The Detroit Red Wings training camp is set to begin in 32 days, and they will hit the ice in 33 days before their first preseason game on September 16th when they head to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins; they will open the regular season on October 12th when they travel to New Jersey to take on the Devils.
The Red Wings have some optimism heading into this season after adding Wingers Alex DeBrincat, Daniel Sprong, J.T. Compher, and Christian Fischer, and Center Nate Danielson, who they drafted ninth overall, and they added to backup goalies in James Reimer and Alex Lyon. The Red Wings lost Dominik Kubalik, Filip Zadina, Pius Suter, Goalies Alex Nedeljkovic and Magnus Hellberg and Defenseman Jordan Oesterle. This Red Wings team will look a little different this season and in the future, and the Athletic looked at what the Red Wings lineup could be in the 2026-27 season.
Detroit Red Wings 2026-27: Forwards
The Detroit Red Wings have a lot of young talent in the AHL, and we saw some of it come up last season and play in a few games as Jonatan Berggren and Marco Kasper made their debuts. The second line the Athletic projects could be a talented group and potentially one of the best lines in the NHL, as Lucas Raymond will have five years of experience under his belt entering the 2026-27 season, and Berggren will have four years; it is not yet determined what kind of player Nate Danielson will be, but he is a talented player based on what number one overall pick Connor Bedard had to say.
The lineup has two holes in a first-line left wing and a fourth-line right wing. That fourth-line winger will most likely be an enforcer, and for that first-line winger, I’d like to see Michael Rasmussen up there and potentially have Amadeus Lombardi there; last season Lombardi played for the Flint Firebirds, and in 67 games, he had 102 points, (45 goals and 57 assists), and then in Grand Rapids, he played in games recording one point on an assist.
Carter Mazur will be a fun name to watch as well, as he has turned some heads with his play; he played in 40 games for the University of Denver last year, putting up 37 points (22 goals and 15 assists), then he played in six games for the Red Wings AHL affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins putting up six points (three goals and three assists) in six games, and in the off-season he played for Red Wings head coach Derek LaLonde in the World Championship and put up four points (one goal and three assists) in ten games.
If this is the lineup the Red Wings have on offense in 2026-27 and all the players listed have developed into the talent expected, they could be pushing for a Stanley Cup if they don’t have one already at that point.
Detroit Red Wings 2026-27: Defense/Goalie
The Back-end for the Red Wings is a little bit more sure up with Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider locked into the top pairing; many speculated that would be the future grouping when Edvinsonsson made his debut this season, even if for only nine games. The Red Wings would also inset Axel Sandin Pellikka by then as Detroit selected him with the 17th overall pick.
One name missing is Jake Walman, as his contract is up following the 2025-26 season; depending on how he plays the next few seasons, he could be the player that slides into the second unit.
Sebastian Cossa is also expected to be on the team by then; however, in this situation, he is listed as the backup; I’d have to think by 2026, he’d be the starting goalie for the Red Wings. Last season Cossa played for the Red Wings ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye, for 46 games posting a 26-16-1 record with a 2.56 Goals Against Average, a .913 save percentage, and four shutouts.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- Detroit Red Wings start training camp in 32 days.
- Red Wings start preseason games on September 16th.
- Red Wings open the season on October 12th.
- Red Wings 2026-27 Lineup Projection from the Athletic.
Bottom Line:
Although Detroit Red Wings fans may be tired of missing out on the playoffs as they haven’t made it since the 2015-16 season, you have to look at this lineup that they would have in just a few years and think the Yzerplan actually worked and if the lineup looks the way it does from the Athletic the Red Wings could return back to dominance as they held in the late 90’s early 2000’s.
