Ranking the Detroit Red Wings Roster from No. 23 to No. 1
Let's go from 23 to 1 with the help of some of my media friends.
Late last week we ranked the Dallas Stars roster, all the way from No. 23 to No. 1.
Today we are doing the same thing with the Detroit Red Wings.
Just like the Stars exercise, I reached out to a media panel for their ballots, averaged them out, and then presented this list with my commentary. I also picked one random Shap Shots reader to rank the Red Wings, to be the voice of the fan for this.
Each panelist was asked the same question, “Rank the Red Wings roster from 23 to 1, with 1 being the best player.”
I intentionally didn’t give a list of names for panelist to rank, because I wanted each panelist to work from what the roster is in their mind, meaning we ended up with 26 players ranked.
The panel was as follows:
Max Bultman, Red Wings beat writer, The Athletic
Trevor Thompson, long-time Red Wings sideline reporter
Brian Fisher, host of Locked on Red Wings
Sam Stockton, former Red Wings beat writer, The Hockey News
Sean Shapiro, me
Prashanth Iyer, co-host of Expected by Whom?
Dimitri Filipovic, host of the Hockey PDOCast
I also had reader Ben fill out a ballot after reaching out about helping with this project. You too can be like Ben in the future if you are a paid subscriber, I think we’ll do more stuff like this throughout the season.
Three players received votes and didn’t reach the top-25, William Lagesson and Austin Watson, and Travis Hamonic
They are our honorable mentions for this project.
Nate Danielson, C
Average ranking: 22.42
Highest ranking: 13
Lowest ranking: NR
My rank: NR
Danielson was only on one ballot, but he was high enough on that ballot that it got him ranked above Travis Hamonic at No. 23. I watched Danielson closely this past weekend at the prospects games against the Stars and he dominated players in the “prospect” peer group.
Personally I think Danielson is ready to play in the NHL right now, offensively they’ll be some struggles, he might have a similar path to Marco Kasper — which would be great for the Red Wings — but when it comes to bottom-six shutdown centers, Danielson is already ready.
Justin Holl, LHD
Average Ranking: 21.42
Highest Ranking: 20
Lowest Ranking: 23
My ranking: 22
It’s kind of surprising Justin Holl is still on this roster after he was waived last season and has really plummeted down the depth chart after signing as a free agent two summers ago. Holl was also, reportedly, on the way out again this summer, but heads into camp with another chance to make a first impression on the Red Wings coaching staff, even if, on paper, he’s likely a scratch on opening night.
Jacob Bernard-Docker, RHD
Average Ranking: 21.14
Highest Ranking: 17
Lowest Ranking: NR
My ranking: 21
Another defender, Bernard-Docker is a bit younger than Hamonic and Holl, but will be in that third-pairing competition, and looking for a bit of a career re-fresh after the past couple seasons in Ottawa and Buffalo. He’s a low-risk bet for Steve Yzerman with a $875,000 salary, who could be part of a wildly entertaining pair — for good and bad reasons — if he’s playing with Erik Gustafsson.
Carter Mazur, LW/RW
Average Ranking: 19.85
Highest Ranking: 17
Lowest Ranking: NR
My ranking: 19
Mazur’s NHL career thus far has been one injury-riddled shift, which is a bummer because he was primed to win an NHL roster spot in the middle of last season after settling in comfortably with 15 points in 20 AHL games. Mazur, when healthy, has progressed nicely with both the puck on his stick and as a supportive, defensive-minded winger when needed. The “injury-prone” label is starting to creep up on him, but if he can shed that, honestly, he should be a Red Wing on opening night.
Erik Gustaffson, LHD
Average Ranking: 17.57
Highest Ranking: 12
Lowest Ranking: 21
My ranking: 20
Gustaffson’s first season in Detroit was rough, it looks even rougher when you consider the fact the Red Wings let Shayne Gostisbehere walk over about $500,000 and instead opted to sign the Swedish defender to work on the power play. It didn’t help Gustaffson’s case that former Red Wings coach, Derek Lalonde, often lamented how much he missed Gostisbehere (and David Perron) before he was fired in December. Maybe there’s a bounce back for Gustaffson this season, at a minimum he seemed more comfortable playing for Todd McLellan.
Jonatan Berggren, RW/LW
Average Ranking: 17.57
Highest Ranking: 14
Lowest Ranking: 21
My ranking: 17
Berggren has been the subject of trade rumors, substantiated or not, for much of the past 18 months. It wouldn’t be surprising if he ends up finishing the season with another NHL team, either via trade or getting waived at some point. When he’s playing well, Berggren can push the play and create some positive chaos. When he’s not, the chaos tends to follow Detroit negatively.
Mason Appleton, RW
Average Ranking: 16
Highest Ranking: 14
Lowest Ranking: 20
My Ranking: 15
Appleton can be an ideal bottom-six winger on a good team, he plays smart hockey in all three zones and is well-known for being a great teammate. He’s basically a walking hockey cliche, and we are going to hear about how important he is to the Red Wings depth all season. Again, this is one of those signings that fits well in a vacuum, but the Red Wings already have enough walking hockey cliches you’ll see higher on this list.
T-16. Elmer Söderblom, LW/RW
Average Ranking: 15.71
Highest Ranking: 14
Lowest Ranking: 18
My Ranking: 16
Söderblom found a place in the Red Wings lineup in the second half of the season and did enough to impress the new coaching staff, starting to find a little bit of offensive pop in late January and early February before it fizzled out in March. Söderblom is a fascinating player because of his size, 6-foot-8, and his position, and the fact he has more skill than you’d expect from a player with his frame. He’s likely a fourth-liner to start the season, but I’m curios to see his opportunities grow in a full season with a new head coach.
T-16. James van Riemsdyk, LW
Average Rank: 15.71
Highest Rank: 11
Lowest Rank: 18
My Rank: 18
van Riemsdyk has lost a step at 36, but he’s still a net-front threat, and because of the Red Wings’ roster construction, he’ll have the opportunities to flirt with 20 goals, similar to his 16-goal showing last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’ll add a bit of leadership to the team, he’s a bit more vocal from what I’ve heard, which this Red Wings team needs.
Michael Rasmussen, C/LW
Average Rank: 14.14
Highest Rank: 12
Lowest Rank: 19
My Rank: 14
Rasmussen will be part of the Red Wings opening highlight package for a while after he had that viral moment of scoring and planting Jack Hughes at the same time against the New Jersey Devils. That moment was an encapsulation of the best of Rasmussen, big and physical, hurting opponents in multiple ways. There’s also times he just disappears and is more of a passenger. That’s one of the reasons there was such a wide range on his ranking for panelists.
Albert Johansson, LHD
Average Rank: 14
Highest Rank: 11
Lowest Rank: 17
My Rank: 11
Johannson was one of the underrated young defenders in the league last season, forming a nice pair with Simon Edvinsson after starting the season as a healthy scratch, who only made the NHL roster because he was no longer waive exempt. Johansson defends well with his feet and the confidence is starting to grow with the puck on his stick. I’m fascinated to see how he fares this season with more expectation.
Ben Chiarot, LHD
Average Rank: 13.86
Highest Rank: 11
Lowest Rank: 20
My Rank: 11
Chiarot, at this point in his career, shouldn’t be a top-pairing defender. And I think the question panelists struggled with, myself included, is how do we use that role when ranking him? I feel like this is a common theme with the Red Wings, there’s a ton of players that, in a vacuum, are part of a winning formula, but unfortunately Detroit is missing the other pieces that allow them to be properly slotted as supporting pieces.
Cam Talbot, G
Average Rank: 12.28
Highest Rank: 10
Lowest Rank: 17
My Rank: 13
Talbot was an ideal 1B last season for a team that didn’t have a 1A. This season he should be better suited as the 1B behind John Gibson, and if he can play closer to 35 games — and not 47 — the Red Wings should be in much better shape.
J.T. Compher, C
Average Rank: 10
Highest Rank: 8
Lowest Rank: 12
My Rank: 10
Compher’s game took a hit, along with the rest of the Red Wings, when Andrew Copp got hurt in early February and missed the rest of the season. It pulled Compher into some more difficult assignment, that Copp had handled before, and he struggled with those matchups. If Compher can play on a more unlocked line, thanks to either Copp’s health or Marco Kasper’s growth, he should have better offensive numbers this season.
Andrew Copp, C
Average Rank: 9.57
Highest Rank: 9
Lowest Rank: 13
My Rank: 9
Seven of the eight panelists had Copp ranked No. 9 on their ballot. Copp, as we just touched on before, is a key matchup center for the Red Wings and his ability to take tough minutes unlocks others. He was also quietly on pace for one of the better offensive seasons of his career before he was injured.
John Gibson, G
Average Rank: 7.57
Highest Rank: 7
Lowest Rank: 8
My Rank: 8
The Red Wings finally pulled off the goalie trade that had been talked about for a long, long time when they made the move for Gibson this summer. Gibson, in my view, is still top-15 or 20 goalie in the NHL when healthy, but his numbers have been tanked in recent years playing behind such a horrific defense in Anaheim. He seems reinvigorated by the move to Detroit, others I’ve spoken to have said similar things about him, so I’m intrigued to see what that looks like on the ice and how it impacts the Red Wings overall confidence in their goaltending.
Patrick Kane, RW
Average Rank: 7
Highest Rank: 5
Lowest Rank: 10
My Rank: 7
Kane’s work the past two seasons after the career-risking hip surgery has been really impressive, he’s been one of the Red Wings best offensive threats and that includes times where he’s been asked to do more than any team should probably be asking of a 36-year-old forward. He’s still one of the best players on the planet with the puck on his stick, and he lives by his own rules — don’t expect any backchecking — but he’s one of the Red Wings keys to success this season.
Marco Kasper, C
Average Rank: 5.71
Highest Rank: 4
Lowest Rank: 7
My Rank: 5
I’m bullish on Kasper and I think he’s going to only get better this season. After finding a niche as a defensive forward, he really added the offensive element after the coaching change. In 48 games with the new coaching staff, Kasper had 17 goals and 13 assists, playing a 51.3 point pace. If he can be that type of player this season, and take on his own lines, the Red Wings start to look much deeper down the middle.
Simon Edvinsson, LHD
Average Rank: 5.42
Highest Rank: 4
Lowest Rank: 8
My Rank: 4
I nearly put Edvinsson at No. 3 on my ballot, but I realized he had to prove it a little bit more to me before I potentially bumped him above Moritz Seider. Edvinsson closed the season looking like a dominant, top-pairing defender playing more than 22 minutes per night and using all of his tools to impact the game. He’s already arrived, in my mind, and he’s only going to get better.
Alex DeBrincat, LW/RW
Average Rank: 4.57
Highest Rank: 4
Lowest Rank: 6
My Rank: 6
DeBrincat came up one goal short of reaching the 40-goal mark for the third time in his career, and honestly, he probably should have gotten an invite to Team USA’s orientation camp for the Olympics back in August. He’s a durable goal scorer, hasn’t missed a game since the COVID season, and has started to play with some more edge the past two seasons that’s helped drag others into the battle.
Moritz Seider, RHD
Average Rank: 2.42
Highest Rank: 1
Lowest Rank: 3
My Rank: 3
It’s hard to believe Seider is only 24, because between his body of work and the discourse surrounding his usage, you’d think he was already a 10-year NHL veteran. Seider is one of the rocks on the Red Wings defense, and his game has been forced to mature in the most difficult situations — how many times have the Red Wings now signed a veteran that’s failed to make his life easier? If he can add a bit of offensive pop, like he had in the final five games of the regular season, his name will come up more when people start discussing the NHL’s top-20 defenders.
Lucas Raymond, RW
Average Rank: 2.28
Highest Rank: 2
Lowest Rank: 3
My Rank: 2
Raymond isn’t just an elite young player, he’s a superstar in waiting. Give him a better supporting cast, and I believe he could be a 100-point player this season. Watching Raymond thrive at the international level only makes me more bullish on that, when he plays with elite players, he becomes a driver that pushes others along the wing.
Dylan Larkin, C
Average Rank: 1.28
Highest Rank: 1
Lowest Rank: 3
My Rank: 1
Larkin, the Red Wings captain, has been their most important and best player for a long time now. It’s most noticeable what happens when he’s out of the lineup, the Red Wings seem to fall apart without him both in the locker room and on the ice. As someone who watches him closely on a regular basis, it felt good to see him thrive with Team USA when given an opportunity to play meaningful games. Now, he needed to be better after 4 Nation’s, and that’s something both he and the Red Wings coaches have discussed.
And that’s our list! I won’t reveal individual panelists lists, I’ll leave that up to them since they were so kind to help with this project, they should get to control whether that’s shared or not.
Let me know your thoughts/complaints/etc…