The Detroit Red Wings appear to have decided on a starting goaltender for Saturday night’s game vs. the San Jose Sharks.
Per Daily Faceoff, John Gibson will get the starting nod when the Red Wings face off with San Jose.
Gibson is looking to string together a good game in October after allowing three-plus goals in each of his past four starts, including five goals in each of his last two. Gibson’s stats haven’t been promising, with an .863 save percentage, a 3.76 GAA, a .200 quality starts percentage, and zero shutouts.
That said, the Sharks haven’t been a high-octane group so far in 2026-27. Macklin Celebrini has been hot with eight points and two goals across five contests, but nobody else on the team is producing over a point per game.
San Jose has also put up just 18 goals this season, or 2.57 per game. Gibson could enjoy a solid outing if the Sharks’ scoring struggles continue. On the other hand, San Jose will be raring to score and look like a team proving it can be playoff-bound, even early in the season.
Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines And Pairings vs. Sharks
Also, per Daily Faceoff, the projected lines look a little different from Thursday night’s matchup, which saw Nate Danielson line up next to Dylan Larkin and Viktor Arvidsson. On Saturday night, it appears Lucas Raymond will return to right wing on the first line beside Larkin and Arvidsson.
Alex DeBrincat, Emmitt Finnie, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard look to man the second line and try to recapture that magic from Tuesday night. Nate Danielson is the projected third-line right wing alongside center Andrew Copp and left-winger Michael Rasmussen. Sheldon Dries and Keegan Kolesar are listed on the fourth line.
With 11 listed forwards, there is a chance the Wings will utilize seven blueliners. Ben Chiarot and Moritz Seider are listed on the first pairing, with William Wallinder listed alongside Justin Faulk for the second pair. The Johanssons are the projected third pairing, while Axel Sandin-Pellikka looks to factor in as the seventh defenseman.
Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, and Mason Appleton are still out with injuries, while Andreas Englund, Carter Mazur, and Jacob Bernard-Docker look like they will sit this one out as scratches.
Red Wings Appear To Be Playing Against A Familiar Face
Daily Faceoff listed Alex Nedeljkovic as the starter for the Sharks. Sheng Peng of SJ Hockey Now also listed Nedeljkovic as the starter. Nedeljkovic has two wins in two starts so far, with a .933 save percentage, a 1.90 GAA, and a 1.000 quality starts percentage.
Nedeljkovic suited up for the Red Wings between 2021-22 and 2022-23, logging a 25-31-11 record, with a .900 save percentage, a 3.35 GAA, four shutouts, and a .508 quality starts percentage.
The Red Wings have struggled offensively so far in this young season, and Nedeljkovic won’t be an easy opponent if he keeps up his strong play. That said, it’s also an opportunity for the Wings to finally get some offense going against one of the NHL’s better netminders so far in 2026-27. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m.
Red Wings Set Goaltending Matchup vs. Sharks