The Detroit Red Wings dropped a 3-2 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets last night at Little Caesars Arena, and coach Todd McLellan explained what comes next for the coaches and management, who must submit a 23-man roster to the NHL by 5 PM on Monday.
Ansar Khan took note of McLellan’s remarks…
“We have to put the puzzle together,” McLellan said. “What I can tell you is that on Monday, the roster will go out, and you’ll see names or whatever. That could change real quick. There can be paper moves. There could be moves made for waiver reasons, there could be something in the hopper somewhere else where you have to buy time.
“We’ve got to go for four days before we play, and there could be some movement and stuff in there. … It might not be what it turns out to be when it’s all said and done.”
McLellan noted Saturday’s game, when both teams dressed most of their regulars, provided a better indication of where some young players stand.
“We want all those young players to be confident, but you could see tonight, now Anton, the game changed a little bit,” McLellan said. “There are some bigger, faster, more experienced or intelligent players. They know angles better, they know when to jump and when to strip, and so he’ll have to get used to that. But obviously we’ve talked enough about him.
“There’s others that have had good camps. Sometimes you can have a good camp and it’s just not enough because two guys next to you had great camps. And it can be quite discouraging if you’re that guy. … Maybe we’ll have some of those guys in that situation.”
The Free Press’s Helene St. James offers more as McLellan continued…
Only so much can be read into preseason games, especially the first three, because the lineups were so disparate in NHL/prospect/minor league lineups. But the Wings maximized the opportunity for the prospects that kept earning appearances, and even if some start the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, they’ll leave having made favorable impressions – the kind that leads to being first on the list of who to call when needed.
“We want all those young players to be confident,” McLellan said. “But you can see tonight, now Anton, the game changed a little bit. There are some bigger, faster, more experienced or intelligent players. They know angles better. They know when to jump and when to strip. So he’ll have to get used to that. We’ve talked enough about him. But there’s others that have had good camps.
“Sometimes you can have a good camp and it’s just not enough because two guys next to you had great camps. And it can be quite discouraging if you’re that guy. I think back to when I played, and that’s a really bad thing for a coach ever to say, but I remember having that camp. And I was bitter because I thought I had a really good camp. But now that I look back on it, that other guy over there had a great camp, like a really good camp. And if I was picking the team, I would have picked it the way the management team did back then, too. I didn’t like it because I thought I played as well as I could. Maybe we’ll have some of those guys in that situation.”
Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff summarized what happens next:
Here’s the thing: If the Red Wings don’t get resolutions in the next day with scenarios involving three players, the Detroit roster may already be set.
Forward Dylan Larkin (upper-body injury) and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker (upper-body injury) are hurt. If they aren’t going to be ready for Friday’s regular-season opener against the New York Rangers, they’ll be placed on injured reserve.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson is a restricted free agent who is still without a contract. Until he signs on the dotted line, he can’t play.
Assuming those three aren’t figuring in the mix, for the time being, Detroit’s roster would be set. Minus Larkin, there are 13 forwards left. If Edvinsson and Bernard-Docker aren’t in the mix, that leaves eight other defensemen.
Add in goalies John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov, and you’ve got your 23-player roster.
