NHL Off-Season Outlook: Detroit Red Wings

2021-22 Report: 32-40-10
End In The Atlantic Division: sixth
Wage Cap Area Obtainable (As Per CapFriendly.com): $31 million
Restricted Free Brokers: Mitchell Stevens, F; Filip Zadina, F; Olli Juolevi, D; Jake Walman, D
Unrestricted Free Brokers: Turner Elson, F; Sam Gagner, F;Danny DeKeyser, D; Marc Staal, D; Thomas Greiss, G; Magnus Hellberg, G

What Detroit Has: A well-respected GM in Steve Yzerman, and a brand new head coach in Derek Lalonde; the reigning rookie-of-the-year in blueliner Moritz Seider; highly-skilled younger forwards in captain Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Robby Fabri, Tyler Bertuzzi and Pius Suter; a brand new beginning goalie in Ville Husso

What Detroit Wants: A vastly-improved defensive assault; depth and NHL expertise all-around, however notably, on the again finish; a bounce-back yr from (now) No. 2 netminder Alex Nedeljkovic; a breakout season from D-man Olli Juolevi; good well being for winger Jakub Vrana

What’s Lifelike For Detroit Subsequent Season: The Crimson Wings had been an unspeakably terrible defensive staff this previous season, as evidenced by the 312 goals-against they allowed in 82 video games; solely the abysmal Arizona Coyotes (313) and Montreal Canadiens (319) surrendered extra. And that was with Calder Trophy-winner Moritz Seider enjoying greater than 23 minutes an evening.

Actually, GM Steve Yzerman noticed his netminding duo of Thomas Greiss and Alex Nedeljkovic as a part of the explanation for that downside. He’s allowed Greiss to maneuver on by way of unrestricted free company, and, on the NHL draft this previous week, he went out and purchased former Blues No. 2 Ville Husso and instantly signed him to a three-year, $14.25-million contract extension. The 27-year-old Husso has solely 57 regular-season NHL games-played beneath his belt, however he confirmed sufficient promise – and the goalie market was weak sufficient – to place himself in money-making place.

In the meantime, Yzerman dipped into the expertise pool of his earlier employer, the Tampa Bay Lightning, to exchange dismissed head coach Jeff Blashill with Bolts assistant coach Derek Lalonde. He has no expertise working an NHL staff, however Lalonde has confirmed himself able to turning a program round on the minor league degree, and he’ll be instantly challenged to reverse Detroit’s aggressive trajectory in an improved Atlantic Division.

That’s the large stumbling block for the Wings in 2022-23: which Atlantic groups are they going to leap over to earn a playoff spot for the primary time since 2015-16? The Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Toronto Maple Leafs are post-season locks. The Boston Bruins are nonetheless aiming to be a minimum of nearly as good as they had been final season. The Ottawa Senators simply stole high-scoring winger Alex DeBrincat from Chicago, and nearly assuredly can be higher. The Buffalo Sabres had been a greater staff within the second half of final season, and needs to be higher this coming yr. And let’s not neglect, Detroit completed 33 factors out of a playoff berth in 2021-22. The hill they must push the stone up is steep certainly, and although the Wings probably gained’t be as unhealthy as they had been, it’s powerful to think about them making that huge of a bounce this yr.

Wings followers and possession think about Yzerman’s potential to reverse course, however there’s solely a lot a GM can do to impact change. If Lalonde is available in and offers them extra construction, and Husso proves to have a useful influence in internet, you would see Detroit being within the race to make the playoffs. Nevertheless, there’s merely an excessive amount of expertise within the Atlantic to be assured the Crimson Wings can be adequate, persistently sufficient, to reward their supporters for all these years of disappointment.