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Three Key Off-season Storylines To Follow With the Detroit Red Wings

By Richard Jelinek

MONTREAL, CANADA - MARCH 13: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche waits for the puck drop during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at Centre Bell on March 13, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Montreal Canadiens 8-4. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, CANADA - MARCH 13: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche waits for the puck drop during the third period against the Montreal Canadiens at Centre Bell on March 13, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Montreal Canadiens 8-4. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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The Detroit Red Wings come into the 2023/2024 NHL season with a chip on their shoulders. After a successful first half of the 2022/2023 NHL season, the Red Wings did not have the same magic in the second half. Detroit was still in a playoff spot until late in the season but the team fell apart and missed the playoffs yet again. General manager Steve Yzerman was assigned to make this a playoff team once again. This off-season, he has been busy, bringing in ten new players. Most will be part of Detroit’s roster on night one, and the others will be sent to the Grand Rapids Griffins, the team’s AHL affiliate.

Detroit is still a mystery because they have yet to find their identity. Are they an offensive team? A defensive team? A team that relies on goaltending? With a new crop of players, the Detroit Red Wings may find out sooner than later. There are several questions surrounding this team as the season approaches. However, these are the top three storylines so far this off-season heading into a new season.

Top storylines of the off-season for the Detroit Red WIngs

Alex DeBrincat acquisition improves roster, hits 40 goals?

Newcomer Alex DeBrincat faces the most pressure heading into the season. After shining bright as the new young talent with the Chicago Blackhawks, DeBrincat had an average, yet good, season with the Ottawa Senators. Now a piece of the Red Wings, can he hit the 40-goal mark again in Detroit? Ottawa was not a team with offensive firepower but now he is in Detroit. The Red Wings have Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, and others. DeBrincat is still young and and capable of breaking the 40-goal mark yet again but he needs to be placed with players that fit his style of play.

With an increased role and more minutes, DeBrincat can most certainly get back to that 40-goal mark again. He is far too talented to “just” have 27 goals like he did last season in Ottawa. This Red Wings is different and a deeper team and therefore has more scoring power this season. DeBrincat will be a first or second line player and likely a first line winger on the power play. He may struggle at first being in a new city with a new team but once he hits his stride he will be scoring goals in bunches.

Will Seider be in the Norris Trophy conversation again?

Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider will be entering his third NHL season in 2023/2024. His first seson was nothing short of amazing, winning the Calder Trophy for the league’s top rookie. Last season, He struggled in the first half but poured it on in the second half. In his two previous seasons, he has carried the defense in every way and proved that, at his young age, he is already a top tier defenseman. Seider has the confidence and skills to do it again but we have to ask the question if Seider could ultimately win this year’s Norris Trophy?

Seider and Larkin are the two most important players on the Detroit Red Wings. Seider had taken his position and not looked back. Not only is he by far the best defenseman in Detroit, he is a top tier defenseman in the entire league. There is nothing Seider cannot do on the ice. His maturity level, confidence, playmaking, elite-level passing, the physical nature with which he plays, and the calmness of with which he plays with is something Detroit has not seen since NIcklas LIdstrom. Seider is a special talent and, if he can regain that drive of his first season, there is no reason why he should not be in the conversation for the Norris trophy.

Will off-season changes be enough for a playoff spot?

Yzerman brought in a variety of players this off-season to make Detroit a competitive team next season. He brought in forwards DeBrincat, Christian Fischer, Kim Klostin, J.T. Compher, and Danile Sprong. Also brought in were defensemen Justin Holl and Shayne Gostisbehere and goaltender James Reimer.  These moves make Detroit a deeper and more dangerous one than last season when they just missed out on a playoff spot.

This version of the Detroit Red WIngs is filled with more quality players and those players are determined to make Detroit a team that is in contention even later in the season this year. Along with the off-season moves, Andrew Copp, David Perron, Ben Chiarot, Ville Husso, and Olli Maatta are all back for season two. The Detroit Red WIngs could mkae some noise this season as they head toward a playoff run. At this point, the way this team is on paper, they should qualify for a playoff spot in 2023/2024.

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