ESPN’s Kristen Shilton and Ryan S. Clark issue mid-season grades for every one of the NHL’s 32 teams this morning:
Detroit Red Wings
Record: 20-18-4
Preseason over/under: 90.5
Current points pace: 85.9Class president: Lucas Raymond. The Red Wings have a burgeoning star in Raymond. He’s Detroit’s leading scorer — with 16 goals and 41 points — but that’s not why he’s ahead of the pack. He’s been a jack-of-all-trades in Detroit, producing as a top-line performer and also trusted to be a second-line driver. Raymond’s potential as a two-way player seems to grow on a game-by-game basis, and that confidence has translated not only on the scoresheet but in Raymond’s overall leadership with the club. It’s exactly what Detroit should be getting from a player they signed to an eight-year, $64.6 million extension in September.
In danger of failing: Dylan Larkin. Detroit has been in a bind for scoring all season, and the captain could do more to help there. He’s averaging less than a point per game — with 16 goals and 33 points — and while those aren’t awful totals, it’s not nearly enough to be setting a standard for Detroit’s other forwards to follow. That said, Larkin could get on a heater at any time but needs to display a defensive effort to match. That’s how he — and Detroit — can get back on track.
Grade: B- (first-quarter grade: C+). The Red Wings’ poor start put coach Derek Lalonde out of a gig before midseason. That’s about as suboptimal as it gets, especially when they have more than enough talent to be a playoff contender. And could it be that the Red Wings are actually starting to play like it? They’re on a seven-game winning streak that has put them within striking distance of a playoff spot. The team will have to improve their offensive game at 5-on-5 (they’re 23rd overall averaging 2.86 goals per game) but its second-ranked power play is a true difference-maker. New coach Todd McLellan has Detroit turned in the right direction.
Continued (paywall)
