The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan asks 10 pertinent questions for the Red Wings ahead of training camp. Among them are the following:
▶ How will the Wings replace offense that departed this summer? Forwards David Perron, Daniel Sprong and Robby Fabbri, and defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Jake Walman, represent 75 goals that departed through free agency or trades, as Yzerman was strapped because of the salary cap.
How do you replace that much lost offense?
Yzerman pointed to the acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko, a full season of Patrick Kane and Jonatan Berggren, Dylan Larkin healthy over 82 games, and continued improvement out of Raymond as some of the key ingredients.
That’s a lot of possibilities, but many are quite doable. Regardless, you see why the need for improved team defense is essential. The Wings may not score as many goals, so allowing fewer is important.
▶ What are the expectations out of a full season, healthy Kane? Fully healthy after rebounding from hip-resurfacing surgery the summer of 2023, Kane signed late with the Wings and had 47 points (20 goals) in 50 games.
Kane signed a one-year free agent contract with the Wings with incentives in the summer, backing up his talk about how much he enjoyed his time in Detroit.
Kane will be 36 in November, but showed absolutely no signs of slowing down, even after the intricate surgery. He added a subtle excitement to the roster and energized Little Caesars Arena with his play. The Wings need offense, and Kane appears capable of supplying his share.
Continued (paywall)
