NBC Sports EDGE’s Ryan Dadoun posted a surprisingly in-depth preview of the Detroit Red Wings’ 2022-2023 regular season, as the team stands as of July 29th.
In doing so, Dadoun reviews the “mixed bag” that was the Wings’ 2021-2022 season, he examines the team’s offseason acquisitions, and he issues the following prediction for 22-23:
So was it all enough to put the Red Wings in a playoff spot? I doubt it. I look at the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning and they all seem clearly better on paper than the Detroit Red Wings, so unless there’s a surprise or something otherwise changes, the Red Wings’ best bet seems to be a Wild Card spot. Even then though, are they better than the Boston Bruins? What about the Ottawa Senators, who had a summer of major gains too? The Bruins are a bit more of a question mark, but I’m not convinced that the Red Wings are a favorable matchup against either of them.
That’s just looking at the Atlantic Division too. It’s entirely possible that the Metropolitan Division will be capable of securing one of the two playoff spots, as they did last season, which further weakens Detroit’s chances.
The 82-game campaign is a long one. Injuries happen. Players underperform and end up as pleasant surprises. To dismiss any team before the season even starts is risky, especially one like Detroit, which has brought in considerable talent. However, as I look at their roster and compare it to their direct competition, I’m left with the impression that Detroit remains an underdog in the battle for a postseason berth.
Continued; I’m a little more optimistic about the Red Wings’ chances of staying in the playoff mix for the duration of the regular season.
Whether the team earns a playoff spot or not will be determined by the growth of young players, health, and of course luck and circumstance, but I think that the Red Wings have at least built themselves a solid layer of depth players behind their stars which the team simply did not possess a year ago, and if they can channel their first-half-of-the-season performance under coach Lalonde and his staff (including some better special teams play), a Wild Card spot is certainly within reach.
