In the next couple of days, the brass of the Detroit Red Wings will be making final roster decisions.

Some may even suggest that these are going to be hard decisions to make.

The thing is, they don’t have to be hard choices at all.

In fact, we’ll make it easy for all involved, because at this stage, there appears to be only one logical conclusion that can be reached.

Keep the kids. Play the kids. Ride the rapids with the kids.

They are the future of this franchise, and the time for that future to be now is long overdue.

It isn’t a question of which among Michael Brandesgg-Nygard, Axel Sandin Pellikka, and Emmitt Finnie should make Detroit’s 23-player roster.

They all should.

In the final curtain call before the NHL regular season, Brandsegg-Nygard scored twice and Sandin Pellikka dished out two assists in a 6-5 Red Wings overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Finnie didn’t figure in the scoring but also enjoyed another solid performance.

“I’m really happy with all three of the kids,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. “We may as well bundle them all up and put them in a package.

“They’ve all competed from day one till now. They’ve all improved. Their confidence level has gone up.”

Bottom line? They’ve all done enough to earn a place on the team.

All that’s left is for the Red Wings to make it official.

Time For Red Wings To Cut Bait With Mediocre Veterans

McLellan spoke of the freshness and energy that the youngsters are injecting into the team’s dressing room and bench.

“The group has been very accepting of them,” McLellan said. “They believe that the three of them can help the group, which is always a good sign.

“And they’ve opened up some eyes.”

That they have.

Is anyone really looking forward to another winter of JT Compher missing open nets? Do you want to watch Justin Holl on the point? Would anyone really care if Travis Hamonic never played a regular-season game on the Red Wings’ defense?

The Red Wings will be making decisions by Monday on the immediate future of this team. It’s time to be making a long-term investment in the future of this team.

“Those are all good problems to have, aren’t they?” McLellan said.

Problems with an easy solution.

Play the kids.

The answer is really that simple.