Abel to Yzerman

Abel to Yzerman

A Competitive Camp For The Detroit Forwards

08/04/2022 at 4:55pm EDT

I am nt mentioning the forwards who are expected to be a sure-lock to make the team.

- Pontus Andreasson: A Swedish undrafted free agent, Andreasson, 23, scored a career-high18 goals in the Swedish Hockey League last season and has made steady improvement in his career. Andreasson (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) will get a chance in the exhibition season, but appears destined to start in Grand Rapids.

- Jonatan Berggren: Berggren, 22, certainly showed in Grand Rapids (21 goals, 43 assists) he's close to being NHL ready. But with Yzerman's free-agent additions, and the deep forward corps, it's difficult to envision Berggren being on the opening night roster unless there's injuries.

- Adam Erne: Coming off a disappointing season, it appears Erne will be battling for playing time heading into opening night. Erne, 27, can be an unrestricted free agent next summer and his future in this organization is far from certain.

- Givani Smith: Smith, 24, is in the final year of his contract and his future in the organization is cloudy. It's difficult to envision Smith being more than a healthy scratch, at this point, given the crowded lineup. Smith hasn't been able to carve a regular role in the lineup.

- Elmer Soderblom: The 6-foot-6 Soderblom, 21, is likely going to need seasoning in Grand Rapids, but he'll be a player to keep an eye on in training camp. Soderblom scored 27 goals between two teams last season in Sweden, and his improvement since being drafted has been eye-opening.

- Joe Veleno: The former first-round pick isn't assured of a roster spot, and will have to impress in training camp to hold off the likes of Erne and Smith, among others, in the lineup. Veleno, 22, has shown flashes of being an NHL contributor, but there's going to be a lot of competition within the organization in the near future.

- Filip Zadina: This is an important season for Zadina, 22, who has yet to become the offensive force projected to be when drafted in 2018. Can playing for a new head coach and understanding the organization's patience with him is dwindling suddenly spark a Zadina turnaround? The Wings are hopeful.

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Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that.

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