Trio set to return to Detroit Lineup

The Detroit Red Wings are ready to add reinforcements to the lineup this week. Oskar Sundqvist was expected to be in the lineup last night at home against the New York Rangers. Forward Tyler Bertuzzi and defenseman Jake Walman are expected to travel with the team on the upcoming West Coast trip. Detroit plays four road games in eight nights, beginning on Saturday in Los Angeles against the Kings.

The Red Wings desperately need these reinforcements because the team recently lost Filip Zadina (lower body) and Matt Luff (upper body) to long-term injuries. Zadina was injured on Saturday against the New York Islanders. He is expected to be out until the end of December. Luff was injured on a vicious check-from-behind by Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky. He is expected to be out until just before the Christmas break.

The Red Wings also remain without Jakub Vrana (personal). Vrana is expected to be back in about four more weeks. Robby Fabbri (knee) and Mark Pysyk (Achilles) have yet to play this season but should be back in early January.

Once all players return, Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman will have some difficult decisions to make in order to get the team back down to the 23-player limit. He will also have to contend with 11 players who are currently set to become UFA’s next summer.

Tyler Bertuzzi was injured in game two and has missed the last 11 games. In the two games he played, Bertuzzi picked up one assist and had four shots on goal. Last season, Bertuzzi had a breakthrough campaign where he scored 30 goals and 62 points in 68 games. Bertuzzi is in the final year of a two-year extension he signed before the 2021-2022 season. If he is not re-signed, Bertuzzi can become a UFA next summer.

Jake Walman is also set to make a return to the lineup. Walman missed all of training camp and the preseason because of shoulder surgery. He is traveling with the team on their west coast road trip and should get into game action shortly. Last season, Walman was acquired from St. Louis along with Oskar Sundqvist. In 19 games with Detroit, Walman chipped in with four assists. Including his time with the Blues, Walman played 51 games and scored three goals, ten points, and a -3 rating.

Oskar Sundqvist was set to return to the lineup last night when the Red Wings faced the New York Rangers. Sundqvist missed the last seven games due to an upper-body injury. Before the injury, Sundqvist played six games on the “Redwood Line” with Michael Rasmussen and Elmer Soderblom. He scored one goal, four assists, and five points and had a -2 rating.

The addition of these three players will require a lineup shift. Here is the lineup that will likely be on the ice once all three players return for the West Coast trip.

Forwards

Bertuzzi-Larkin-Raymond

Kubalik-Copp-Perron

Soderblom-Rasmussen-Sundqvist

Suter-Veleno-Erne

Defensemen

Chiarot-Seider

Maatta-Hronek

Walman-Lindstrom

Goaltenders

Husso/Nedeljkovic

Extras

Hagg, Oesterle, Czarnik

Injured/Illness

Vrana (personal, December 06)

Fabbri (knee, Jan 04)

Luff (upper body, Dec 21)

Zadina (lower body, Dec 31)

Pysyk (Achilles, Jan 04)