Training camp for the Detroit Red Wings was an exciting and interesting one as three prospects, who have yet to play a game in the NHL, made the opening night roster and should be in the lineup for the first game of the season against the Montreal Canadiens on October 9.
While this sees a nice shift towards the youth who can finally help push the Red Wings back into the playoffs after missing for nine consecutive seasons, it pushes other players out. In this case, there is one in particular who has been trending in that direction already, Jonatan Berggren.
Detroit Red Wings Prospects Made Their Mark
The youth movement appears to be in full effect for the Detroit Red Wings as 13 skaters expected to be in the opening night lineup are under 30 years old and nine of them are 24 years old or younger.
The prospects that made their mark are Emmitt Finnie, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and Axel Sandin Pellikka. Only two of these rookies impact Berggren, as they are all forwards competing for those limited spots, while Sandin Pellikka is a defenseman.
Finnie and Brandsegg-Nygard are both just 20 years old, while Berggren is 25, so Berggren did have the opportunities in the past, but has seemingly been passed by. With Finnie and Brandsegg-Nygard both able to be freely called up and sent down between the NHL and AHL, while Berggren isn’t without having to go through waivers, the expectation was that the latter would have had the upper hand in earning a place in the lineup and on the team. All three players made the roster out of training camp, but Berggren appears to be starting in the press box.
Finnie split time between the WHL and AHL last season, scoring 37 goals and 84 points in 55 games for the Kamloops Blazers, and one goal and five points in 10 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins to close out the 2024-25 season. With that split and even with the production, Finnie was projected to start in the AHL and get a bit more seasoned at the professional level before earning a role on the top line wing for the Red Wings.
Brandsegg-Nygard had a busy year in 2024-25, playing for eight different teams. He most notably spent time in the SHL, scoring five goals and 11 points in 42 games, and playing just two games with the Grand Rapids Griffins as well. At 19 years old, he also put up four goals and six points in 11 playoff games in the SHL before scoring two goals and three points in three games in the AHL playoffs.
Red Wings Presented the Opportunity for Berggren
When Berggren made his debut with the Detroit Red Wings in 2022-23 when he was 22 years old, he looked like a promising young player. He kicked off his career with 15 goals and 28 points in 67 games while in a limited role. That was expected to expand as the team was young and had many years of missing the playoffs in a row under their belt.
Moves were made and Berggren played the majority of the 2023-24 season in the AHL, only getting into 12 games for the Red Wings. He once again proved his worth by scoring four goals and six points, playing under 11 minutes per game. The young forward did get a better chance last season by playing 75 games and seeing his ice time rise again, but 12 goals and 24 points were the result. Good players have to create, but weaker linemates don’t help an offensive player like Berggren get on the board as often as he should.
If Berggren is starting the season in the press box and not in the lineup, it doesn’t look great for his future in Detroit. His name has come up in trade rumors before and this offseason was a good time to execute a move. Berggren is going to have a rougher go at it this season if the prospects stick around and he doesn’t get much of a chance.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Detroit Red Wings’ Roster Decisions Forcing Young Player Out appeared first on Heavy Sports.