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

But 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 because 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  we believe 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 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 and. And 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 hopes he works his way up the line. He has a scorer’s release.  Brandsegg 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

Lombardi  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 got 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 ould help him stay in the lineup. He is a feisty, competitor, likes to stick his nose into trouble and he can score.