Projecting Detroit Red Wings' Forward Lines for the 2014-15 Season

With the Detroit Red Wings' 2013-14 season over, the focus shifts to 2014-15, where the team will be hoping to stay much healthier than they did this year.

The Red Wings finished with the second-most man games lost this season, per Man Games Lost, with 421 games lost—the equivalent of over five full players' seasons.

But with the Wings' season over, it is time to turn the page and look forward to next season.

Here are the projected forward lines for the 2014-15 Detroit Red Wings.

All cap numbers and no-trade or no-move clauses per CapGeek.com.

First Line

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are obvious choices for the No. 1 center and left wing spots on the Detroit Red Wings' 2014-15 roster, but there are two main questions that face the team this offseason.

1. Will the "Euro Twins" get to play on the same line for the majority of the season in 2014-15, and who will play with Datsyuk and Zetterberg at right wing?

It is common knowledge that Datsyuk and Zetterberg have an uncanny level of chemistry and familiarity with playing on the same line, and a healthy Datsyuk and Zetterberg is enough to create matchup problems just in that sense.

The two superstars were split up earlier in the 2013-14 season in an attempt to get the rest of the team going offensively after spending much of October and part of November together. If they had a bona fide right wing to play with them, they would be even better in 2014-15.

2. Who will flank Datsyuk and Zetterberg at right wing next season?

This is the second—and more pressing—question for the Red Wings. The team has some internal options like Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist, but while both players had stretches where they looked like they could carry a team on the top line, the true answer should come from outside the organization.

A trade could bring in a player like James Neal if Wings GM Ken Holland wanted to make the most of Datsyuk's last few seasons in Detroit.

But Detroit could look to go to the free agency market as well. Names like Marian Gaborik and Jarome Iginla come to mind, but only if they do not re-sign with their current teams.

The bottom line is that the Red Wings need a No. 1 right-handed shooting right wing. 

Prediction and Analysis

Henrik Zetterberg-Pavel Datsyuk-James Neal

Neal's $5.0 million cap hit for the next three seasons makes him too attractive to not be a trade option. The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a salary cap bind for next season with just seven forwards and five defensemen locked up—but with just $15 million in cap space available.

That number could decrease even more to just $68 million due to the decline of the Canadian dollar compared to the U.S. dollar (h/t Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times).

In essence, Neal might be on the move to free up some cap space in Pittsburgh before his no-trade clause kicks in during the 2015-16 season.

Second Line

Chris Schneider/Associated Press

Fans may already have soured at Stephen Weiss over his inability to contribute and live up to his $4.9 million cap hit, but the fact remains that he should, and likely will, be the Red Wings' No. 2 center in 2014-15. 

Weiss played every game in October and Detroit went 7-4-2 over that span.

Yes, he was ineffective on offense and had just two points that month, but both points were goals and one of them was the game-winner in Carolina.

The other 13 games that he played in 2013-14 should be write-off games—he only played eight games in November and five games in December before being shut down for the season.

The only real question is whether or not he will be healthy in 2014-15.

Together with Johan Franzen and Justin Abdelkader, Weiss (if healthy), should be able to give Detroit what it needs out of its second-line center position: Solid defensive play, good forechecking and the ability to contribute on the scoreboard every so often.

Prediction and Analysis: 

Johan Franzen-Stephen Weiss-Justin Abdelkader

There might be some confusion as to why these players represent the second line instead of the third line after Detroit's young guns propelled them into the playoffs this year. But make no mistake: These players are veteran players that are being paid vastly more money, and thus need to be playing more minutes.

Using Detroit's younger players on the third line instead of the second line will create matchup problems for other teams.

Third Line

Dave Reginek/Getty Images

Why put the NHL regular season's hottest goal scorer in the second half of the season on the third line?

Chemistry.

Gustav Nyquist potted 28 goals last season—23 coming after January 20.

But Nyquist isn't physically dominant enough to play on the first line, and his chemistry with players like Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan from their time in the AHL at Grand Rapids makes him a better option on line No. 3. 

Make no mistake about it, Nyquist has the offensive tools to play at a top-six level, but he is better served with the chemistry he has with Tatar and Sheahan to give Detroit three lines that can score. 

After having just six goals in his first 58 NHL games, Nyquist went on to find his groove—putting up two markers in his first game after being called up this season. Neither Nyquist, Tatar nor Sheahan have even played more than one full NHL season, and there is no need to rush them into top-six roles.

Prediction and Analysis

Tomas Tatar-Riley Sheahan-Gustav Nyquist

All three third-line players will be seeing time on special teams—meaning they will get their fair share of ice time. "Third line" is just a name for where they should and likely will play in terms of even-strength ice time.

Fans shouldn't be worried about this "third line" designation. All three players have shown competency playing in limited top-six forward duty and could move up in the lineup should an injury occur.

Fourth Line

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

There will be three players on the Detroit Red Wings' fourth line in 2014-15 who could all be playing on line No. 2 or three.

Darren Helm is perceived by Mike Babcock as the "best third line center in hockey," according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

So what is he doing on the fourth line in this projection?

Simply put, Helm had played just one game since the 2012 playoffs before returning on a full-time basis in November of 2013. Helm had all kinds of injury problems, but finally was healthy enough to make the lineup against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 2, scoring in his first game back.

A healthy Helm is a no-brainer on Detroit's fourth line as he needs more game experience to reacclimate himself to NHL action. Playing limited minutes on line No. 4 and heavy minutes on the penalty kill will allow him to do just that.

Another obvious selection for the fourth line is Luke Glendening.

Despite not finding his first NHL goal until regular season game No. 52, Glendening picked up the penalty kill in a huge way this season—along with some timely forechecking and stellar defensive play.

He had 92 hits and 38 blocked shots for the Red Wings, picking up 12 takeaways in the process.

But there are other players who could be playing on the fourth line that could be playing up a line too. Tomas Jurco, Drew Miller and Joakim Andersson have all played on higher lines, but could see time on the fourth line in the upcoming season.

Prediction and Analysis 

Drew Miller-Darren Helm-Luke Glendening 

This was a tough call. Tomas Jurco has the offensive tools and physical game succeed in the NHL. But Glendening's contract would be buried if he were sent down, and Drew Miller is a better fourth-line player than Jurco would be.

It also wouldn't be easy to justify Joakim Andersson's absence. Andersson had a prominent role in Detroit's 2013 playoff run and also contributed during the season on a more limited basis. The deciding factor here came down to Andersson's limited offensive contributions.

Despite playing over three quarters of the season (65 games), Andersson put up just eight goals and 17 points.

The 13th Forward

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Teams are allowed 23 men on their roster—usually going with 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies.

The question then becomes: Which extra forward makes the roster?

Simply put, Joakim Andersson makes this Red Wings roster over Tomas Jurco. Not because of skill, but because of the fact that Jurco can start the season in the AHL due to his freedom from waivers due to only having played 39 NHL games in the regular season and playoffs combined

Andersson does not have that same freedom, having played in 123 total games.

Andersson isn't much of a threat offensively (like the Red Wings hope that Jurco will be down the road), but he does know the ins and outs of the forechecking game that would situate him well on the third or fourth line—should Detroit need him there.

He will get playing time this season. Especially if the Red Wings lose anyone up the middle like they did last season with injuries at the center position.

Prediction and Analysis: 

Joakim Andersson makes the roster over Tomas Jurco.

As stated above, only Jurco's waiver immunity should keep him off the Red Wings to start the 2014-15 season.

This isn't a knock on Jurco's talent, energy or playing style. Andersson could be claimed on waivers if sent down, and his contract is cap friendly enough to keep him in Detroit.

Goodbye Veteran Forwards

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Out of the veteran, pending unrestricted-free-agent forwards that Detroit has on the roster, it looks like only Daniel Alfredsson would be retained by the Detroit Red Wings if he wanted to come back for another season, per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

But operating under the assumption that a player won't retire has bitten the Red Wings before (Brian Rafalski and Nick Lidstrom), and the team needs some concrete plans heading into next season.

Alfredsson would be a tremendous upgrade for Justin Abdelkader at the second-line right wing position, but he cannot be forced into big minutes like he was this season as Alfie turns 42 in December.

If he does return, then it is back to the drawing board for next season's projected lines.