Of Red Wings-related note this morning:
- ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton offer a massive NHL season preview article this morning, and they combine power rankings with their previews of the NHL’s 32 teams:
16. Detroit Red Wings
Last season: 41-32-9, 91 points. Missed the playoffs.
Stanley Cup odds: +4000
Key players added: F Vladimir Tarasenko, G Jack Campbell, G Cam Talbot
Key players lost: F David Perron, D Jake Walman, G James ReimerMost fascinating player: Simon Edvinsson. The Red Wings’ rookie turned a successful 14-game NHL stint last season into heightened expectations for what he can add to the team’s blueline this coming year. Edvinsson skated alongside veteran Jeff Petry to form a solid second pairing for Detroit in the waning weeks of the 2023-24 season. It’s not that Edvinsson had a significant impact on the box score (he netted just one goal and one assist); it’s more that Edvinsson made good decisions in his own end, was hard on the cycle and generally exhibited a poise beyond his 21 years. It will be intriguing to see what Edvinsson can do now that the curtain’s been pulled back on his NHL game.
Best case: Detroit ends the franchise’s longest-ever playoff drought with a return to the postseason field. Losing a tiebreaker to the Washington Capitals kept the Red Wings from playoff competition a year ago but this time around there’s no waiting until the final minute to know they’re in the mix. The Red Wings capitalize on top-tier performances from their best skaters — particularly Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat and Moritz Seider — while Cam Talbot and Ville Husso are the high-caliber tandem Detroit’s been missing in recent seasons. A full-team buy-in to the defensive details finally curbs the Red Wings’ leaky habits of the past and they are primed to excel in the club’s first playoff berth in eight years.
Worst case: The Red Wings have been their own worst enemy before by not prioritizing defensive play. Detroit does that again — to its own peril. Another strong start to the season is derailed by inconsistencies from the blueline on out. The power play — which ranked among the league’s top-10 a year ago — fails to launch and without that boost Detroit can’t keep pace offensively in the Atlantic. Their veteran additions — including Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane — are a non-factor and Talbot proves to no longer be a No. 1 option. Detroit slowly slides down the standings and lands with another disappointing thud outside the playoff picture.
X factor: Derek Lalonde. The Red Wings finished ninth offensively last season — and 24th defensively. There’s been a clear disconnect for Detroit on how to play a strong two-way team game, and it’s on Lalonde now to pull it out of this group. GM Steve Yzerman believed in Lalonde’s ability when he made the former Tampa Bay assistant a first-time NHL head coach in 2022. Now three seasons into his tenure, it’s time for Lalonde to help the Red Wings turn a corner by adhering to a defense-focused structure. Detroit has shown enough offensive potential that if Lalonde can fix the defensive deficiencies then this could be a significant season for the Red Wings.
Fantasy outlook: Dylan Larkin brings stability, making Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond solid bets for value. On defense, Moritz Seider stands out as a star, Simon Edvinsson has significant fantasy potential and Erik Gustafsson could be a power-play specialist.
Bold prediction: Red Wings hit reverse in Motor City, miss playoffs.
Continued; more like characteristic of the media’s spiel this year as opposed to a “bold prediction.” No one is going to believe in the Red Wings except the Red Wings themselves, and that’s just the way things are right now;
2. ESPN’s Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash also present fantasy hockey season previews this morning, and here’s what they have to say about the Red Wings…
Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings are poised to surprise, either positively or negatively. Wide ranges of outcomes exist for Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko and Lucas Raymond. Dylan Larkin brings stability, making DeBrincat and Raymond solid bets for value. On defense, Moritz Seider stands out as a star, Simon Edvinsson has significant fantasy potential and Erik Gustafsson could be a power-play specialist. Goalie Cam Talbot may be worth drafting initially, but remember he struggled in the second half last season.
3. And The Athletic offers its own set of rankings this morning in the form of Harman Dayal ranking the top two centers of each and every one of the NHL’s 32 teams into “tiers” (The Athletic seems to love tiered rankings):
“Tier 6: Star No. 1 center but a major 2C question mark“
Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin and J.T. Compher
Larkin has consistently scored in the point-per-game range over the last three years and is the Red Wings’ play-driving engine. Detroit seems to fall apart if he ever misses a few games with injury, which speaks to his irreplaceability. Most would rate Larkin as a middle-of-the-road first-line center because he’s not quite elite or an undisputed superstar despite being an excellent player who elevates those around him.
Compher quietly had a good first season in Detroit, scoring 48 points in 77 games. He’s only a serviceable stopgap as a low-end second-line center, though. The Red Wings were caved in with Compher on the ice last year, controlling 43.4 percent of shots and 44.6 percent of five-on-five scoring chances. Compher’s time in Colorado proved he’s ideally a 3C rather than a 2C. He isn’t as overmatched at 2C in this tier as Kotkaniemi or Kurashev but Larkin will likely be outperformed by Aho and Bedard.
Continued (paywall); there are definitely questions as to whether the Wings having two strong centers who provide offensive abilities, but I’m also kind of tired of the bagging on Larkin for being “not quite elite.” Again, it’s the media party line here.
