The puckpedia.com salary cap roster shows the Detroit Red Wings have 22 players signed for a 23-person roster.

But GM Steve Yzerman’s final roster decision isn’t quite that simple.

That 22 doesn’t include Carter Mazur, who is technically on the roster because he was on the roster last season when he was lost for the season on his first NHL shift. We don’t count him because he is not a lock to make the team. After all, he’s still waiver-exempt.

Plus, the breakdown of our 22 has 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies. We believe Yzerman will go with 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goalies (even though Yzerman hasn’t ruled out going with three goalies). Plus, we see Austin Watson today as forward No. 13, and he could spend more time with Grand Rapids than Detroit.

We believe William Lagesson is the leading candidate to be the No. 8 defenseman, although they still may add a veteran defenseman through a trade. Unless he piles up points in the preseason, defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka will start the season in Grand Rapids. He would benefit immensely by playing 20-plus games in the AHL.

If Watson starts the season in Grand Rapids, here is the DHN+ ranking for the leading candidates to be the 13th forward spot.

 Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are Top Candidates

“I think he’s learned a lot,” Yzerman said about Nate Danielson “I think he’s improved as a player, and he’s an excellent skater. He has good puck skills, responsible player. It’s just learning to do it, particularly as a centerman, to do a lot of the little things with and without the puck that really make you effective maybe at the pro level. When you’re a good skater and junior or any lower league, you can kind of skate your way through everything, and you need to do more than that.

“He’s worked hard. Early in the season, he suffered a pretty significant injury, a facial injury. To his credit, I don’t know that he missed the game, put the face mask on, and away he went, which is very encouraging for us. It’s been a grind, and  sometimes that’s a good thing.”

Adding Danielson would give Detroit another first-round pick to join Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson, and Marco Kasper.

You could start Danielson on the third line and hope he shows week-to-week improvement.

If the choice is Brandsegg-Nygard, you are also adding a first-round pick. Coach Todd McLellan could start him on the fourth line and hope he works his way up the line. He has a scorer’s release.  Brandsegg-Nygard would be comfortable starting as a checker. He has some edginess.

“He’s physical in the right spots,” Grand Rapids coach Dan Watson said during the AHL playoffs. “He’s a big body, plays heavy. One thing I’d like to see him do is get open, try to get some more opportunities to shoot the puck. He is an absolute bomb, and we have to do a good job or a better job of trying to find him some more opportunities to shoot that puck.”

Why Fans Should Root for Amadeus Lombardi or Carter Mazur

Amadeus Lombardi has the passion, drive, and determination to make his NHL debut as a fourth-line forechecker. The only issue is his lack of size. It will be interesting to see how much stronger he has gotten in the offseason. Lombardi is another player who could start on the fourth line and work himself into a scoring line position. He was a dependable, exciting offensive producer last season.

Meanwhile, Mazur has added bulk to his frame. That could help him stay in the lineup. He is a feisty competitor, likes to stick his nose into trouble, and he can score.

“I think we all know and love Maze,” said Detroit director of player development Dan Cleary. “He’s a great kid. He’s a good player. But he played a minute. Just his elbow and before that his collarbone. So he’s had some tough luck injuries here over the course of his pro life, which has been unfortunate.

“But like I tell him, I’m like, I know this sucks, but you gotta start over, you gotta dig in, you gotta rehab, you gotta keep going because he was in such a good place last year. Put in tremendous work. He’s put on good weight to his frame. He’s been able to keep it, and he’s gonna need it. But I think for him it’s just that he’s had some bad luck. And I’m hoping he can get past that bad luck, and I know he does, too, and I believe he will. ”

Tough Guy and the Sleeper

The Red Wings appreciated the kind of season that Austin Watson had last season, primarily in Grand Rapids. His toughness gave the Griffins confidence. Watson also netted 19 goals for the Griffins.

It’s fair to say the Red Wings are curious about Edouards Tralmaks, a forward they signed out of the Czech Extraliga. He led the league with 23 goals, and he has 44 over the past two seasons for Kladno. He’s a big-bodied forward and the Red Wings would like to get bidder.

If he shows he can score in the preseason, the Red Wings might give him a chance.