Red Wings Vs Devils Projected Lineups Signal Changes That Could Shift Playoff Race
Detroit players, New Jersey fans and both teams’ playoff chances face immediate changes Sunday at 7: 00 p. m. ET after clubs released projected lineups for Red Wings Vs Devils. The moves include a newcomer expected to debut for Detroit, multiple recalls, and injury absences that alter depth charts and matchups.
Red Wings adjustments: Faulk to debut, Brandsegg-Nygard and Leonard recalled
For the Detroit Red Wings, the most direct impact falls on Detroit’s roster construction: Faulk is expected to make his Red Wings debut after being acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Friday, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard plus John Leonard were recalled from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions. Leonard is listed as scratched, as are Travis Hamonic and Elmer Soderblom, while David Perron and Dylan Larkin are injured with lower-body issues and Larkin will not play and is day to day.
Red Wings Vs Devils projected lineups list DeBrincat, Hischier, Hughes and more
The published projected lines show the Detroit forward groups as: Alex DeBrincat — Andrew Copp — Patrick Kane; Emmitt Finnie — Marco Kasper — Lucas Raymond; Mason Appleton — J. T. Compher — Michael Brandsegg-Nygard; James van Riemsdyk — Michael Rasmussen — Dominik Shine; with Albert Johansson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka paired on defense. New Jersey’s projected top lines are Timo Meier — Nico Hischier — Dawson Mercer; Arseny Gritsyuk — Jack Hughes — Connor Brown; Jesper Bratt — Cody Glass — Lenni Hameenaho; Paul Cotter — Nick Bjugstad — Maxim Tsyplakov, and Devils scratched Colton White, Dennis Cholowski and Evgenii Dadonov. Neither team held a morning skate prior to the lineup release.
Devils’ surge and Hughes’ hat trick raise stakes for Detroit’s playoff position
New Jersey enters the matchup riding recent offensive momentum: Jack Hughes recorded a hat trick in the Devils’ 6-3 win against the New York Rangers, and the Devils have strung together a four-game winning streak. The standings cited in coverage show Detroit sitting ahead of New Jersey in the race for postseason positioning; Detroit holds the first wild card spot in the East while New Jersey trails in the chase and remains nine points back of the final Eastern Conference wild card spot and 11 points behind Detroit in that measure.
Still, Detroit’s recent scoring struggles complicate matters for fans and players: over their last 10 games the Red Wings have averaged 1. 90 goals per game and managed three wins in that span. Conversely, New Jersey’s recent stretch has produced 17 goals for and eight against during the four-game run, a run that features Hughes’ hot streak and added urgency for the Devils to close the gap.
Goaltending and health notes also reshape matchups. Allen is expected to start for New Jersey after Markstrom made 17 saves in a 6-3 win against the New York Rangers on Saturday, and on Detroit’s side Brett Pesce is listed week to week with a lower-body issue while several Devils skaters are listed injured, including Stefan Noesen (knee) and Zack MacEwen (ACL).
For fans tracking lineup depth and matchup advantages, Brandsegg-Nygard’s recall and Faulk’s debut change who will see responsibilities in Detroit’s middle and defensive pairings, while Hughes’ form and New Jersey’s rolling lines keep pressure on Detroit’s scoring-challenged units.
If the Devils win Sunday at 7: 00 p. m. ET, they would reduce the gap described in the current standings and intensify the wild-card fight for both clubs.
