some of the tougher assignments expected when you play 20+ minutes a night.
Of course, that only temporarily solves the problem. DeBrincat’s only signed through the end of the year, and Larkin still wants out. But it looks like the best of a bad group of options, and this one, Red Wings fans should be able to stomach.
Continued at length; I believe that DeBrincat should play with whoever the Wings end up using as their #1 center.
He’s proven to have the forechecking, playmaking and back-checking abilities necessary for top-line duty, and, with Kane likely out of the picture, there’s just no reason to not stack the top line as best as Detroit can.
