Forward Progress Continues for Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings traded away key players before and at the deadline. They’ve lost key players to injury.  Yet they continue to fight and sit at 35-33-9 with five games to go.

It’s not the rebuild on the fly Red Wings. It certainly isn’t the team that took its lumps for the first three seasons of a true rebuild.

It’s a team moving forward in spite of missing pieces.

It’s a sign that things are moving in the right direction.

Red Wings Take Care of Business

The 5-0 victory over the Canadiens Tuesday night was a win they should have had. In years past, it’s one they drop or at the least, struggle with. Following a win over Toronto on Sunday, Detroit has won four of its last five. It certainly doesn’t help their lottery odds, but at this point, what is Detroit really playing for? It’s been some time since a buzz has surrounded the team this late in the season. For two and a half decades, the end of the season was merely a formality as fans geared up for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Surprising as it is, the Red Wings head into their seventh consecutive season without a playoff appearance. Yet that buzz, when Marco Kasper, Simon Edvinsson, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond all played together against Toronto was intoxicating for fans. On the ice was the future–and winning. The promise of what Steve Yzerman was when he returned was there in the instant. Though Kasper was out to due to injury against Montreal, the result was the same: another win.

Again, it may hurt draft odds, but Detroit inches closer to relevance.

An Offseason of Intrigue

Regardless of how Detroit finishes out, improvement has occurred. The Red Wings are beyond last season’s win total, have surpassed the point total, and have clamped down defensively, surrendering far less goals. Building blocks are in place–now what will Yzerman do to build onto the core that’s stronger?

Incredible scene as Kasper gets into it with Liljegren while Seider, Raymond, & Edvinsson join in the scrum. Edvinsson wants to go with Bunting who gets a misconduct.

The future of the Detroit Red Wings, folks. Love to see it. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/Mo1jUT5yur

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) April 3, 2023

It seems at this point both Edvinsson and Kasper are penciled into the 2023-24 roster. Will Yzerman use draft capital as is? Might he trade it to swing a deal that nets a marquee player to put the rebuild to rest for good?

The final five games of the season will be fun for fans to watch as the future grows before their eyes. But as the team improves and continues to pivot away from the rebuild, all eyes are on Yzerman as he ponders his moves to put Detroit back into the contender conversation.