Detroit Red Wings: 3 players flying under the radar right now
When the Detroit Red Wings take the ice for game 1 of the 2023-2024 NHL season, their lineup will look completely different.
Many moves were made by general manager Steve Yzerman to get them into the playoff picture. The team on paper has more offensive players and more depth to the roster this season.
Aside from the usual suspects like Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Moritz Seider, and newcomers like Alex DeBrincat, who are some of the red Wings under the radar?
Jonatan Berggren
The Detroit Red Wings would love for Jonatan Berggren to have a good year.
Forward Jonatan Berggren came into the Red Wings lineup last season and made quite the impression on the organization and his teammates.
Once put into regular season games, he was the best player on the ice most of those games and did not look out of place. He was all over last season, playing on different lines with different linemates, with a few games on the top line.
Detroit’s 2nd round pick (33rd overall) in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Berggren made some noise last season and could be one to take that next step this season.
With the roster now loaded with veterans and players with more offensive production, Berggren will fly under the radar but he could be greatly important to the success of the Red Wings this season.
With the attention focused more on Larkin, DeBrincat, Raymond, and Seider, he will have the ability to make space out on the ice and play his style of game.
Most of the defensive coverage will be on the heavy offensive players for Detroit so Berggren will likely get the bottom pairing defenses of the opposition most of the time.
In his rookie season, he compiled 15 goals (five on the power play) and 13 assists for 28 points in 67 games. He also had 28 blocked shots and 20 hits in limited ice time.
At 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds, he is built like a tank, hits hard, yet can skate with the best players on the ice.
He is rarely caught out of position and, with his frame, can battle in front of the net and in the corners. He is also versatile, playing both winger positions if need be but played most of last season on the right wing.
If he gets more playing time or time on the power play, he could be a player Detroit looks to for important secondary scoring in hopes of making the playoffs.