Wings Optimism

[Brewin Flames]

Dylan Larkin senses optimism others do not with Red Wings

Associated PressSep 28, 2021, 1:40 PM EDT

Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images

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DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings have been mired in a long, painful rebuild and the end doesn’t seem to be in sight from outside the organization.

 

The last time they made the playoffs five years ago, Dylan Larkin was a rookie. When the captain and center looks at the reshaped roster, he doesn’t have to feign optimism.

 

“It’s exciting, more so than any of my training camps in the past,” Larkin said. “We’ve had more competition at every part of our lineup.”

 

General manager Steve Yzerman, entering his third season in charge of the front office, also sees more talented players vying for playing time and yet still sounds as if he’s asking for more patience.

“I think we’re making progress, but it may not necessarily relate into wins and losses,” Yzerman said.

 

The Red Wings can help their chances if they start the season healthy and stay that way for their first 82-game season in two years. Larkin is recovering from a neck injury that limited him to 44 games last season. Tyler Bertuzzi is coming back from having back surgery in April.

 

“They’re a pair that I’d like to keep together all season if I can,” said coach Jeff Blashill, who was given a contract extension despite a career record of 177-221-62 in Detroit.

Minutes into his first practice at training camp, forward Jakub Vrana hurt his shoulder to pose a potential problem for a team that has struggled to score in recent years.

NO SHOT

Bertuzzi does not plan on being vaccinated, citing his freedom of choice.

 

The 26-year-old forward might end up losing more than $450,000 in salary for not playing the team’s nine games in Canada, where he will not being able to cross the border without a two-week quarantine.

 

The Red Wings will likely be at a disadvantage in Canada playing without a wing capable of a 50-point year if he played the entire season.

“Certainly for those games, we’ll be missing a piece of the puzzle,” Blashill said.

 

BACK END BOOST

Detroit drafted Moritz Seider with the No. 6 pick overall two years ago and the 6-foot-4, 197-pound German is expected to be a key player as he makes his NHL debut.

 

“He’s big, he’s smart, he’s got confidence,” Blashill said. “He’s got some toughness to him. He’s got the opportunity to be a really good player and we’re going to give him that opportunity to do that and then he’s got to grab it by the horns.”

SLICK MOVES

Detroit dealt the rights to pending free agent netminder Jonathan Bernier and the No. 94 pick overall in the draft to Carolina for goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic and gave him a $6 million, two-year deal. As a rookie with the Hurricanes, he led all goaltenders with at least 22 games with 1.90 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.

Yzerman signed Pius Suter to a $6.5 million, two-year deal after his promising rookie season in Chicago. The Swiss forward had 14 goals and 13 assists in 55 games with the Blackhawks.

IT’S TIME

Detroit’s turnaround is tied to its draft picks producing and the franchise needs two of them to provide more of a return on its investment.

Michael Rasmussen, drafted No. 9 in 2017, has just 30 points points in 102 games over two years.

 

 Filip Zadina, the No. 6 pick overall three years ago, just 37 points in 86 games over three seasons.

THE SLATE

Detroit will find out in its season-opening game how it stacks up with the best, hosting the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 14. The Red Wings play their first four games at home and are at Little Caesars Arena for nine matchups within the first month of the season, potentially giving them a chance to get off to a solid start.

[yave1964]

Nice writeup. here are my thoughts on the wings this year

 

FORWARDS Larkin, Bertuzzi, Fabbri all missed massive time last season, if all three remain healthy this season the offense will be decent. Add in Raymond and a more mature much more muscular Zadina and the offense could actually be good.

 

DEFENSE Leddy and Seider are a couple of top four minute munching quality defenseman and the Wings defense is actually adequate with potential to be average.

 

GOALTENDING Big Ned comes in which is great, i love the kid, but Bernier was actually quite good last year, I seriously doubt Ned will be better. Best case this is a wash.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS This is where the Wings have epic failed in recent years Alex Tanguay has been brought in to fix the worst power play East of Anaheim. Honestly I have no idea what to expect of him, he has no real experience as a coach at any level save for one year as an assistant for the Iowa Wild in the AHL. I have heard him twice in interviews saying the players need to drive the net hard and angry on the power play, I guess we cannot be worse than last year so expect some improvement.

 

  So forwards, definitely better, defense, absolutely better, goaltending about the same, special teams, nowhere to go but up. All the bad contracts are gone and the team is on the rise but the division is stacked, no way no how are we a playoff team but 84-85 points is a very real possibility. I like the Wings a lot better for next year than this, even improved I see us in seventh place ahead of only the dreadful pitiful Sabres but for the first time in half a dozen seasons we will be watchable and entertaining.