NHL Power Rankings: St. Louis Blues start 2019-20 season on top

29. Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings have fallen far since the days when they were a regular participant in the postseason. Back then, everyone knew they’d have to pay the piper with their consistent short-term moves that extended their streak. Now is that time.

Even with Dylan Larkin emerging as a legitimate top line center (even though he’s towards the bottom of the tier), the Red Wings forward depth has their forward group among the weakest in the league. Andreas Athanasiou had a breakout season with 30 goals, but he’s their only truly strong scoring threat.

Guys like Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi should be third line players on a contender. But on the Red Wings, they’re arguably two of their three best wings. This shows how shallow their forward depth is.

As bad as their forwards are, their blueline might be even weaker. The Red Wings don’t have a Larkin on defense, though Hronek is promising. Heck, they don’t even have a Bertuzzi or a Mantha. I like some of their prospects, but it’s going to board for them to crack the lineup this year.

To top it all off, the Red Wings have mediocre at best goaltending. Jimmy Howard is in a starting role he probably shouldn’t be in. Jonathan Bernier is a decent at best backup.

The Red Wings power play, though, should be fun to watch. They were doing a lot of stuff below the goal line in the preseason and it led to quality chances. I hope they continue it in the regular season because it’s a strategy I’ve been curious about for years. Unfortunately, the Red Wings don’t have much else going for them.