Confirmed with Link: AA has made the opening night roster

[Martinez]

Sooo who made the team?

Hoping mantha

 

[Pavels Dog]

A lot of people will be pissed when AA/Mantha are wearing a suit in the presser instead of a jersey on the bench. With Nyquist, Tatar, Zetterberg and Abdelkader pretty much locked in as wingers and Larkin and Nielsen as top centers that leaves only bottom 6 roles. The third line now has Helm, Vanek and Sheahan all 'above' AA or Mantha and they are both ill suited, especially Mantha, to be on a line centered by Stonehand Luke.

They may not be in the Game 1 lineup but Blashill specifically says they'll be sent down if they're not playing much. So at minimum we should see some kind of rotation to get them playing.

 

[Peter Tosh]

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2016/10/red_wings_jeff_blashill_on_tee.html#incart_river_index

Nyquist on the third line, initially, with Tats on the first. Mantha rotating on Larkin's line and AA on Helm's. Maybe I'm reading too much in to this, but I've got a feeling Nyquist and maybe Sheahan might be on the trading block. Isn't there an opening for a GK in Winnipeg btw?

 

[Leronziia]

Could it just be that they are keeping Nyqvist and Vanek together?

 

[gretskidoo]

AA made the team last year. You'd think.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2016/10/red_wings_jeff_blashill_on_tee.html#incart_river_index

Nyquist on the third line, initially, with Tats on the first. Mantha rotating on Larkin's line and AA on Helm's. Maybe I'm reading too much in to this, but I've got a feeling Nyquist and maybe Sheahan might be on the trading block. Isn't there an opening for a GK in Winnipeg btw?

Vanek and Nyquist looked good together in the preseason, so I wouldn't look too much into it.

 

[ap3x]

Yeah, moving Gus down to the 3rd is most certainly due to the chemistry they showed.

 

[Henkka]

AA made the team last year. You'd think.



Vanek and Nyquist looked good together in the preseason, so I wouldn't look too much into it.

Yeah. Need deep Top9 offence to be successful.

Top6 and bottom6 teams are going nowhere.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

AA really has earned it more than mantha at this point

It should be him

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

If the most recent lines are representative, I think it's going to be Mantha. Mantha is switching spots in practice with Sheahan, who doesn't have a firm grip on a scoring line spot. AA is switching spots with either Vanek, Helm, or Nyquist. Those guys aren't going anywhere.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

Hope this means a trade is coming.

EDIT: On second thought, could all of this be just to do some work with the cap?

 

[TheMule93]

 

[njx9]

So AA it is... Good. Hopefully Mantha gets some solid call-ups on 'scoring' lines and AA gets more then 6-9 minutes a night.

 

[Ezekial]

Welp, congrats AA. I figured out of the two he would be the one to stay due to his versatility, but I'll agree the practice lines had me thinking it could've been Mantha.

And y'all said it was impossible without injury, granted I thought Ott would be the one getting waived but I never have up hope - less attractive waiver exempt players than years past.

 

[Vladdy84]

Bringing back Miller and Helm was a huge mistake.

 

[Henkka]

Did they use Mantha caphit to maximize LTIR usage? Then sending him down?

 

[Pavels Dog]

Helm, Larkin, Nielsen, AA.. dat speed.

 

[Heaton]

Very excited to see AA make the team, I really hope that Blashill will allow the play of the team to dictate who is in and out of the lineup. AA knows he has a lot to prove and I'm hoping he shows that early on and doesn't look back.

 

[Frk It]

Athanasiou deserves this for how well he did with his limited minutes almost nearly half a season in the NHL last season. I am happy they did this, I think it is the right move and it makes us a better team.

 

[Vladdy84]

So who does Mantha play with in the AHL?

Lil Bert and Nosek or Svech?

 

[DeYarmond Edison]

This is the best offseason news so far. Lets hope we see an increase in ice time.

 

[njx9]

Still hoping he's up on a real line, with real ice time, but clearly I was wrong about the roster.

 

[Yzerman1919*]

Bringing back Miller and Helm was a huge mistake.

Massive, massive mistake.

Z-Frans-Tatar
Vanek-Larkin-Nyquist
Mantha-Sheahan-Abby
Ott-Glenny-AA

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I guess I'm not surprised, although this makes the practice lines seem really weird. I dunno, maybe they really do have AA penciled in for a very small role.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

In practice today AA is on top line with Tatar and Nielsen. Z not in the line up

 

[Frk It]

Bringing back Miller and Helm was a huge mistake.

Helm, yes. Miller isn't terrible considering it's a 1 year deal and cheap.