from Mike Gould of The Daily Faceoff,

The Red Wings should be a little better in 2022–23 than they were last season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll make the playoffs. The Atlantic Division is pretty strong, and you don’t have to look far to find competing teams that have made significant improvements this summer.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are pretty much locks to make it, and the Florida Panthers have a pretty good chance – although MacKenzie Weegar is a huge loss on defense. The Boston Bruins should remain competitive, especially after Charlie McAvoy and Brad Marchand return to the lineup around the holidays. And certainly don’t count out the Ottawa Senators, especially with Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux now in the fold.

We expect the Red Wings to have a respectable season, but even 85 points won’t be enough to qualify for the post-season. At best, they’ll likely finish fifth in the Atlantic.

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