The Detroit Red Wings have always been able to hang their heads high on the franchise’s long-standing acomplishments but in Hockeytown, the pressure doesn’t go away especially when progress is teased.
Remember when the Red Wings made 25-straight playoff appearances? That streak ended nine seasons ago, and this new drought is not one the team wants to see reach the double digits.
It certainly has been difficult for an organization that saw success on a consistent basis be patient toward the “Yzerplan” that started when the former captain returned to the organization in 2019.
Steve Yzerman has shown that he isn’t looking for a quick fix, and the focus remains on internal development from the players that were drafted and developed by the team.
Detroit made a significant change when they were struggling with a sub-.500 record in the first few months of the season, having Todd McLellan come in to replace Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26, and the team took off, but a late-season slump led to finishing on the outside looking in.
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We are seeing some progress with the Red Wings, but this group has made a push to get back into the playoffs only to come up short.
Our look at 32 teams in 32 days continues with the Detroit Red Wings.
Goaltending has been the Achilles’ heel of Detroit’s rebuild, and Yzerman is betting that Gibson can finally be the solution the team has long needed. Gibson posted a .912 save percentage last season — his best in years but the 32-year-old hasn’t posted the elite numbers he did when the Anaheim Ducks were contenders. While the Red Wings don’t need him to be a Vezina-calibre goaltender, he does need to provide stability at the position. To his benefit, Gibson will have a better roster playing in front of him, but he also has to show that he can shoulder the starter’s workload. If not, the team still has Cam Talbot as part of the tandem to ensure that Gibson isn’t being overworked.
Detroit has a number of intriguing young players and Yzerman has tried to add some veteran leadership and stability around them. After spending seven seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, Appleton will look to replicate his role in Detroit. He brings size, grit and two-way responsibility and projects to play on the third line. He’ll look to be a valuable penalty killer and forechecker that can chip in 10–15 goals. The Red Wings certainly want to see their bottom six be valuable contributors when their top players aren’t on the ice.
Top Prospect: Trey Augustine
Detroit’s prospect pipeline remains flush with talent, among the deepest in the league, but the most intriguing name heading into this season is goaltender Trey Augustine. The 20-year-old had a standout season with Michigan State going 19-7-4 with a 2.08 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. He also helped Team USA capture another gold medal at the world juniors. So there is no question that he is Detroit’s goalie of the future. Fortunately for the Red Wings, Gibson and Talbot provide the Wings short-term cover but Augustine won’t be too far behind. The team does have promising defencemen like Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Simon Edvinsson who are poised for big roles, while forward Nate Danielson could see NHL action sooner rather than later. But it’s Augustine’s progression that could ultimately define Detroit’s long-term outlook as a true franchise netminder, the likes of which they haven’t had in a while.
1. Will the goaltending be good enough to reach the playoffs?
For all of the progress Detroit has made in recent seasons, the team wasn’t going anywhere with the goaltenders they were trotting out. Last year’s goaltending tandem ranked 21st in the NHL with a 3.16 goals-against average and 20th with a .896 save percentage. That’s not going to be good enough against an Atlantic Division that had four teams (Toronto, Tampa, Florida and Ottawa) finish in the top 10 in goaltending stats. Bringing in a netminder like Gibson is certainly a worthwhile gamble for this team in the short term. At his best, Gibson has been capable of carrying a team but at his worst, he’s looked worn down from years of heavy workloads behind some below average defences. At the same time, the Red Wings will need to be better defensively to help Gibson.
2. Does the team have enough secondary scoring that can deliver?
Detroit’s top line is set. Dylan Larkin remains one of the NHL’s most underrated two-way centres, Alex DeBrincat is a proven finisher, and Lucas Raymond is blossoming into a bona fide top-line winger. Patrick Kane, if healthy, still provides bursts of elite vision and playmaking. But the story of Detroit’s season may come down to whether the players behind them can chip in enough to keep the offence rolling. They are rolling the dice on James van Riemsdyk while also relying on young players like Michael Rasmussen, and Jonatan Berggren to take steps forward. If Appleton, J.T. Compher, and Elmer Söderblom can chip in consistently, the Wings will have a more balanced attack that can take some pressure of the top players.
3. Can this blue line take a step forward?
Moritz Seider is already one of the NHL’s top young defencemen, capable of handling heavy minutes against top competition while still driving play. But as good as Seider is, he alone can’t carry an entire blue line. For Detroit to truly take the next step, the supporting cast has to improve drastically. Now the spotlight is shining firmly on Simon Edvinsson and he’s taken strides forward in his defensive play. The 22-year-old has the size, skating, and puck-moving ability to grow into a top-four defenceman after skating over 21 minutes per game and blocking 144 shots. The Atlantic Division boasts some impressive blue lines, but the Red Wings are showing that they might have the right mix of youth and upside within their group. The challenge for Detroit will be consistency. Young defenders take time to develop and and in a division that features the firepower of Toronto, Florida, and Tampa Bay, there’s little margin for error. If Seider and Edvinsson can anchor the top four and the rest of the unit holds steady, Detroit’s defence be an underrated unit. If not, then the team will need Gibson to be better than he has been in the past.
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