Detroit Red Wings: 3 Keys To Success in 2017-18

Even if they’re in the midst of a rebuild, the Detroit Red Wings still must have a successful season.

There are many different ways to define “success”. Especially for professional sports teams. Not every team can be a title contender each season. Even the mighty Detroit Red Wings, who made the postseason for 25 consecutive years, eventually fell. The streak is over and now they face an uncertain future.

Their definition for success has changed. They’ve gone from being an annual contender to a rebuild that could take awhile. However, this doesn’t mean the Red Wings can’t have a successful season. It will just be very different from the past quarter century.

Here’s a look at the three keys to a successful season for the Detroit Red Wings.

Goaltending

For better or for worse, the Red Wings are about to find out a lot about their goaltending. They might need to address a huge need there or they might already have a solution on the roster. The current solution appears to be Jimmy Howard. However, because he’s aging and can’t stay healthy, he’s clearly not a part of the future.

Petr Mrazek‘s development will be key for the Red Wings this season. He has the potential to be a franchise goaltender, something Detroit would love to have. Should Mrazek resemble his 2015-16 self more than his 2016-17 self, the Red Wings could cross a huge need off their list. If he doesn’t prove himself this season, they could be adding a huge need to their “to do” list.

Goaltending can be a way to speed up a rebuild. Even if it is a small sample size, Mrazek has shown the talent necessary to be a top tier goaltender.

Purging Bad Contracts

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Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland signed a lot of veterans to long-term deals to try to keep the playoff streak going. With the departure of Pavel Datsyuk and the potentially soon retirement of Henrik Zetterberg, now it’s his job to find a way to get rid of them.

There’s just one problem. 10 Red Wings players have some form of a no trade or no movement clause. Six of those players have at least three years left on their contracts. Four of them have no fewer than four years remaining. Over half of the 10 players in question have at least a $4 million annual cap hit.

This is going to make it very hard for Holland to get rid of the deals. But it’s something that’s absolutely necessary for an optimal rebuild. It sure won’t happen in one year, but Holland can start by getting what he can for Mike Green and Howard, both of whom will be free agents within the next two seasons. Salary retention might be needed for the rest.

Figuring Out The Keepers

A championship caliber NHL team consists of no fewer than 21 useful players. They don’t all have to be productive, but each of the 21 players has to perform well in their role, whether it be large or small. Sound familiar, Red Wings fans? It should. As recently as five years ago, Detroit had a deep team similar to this.

Now they’re left with aging veterans on bad contracts and unproven young players. There are very few certainties going into this season. Anthony Mantha and Tomas Tatar are both cornerstone players, but not true stars. Dylan Larkin is important to their future, but must rebound after a sophomore slump.

Next: Red Wings Season Preview

Mrazek has already been mentioned, but the Red Wings must decide if he’s worth keeping around long-term as well. Detroit needs to figure out who they have and who’s worth keeping around. If veterans need to sit for this to happen, so be it.

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