WDIV’s David Bartkowiak Jr. offers an interesting take on the Red Wings’ potential 2018-19 season expectations, suggesting that the Wings’ present lineup is best-served by trying to win despite the team’s personnel issues:
If we’re going to be realistic about this squad right now, they aren’t making the playoffs this season. The Red Wings are a team in some kind of transition — whatever kind it is — whether fans like it or not. The franchise has aging contracts to wait out, and young, unproven prospects to find out about. Growing pains will continue — keyword “growing.”
Ideally, they are a team that is able to stay competitive all season and is not getting blown out 5-1 on a nightly or weekly basis. Hopefully they are able to perform well against some of their divisional rivals — the Leafs, the Sabres, the Canadiens, the Bruins, the Lightning, etc. — but don’t expect them to be beating up on anyone more than once. There are just too many teams with better, more proven talent.
With the salary cap and draft lottery rules, “tanking” for draft picks in the NHL isn’t a real option anymore. Sure, it could help you land a Connor McDavid, but those types of players are few and far between. No, the Red Wings are better off trying to be the best they can be with the lineup they have. They will want to continue growing young players like Larkin, Bertuzzi and Mantha while filtering in new ones. And maybe they’ll surprise some people on some nights. But the fact is there are at least eight or nine other teams in the Eastern Conference who likely will look much better than the Red Wings this season.
Bartkowiak Jr. continues, and I don’t disagree with him, though my rationale is a bit different.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s almost impossible to expect a team of competitive professional athletes to go out and “tank.” While the Red Wings may continue to find themselves on the losing end of close games more often than not this upcoming season, settling for a likely middling finish doesn’t help the Wings’ young players learn to play competitive hockey.
One could argue that, at this point, fostering the Wings’ youth movement should be the team’s goal, and making genuine attempts to win games while giving “the kids” bigger and more integral roles will benefit the team in the long run.
As Bartkowiak Jr. suggests, the Wings are playing in a particularly competitive division, so it may not be realistic to expect them to prevail more often than not, but the Wings simply aren’t going to fold for the sake of earning higher draft picks, and that’s okay.
As I like to say, “Water will find its level,” and the ultimate talent levels of the Wings’ roster will prevail this season (and the Wings will probably struggle more often than not), trying or not trying.
I agree with you George. The young players need a chance to prove themselves and they will have ups and downs. It’s important not to fall into a losing mentality. Hopefully, the veterans lead by example in that regard.
Any athlete should not even think about tanking! Most of the Old Wings are locked in so they don’t care, sort of, where the Wings finish. Let the kids play and learn. It is going to take awhile. Remember it has taken Larkin (freak of nature) 3 years. Partly because he is tenacious and has a non stop motor. Let those contracts expire!!!!!