Red Wings' Jake Walman: Dealing with upper-body issue
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Walman (upper body) will not participate in the World Championship.
Walman set new career bests with nine goals, 18 points and 140 shots through 63 games this season. The 27-year-old was expected to represent Team Canada this offseason but now he'll use that time to heal before the 2023-24 campaign. An update on his status may not be available until closer to training camp.
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Red Wings' Simon Edvinsson: Undergoes shoulder surgery
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Edvinsson is expected to need 4-6 months of recovery time after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder Monday.
Edvinsson could end up missing the start of the 2023-24 season. He picked up two goals in nine appearances with the Red Wings during the 2022-23 campaign. The 20-year-old blueliner also had 27 points and 52 PIM in 52 AHL contests this season.
Red Wings' Robby Fabbri: Remains on track for camp
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Fabbri is recovering from his fourth knee surgery, though the latest is described as a mere "clean-up" procedure and he'll be ready for training camp, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports.
Fabbri is a model for perseverance, having overcome three prior ACL surgeries and enduring the corresponding rehab efforts. "I'm back training right now," he said. "Obviously, there's no rush in the rehab process right now, but we're slowly ramping it up in the gym, doing everything -- upper body, lower body, biking -- and the knee's feeling good, so we're in a good spot." Fabbri -- who didn't start the 2022-23 campaign until Jan. 4 -- produced seven goals and nine assists in 28 games before getting shut down again in late March.
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Red Wings' Michael Rasmussen: Sets bar higher in shortened season
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Rasmussen was unable to return from a knee injury, having to settle for 10 goals, 19 assists, 48 blocked shots and 119 hits through 56 games of his fourth NHL season.
Rasmussen still achieved a career high in points in his injury-shortened season, though the Wings seemed to lack a physical edge, especially when the 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward was out of commission. Ansar Khan of MLive.com relayed from GM Steve Yzerman that Detroit will focus on becoming more "physical and competitive" next season, but Yzerman doesn't feel the need to add an enforcer to the group. It's safe to say the team will continue monitoring Rasmussen's injury in the offseason, but barring a setback, he doesn't seem to be in danger of missing training camp despite finishing the 2022-23 campaign on injured reserve.
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Red Wings' Moritz Seider: Still does plenty in second season
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Seider capped off his second NHL campaign with five goals, 37 assists and 15 power-play points through 82 games.
Last season, Seider deposited 50 points and put the Calder Trophy on his mantel, but this season, the talented puck-moving defenseman took a small step back offensively as he adjusted to a new coach in Derek Lalonde. However, there is absolutely no cause for concern when it comes to Seider. The German is a tenacious competitor, and it shouldn't be lost on fantasy managers that he leveled up to the tune of 190 blocked shots and 207 hits this year. Detroit is expected to give serious consideration to blue-line prospect Simon Edvinsson next season, which should take some pressure off Seider if the former ultimately wins a spot on the 23-man roster.
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Red Wings' David Perron: Leads by example in Detroit
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Perron concluded his first season with Detroit having deposited 24 goals, 32 assists and 22 power-play points through 82 games.
The veteran stalwart didn't miss a single game, and team captain Dylan Larkin was the only one to outpace Perron in points among the Detroit skaters, though it was a 23-point difference. GM Steve Yzerman spoke to the media Friday for an end-of-season address, highlighting the positive impact his veteran additions had on the Original Six franchise. "I really liked the veterans that we brought in this year," Yzerman said. "I liked their attitude and character. They helped our team on and off the ice. I'll continue to try to add those types of players to help us as we build a young team that compete for playoffs and Stanley Cups hopefully."
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Red Wings' Dylan Larkin: Leads team as expected
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Larkin tied his career highs in goals (32) and assists (47) through 80 games this season.
While the captain narrowly missed out on a point-per-game average in his eighth season, Larkin had 23 points more than the next-highest skater donning the Winged Wheel, which was David Perron in his first year with the team. Fantasy managers know what they're getting with Larkin; he's a consistent offensive producer, and this year the young leader leveled up to the tune of 31 power-play points, but the Wings need to court an elite top-line winger in free agency or via a trade to help him reach new heights offensively. After all, there's still a wide gap in value between Larkin and the 10 forwards that notched at least 100 points this year.
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Red Wings' Jonatan Berggren: Solid rookie campaign
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Berggren supplied 15 goals, 13 assists and nine power-play points through 67 games as a rookie this season.
Berggren showed poise and determination as a first-year winger, plugging holes in the lineup and stepping up when Jakub Vrana was loaned to the AHL for personal reasons and Filip Zadina had been bogged down by injuries. A full season for Berggren could lead to fantasy value, at least in deep leagues.
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Red Wings' Filip Zadina: Breakout campaign remains elusive
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Zadina missed the final 11 games of the season with a lower-body injury, finishing with three goals and four assists through 30 games.
Ansar Khan of MLive.com suggests the young winger "might have trouble cracking the lineup next season," also relaying from GM Steve Yzerman that Detroit will seek more offense by looking at options in free agency. Zadina is just 23 years old, but he's produced only 28 goals and 40 assists through 190 career games; the Wings, their fan base, and fantasy managers alike expected much more from him after he was taken sixth overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
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Red Wings' Ben Chiarot: Closes out first season in Detroit
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Chiarot, a first-year Red Wing, ended up with five goals, 14 assists and a minus-31 rating through 76 games this season.
Chiarot had the worst efficiency rating on the team, but it should be known that he still logged a career high in blocked shots (164) and brought a physical edge with 147 hits. Offensively, he was right on par with his career averages after completing seasons with the Jets, Canadiens and Panthers, respectively. It's clear that GM Steve Yzerman finds Chiarot valuable; after all, the versatile defenseman is on the books for three more seasons at $4.75 million AAV and has a modified no-trade clause built into the contract.
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Red Wings' Jake Walman: Nice fit in Motown
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Walman posted 18 points, 47 hits, 121 blocked shots and a plus-10 rating through 63 games this season.
A shoulder injury caused Walman to get off to a late start to the campaign, but he made quite the impression for the Wings upon returning, as the aforementioned totals were all career-best marks. The Blues' castoff had played sparingly in St. Louis to start his career, though he leveled up with his new team, managing a whopping 140 shots on goal and lighting the lamp nine times to complement the same number of helpers. He inked a three-year, $10.2 million deal in February as a major boon to his confidence. From a fantasy perspective, there's a chance he'll be on the radar in deep leagues this fall.
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Red Wings' Adam Erne: Finishes challenging season
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Erne finished the season with eight goals and 10 assists through 61 games.
Erne wasn't involved on the power play in his fourth season with the Wings, but he averaged 1:37 on the penalty kill and amassed a career-high 55 blocked shots to go with 160 hits. Still, it wasn't the smoothest campaign for the American winger, as he was waived in February and returned to the AHL for the first time in five years, appearing in nine games for the Griffins. The 27-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
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Red Wings' Dominik Kubalik: Turns in quality campaign
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Kubalik finished his debut season with the Red Wings having generated 20 goals, 25 assists and 17 power-play points through 81 games.
Kubalik burst onto the scene with a 46-point rookie campaign with the Blackhawks in 2019-20, and the winger nearly matched that total in his first go-around for a Detroit team that relied on him heavily on the man advantage. Kubalik is a dual threat in the sense that he's equally adept at scoring and setting up goals, though this was the first time in his four-year career that he joined the 20-20 club in those key offensive categories.
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Red Wings' Alex Nedeljkovic: Returned to AHL affiliate
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Nedeljkovic was reassigned to AHL Grand Rapids on Thursday, per CapFriendly.
This should be the end of Nedeljkovic's yo-yo routine between levels, as the Red Wings' season ended in a 5-0 shutout loss to the Lightning on Thursday. Nedeljkovic went 5-7-2 with a 3.53 GAA and an .895 save percentage through 15 NHL appearances this season.
Red Wings' Ville Husso: Left alone during Lightning storm
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Husso made 27 saves in a 5-0 loss to the Lightning on Thursday.
Husso got no help from his teammates, who seemed to be simply looking forward to the offseason. He ends the season on an 0-3-1 run and was 3-9-2 in his last 14. Husso and the Wings have struggled as the season progressed, but it's clear he brings stability to the Wings' net. Overall, he finished this season with the most wins of his career (26), including four shutouts. Husso's fantasy stock will rise next season if the team can take another step forward.
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Red Wings' Dylan Larkin: Ready to rock
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Larkin (lower body) is set to play Thursday versus the Lightning.
Larkin has 11 points over his last eight games. He'll return after a one-game absence -- he can be expected to play in his usual top-line role with time on the first power-play unit.
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Red Wings' Dylan Larkin: Game-time decision Thursday
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Larkin (lower body) will be a game-time decision Thursday versus Tampa Bay, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Coach Derek Lalonde sounded hopeful that Larkin would be in the lineup for the Red Wings' final game of the season. The 26-year-old has 32 goals and 79 points in 79 games this season, his best to date in the NHL.
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Red Wings' Alex Nedeljkovic: Not playing Thursday
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Nedeljkovic has returned to Detroit, where he and his wife are expecting a child, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Nedeljkovic gave up three goals on 27 shots Tuesday in a 4-1 loss to Carolina. Nedeljkovic will finish the season with a 5-7-2 record to go with a 3.53 GAA and .895 save percentage.
