Some new faces will be taking the ice at Little Caesars Arena in the fall. (MLive/Mike Mulholland)

The Detroit Red Wings drafted a player in Filip Zadina who has a good opportunity to jump from juniors to the NHL next season, along with 2017 top pick Michael Rasmussen. Then they brought back Thomas Vanek in free agency.

The moves have some MLive readers wondering who'll make the roster and what the lines might look like in the season opener Oct. 4 against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena.

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Dylan Larkin might be the Red Wings' top-line center this season. (MLive/Mike Mulholland)

How Zadina, Rasmussen might fit into lineup

Q: I know it's too early to know if Zadina or Rasmussen will be on the team next year, but let's assume they are. How would you project the line combinations? – Carl.

A: It's never too soon to talk lines, as we'll see from the comments your question will generate.

Here's what I came up with just the other day while scribbling some stuff on a napkin at Starbucks:

Anthony Mantha-Dylan Larkin-Filip Zadina

Andreas Athanasiou-Frans Nielsen-Michael Rasmussen

Gustav Nyquist-Darren Helm-Thomas Vanek

Tyler Bertuzzi-Luke Glendening-Justin Abdelkader

Extras: Martin Frk, Luke Witkowski

I didn't include Henrik Zetterberg because some in the organization doubt he'll return. But I don't believe anyone knows for certain, maybe not even Zetterberg himself.

He won't officially retire and stick the organization with a $4.3 million cap recapture penalty in each of the next three seasons. If he's done because of his back – even though he's played every game the past three seasons – they'll put him on long-term injured reserve at the start of the season.

I think Zadina and Rasmussen will make the team, at least initially. In Rasmussen's case the Red Wings will have nine games to assess whether he's ready for the NHL or should return to his junior club, WHL Tri-City, without burning a year off his entry-level contract. Rasmussen can't be assigned to Grand Rapids.

It appears the Red Wings will be able to freely move Zadina between Detroit and the Grand Rapids Griffins, if they choose, after the NHL ruled over the weekend that he was on loan to his junior club, Halifax, from his Czech League team, Pardubice, so he's not bound by the NHL or CHL-only restriction.

Zadina and Rasmussen probably aren't going to play on the same line, so I figure one will get Larkin as his center and the other Nielsen. The Nyquist-Helm-Vanek combination was the team's best line at the start of 2016-17, before Vanek got injured.

If Zetterberg doesn't return, the Red Wings will be thin at center. They would probably recall Dominic Turgeon from Grand Rapids if one of those centers is injured.

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Filip Hronek has the inside track to start the season on the Red Wings' roster. (AP file photo)

Which Griffins defenseman will start in Detroit?

Q: Have you looked at both the Grand Rapids and Detroit expected October lineups or depth charts? I feel like there's a log jam at all positions and struggle with who will be in GR and who starts in Detroit. Who may be starting in Detroit from GR? Who is GR pulling up to replace? – Ryan

A: My projected forward lineup is listed above. On defense, I think Filip Hronek will join a group that includes Mike Green, Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson, Trevor Daley, Niklas Kronwall and Nick Jensen. I believe Grand Rapids defense will consist of Joe Hicketts, Dennis Cholowski, Libor Sulak, Vili Saarijarvi, Dylan McIlrath, Brian Lashoff and Jake Chelios.

Up front, the Griffins will have Matt Puempel (a restricted free agent), Evgeny Svechnikov, Dominic Turgeon, Matthew Ford, Axel Holmstrom, Dylan Sadowy, Turner Elson and Dominik Shine from last season. They're bringing in draft picks David Pope, Givani Smith and Christoffer Ehn and signed free agents Chris Terry, Wade Megan and Carter Camper.

Grand Rapids will have two new goaltenders in Harri Sateri and Patrik Rybar. They must decide whether to send Kaden Fulcher back to Hamilton for his overage junior year or have him go back and forth between Toledo (ECHL) and Grand Rapids as needed.

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Filip Zadina showed his skills at Red Wings development camp. (MLive/Mike Mulholland)

Zadina, Veleno a future potent 1-2 punch?

Q: I'm not going to pretend that I watch junior, college or international hockey all that much. Just don't have the time. But I have been getting The Hockey News since the mid-80s and always read about the top prospects, especially the ones drafted by the Wings. From everything I've read on Zadina and (Joe) Veleno, is it utterly insane, overly optimistic or (just maybe) realistic to envision these guys as our (Patrick) Kane and (Jonathan) Toews for many years to come? – Dave

A: I won't call you insane, but it is overly (overly) optimistic. Way too soon to be making any comparisons to players who have been two of the best in the league for many years. We'll need to wait several years to see how they pan out. I think Zadina has the potential to make a significant impact right away. Veleno is probably a couple of years away from the NHL.

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The Red Wings feel fortunate center Joe Veleno was available at No. 30. (MLive/Mike Mulholland)

Concerns about not drafting defenseman in first round

Q: Ever since the Wings lost (Nicklas) Lidstrom and several other defensive stalwarts a few years ago (along with Niklas Kronwall showing his age) we constantly hear about the need for a shutdown defenseman who can play big minutes in all situations. I understand that they got potentially great players in Zadina and Veleno, but when will they get another chance to obtain a quality D-man again given the fact that they did not draft a defenseman until the second round? Teams are giving up a king's ransom in trades for those types of players. How can they justify passing up such a rare opportunity?

A: Zadina was unexpectedly available at No. 6 and they couldn't pass up the opportunity to select such a highly skilled offensive player. It was easily the right move, most analysts said.

Veleno was a tremendous value pick at No. 30, a player many projected to be taken just outside of the top 10. Again, another player they could not pass on, especially given their need for a center in the system.

They need one or two of their prospects (namely Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek and Libor Sulak) to develop into a top-four defenseman or acquire one through trade or draft one with their top pick in 2019 or get one through free agency next year.

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Who should be moved for a defenseman?

Q: Is it possible that Svech and/or AA can or will be moved for a D? Even if not a ready NHL roster player, a good D prospect? – RWHockey

A: I don't think they're ready to unload Svechnikov after one down season in the AHL. Athanasiou probably is their biggest trading chip. They're not going to move him just to clear a roster spot, they'll want a good, relatively young defenseman in return. They have interest in Carolina's Justin Faulk.

I think they’re prepared to go into the season with Athanasiou. They need to see if Filip Zadina and Michael Rasmussen make the team and if they do what kind of impact they will have. They probably also want to give Athanasiou another opportunity to show he can be engaged on a more consistent basis.

It might be crowded up front right now, but they’re not sure if Henrik Zetterberg will be back this season, and even if he is, it’s safe to assume he won’t be around in 2019-20. Gustav Nyquist might not be here then, either, and the same for Thomas Vanek. So that opens three spots in the top nine.

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The Red Wings want to see Andreas Athanasiou increase his compete level. (AP file photo)

Athanasiou in wrong role?

Q: (Athanasiou) is a little guy, and opponents would love to get a piece of him in the corners to hurt him and slow him down. It seems to me that the coach is misusing him if he's expecting him to battle in the corners. His threat is to break away or accelerate and finish if someone else gets him the puck or if he guesses right in clogging the opponent's passing lane. If the Wings trade him, I'll be disappointed. He is their most exciting player. His instinct is telling him to keep away from the corners for good reason. I'm sure many other teams would love to have him. Like the song says, sometimes you don't know what you've got until it's gone. I wouldn't trade him for a defenseman. Find a different way to get or draft a defenseman, not by giving up a guy who's a unique and dangerous threat every time he gets the puck in space. – Rsills

A: He's not exactly little at 6-2, 188. The Red Wings aren't trying to turn him into something he isn't – a physical player and grinder. They want him to be more involved in puck battles in the hard areas, not shy away from contact or always be away from the fray, looking for a breakout pass.

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Big Winnipeg defenseman Tyler Myers (57) could be a free agent next summer. (AP file photo)

How does Tyler Myers in 2019 sound?

Q: What do you think the possibility is of Winnipeg moving Tyler Myers due to their cap situation with (Patrik) Laine and (Kyle) Conner needing to be re-signed at the end of the coming year? I feel like moving AA and Trevor Daley together as a package deal would make sense to free up an extra roster spot and land an actual top-pairing defender. Just my thoughts, but adding Zadina and Veleno really makes AA look a lot more expendable and since we did nothing to address the need on the back end this could really pay dividends. – Josh

A: Myers will be unrestricted after this season, so there's no way they would trade Athanasiou for him unless Myers were signed to an extension beforehand. Myers is slated to be one of the top under-30 defensemen on the market in 2019, so the Red Wings would be more inclined to wait until then to make a pitch for him.

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Jacob Trouba wanted out of Winnipeg two years ago but eventually re-signed. (AP file photo)

Will Winnipeg sign Jacob Trouba or look to deal?

Q: Red Wings fan down under in Australia here. I would like to ask your thoughts on the Wings revisiting (Jacob) Trouba in a deal involving a forward? AA would be the obvious candidate that comes to mind, but I'm not sure what additional pieces would be needed. Whilst he wouldn't be the defensive messiah the Wings need, Trouba surely provides a much-needed upgrade at least and is in a good age-bracket. Cheers. – Damien

A: Trouba would be a good acquisition. The restricted free agent wanted out two years ago, but with Winnipeg on the upswing he has indicated a desire to stay. In any case, I don't think the Jets should be tinkering too much with their roster this season. They might be best in the West and certainly are one of the Stanley Cup favorites.

The Vegas Golden Knights can't possibly experience another magical run to the Cup Final, can they? Also, if the Jets don't re-sign Myers, who's entering the final year of his contract, I imagine they wouldn’t want to lose Trouba, too.

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Good, young defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been traded twice already. (AP file photo)

Did Detroit miss out on Dougie Hamilton?

Q: Did the Wings have interest in acquiring Dougie Hamilton? The trade (and fact that has been dealt twice already) has me scratching my head. Is he truly a locker room cancer? I can't see how being into the 'finer things in life' would equate to being an issue in the locker room. Sure, he may not be making friends, but I fail to understand how that would be alienating teammates. Did the Wings just not have enough to offer? -- William

A: They have had interest in Hamilton in the past, not sure if they were in the hunt this time around. But I don't believe they could have made a better offer than Carolina, which parted with two good, young players in defenseman Noah Hanifin and center Elias Lindholm, each selected fifth overall in their respective drafts.

If you have a Red Wings-related question, email me at akhan1@mlive.com

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