from Max Bultman of The Athletic,

So, after asking one question about each forward earlier this week, here’s one question about every Red Wings defender and netminder as training camp approaches.

Filip Hronek
Is he a long-term top-four piece?

In terms of production, the Red Wings know exactly what they can expect out of Hronek. The 24-year-old defenseman has averaged between 0.46 and 0.5 points per game in each of his four NHL seasons — a scoring rate that, in addition to being remarkably consistent, ranks 40th among all NHL defensemen in that span (with a minimum of 80 total games played). He’s also played a massive role for Detroit, logging more than 22 minutes in each of the last three years.

Knowing only those facts, this question would seem like a no-brainer for a defenseman who’s still so young.

But Hronek’s also had his hiccups in that span, particularly defensively. His shot volume and quality numbers have been rocky for a while, and increasingly, the eye test has started to back that up.

He’s locked into the top four this season, that much is certain. But now that Seider has emerged as the top workhorse on the right side, it’ll be interesting to see if Hronek can deliver better overall impacts on the run of play and re-enforce that he should remain part of the core, or if Detroit might need to start thinking about long-term alternatives as the team pushes for playoff contention.

more ($) defensemen and the goalies