from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,
Next season could be viewed as the year of the more for the Detroit Red Wings. That’s because the team will be dealing with so much more than they were at the outset of the 2023-24 NHL campaign.
There will be more expectations placed upon this team after missing this season’s playoffs via a tiebreaker. That will lead to more pressure, more responsibility and more growth within the team.
Will it all result in more wins? That’s the great unkown at this juncture. But it will also lead to more opportunity and Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde is viewing that as a good thing.
“Expectations for certain are going to change and that’s a positive,” Lalonde said. “Those expectations changed when we went 16-4-2 in February. Expectations changed when we started the season 5-1. Expectations changed when we won six straight.”
It's right and justified to expect more, and I think Yzerman understands that. The big concern I have is, how much "more" can we get while Mo and Raymond get their raises? And if Kane doesn't come back, how do you replace those GWGs and his experience?
It seems like it's going to be a lot harder to improve going into next season.
Correct TreKronor, If Kane doesn't return it will make it harder to make the playoffs next season. He is the reason the Red Wings were able to compete for a playoff position until the last day of the season.🤨
It's going to be a lot harder to get to 91 points again next season, period. Buffalo, Ottawa and Montreal *should* all improve. Detroit is more than likely going to lose Kane and Ghost, who combined for 30 goals and 73 assists. That's a lot of offense to replace and without some clever moves. I think i read they were going to have something like $28m to spend with 13 guys under contract next season. Can set aside $16m of that for 23+53, leaving ~$12m to fill out the last 7 spots...
70ish points each out of Larkin, Debrincat and Raymond should be the expectation, but I don't see anyone else on the roster or waiting in the wings that would make huge strides in the offensive area. Maybe they can get a real #1 goalie and tighten up the D to stay at their '23-'24 pace, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if they came in 84-88 points next year.
I am not disagreeing with about Buffalo, Ottawa or Montreal Getting better but my personal opinion it does not matter since that is the nature of sports. The Wings have to improve. With mediocre FA signings (Holl, Petry, Copp) and the mismanagement of their defensive scheme, to your point it will not be easy to hit 91 points again unless Yzerman makes a few significant moves. Those moves if they happen cannot be base hits, they need to.pay serious dividends to move this team into a viable playoff team.
The Wings ranked 24th in goals against (3.33 per game)
Team defense was supposed to a strength heading into the season, but the improvement was marginal (3.35 goals against per game in 2022-23).
It is great they can score goals but if you cannot outscore your opponent....
For sure, theres no guarantee or reason to assume theyll automatically be better next year. You can do that often if a team, regardless of sport, has a lineup full of 1-3 year players and is learning how to win at the professional level. Thats not the case with the Wings roster. In fact if some key veterans are not returned and are replaced by youngsters in their first-second year they could take a step back in the rebuilding process.
Ive written that a couple of times and think Ill just keep repeating it every day until free agency and we see what shakes out.
from Jonathan Mills of the Wings' website,
Future NHL stars are developing in the Red Wings prospect pipeline. Follow along as DetroitRedWings.com highlights the organizations rising young talent in our monthly series, Waiting in the Wings, presented by Carhartt.
Rather than dwell on a slow start to his first full season in North America, Marco Kasper trusted the process and believed through hard work, he would find his groove with the American Hockey Leagues Grand Rapids Griffins.
To be honest, I didnt play like I wanted to, Kasper recently told DetroitRedWings.com. I came here and had a hard time just figuring it out in the beginning. But I think by communicating with the coaches, just getting out there and trying to do my best every day Ive been doing much better.
After recording just one point in his first 10 games with the Griffins to open the 2023-24 season, Kasper collected 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in his final 61 games. The Detroit Red Wings forward prospect was even named the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 22 after registering two goals and three assists in back-to-back games from Jan. 19-20.
I worked through some adversity in the beginning of the season, Kasper said. I didnt get too frustrated with myself.
continued
First I will say I would love to see Kane back although I think he is gone and I am sure there are tons of factors, but wasn't our record better without him than with him?
Edvinson will hopefully make a little bit of a difference, the growth of Raymond's game continues to get better, Ras can hopefully have a full season. The wings are a way better team with Ras. At least one rookie forward makes the jump, hopefully 2 lol. Berggren should have been with the wings all year. Most of all, I am hoping they can get out of their own end easier, it's on the forwards to get open and the defense to advance the dang puck.
Ive said this before, but I want Berggren to spend the summer with Lucas Raymond at the Lucas Raymond Summer Hockey School. If Johnny Burgers could learn a thing or two from Raymond this summer, it would go a long way to making a valuable contribution to this team next season.
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