Breaking down the Detroit Red Wings ahead of NHL Free Agency.
Pending free agents
Unrestricted: 11 | Restricted: 6 | See full list
[teamleaders league=”nhl” team=”det” season=”2013″]
Red Wings overview
No team comes within sniffing distance of the Detroit Red Wings’ active 23-season streak of consecutive playoff appearances (next-best San Jose is riding a 10-season run). Even Hockeytown was beset in 2013-14 by an almost comical string of injuries to its elite players. Stellar coaching, smartly-developed youth and a leap to the weaker Eastern Conference kept the success rolling.
Core players Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Jimmy Howard and Daniel Alfredsson — all of whom were banged up at various points of the season — should benefit from some R&R. And the silver lining to their injuries is the experience and confidence gained from yet another crop of properly-developed talent in the Wings’ farm system. Did anyone expect Gustav Nyqvist to be the NHL’s most thrilling player in the last two months of the season?
An unfortunate draw against the badass Boston Bruins jettisoned the Wings to the golf course after just five games. Still, the 2014-15 Wings should be a buyer this summer, getting younger and gearing up for what should be a middle-of-the-pack finish in the Eastern Conference’s top eight, another playoff berth and another crack to emerge from a conference where, as the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils recently proved, any team that gels at the right time can reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Mike Babcock & Co., know the worth of their AHL players arguably better than any other NHL team. Don’t expect Detroit to sell off significant future assets to improve right now, but general manager Ken Holland is always looking to upgrade.
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| Click player positions to see depth chart | ||
Areas to address
Detroit made a splash last summer, scooping veteran free agents Alfredsson from Ottawa and Stephen Weiss from Florida, and although those results were mixed, don’t be surprised if Holland spends again on July 1st. The Red Wings are all set up for some cap relief as the ceiling raises and past-their-prime UFAs Todd Bertuzzi, Mikael Samuelsson and David Legwand all walk out the door. Holland already used a compliance buyout on gritty Jordin Tootoo. Role player Daniel Cleary, who’s coming off a tough season in which he rated a minus-11, will either leave or re-sign for cheap, perhaps on a two-way deal.
A bold move would be trading for a centre (cough, Joe Thornton, cough) to complement an offence led by Datsyuk, Zetterberg and the emerging Nyquist. Alfredsson isn’t sure if he wants to play one more year, but he fit in well with this group.
Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson form a decent top two on the blueline, but after that, things drop off considerably. Here’s where that cash flow can help; Holland could chase a Dan Boyle or Matt Niskanen to shore up his D. Kyle Quincey, a UFA with a $3.775-million cap hit, will be wearing a new sweater next season, but RFA Danny DeKeyser should be re-signed.
In net, the oft-injured Jimmy Howard endured a rough season — his goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts all hit three-year lows — but with a summer to recover and the support of Jonas Gustavsson, who just signed a new deal with the Red Wings, they should be fine.
The elephant in the dressing room, however, is coach Mike Babcock, whose contract expires at the end of 2014-15 and can essentially write his own ticket. Holland will try to keep him, but Babcock has all the leverage. It’s no coincidence Holland re-signed highly regarded AHL bench boss Jeff Blashill this summer.
Possible signing targets
Dan Boyle (D): An instant way to upgrade both Detroit’s back end and its power play.
Daniel Alfredsson (RW): If he still has the urge to play, Alfie might be convinced to take a bonus-heavy, cap-friendly contract. No way he wants to move his family again.
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