This has been an especially valuable exhibition season for the Detroit Red Wings, even as the 23-man roster has largely appeared set since they gathered for training camp.
Playing eight games — including three in a row and four in five nights this past week — has taxed some of the behind-the-scenes personnel, but for the coaching staff and management, it has been an opportunity to see who fits with whom, and where the prospects are at in their development.
“To get more looks at guys, more games for some of our young guys — I’m sure if you talk to many guys, eight feels long,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “But it just feels really beneficial this year, getting those eight games.”
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Only so much can be read into preseason tilts because lineups tend to favor the home team, while visiting teams generally bring lineups light on recognizable NHL names. It’s why Lalonde has said the Wings try to “judge within ourselves” — meaning they focus on whether players seem to understand things such as structure and systems.
Here are the top five takeaways from what we saw over those eight games:
Sprong’s impact
General manager Steve Yzerman looks like he added terrific value in Daniel Sprong, who was signed to a one-year deal worth $2 million. In his first three exhibition games, Sprong delivered three goals, one assist and a plus-five rating. Yes, it was preseason, but it’s encouraging for the Wings to see him fit in so quickly. He seems poised to build on the personal-best 46 points in 66 games he posted in 2022-23 with the Seattle Kraken; he’ll add scoring punch to the bottom-six mix and second power play unit.
Back end looks stronger
Lalonde said Friday that none of the seven NHL defensemen — Moritz Seider, Jake Walman, Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry, Shayne Gostisbehere, Justin Holl and Olli Määttä — the Wings came into camp with separated themselves in a negative way. Seider and Walman were the one constant pairing throughout preseason, but the second pair projects to feature Chiarot and Petry. Lalonde has said Shayne Gostisbehere is the one defenseman they’re comfortable with playing on his off hand, so he could be on the third pairing with either Määttä or Holl.
Three men and a net
Alex Lyon, No. 3 on the depth chart, made 32 saves in the game in Toronto, when the Maple Leafs had a lineup stacked with NHL players and the Wings largely had a minor-league roster. He and James Reimer (1.50 goals-against average, .930 save percentage in three preseason appearances) look like they will stabilize goaltending behind Ville Husso. It’s a nice luxury for the Wings to have, being able to carry three goaltenders.
Nate Danielson looks like a top prospect
The team’s top pick (at No. 9) from this summer’s draft played his way into five preseason games, producing two goals, two assists and a plus-one rating; he performed so well he got looks centering NHL wingers. This has been a terrific learning experience for the 18-year-old, giving him insight to what it is like to play against men. The Wings can come away pleased with the early showings for Danielson, who was drafted for his 200-foot game. Sure, it would have been amazing had the Wings had even the good fortune to pick third and get their hands on ex-Wolverine Adam Fantilli, but Danielson looks like Yzerman made a really good choice.
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Kasper, the No. 8 overall pick in 2022, had one point, an assist and a minus-three rating in five games. He looked unengaged at times, as he did during September’s prospects tournament in Traverse City. His most noticeable moment of the preseason came Sept. 30, when he briefly tussled with ex-Wing and Washington Capitals forward Anthony Mantha. Kasper clearly needs time to adjust to the smaller ice sheet in North America, which is why he was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins as soon as the back-to-back-to-back stretch was over with.
“There’s different time and space to where he played last year,” Lalonde said. “He has a tendency to want to slow plays down and regroup pucks.”
Kasper is talented, and he has a physical edge; he’ll be well served to start this season developing with the Griffins.
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon,Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings preseason wrap: Daniel Sprong, goaltending notable
