Alex Lyon and the mentality needed as an organizational No. 3

The Detroit Red Wings talks to Shap Shots about his role and how he's embraced it.

DETROIT — It’s impossible to ignore the reality of the situation for Alex Lyon.

The Detroit Red Wings are committed to Ville Husso as the No. 1 goalie. Husso will play, if healthy, around 55 games.

Detroit also signed James Reimer to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. In the Red Wings locker room, Reimer has the seat closest to the door next to Husso. It’s a subtle thing, but when a team is carrying three goalies, subtle things — like seat assignments — can be indicators of organizational pecking order.

And while Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde has said that things are still to be sorted with the back-up goalie role, most indicators point to Reimer being the back-up on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils and potentially getting a start next week.

Lyon gets all of this, he understands his place in the NHL landscape, and that understanding is the main reason why he’s succeeded as an organizational No. 3 throughout his career.

“I was super fortunate basically through the lifespan of my career when the third goalie became more important,” Lyon said. “The importance of that position is high in NHL organizations and I found out that I’ve carved out a career from being able to succeed when put in difficult situations, I take pride in that.”