from Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News,

With rookie success upfront, on the back end, and in the crease, a captain in his mid-20s, and a prospect pool loaded with talent, Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings have put on a bit of a masterclass of how to rebuild. They look even better considering they haven’t drafted higher than fourth in any draft during this process.

The one area they currently lack is down the middle. As good as Larkin is, you need to insulate him with another center of his caliber if you want him to be the number one on a true Stanley Cup contender. Rasmussen, the player we started this deep dive with, has not lived up to expectations in any way. He’s been lackluster and has struggled to solidify a place in the lineup at times through his first few NHL seasons.

So where are the Red Wings? They are on the upswing of a rebuild and they could compete for a playoff spot as soon as next season realistically. The only question is how they fill the hole down the middle. All of the other pieces have seemingly fallen into place. Maybe they finally get their lottery luck this year if they fall down the standings in the second half of the year and get the opportunity to select Shane Wright. If that fails, a player such as Logan Cooley or Brad Lambert would certainly help ensure that the center position is much more stable coming out of the 2022 NHL draft.

Get excited Red Wings fans. Hockeytown is just about back.

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