Lalonde Likes How Red Wings Slot Together

Looking toward the upcoming NHL season, Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde is feeling much less puzzled regarding how he will be fitting the pieces together.

“I think we did a good job of addressing some holes,” Lalonde said of the club’s offseason moves. “It feels like guys are maybe slotted going into the year a little bit.”

Let’s face it, in recent seasons it’s sometimes been the case that the Red Wings have found themselves trying to fit square pegs into round holes. And it wasn’t all that long ago when the team was desperately seeking to take chicken you-know-what and turn it into chicken salad.

This team, Lalonde feels, offers more variety up and down the lineup. Players will be fitting into roles that they are generally filling as NHL players. They won’t be asking someone to do something for which they simply don’t possess the skill level to do so.

Pumped to be back for another one! Big year ahead! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/rPVVgJUi1e

— Patrick Kane (@88PKane) July 1, 2024

“Early on it just feels like with the signings – Patty (Kane) coming back, (Vladimir) Tarasenko (signed) as a free agent, Tyler Motte (signed) as a free agent, getting Christian Fischer back – I think guys are slotted a little bit more proper and maybe more of an ideal top-six, bottom-six situation,” Lalonde said.

Lalonde Doodling Red Wings Lines

Like a kid in a candy store, Lalonde has found himself jotting out potential forward lines to utilize. Does he keep the strong chemistry of captain Dylan Larkin and 31-goal scorer Lucas Raymond together? Will Kane and Tarasenko be linemates, even though both are listed as right-wingers?

“I think it’ll be fluid, especially early in camp,” Lalonde said. “And it’ll be fluid as the season starts.”

Potentially, there are top-six forward units of Larkin with Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, and then J.T. Compher between Kane and Tarasenko.

“Obviously I think we did a good job addressing some lost offense, which is very important,” Lalonde said.

He’s equally blessed with options for the third and fourth lines. He could keep the checking trio of Andrew Copp, Michael Rasmussen and Fischer together.

Fun Fact: Jonatan Berggren became the first Griffin and 13th player in AHL history to score 2 sudden-death overtime goals in the same Calder Cup Playoff series #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/vnD4KUy5I7

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) May 4, 2024

The X-factor could be in assessing where Jonatan Berggren will be fitting in best. Would his presence with Rasmussen and Copp provide that trio with more creativity? As well, the two veterans could help cover for any defensive miscues on Berggren’s part.

By pushing Fischer down to the fourth line, that unit – Fischer (138), Motte (97) and Joe Veleno (108) – averaged well over 100 hits last season. They’d make for a very physical, active and energizing line.

There are fits, but there are still also options available to the Detroit coach.

“It’s just exciting,” Lalonde said. “All I’ve known here since I’ve come here is some progression. We’ve moved in the right direction from Year One into Year Two. We did it going into the second year.

“Now we need to keep building.”

It appears GM Steve Yzerman is arming him with the pieces to assemble something offering promise.