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Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings Shaking Up Lines, D Pairings

Johansson, Holl Going Into Lineup

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Albert Johansson, Grand Rapids Griffins
Albert Johansson will make his NHL debut on the Red Wings defense Saturday against Nashville.

There’s been plenty of shakeups within the lineup of the Detroit Red Wings over the past couple of days. That’s entirely understanable following a 6-3 opening-night loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.



As they are facing the Nashville Predators on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena, Albert Johansson will be making his NHL debut on the Detroit defense. He’ll be skating in the third pairing on the right side with Olli Maatta. Meanwhile, NHL veteran Justin Holl is up from the AHL Grand Rapids Giffins. He’ll be performing in the second pairing alongside Simon Edvinsson.

Holl’s recall was necessitated when Jeff Petry was suffering an upper-body injury in the opener. Like Petry, Holl is a right-shot defenseman.

The upshoot in all of this, though, is whether this is a good thing? Should Red Wings fans be excited about these developments?

On opening night, the club was determining that Holl wasn’t good enough to be an NHLer. One game into the season, they are playing among their top-four rearguards.

“I told him I do expect him up soon and helping us out and be ready,” Lalonde said of Holl. “I didn’t expect it in Game 2, but here he is.”

Red Wings Expecting Simple Game From Johansson

An NHL executive was discussing the prospects in the Red Wings systems prior to an NHL preseason game. He was allowing that Detroit has a lot of OK players, good players, in the pipeline. What the club doesn’t have coming along are any difference makers.

Johansson certainly falls into the classification of an OK player. The son of former NHL rearguard Roger Johansson, he’ll play in the NHL, probably for a long time. but it was always be as a steady, third-pairing type. He’s not going to evolve into a significant performer who’s part of the club’s core.

“I just want to come in and play a simple game and move pucks and be solid defensively,” Johansson said. “I think that’s the biggest key for me.”

Gustafsson Odd Man Out

Of even further concern to a team that was seeking to shore up its porous defense is that one of the club’s UFA additions, Eric Gustafsson, is the player being scratched to make a place for Johansson.

Gustafsson’s Red Wings debut was not one he’ll remmeber fondly. He was beaten badly on one Pittsburgh goal and wound up minus-two. Gustafsson finished with a Corsi of 38.8%, the worst of any Detroit defender.

“It wasn’t a great game for him the other night,” Lalonde said. “I think he would probably self admit that.”

It may be a short-term formula. Petry was skating on Saturday morning.

“There’s no doubt I do come in here and lie to you guys sometimes (about players) in the day-to-day (category),” Lalonde admitted. “He is. No, really. He’s a true day-to-day. It’s a good sign.

“Hopefully have him Monday (at the New York Rangers). If not, pretty confident he’ll be around for us this following game.”

Up front, the changes aren’t as dramatic. Lalonde is flipping right wingers among the top six. Patrick Kane is going up with Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat. Lucas Raymond slots in alongside JT Compher and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Gylander To Toledo

In another roster move, the Red Wings are assigning goaltender Carter Gylander from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins to the ECHL Toledo Walleye. It’s a switch that makes sense. He wasn’t going to play with the Griffins at all, now that NHL veteran Malcolm Subban was signed to backup Sebastian Cossa.

Gylander is 22. The Red Wings need to find out if he can be a reliable pro netminder. Expect him to play a lot, much like Cossa did for the Walleye in his rookie pro season of 2022-23.