TSN’s Scott Cullen penned an “Off-Season Game Plan” for the Detroit Red Wings, and I am tremendously impressed with the fact that Cullen acknowledges the current managerial regime’s reticence to tank-and-rebuild:
As an aside, when I do these Off-Season Game Plans, I try to come up with a plan that seems reasonable and consistent for the current management and that means their established tendencies should be part of the consideration. Thus, even if I might think that the long-term plan for the Red Wings should be focused on a long-term rebuild, I’m skeptical that Red Wings GM Ken Holland would venture down that path.
So, if the Red Wings aren’t necessarily going to strip this thing down to the studs, maybe they will accelerate their rebuilding plan by using some of their draft pick currency to acquire premier talent. This isn’t a roster that just needs some tweaking, but if the Wings can acquire high-end talent that could be a cornerstone piece then that might be worth it.
Cullen continues, and he throws an Oliver Ekman-Larsson-sized curveball into the mix.
ZEROES: Luke Glendening
Tough categorization for a guy that upped his goal scoring to 11 and nearly 20 points, won 58% (!) of his faceoffs, started in the defensive zone 66%(!!) of the time and an embarrassingly low .959 PDO while playing against top competition (5th on the team, behind Nielsen, Helm, Ericsson, Daley).