ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski posted a Red Wings season preview this morning. Wyshynski suggests that the Wings won’t soar despite a fleet-footed forward group:
Best-case scenario: This collection of forwards skates opponents out of the building, vastly improving the team’s 2.59 goals-per-game average from 2017-18.
Worst-case scenario: Dylan Larkin had a breakout season and signed a long-term contract but can’t separate himself as the superstar this team needs to build around. Top 2018 draft pick Zadina spends most of the season in the AHL, which means there’s one fewer player for fans to be excited about. At the trade deadline, nobody wants to take a Tomas Tatar-like contract, so GM Ken Holland is still saddled with too many bad deals.
Continued, and there are many Wings pundits who suggest a similar set of possibilities–either “the kids” take flight, or this team needs a couple more years to burn off the difficult deals. I’m hoping for the former fate and bracing for the latter one (and I believe that the team will land somewhere in between).
