Daily Faceoff’s Paul Pidutti attempted to discern the likely NHL standings and Cup winner in 2029-2030, and he’s envisioning the Red Wings as a playoff team, at least:
#11. Detroit Red Wings
2030 Controlled Core: Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin
No Longer Under Contract: Alex DeBrincat, John Gibson, Patrick KaneI’m a believer that Seider and Raymond can be the best defenseman and forward on a Stanley Cup winner. Larkin’s wheels should allow him to average 30 goals for another half-decade. Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, and solid goaltending prospects will be part of the future Motown core. This franchise is peaking toward 2030. Their relatively low slot here is two-fold: 1. Absent a game-breaking, 100-point stud, the Wings will need to be deeper than other teams; and 2. Respected GM Steve Yzerman’s free agency gambles have mostly flopped. Adding outside talent efficiently will be critical to chase Cups.
Continued; it’s hard to disagree that the Red Wings need to land a goal-scoring free agent over the next 5 years. Detroit needs to import a star or two on the UFA marketplace, and that’s not going to be easy.
