The Detroit Red Wings enter the 2023-24 season with a lot of pressure to reach the next step. This past season the Red Wings fell short of the playoffs once again, but after some big moves this offseason, the Wings have reasons for optimism.
This season is not going to be easy. The Atlantic Division is arguably the toughest division in the league right now and with so many teams in the East improving this offseason, every point is going to matter a little bit more this season. With that in mind, there are a few players who can determine if the Red Wings will succeed or fail this year.
Three Detroit Red Wings who will determine how this season goes.
General Manager Steve Yzerman needs this season to go well. Last year the Red Wings finished outside of the playoffs for the seventh year in a row, and with the offseason additions he made like adding DeBrincat, Compher, Kostin and Gostisbehere, the Red Wings need to be competitive. One of those additions is actually the first player who can make or break the season.
1. Alex DeBrincat
After one season in Ottawa, Alex DeBrincat was traded to the Detroit Red Wings to restart his career for the team he cheered for growing up. DeBrincat has had two 40 goal seasons in the NHL, most recently in 2021-22 with the Chicago Blackhawks.
DeBrincat has the opportunity to be a big part of the Red Wings next great team, and this team is going to need him to be the goal scoring threat he was in Chicago. If DeBrincat can get to 35 or 40 goals this season in Detroit, I think he will have done his part to improve the team offensively, he definitely will make their power play more lethal.
2. Ville Husso
The Detroit Red Wings traded for Ville Husso last offseason thinking they had landed a big starting goaltender who can help the team for the foreseeable future.
After a great season in 2021-22 with the St. Louis Blues where Husso put up a .919 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.56, Husso fell off this past season in his first year in Detroit.
In 56 games started Husso average a .896 save percentage and a goals against average of 3.11. While the defense needs to be better in front of him, Husso in general needs to be better this season.
If he can get back up to even a .905 save percentage Detroit will be in a better position to win every night.
3. Dylan Larkin
The final piece to the puzzle has to be captain Dylan Larkin. Larkin is in the first year of a big eight year $69 million contract extension he signed on Mar. 1, 2023.
Larkin is the face of the franchise and is the player who has led the team in points the past two seasons. He was with the team during the Red Wings last season in the playoffs, and he is going to be needed big time to get this team back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Red Wings play their first preseason game on Tuesday Sept. 26 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.