NOTEBOOK: Lalonde discusses Red Wings’ 2023-24 Opening Night roster

DETROIT -- After weeks of evaluation and experimentation, the Detroit Red Wings’ 2023-24 Opening Night roster will consist of 22 players, including 12 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies.

“Everyone always makes such a big deal on making the team out of camp,” Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said Monday. “In today’s NHL and the salary cap, your team is 15 forwards and 8-9 D. It’s just the reality of those players being in Grand Rapids instead of being here sitting up in the press box.”

Every NHL club is allowed a maximum 23-man roster, but Lalonde said he will not carry a 13th forward for Thursday’s season opener at New Jersey.

“Don’t need it right now, obviously knowing that 13th (forward) could be an easy call up anywhere,” Lalonde said. “And with seven NHL-caliber D, with that odd morning sickness, afternoon thing or if something happens in warmups, we have no problem going seven (defensemen) and 11 (forwards).”

The makeup of Detroit’s roster shows a more experienced club, according to Lalonde.

“I think when you’re dealing with experience, some of these guys have been through a lot,” Lalonde said. “There’s not the emotional highs or lows and day-to-day adversities.”

Detroit trimmed its expanded Training Camp roster Sunday, and forward prospect Jonatan Berggren was one of the younger players assigned to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

After making his NHL debut in November, Berggren finished with 15 goals and 13 assists in 67 games with the Red Wings last season.

Lalonde said his message to Berggren was “just keep doing things to make you an everyday NHL guy.”

“He’s still raw in his development,” Lalonde said about the 23-year-old Berggren. “It makes no sense for him to be sitting here and not playing right now. It’s valuable for him to play meaningful minutes in Grand Rapids.”

Kostin eager to contribute for Detroit

Klim Kostin, who was acquired via trade from the Edmonton Oilers in June, is ready to fill whatever role the Red Wings ask of him this season.

“We have our leaders on the team, but sometimes (a game) isn’t going the way they want,” Kostin said Saturday. “Then the bottom-six guys should step up.”

Kostin spent the most of last season with the Oilers, tallying 21 points (11-10—21) in 57 games. The 24-year-old forward also had four points in nine games with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

Lalonde said Kostin is a valuable addition to the Red Wings, who are aiming to take another step forward in 2023-24.

“We need him to be heavy to have an identity,” Lalonde said about Kostin. “Really like the idea of (Joe) Veleno, (Christian) Fischer and Kostin.”

Kostin said his new teammates are helping him feel at home in Detroit.

“I had a warm welcome from the boys,” said Kostin, who signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings in July. “I like it so much here. A really good team, coaching staff and people around the team.”

At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Kostin brings a physical presence to Detroit’s lineup. The Russian forward wants to help his new club be harder to play against.

“We have a lot of skilled guys on the team,” Kostin said. “We just have to play physical and be hard on the puck.”

Griffins set to begin first season under Watson

Led by first-year head coach Dan Watson, Grand Rapids will begin its 28th campaign in franchise history Friday night against the Colorado Eagles at Van Andel Arena.

Lalonde said Watson will play an important role in helping develop the organization’s up-and-coming prospects.  

“We had those last conversations (Sunday), and Dan was the first guy to talk about how those conversations go,” Lalonde said. “He already had a plan for all of them. That communication is important. It’s not far off from where I was with Benny (Simon) last year.”

The Griffins earned a 28-36-4-4 (64 points) record last season, finishing seventh in the Central Division and missing the Calder Cup Playoffs for the second straight campaign.

Staying organizationally aligned with Watson is important to Lalonde, who wants the transition from the AHL to NHL to be seamless for prospects.

“Structurally, things will look similar,” Lalonde said. “Verbiage will look similar. I think there will be some positives, especially since some of these guys are knocking on that door. We’re only carrying 12 forwards. It’s just a matter of time before we start seeing guys from Grand Rapids.”