The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan took inspiration from the recent MLB trade deadline to discuss the NHL’s “offseason winners and losers,” and he’s not placing the Red Wings in either category just yet:
With the NHL’s training camp set to begin in just over six weeks, why not analyze who the winners and losers are thus far this offseason around the league?
Admittedly, a lot of teams are pretty static and, on the surface, aren’t majorly better or worse.
The Red Wings, right now, would fall into that mushy middle. Acquiring goaltender John Gibson rather inexpensively (for goaltender Petr Mrazek and two draft picks) was a nice get, but general manager Steve Yzerman continues to search for a goal-scoring forward and top-four caliber defenseman.
Yzerman is hardly alone. Most GMs haven’t been able to secure the type of changes they’d have liked to this point.
Continued (paywall); I’m beginning to think that the stagnant trade marketplace means that the Wings will not make any more changes this summer, given that the prices for useful players appear to be so incredibly steep.
At this point, the most improvement the Red Wings may make this summer, the addition of John Gibson excluded, may have to come from within.
At this point, I’m fine with giving the young players a shot
At this point, I’m fine with giving the young players a shot and much prefer this offseason than the past few where Yzerman brought in the likes of Copp, Gustafsson, Compher, Holl etc. Hopefully we see Mazur and Danielson as regulars by years end.
Ditto to both comments 😉 I’d like to see the young guys get an earnest shot at making the big club’s roster as well.