The Detroit Red Wings arrived at 23 on their roster without even having to make a major transaction involving a young player.
When the roster deadline arrived at 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28 and NHL teams had to submit their opening rosters for the 2026-27 season – games begin Tuesday, though the Wings don't play until Friday (6:30 p.m., TNT/truTV), when they host the NY Rangers – the Wings shed five players, one in a geographical transaction and the others via paperwork.
Goaltender Carter Gylander was sent to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. As for the rest: Newcomer Andreas Englund, a weekend waiver-wire pickup, was designated as "immigration non-roster,"
because the Swede, who had been in camp with the Calgary Flames, now needs a U.S. work permit. Additionally, the Wings placed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker on injured reserve retroactive to Thursday, and forwards Carter Bear and Chase Stillman were designated as "injured non-roster."
After spending training camp with the Wings, defenseman Simon Edvinsson was not at practice – he spent the summer as a restricted free agent – and won't be until a new contract is sorted, so there was no roster spot issue there.
That left forwards Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Andrew Copp, Viktor Arvidsson, Emmitt Finnie, Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, Mason Appleton, Michael Rasmussen, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, Nate Danielson, Carter Mazur, Keegan Kolesar and Dylan Larkin.
The defense features Moritz Seider, Ben Chiarot, Justin Faulk, Albert Johansson, Anton Johansson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and William Wallinder, while the goaltenders are John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov.
Once Edvinsson signs, that will, of course, change the roster. But there could be other moves before Friday, regardless.
"Often see a roster submitted, and it's made public, and then all of a sudden things change two or three days down the road," coach Todd McLellan said. "We're one of the late-starting teams this year. There's games tomorrow already, and I think when we do play the Rangers, if I'm correct, that'll be their third game already. So we are a late starting team. We have a little more time to shuffle things around, and we'll use that time.
Gibson was excused from practice Monday because he was sick, per McLellan.
Larkin practiced, but was still not part of a regular line. He has been nursing an upper-body injury since before camp began, and his availability for games remains unknown.
"He has, I believe he has a doctor's appointment today at some point, and we'll get more of a feedback from the physicians at that time to see where he's at," McLellan said.
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com.
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For openers: Rangers
Matchup: Red Wings (41-31-10, 92 points in 2025-26) vs. NY Rangers (34-39-9, 77 points in 2025-26); regular-season opener.
Faceoff: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio: TNT, truTV; WXYT-FM (97.1).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2026-27 Detroit Red Wings opening roster set (for now, at least)
