Back in the day, there was a time when the combination of Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat and Erik Gustafsson were the cause of nightmares for the Detroit Red Wings.

During the 2018-19 season, that trio were linchpins on a potent Chicago Blackhawks power play that was clicking at 20.17%. Kane led the Blackhawks in scoring that season with 44 goals and 110 points. DeBrincat was third on the club with 41 goals and 76 points. Gustafsson would enjoy a career year. He wound up with 17 goals and 60 points.

SHOWTIME Patrick Kane rockets a one-timer past Markstrom to put Detroit up 1-0.

4 game point streak for Kane. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/whyrzbtx6N

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) February 17, 2024

On the power play, Kane was contributing nine goals and 30 points. DeBrincat would account for a team-high 13 power-play goals. Gustafsson put up 4-14-18 numbers when Chicago was enjoying the man advantage.

Two years ago, none of the three were Red Wings. Now that they all are, that chemistry they possess on the power play is already surfacing even during training camp drills.

“Gus does find a way of transporting the puck from the blue line and giving Patrick some time,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “He seems to find a way to bring it to the sweet spot. So there is some chemistry between those three.”

It’s one of the reasons why when defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was opting to take his power play expertise elsewhere in the summer, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was setting his sights on acquiring UFA Gustafsson.

“He runs a great power play,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said.

Red Wings DeBrincat Raves About Gustafsson

Lalonde went to the video when determining whether Gustafsson would indeed be a good fit for his team. The study of that chicago power play proved to be eye opening.

“One of a coach’s first exercises is to watch them from their past,” Lalonde explained. “The beauty of technology in this day, you can literally pick out any time of the season.

“I watched a lot of their power play and there is some chemistry there.”

The coach didn’t need to look far to find salesmen willing to step up and pitch him on the advantages Gustafsson could bring when Detroit was in a man-advantage situation.

Red Wings were down 3-1
(Thanks thrown stick)

Come soaring back with goals from Gostisbehere, Larkin and guess who…

DEBRINCAT #LGRW 

This power play is

pic.twitter.com/NhdO3ILz0K

— Jim Costa (@JimCosta_) October 25, 2023

“I think he’s a great passer on the power play and off the power play,” DeBrincat said of Gustafsson. “I think he’s a guy that can really make that first pass out of the zone.

“He’s very deceptive. On the power play you may think he’s shooting, but then he’s giving a nice pass over for a one timer. So I think he adds that aspect of it.”

That deception in Gustafsson’s game is also what Kane finds most enticing.

“He was so deceptive up top, really knows how to run the top, maybe as good as anyone I played with, to be honest with you,” Kane said. “He was a key component to our power play.”

The Red Wings are hopeful that the Chicago trio will be key components to their power play this season.

The post Can Gustafsson, Kane And DeBrincat Rediscover Chicago Chemistry With Red Wings? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It’s the No. 1 lament of the Detroit Red Wings faithful. Who’s going to make up for the lost goals?

The departure of 75 goals from the club’s lineup is well documented. Going out the door since season’s end were Daniel Sprong (18), David Perron (17), Robby Fabbri (18), Jake Walman (12) and Shayne Gostisbehere (10).

Those who will be tasked with leading the way for the team in terms of goal scoring this season don’t seem to think that they’ll be taxed too much to make up for the absent tallies.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily a concern,” said Alex DeBrincat, author of 27 goals last season. “I think we should be ready to play and hopefully ready to score a lot of goals.”

Debrincat scores his 13th goal of the year. 4-2 Red Wings pic.twitter.com/kdLrijM0VT

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 3, 2023

Certainly, Detroit is going to be able to put out two top lines that should prove formidable when it comes time to light the lamp. IT’s onyl training camp, but the top-six forwards set out by coach Derek Lalonde are telling.

He’s keeping DeBrincat with captain Dylan Larkin (33 goals) and Lucas Raymond (31 goals). They were a potent unit last season.

“I think all of us are looking to grow, too,” DeBrincat said. “All the guys that came back were looking to improve and be better players and obviously, hopefully score more goals.”

A two-time 41-goal scorer with Chicago, it’s interesting to note that last season was considered to be an off year in terms of output for DeBrincat.

Tarasenko, Kane Are Wild Cards For Red Wings

The second line has J.T. Compher between Patrick Kane and newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko. Kane was a 20-goal scorer in 50 games after signing with the Wings in December. If you pro rate Kane’s goal output last season over 82 games, he’d be a 30-goal man.

Showtime is back: Patrick Kane scores his first goal with the Detroit Red Wings. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/rwPlxly8dv

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 10, 2023

Tarasenko is a multiple 30+ sniper during his NHL career. He once netted 40 goals. However, last season he was good for 23.

Still, with one of the greatest passers in the history of the game in Kane to distribute the puck to him, there’s cause to believe that Tarasenko could get back to somewhere near the 34 goals he scored for St. Louis in 2021-22.

“I think he’s a great shooter and he’s similar to DeBrincat in the way where he’s able to find open areas and get his shot off quickly,” Kane said of Tarasenko. “So, hopefully if I’m controlling the puck I can find him in certain areas where he can have a good chance to score.”

Larkin is also viewing Tarasenko as an X-factor when it comes to what he can bring to the Wings.

“I didn’t watch much of the first part of the playoffs, but obviously watched a lot of the finals and later rounds,” Larkin said. “And I watched Florida play and Vladi stuck out to me,” Larkin said. “I think him and Kaner can really click with Kaner’s playmaking ability and Vlad’s finishing and also Vlad’s forecheck. He can get on pucks and be very hard to play against.

“So I’m very excited to watch that line and how it goes throughout the season.”

Last season, this group of six was good for a combined 153 goals. It doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch for them to up that total to at least 165 goals this season.

The post How Many Goals Will Red Wings Top Six Score? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Former Detroit Red Wings forward Dominik Kubalik is waiting for his phone to ring, or that text to pop up in his inbox. The news that an NHL teams wants to get him to sign his name on the dotted line.

Thus far, it remains a vigil without a conclusion. An unrestricted free agent, Kubalik doesn’t have a contract with NHL teams prepping to go to training camp in less than a month’s time.

Lucas Raymond going at it with former teammate Dominik Kubalik. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/VTBIYQtoBS

— Winged Wheel Podcast (@WingedWheelPod) May 25, 2024

“My goal remains the NHL,” Kubalik told Czech website iSport Blesk. “All my preparation was towards this. I still want to try, to prove that I’m good at it.”

In general, the hockey season came to a wonderful conclusion for Kubalik. He became a father for the first time in early spring, on the eve of the IIHF World Championship. There, Kubalik would suit up at home and be helping Czechia to win the world title.

Disappointing NHL Season for Kubalik

The ending would help him to forget what proved to be Kubalik’s most disappointing NHL campaign. He finished with career lows across the board for the Ottawa Senators, with 11 goals, four assists and 15 points.

Moved to the Sens by the Red Wings in the Alex DeBrincat deal, you don’t need to be good at math to decipher who won the trade. DeBrincat, in an off year, would score 27 goals for the Detroit. Ottawa was allowing Kubalik, a 20-goal scorer for the Red Wings in 2022-23, to walk away as season’s end.

Now he’s left to wonder what his hockey future has in store for him.

#Leafs need a left winger.
Dominik Kubalik is still available.6'2 ,200lbs and can put up some goals. +/- isnt great but he's played on 3 bad teams his whole career.I can see him scoring 20-25 here if put in the right situation,he's popped in 30 before.#LeafsForever #NHL

— TonyyyP (@TonyP187) August 26, 2024

“We have spoken to some teams, some we are in contact with,” Kubalik said. “But there is nothing concrete. I would like to know in the foreseeable future. The sooner the better.

“I’m still waiting.”

In the meantime, he’s working out with Pilsen of the Czech Extraliga to prep for the NHL opportunity Kubalik hopes will be coming soon.

“The Czech Republic is not currently on the list,” Kubalik assessed of the chance he might opt to play in his homeland this season. “I don’t want to let go of the chance to go to the NHL if it presents itself. It will be a matter of the next few weeks.”

The post Former Red Wings Player Wonders Where He’ll be Playing appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings will be holding a bobblehead night for Patrick Kane. That could end up being just one of many milestones ahead this season for the veteran forward.

Patrick Kane is getting his own Red Wings bobblehead night.

The first 7,500 fans get one at the game on Tuesday, January 7 vs. the Senators pic.twitter.com/VzJgBzZ0Pq

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 26, 2024

Kane bobblehead night is set for January 7 agains the Ottawa Senators. By then, he should’ve already become the third American NHL player to reach 1300 career points. Kane needs 16 points to hit that milestone. He’d be joining two other former Red Wings, Brett Hull (1391) and Mike Modano (1374).

Kane is also going into the season needing 29 goals to reach 500 as an NHLer. He’d be the sixth US player to join the NHL’s 500-goal club. A longer range project for Kane is 900 assists. He must dish out 86 helpers to get there. However, 81 assists will tie him with Phil Housley for the most-ever by an American NHLer

Speaking of American-born Red Wings, captain Dylan Larkin requires six assists to reach 300. A 60-point season would give Alex DeBrincat 500 NHL points.

JEFF. PETRY. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/tNDtxTKxw4

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) April 12, 2024

And defenseman Jeff Petry will join the NHL’s 1000 games played club if he suits up 63 times this season. Petry is also five goals away from 100 and 23 points from 400.

Red Wings Tarasenko Nearing 300 Goals

Detroit newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko is only seven illuminated red lights away from 300 NHL goals. Tarasenko also is in need of 71 points to get to 700. Good thing he’s signed for two seasons, because unless he enjoys a remarkable campaign, he’s probably not getting 70 points in 2024-25.

Forward Lucas Raymond, who scored a career-high 31 goals last season, needs 29 more to get to 100 in the NHL. A 26-point total will put Raymond to 200 during his NHL career.

Two newcomers between the pipes are also seeking to become milestone men in 2024-25. Cam Talbot, an NHL All-Star Game participant last season, is just 14 appearances away from 500 NHL games. That’s an impressive total for a netminder.

Jack Campbell needs seven wins for 100 as an NHLer. Considering he’s ticketed for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, some misfortune would likley need to happen to the three Detroit goalies ahead of him on the depth chart for Campbell to be accumulating seven NHL wins this season.

Of course, there’s one milestone all Red Wings fans would like to see occur during the upcoming campaign. That would be Detroit putting an end to the club’s eight-season NHL playoff absence.

The post Could be Milestone Campaign for Kane, Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Yes, it’s true that the Detroit Red Wings will be suiting up five players with 30-goal seasons on their NHL resumes when they take the ice for the 2024-25 season. What’s also true is that more often than not, those 30-goal campaigns were achieved quite some time ago.

Both captain Dylan Larkin (33 goals) and winger Lucas Raymond (31) topped the 30-goal plateau last season. Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko are the others to go over 30 goals during an NHL season. All of them have achieved this milestone several times.

The thing is, for all of them, it’s been a minute or so since it happened. That being the case, are the Red Wings putting too much hope into past performances?

Is it wise, or even likely for that matter, to be expecting Kane, DeBrincat and Tarasenko to return to what they once were in terms of goal scoring? And if they fail to bring that type of output back to the future, how might it impact the chances of the Red Wings ending their eight-season playoff drought?

Kane Still Able

Kane’s Red Wings performance is what the hockey people like to call a small sample size. It’s 50 games, to be precise.

However, he did score 20 goals over those 50 games. Pro-rated over an 82-game season, that would compute to 33 goals.

Kane certainly is of the opinion that he can deliver more goals.

Patrick Kane's 19th. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/aFVHt7lQY4

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 7, 2024

“I had 18 even-strength goals out of 20 goals, which is, you feel like, pretty good, but it should be bolstered up a little bit because you should have more success on the power play,” Kane said.

He’s gone over 30 goals in five NHL seasons, including a personal-best 46 goals in 2015-16. However, Kane’s last 30-goal campaign came in 2019-20 (33 goals).

His goal output over the past four seasons – 15, 26, 21 and 20. That works out to 20.5 goals per season.

DeBrincat Victim Of Hard Luck

The clanging sound continually heard throughout last season was DeBrincat shots ringing off the iron. If they kept a stat on how many times a player hit the post, DeBrincat would surely have been among the league leaders.

He’s scored exactly 27 goals each of the past two seasons, yet each campaign is being viewed as an off-year for the two-time 41-goal scorer. DeBrincat’s shooting percentage in 2022-23 with Ottawa was 10.3% and last season with Detroit, 11.4%. Both were well below his career average of 15.5%.

The Red Wings explode for EIGHT goals and win their sixth straight game!

Shayne Gostisbehere
Lucas Raymond
Joe Veleno
J.T. Compher
Robby Fabbri
Alex DeBrincat
Dylan Larkin

: @Sportsnet | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/Ih4j2TephR

— bet365 CA (@bet365ca) February 28, 2024

DeBrincat’s second 41-goal campaign came in 2021-22, his last season with Chicago and skating on the line with Kane. It might be too much to expect that level of output, but it’s not a stretch to suggest he can clear the 30-goal barrier next season.

Tarasenko Trending Downward

There are six 30-goal seasons on Tarasenko’s NHL stats sheet, highlighted by a career-high 40 goals in 2015-16. On the other hand, his most recent 30-goal campaign was when he tallied 34 times for St. Louis in 2021-22.

In the past two seasons, he’s netted 18 goals in 2022-23 and 23 goals in 2023-24. Like Kane, he thinks he can do more.

“I still have some, not only team, but personal goals, too,” Tarasenko said. “I know a lot of people say when you get older, it’s harder to get, but I believe it’s possible.”

In reality, at this stage, getting 25 goals from Tarasenko would be considered a solid season.

The post Red Wings Putting Too Much Hope Into Past Performances? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde has added pressure because third-year NHL coaches with no playoff berths always face more rigorous scrutiny.

That’s the nature of the job.

Plus, general manager Steve Yzerman has said everyone has to work harder to improve the team’s overall defensive coverage, and made it clear that included the coaching staff. Lalonde guided the Red Wings to an 11-point improvement. They fell one point short of the playoffs.

However, they were as sloppy defensively as they were in his first season with Detroit. The Red Wings gave up just two fewer goals. They ranked 25th in goals-against and 26th in surrendering shots on goals.

It doesn’t seem as if Lalonde will be judged solely on whether the Red Wings end their playoff drought. However, Yzerman made it clear he is looking for a higher level of proficiency in defensive work. Lalonde will be accountable for that objective.

This is exactly what Yzerman said: “It’s incumbent upon our coaching staff to instill or improve, continue to work on, whether it’s a different system or getting better in how we play and improving our players in the system.”

He wants to see the Red Wings play a stingier caliber of hockey. There was no “or else.” But when you are an NHL coach, “or else” is always implied. Eleven NHL coaches were fired this past season.

Others who know they will have to step up in 2024-25

Alex DeBrincat

More than one NHL 40-goal scorer has said the only problem with scoring that many goals is that everyone expects you to do that again and again. DeBrincat scored 27 for Ottawa in 2023-24 and 27 again for Detroit last season. That’s an impressive total for most NHL forwards. But in both seasons, the final reviews suggested he should have scored more.

That’s probably unfair, but expectations are high for DeBrincat because he has scored 41 goals twice in his career.

DeBrincat scored nine goals in his first seven games in Detroit and then 18 more in his last 73. He did seem unlucky last season, based on the number of times he clanged shots off the post. The Red Wings are expecting more production this season.

“His shooting percentage for his career was down a little bit last year… the great scoring chances that he had, hit the bar and went out,” Yzerman said. “We think that’ll contribute a little more. I think his expected goals will turn into goals next year and his numbers will go up.”

Simon Edvinsson

Edvinsson, 21, is right where he should be based on being drafted sixth overall in the NHL draft.  It takes time for prospects to be ready themselves to play defense in the NHL. The two defensemen drafted ahead of Edvinsson (Buffalo’s Owen Power and New Jersey’s Luke Hughes) are both regulars.

Edvinsson played like a regular at the end of the 2023-24 season. He also has 106 AHL games on his resume, plus some postseason action.

He certainly isn’t going to be flawless, but they need him to show he’s ready to be a strong contributor, preferably in Detroit’s top four.

“My hope would be that he’s a regular based on how he was used down the stretch,” Yzerman said. “Pretty important games for us, and he did reasonably well. My expectation is for him to do more. I think he can do more, but I think it’s reasonable to expect him to play a regular shift or that would be our hope. And to participate on the penalty killings group and potentially, depending on what we do on it and how everyone performs, maybe see some PP time. That was his role in Grand Rapids. But having said that, he’s not going to be handed anything. And Simon needs to know he’s gonna have to work for it and earn it every shift. He has the ability to do it, and it’s up to him to do it.”

Vladimir Tarasenko

The Red Wings lost some goals this summer. David Perron, Shayne Gostisbehere and Daniel Sprong are gone through free agency, and Robby Fabbri and Jake Walman were trade.

“We kind of tally up the goals in, the goals out,” Yzerman said. “Obviously, we’re counting on Tarasenko to add to that.”

It’s clear Tarasenko was brought in to help recoup some of that offense. If he can stay healthy, any number below 25 would be disappointing. The Red Wings need him to be all that he can be.

The Goalies

As a group, the Detroit goalies need to be more consistent this season. Every Detroit goalie has something to prove. Ville Husso is in the last season of his deal. He needs to show he can be an impact goalie again. Alex Lyon showed he can be a regular, but can he do it again? Can Cam Talbot win the job from both of them? And where is Jack Campbell at as a pro goalie?

The post State of the Red Wings: Lalonde Has Added Pressure appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Where would the Detroit Red Wings have found themselves at the end of the NHL regular season had Alex DeBrincat been a more consistent scoring presence?

Probably in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“Same way as a team, a lot of ups and downs,” DeBrincat acknowledged of his first season with the Red Wings. “I would have loved to have been more consistent.”

He knows it. You know it. But only he can rectify the situation.

That’s his main objective over the offseason, to work to be more reliable at lighting red lamps.

“I’m hoping to just get better next year and be more consistent,” DeBrincat said.

DeBrincat would finish the 2023-24 campaign with 27 goals. That was good enough for third on the team. Under normal circumstances, that would be a more than acceptable season in today’s NHL.

Alex DeBrincat stays hot! @DetroitRedWings | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/MOB0ZlOakq

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) October 25, 2023

However, DeBrincat netted nearly half of those goals – 13 in total – over the first 23 games of the season. Now, no one was expecting him to keep scoring at a 50-goal pace. On the other hand, he’s a two-time 41-goal scorer as an NHLer. After that quick start, anticipating that DeBrincat would be at mere minimum settling in somewhere in the 30-plus goal range certainly was not out of the question.

DeBrincat Endured Many Slumps

During the season, DeBrincat would endure a pair of seven-game goalless skids. He also went through 10- and 12-game slides without denting any twine.

Perhaps the most damning slump came from Feb. 29 through April 11. Over that 20-game span, with the Red Wings fighting for their playoff lives, DeBrincat would score one goal.

ALEX DEBRINCAT

BOUT. DAMN. TIME.pic.twitter.com/WZqcyEyIlQ

— Jim Costa (@JimCosta_) April 13, 2024

“I thought Alex was great,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “Obviously, his goal total, I think he wanted more of it. At the same time, he adds a lot of goals.

“Even through some of those stretches where he wasn’t scoring, he had chances. I was not concerned.”

Lalonde likes that DeBrincat went from minus-31 with the Ottawa Senators in 2022-23 to plus-one with the Red Wings this past season.

“I think when you’re going through those slumps there’s still other things you can do to be effective, be beneficial to the team,” DeBrincat said. “Those are the things I try to do.

“It’s not always perfect. Each year in this league I think I’ve gotten better.”

Bottom line, though, DeBrincat understands he was brought to Detroit to be a regular scoring presence. He knows that he needs to do more.

“I think consistency is what makes great players and I want to be a great player,” DeBrincat said. “I think that’s something I need to work on.”

The post This Red Wings Player Must Strive For More Consistency appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Of late, future Detroit Red Wings are dominating the honors when it comes to selecting the European Hockey Clubs Alliance Young Player of the Year.

Red Wings draftees have won this award each of the past three years. It will be Axel Sandin Pellikka’s task to try and extend that streak to four consecutive seasons.

Nominated Young Player of the Year – presented by@Fjallraven_Swe

Axel Sandin-Pellikka @skelleftea_aik #EHCAwards pic.twitter.com/xcmG8YY20X

— EuropeanHockeyClubs (@EHCAlliance) May 15, 2024

The defenseman who was Detroit’s 17th overall selection is one of five finalists who are up for the award. Also among the nominees are Orebo’s Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Ville Koivinen of Karpat Oulu, Jani Nyman of Ilves Tampere and Jiri Tichacek of Kladno.

In helping Skelleftea win the SHL title this season, Sandin Pellikka, 19, was scoring 10 regular-season goals. He would add 2-5-7 totals during the club’s playoff run, netting a game winner in triple overtime in the quarterfinals against Linkopings. In the SHL, he won the Borje Salming Trophy as the top Swedish-born defenseman.

Sandin Pellikka was also earning recognition as top defenseman at the IIHF World Junior Championship, helping Sweden to a silver medal.

Red Wings Dominate Award

Beginning in 2021, this honor has proven to be exclusive property of the future of the Red Wings. Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider won EHC Young Player of the Year in 2021.

Grand Rapids Griffins forward Elmer Soderblom would follow up by winning in 2022. Last year, the recogntion went to another current Griffins player, defenseman William Wallinder.

It could prove challenging for Sandin Pellikka to keep the streak going. In the SHL, it was future Vancouver Canucks player Lekkerimaki who was given recognition as the rookie of the year.

Filppula Up For Honor

Anothe player familiar to Red Wings fans is also a finalist for an EHC award. Valtteri Filppula of Servette Geneva is up for the Career Excellence Award.

Nominated for the @Warrior Career Excellence Award:

Valtteri Filppula @officialGSHC #EHCAwards pic.twitter.com/zRa4I7kaj3

— EuropeanHockeyClubs (@EHCAlliance) May 15, 2024

The last active player to have won a Stanley Cup in Detroit, Filppula would join the exclusive Triple Gold club last year when Finland won the world title. He’d previously won an Olympic gold medal with the Finns.

The post Red Wings Pick Finalist for Top European Award appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Steven Stamkos certainly knows all about the Detroit Red Wings, and the Red Wings know him well. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean either side will be looking to take the relationship to the next level.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Stamkos is slated to become an unrestriected free agent on July 1. He figures to be the most coveted player among this year’s crop of UFAs. He’d also be an ideal fit on a Red Wings team in desperate need of a No. 2 center.

Lightning go tic-tac-toe to Steven Stamkos to dismantle the Red Wings defense pic.twitter.com/bkmMq5ZoLS

— Alexander Johnson (@AJohnsonSports) October 14, 2023

Would the Red Wings want to add Stamkos? Possibly. Is Stamkos likely to consider Detroit as a potential destination? Perhaps.

There are mitigating factors on both sides of this equation that could lead to it adding up, or to the chance of it ever happening being completely scuttled.

Let’s look at all the variables in a potential Stamkos-Red Wings combination.

Stamkos A Red Wings Killer

There are few NHL teams that Stamkos has enjoyed playing against more than Detroit. In 42 career regular-season games against the Red Wings, he’s been good for 23 goals and 42 points. Stamkos has twice put the Wings out of the playoffs.

As mentioned above, Detroit is in need of a center to play in their top six. When No. 1 center and captain Dylan Larkin went out with a late-season injury, the Red Wings would tumble into a seven-game losing skid that scuttled their dreams of playoff hockey.

Detroit GM Steve Yzerman was flummoxed by how easily the team went off the rails without Larkin’s presence in the lineup.

“We missed the offensive production when he was out of the lineup,” Yzerman said. “We need another centerman, or another impact forward at a different position to offset the loss of the offensive production.”

Yzerman Knows Stamkos

Other than Lightning GM Julien BriseBois, no NHL GM is as familiar to or with Stamkos than Yzerman. He was the Tampa Bay GM the last time Stamkos was a UFA in 2016, and got him to stay with the Lightning against all odds. Could he work that magic touch again and convince Stamkos how vital he’d be in the Detroit rebuild?

Adding a center of Stamkos’ ilk would slot everyone into the lineup correctly. J.T. Compher would drop into the third-line center role his skills are best suited for. Andrew Copp could slide over to the wing. Stamkos could also be the center needed to get Alex DeBrincat to become a more consistent scorer.

Can Red Wings Afford Stamkos?

Here’s the first real concern facing the Red Wings in any Stamkos to Detroit scenario. Will there be enough money available to pay Stamkos with all of the other pacts on the table for Yzerman to sort out this summer?

First and foremost, the Detroit GM must get the names of restricted free agents Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider on new contracts. He doesn’t know for certain what that’s going to cost him and likely won’t have that answer in hand before July 1, when he’d need to be moving on Stamkos.

Yzerman has already suggested he’d like to find a way to keep UFA defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere in the fold. There’s also uncertainty as to what level of vigor the Wings will be pursuing UFA forward Patrick Kane. Center Joe Veleno is an RFA who is arbitration eligible.

To make Stamkos fit into this picture, Yzerman would likely be required to move one or two contracts off of his team’s ledger. Will there be takers willing to help make this happen?

Does Stamkos Want To Come To Detroit?

This is the other very relevant question in this whole scenario. No one knows for certain which way Stamkos is leaning. Is Detroit even on his radar?

At 34, he’s likely going to be seeking a team that can win it all sooner rather than later. Are the Red Wings that team?

Spicy take from New England native and former NHL defenseman Keith Yandle on the recent @EmptyNettersPod.
Yan’s feels that Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos leaves the Bay in free agency and heads further south to the Miami metro area to join the Florida Panthers.#NHL

— Mark Allred (@BlackAndGold277) May 3, 2024

Then again, who’s to say that he’s even leaving Tampa Bay? It was supposed to be a foregone conclusion that he was done there in 2016, the last time Stamkos was heading to UFA status. Instead, he wound up inking an eight-year deal worth $68 million to stay with the Lightning.

Could the Lightning strike twice and keep Stamkos from entering the open market? That’s entirely possible.

The post Why Stamkos Could Sign With Red Wings . . . And Why He Won’t appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

A year ago, when the topic was making the Stanley Cup playoffs, Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman wouldn’t go there.

This offseason, he’s taking a different approach. Yzerman still won’t say that he’s expecting his team to be a playoff club following the 2024-25 NHL regular season. However, he’s fervently hoping for that situation to develop.

Yzerman » https://t.co/46t3BGQvtE
Lalonde » https://t.co/12bkWUI266 pic.twitter.com/uUkr8338fp

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 19, 2024

“I hope to. I hope we make the playoffs,” Yzerman suggested. “That’s what I’m gonna say. It’s gonna be a challenge. Honestly, it’s gonna be a challenge.”

Finishing tied with the Washington Capitals for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but losing out on a tiebreaker, the Red Wings were failing to bring a halt to their postseason absence, which has now stretched to a club-record eight consecutive seasons.

Last summer, it must be said that Yzerman put in some yeoman’s work to make it possible for the Wings to gain 11 standings points and flirt with playoff hockey. His offseason moves to acquire forward Alex DeBrincat and defenseman Jeff Petry, as well as signing key UFAs such as defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, forwards Patrick Kane, Christian Fischer, J.T. Compher and Daniel Sprong and goalies Alex Lyon and James Reimer all wound up paying dividends.

Every Red Wings Player Must Take Another Step

Can he do it again? Yzerman recognizes the difficulty of replicating that performance in personnel assessment.

“I’m nervous,” Yzerman admitted. “We as a management group, myself I guess being in charge of management, have to make some good decisions. We’ll be sitting here next year saying, ‘Hey, that was a good decision,’ or we’ll be saying, ‘Steve, what we’re you thinking?’ That’s the reality of it.

Wojo (@bobwojnowski) asked Steve Yzerman about the "p word." He joked he's allowed to say the word "playoffs." He knows his staff has some work to do.

"We'll be sitting here next year saying 'Hey, that was a good decision. Or we'll be saying 'Steve, what were you thinking?'" pic.twitter.com/V7K5fdpw6z

— Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) April 20, 2024

“A lot of decisions we make, the answer is proven after, decided by wins and losses, making the playoffs or not making the playoffs.”

One thing the Red Wings can count on is that they won’t be flying under the radar anymore. People will be expecting bigger and better things from the team.

“Expectations are raised for some individuals, for our team,” Yzerman said. “We had 91 points, 41 wins. That’s tough to do and we still (didn’t) make the playoffs. We’re probably going to have to get more than 91 points next year to get in. That’ll be a challenge for us.”

To put it bluntly, every player on the team will need to be showing improvement in their individual games for the club to be climbing in the standings.

“It’s hard to make the playoffs in the NHL,” Yzerman said. “This playoff system is tough. It’s exciting, it’s a good system. No system is perfect, but it’s good.

“I long for the 21-team league where 16 of us were making the playoffs and everyone was saying the system was a joke. It’s tough. I hope we do (make the playoffs), but we’re gonna need development.

Mo’s (Seider) gotta keep going. Lucas Raymond’s gotta keep going. Dylan’s (Larkin) gotta keep taking steps. Everyone’s gotta be a little better collectively.”

The post Yzerman’s Hope? That Red Wings Make Playoffs Next Season appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.