MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that the Red Wings’ lack of summertime moves to reinforce their roster will involve at least one positive–the Wings’ youth movement will be well-served if the team moves forward as-is:
The Detroit Red Wings had 12 players in their 30s on their roster at the end of last season. At least five of them – all 36 and older – won’t be back. As a result, they have gone from having the ninth-oldest roster in the NHL (28.61 average age) to the 10th-youngest (27.36 average age), according to roster projections by eliteprospects.com.
As such, Khan offers a list of players who might “benefit” from increased opportunities:
Marco Kasper (22): It would be a huge boost if he reverts to playing like he did the second half of his rookie year after a disastrous second season (nine goals, 19 points, minus-20). If Larkin doesn’t return, Kasper could get a look at second-line center. The club would be delighted if he can maintain a top-six spot on the wing.
Emmitt Finnie (21): Experienced a solid rookie season (13 goals, 30 points in 82 games) mostly on the top line with Larkin and Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings would be happy if that’s their No. 1 line again.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (21 on Oct. 5): He wasn’t NHL-ready last season but flourished in Grand Rapids (20 goals, 44 points in 64 regular season games; eight points in eight playoff games) and helped Norway win bronze at the World Championship. Now he looks ready to take the next step.
Carter Mazur (24): Injuries have limited him to 45 games between Grand Rapids and Detroit the past two seasons combined. Scrappy winger with some offensive game is no longer waiver-exempt and could provide a much-needed boost to the third or fourth line.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka (21): He’ll likely start the season in Grand Rapids focusing on improving defensively. If he does, the Red Wings might benefit from his offensive abilities (seven goals, 21 points in 68 games as a rookie) at some point during the season.
Continued (paywall); Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith also discussed this concept at length:
Last year the Red Wings saw several of their younger prospects make their NHL debut with the team and make the opening-night roster. Three rookies hit the ice for the first month of the season, but injuries and eventually the development curve left only Finnie on the 23-man NHL roster.
This year, however, the Red Wings have several spots up for grabs that should hopefully go to a couple of players who are finally healthy. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was the first rookie to get demoted to the AHL, but his hard-hitting style and slick shot caught a lot of eyes by the end of the season. With a full year of North American hockey under his belt, he has a real shot to make an impact wherever he finds himself in the lineup.
Between Carter Mazur, and Nate Danielson, the Red Wings should be able to round out their bottom six. However, they’ll need to prove they’ve earned a spot and can handle the punishment a full NHL season will bring.
Smith also continues, and, should the Red Wings run “young and lean,” that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
