Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen has posted a 6-item to-do list for the Red Wings’ next hockey executive, be they a GM or a GM and a president of hockey operations. This is a behind-the-paywall article, so let’s examine two pressing issues:
4. Re-Establish as a Destination City for NHLers
No one wants to play in Detroit anymore. The playoff drought plays a major role in that truth. But when Dylan Larkin says he wants to leave and Patrick Kane decides not to say, it adds to that thinking.
More than one prospect has left Grand Rapids saying they didn’t feel the Red Wings didn’t give them a true chance to make the team.
Other NHL players have watched what’s happening in Detroit and want no part of that. One of the Yzerman’s replacement’s top priorities has to be to restore Detroit’s reputation as Hockeytown.
This is an Original Six city. Gordie Howe. Iconic jerseys. First-class arena. Passionate fan base. A more competitive team and better relationships with players would go a long way to fix this problem.
Allen’s right in that the Wings don’t have much roster permeability–or haven’t had much roster permeability–under Steve Yzerman, with a glass ceiling separating Detroit’s prospects and Grand Rapids, and no, Detroit is not a free agent destination. The latter point will have to be built slowly, but it can be rebuilt.
His next point is a practical one, but it needs to be said:
5. Win More Races to Three
We are talking big picture here, but in terms of immediate needs, the need for more goals is paramount. They were among the bottom-third teams in scoring last season, and the loss of James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Kane and probably Larkin translates into 65 lost goals. They signed 25-goal scorer Viktor Arvidsson.
You can see where we are going here. Through analytics, drafting and free agent signings, the Red Wings must have an expanding emphasis on finding goal scorers. Whatever the Yzerman regime was going, it wasn’t working.
Continued (paywall); this one is a very thorough list that’s worth your time. As you might imagine, three of the items of note include Dylan Larkin’s situation, re-signing Simon Edvinsson and signing Alex DeBrincat to a contract extension; the other item has something to do with the “glass ceiling.”
Give it a read if you can!
