from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

The Detroit Red Wings head into a second-straight offseason having missed the playoffs, encouraged by the growth of their young players but in need of more....

As it stands, the team has six defensemen signed for next season: Kronwall, Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson, Trevor Daley, Xavier Ouellet and Nick Jensen.

Dennis Cholowski, the 20th overall pick from 2016, will turn pro once his junior team, the Portland Winterhawks, are done in the Western Hockey League playoffs and will join the Grand Rapids Griffins if they are still playing. Cholowski, 20, is expected to push for a spot in Detroit next season (he’ll either be in Detroit or Grand Rapids).

Filip Hronek, a 20-year-old second-rounder from 2016, is having a standout year with the Griffins and could also push for a spot.

Some degree of change on the back end is expected.

“Our defense needs pizzazz, it needs someone who can run a power play,” Holland said. “That’s what Hronek has done in GR. If he has a great playoffs, he should get the chance to make next year’s team.”

If the Wings need to make room for someone new, Ouellet and/or Jensen can be waived and their salaries buried in the minors.

more