Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff believes that the Red Wings’ player personnel changes may finally improve the team’s moribund power play:
By bringing in defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere as a free agent and trading for Alex DeBrincat, the Detroit Red Wings are creating the potential to ice a very potent power play during the 2023[24 NHL season.
“I think so,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said. “But potential being the key word.”
Detroit’s power play was 17th in the NHL last season. The Red Wings were clicking at 21.1%.
While Yzerman is wisely couching his optimism, the fact of the matter is that both players are displaying a proven track record as producers when their teams are enjoying the man advantage.
Gostisbehere has accounted for 31% of his goals (27 of 87) and 35.3% of his assists (79 of 224) while his team was on the power play.
“Gostisbehere can really shoot the puck,” Yzerman said. “He has been on good power plays. He can score from back there, so it gives the coaching staff another option and a left-shot option on the top. With Mo Seider and potentially Jake Walman playing a little bit on the power play and Shayne, I think on the back end it gives you different looks, righties and lefties. And then Alex, he’s normally playing off the hash marks on the left wing. I expect him to play there.”
Continued; it would be nice to see the Red Wings’ power play connect with some sort of relative consistency.
