USA Today’s Mary Clarke posted a set of preseason power rankings this morning, and she ranks the Red Wings 16th overall:
16. Detroit Red Wings: We’re entering Year 5 of the Yzerplan, with the Red Wings just barely missing out on a playoff berth at the end of last season. Expectations continue to rise in Detroit, with the team even adding Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko in free agency this past summer. The Red Wings should be on the cusp of the playoffs once more; the question remains is if they have enough juice to get there for the first time in eight years.
Continued; not much to say here other than, “Yep” and to remind you that if it’s Year 5, the Red Wings theoretically are in the middle of an 8-to-12-year rebuilding phase.
