For what it’s worth, The Athletic is doling out mid-season grades for each and every NHL team, and their take on the Red Wings’ turnaround is predictable:
Detroit Red Wings: D
Most expected some kind of step back for the Red Wings, but their first half still fell well short of expectations. Detroit has issues with its roster, but there’s still more talent on the team than its bottom-10 record suggests. We’ll see if new coach Todd McLellan can help the Red Wings get back on track in the new year, even if the playoffs look tough to reach. — Max Bultman
Continued (paywall)
Most generous, actually, considering they gave teams like the Sabres, the Blackhawks, the Rangers, and Preds a big fat F. Indeed, I think it would have been an F — and appropriately so — if not for the firing of Lalonde and recent mini-turnaround.
I don’t disagree, David. It’s fair.