Site MapAvoid the Detroit Red Wings Hype
They have a promising team but don’t expect them to make the playoffs
The Detroit Red Wings general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman built this team from the ground up in recent seasons. He made a lot of good moves and there’s a belief that he’s going to lead this team to contention.
One problem, this team has yet to make the playoffs in his tenure and doesn’t look like it will this season. What’s crazy about this is that the Eastern Conference is wide open with a lot of borderline playoff teams. Yet, this team isn’t ready to get over the hump.
Even with a promising rebuild and a lot of hype entering the new season, the Red Wings aren’t a playoff team. Here’s why.
The Top Six is Good, not Great
This is where the issues begin for the Red Wings. Their star players aren’t good enough to carry the rest of the roster. Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, and Alex DeBrincat are all good forwards but not the ones who can make up for the issues elsewhere on the roster.
It’s not the be-all and end-all for a playoff spot. Plenty of great teams lack star power to lead them but they still have good teams. The thing is that these teams have great depth, leading to the next issue with the Red Wings.
Red Wings' Depth is Non-Existent
Despite the promising rebuild and all the prospects Yzerman has in the pipeline, the Red Wings still lack depth on their current NHL roster. It’s a shock at first but diving into their depth chart, it becomes noticeable.
The forward unit lacks reliable contributors outside of the DeBrincat, Larkin, and Raymond trio. Then the defense has Moritz Seider, a great young two-way player, and Olli Maatta but a lot of skaters in their 30s and on the decline. It’s not what you’d expect from a supposed young team.
Goaltending Continues to Haunt The Wings
It’s been a recurring issue for Yzerman since he took over as GM in 2019. This season, they are rolling the dice with three unknowns with Cam Talbot, Ville Husso, and Alex Lyon in the net.
This seems like a shot in the dark from the Red Wings for a position that is vital to success. This team enters the season without a clear-cut number one goaltender and it could once again be their undoing. A lot of the teams in their division aren’t better per se but they have reliable goaltenders and it gives them an advantage.
How The Red Wings Can Still Make The Playoffs
The Red Wings need their young skaters, specifically, the 23-year-old Seider and the 22-year-old Raymond, to continue to improve. If both skaters take a big leap and take on greater roles, they’ll change the dynamics of this team.
The Red Wings will also get in if the goaltending isn’t an issue by the end of the season. They have a trio at the moment but if one emerges as the starter, they can ride that option to the playoffs.
