The Detroit Red Wings have nearly wrapped up Training Camp in preparation for the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season, but two key members of the team have been absent for the entirety of the proceedings.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who is coming off his first full NHL season and has already made himself arguably Detroit’s second most valuable blue liner, is dealing with an injury that’s expected to sideline him potentially until the Oct. 9 home opener.
Secondly, newly-signed forward James van Riemsdyk has also been unable to participate. Thankfully, the reason behind van Riemsdyk’s absence appears to be a happy one.
For now, head coach Todd McLellan continues to tinker with different line combinations, even trying Elmer Söderblom on the top line with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin during scrimmage play.
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However, van Riemsdyk’s absence from the ice in the early goings of Training Camp hasn’t thrown a wrench into their plans.
“It changes things for, maybe some line situations or something like that, but our lines are going to be all over the map here pretty soon,” McLellan said. “We’re just going to continue to try and experiment with different people in different places until we find things we like.”
van Riemsdyk was the second overall pick in 2007 (Philadelphia Flyers) behind his now-current teammate Patrick Kane (Blackhawks). Ironically, they’d both battle one another just three years later in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.
He’s already eclipsed the 1,000 game mark, appearing in 1,082 total regular season contests with 327 goals and 338 assists across stops with four different clubs (two separate stints with the Flyers).
Getting a veteran like him back up to speed isn’t going to be a problem for Detroit, according to McLellan.
“When JVR gets back to camp, whether it’s going to be here tomorrow, the Red & White game, or back in Detroit, we’ll get him caught up on things,” McLellan said. “He’s a seasoned veteran, he’s played multiple different systems in the League….he’s a smart guy. We’ll be able to catch him up to the pace of the team. I’ll be his legs and his timing and all that type of stuff that’ll have to come back, but it’ll come.”
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As far as final line combinations as Opening Night approaches, McLellan cautioned fans not to read too much into them, as they’re subject to change at a moment’s notice.
“We’re moving people around. I think we have to give the younger players every opportunity to experience being on a line with some veterans, and see how that goes,” he said. “But please don’t read into the lines and good luck guessing, because I don’t even know what we’re doing tomorrow, yet.”
Following the final day of Training Camp in Traverse City, the club will travel to Grand Rapids for the annual Red & White Game, which was moved to Van Andel Arena for the first time, on Sept. 22.
They’ll follow this up with the opening pre-season game against the Chicago Blackhawks the following night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
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