NHL.com will focus on the Red Wings Friday as part of their “32 in 32” series of season previews. This evening, their articles hit the wires a little early, starting with NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika’s “Inside Look” at the team:
The Detroit Red Wings hope to take another step in their rebuild this season after making several offseason additions, highlighted by two-time 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat.
“You see a team that’s maybe frustrated with being in a rebuild and wants to get out,” DeBrincat said. “I’m excited to be here and kind of join that and hopefully be part of the solution to get out of that. I’m just really excited to join these guys, and I definitely see the potential in this group.”
The Red Wings have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for seven straight seasons, tying the longest drought (1970-77) in their 97-year history.
But after bottoming out with 39 points in 71 games in 2019-20, their first season under general manager Steve Yzerman, they have improved steadily season by season. They had 48 points in 56 games in 2020-21, 74 points in 82 games in 2021-22 and 80 points in 82 games last season.
They held the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference on Feb. 23 last season before finishing 12 points behind the Florida Panthers.
Detroit was active in the offseason, adding DeBrincat, forwards J.T. Compher, Daniel Sprong, Klim Kostin and Christian Fischer; defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Justin Holl; and goalie James Reimer.
Cotsonika continues, and he asks three important questions regarding the team’s performance this upcoming season…
Is the goaltending good enough? The Red Wings ranked 22nd in goals against (3.35 per game) last season. They allowed the 11th fewest shots against (30.4 per game) but were tied for 23rd in save percentage (.890).
Ville Husso was inconsistent and finished with a 26-22-7 with a 3.11 goals-against average, .896 save percentage and four shutouts. His backups struggled. Alex Nedeljkovic went 5-7-2 with a 3.53 GAA and .895 save percentage. Magnus Hellberg went 4-8-1 with a 3.29 GAA and .885 save percentage.
Husso will return this season with a new partner, James Reimer, a 35-year-old veteran who went 12-21-8 with a 3.48 goals-against average and .890 save percentage for the San Jose Sharks last season.
“Seems like a great guy,” Reimer said of Husso. “Looking forward to pushing each other and trying to give this team the best puck-stopping as possible.”
Cotsonika also examines the Red Wings’ 5 top prospects…
How acquired: Selected with No. 9 pick in 2023 NHL Draft
2022-23 season: Brandon (WHL): 68 GP, 33-45-78
Connor Bedard, who played for Regina of the Western Hockey League and went to the Chicago Blackhawks as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, told the Red Wings in an interview that Danielson was hard to play against in junior.
Danielson needs to gain strength and explosiveness, but the 18-year-old has a good frame (6-2, 187) and takes pride in being a 200-foot player.
“We like all parts of his game,” Yzerman said. “He’s got pretty good size. He’s a good skater. He’s got good skills. He’s a good two-way centerman, so a lot to like about him, really. Just a solid all-around prospect.”
Projected NHL arrival: Next season
NHL.com’s Dave Hogg offers a short profile of Marco Kasper…
“He was very good in Sweden all year and came over for one game,” Yzerman said. “Good, bad, or indifferent, I don’t want to assess him on one game.”
Perhaps a better barometer would be Kasper’s 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 52 games for Rogle BK, playing against men in his second season in the Swedish Hockey League.
But Yzerman, assistant GM Kris Draper and coach Derek Lalonde share the belief the worst thing for a young player is to put him in a situation where he’s not going to play quality minutes, no matter the player’s reputation or where he was drafted.
“We want our young guys playing significant minutes in significant roles, and we will decide where they can best do that after training camp,” Yzerman said. “We have a full lineup in Detroit. If they want to stay, they are going to have to push someone out.”
That’s exactly what Kasper hopes to do.
“I’m trying to work as hard as I can to recover from the injury and get ready for camp,” he said. “You are always working at getting stronger and scoring more goals, but in this league, it is all about getting the details right.”
And NHL.com’s Fantasy Hockey department offers fantasy hockey point projections for the Wings’ top players…
Dylan Larkin, C
NHL.com fantasy rank: 67
Reason for optimism: Larkin had an NHL career high in points (79 in 80 games) and tied his career best in goals (32) last season. Larkin led the Red Wings in points, goals, assists (47), power-play points (31) and shots on goal (244) last season and could have an even higher ceiling if he plays on a line with offseason acquisition Alex DeBrincat.
NHL.com point projection: 84
With the series of articles and videos concluding with, well, a video preview in which Cotsonika, Dan Rosen and Pete Jensen discuss the team for 8-and-a-half minutes:
