Detroit Red Wings Looking to Extend Playoff Streak
The Detroit Red Wings have made the NHL playoffs every year since the 1989-90 season, but can they keep the streak going in 2016-17?
The Detroit Red Wings are entering a new era of hockey. Pavel Datsyuk is no longer with the club, and Henrik Zetterberg is certainly on his last legs. They were the dynamic duo that picked up where Steve Yzerman and company left off, but it will be up to all the new faces to take the reigns.
Competition in the NHL is growing drastically, and several teams are starting to enter the realm of a contender. While the Red Wings have maintained the same personnel over several years, the real question is do they have the players to compete at the highest level?
As it stands, Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall are the true leaders of this team, but their overall production is dwindling. Gustav Nyquist is well on his way, but his 17 goals and 43 points were major disappointments last year. For the Red Wings to have similar success, if not better, it will come down to the rest of the team’s performance during the 2016-17 NHL season.
New Faces
The Red Wings simply do not have enough NHL-ready talent to sustain a top-six comparable to the rest of the league. However, the additions of Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen will surely help their cause.
Both players are looking for a fresh start with a new club, and the Red Wings are known to bring the best out of their veterans. They both have sound offensive skills, and should work well in a system that prides themselves on teamwork.
Another key addition for the Detroit Red Wings is Steve Ott. Though he does not provide the same top-six talent as Vanek or Nielsen, Ott is a solid role player who always plays a physical game. He will certainly round out the bottom-six in Detroit, and should make them a much tougher team this coming season.
The Youth
The Red Wings prized possession is certainly Dylan Larkin. He came out of the woodwork with an absolutely fantastic rookie season and even looked like the best of the bunch early on. He finished the year with 23 goals and 45 points, good for third in team scoring only behind Datsyuk and Zetterberg.
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Though Larkin sits atop the Red Wings’ prospect list, they still have plenty of players still trying to break the mold. Tomas Jurco and Tomas Tatar are two players who should be better and were expected to have a much larger impact at the NHL level. Both players have shown flashes of high-end skill but have yet to find consistent success. Jurco has been a point-per-game player at the AHL level but is far from the same production as an NHLer.
Riley Sheahan and Matthew Lorito will likely be bottom-six players but add to the depth on the Red Wings roster. They have some offensive skills, but their ability to man the third line and shut down the opposition will be the key to their effectiveness in the NHL.
One question mark for the Red Wings is Teemu Pulkkinen. He was an effective offensive producer in the AHL, but his role in the NHL is still a mystery. He has yet to play a full NHL season, but should get his chance in 2016-17. If he can squeeze into a top-six role and perform consistently, Pulkkinen could be a nice surprise for the Red Wings.
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The Red Wings only sneaked into the playoffs last year, but the same could happen this season. It will depend on the young players, along with the consistent goaltending of Petr Mrazek, and the veterans leading the charge.
Even though they do not have many household names, the Red Wings culture is all about winning, and it will be interesting to see how this team responds during the 2016-17 season.