The Detroit Red Wings' ongoing post-season drought has some critics calling for a change of management, while others suggest they must make an aggressive search for a scoring forward.
The Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs for the 10th straight year.
That's the NHL's longest active post-season drought, with the last seven years coming under GM Steve Yzerman.
It was the third straight season that the Red Wings entered March holding a playoff berth, only to collapse down the stretch and finish outside the post-season picture.
What's particularly galling to their fans this time is that the Red Wings were jockeying with the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference on Jan. 25. The last time they sat that high in the Eastern standings was in February 2015.
Just when it seemed they were finally breaking through as a playoff contender, the Red Wings fell apart again.
They are spinning their wheels while rising teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators have surpassed them. Even the long-struggling Buffalo Sabres blew past the Wings this season as they ended their league-record 14-season playoff drought.
That has some observers suggesting a change of management may be in order.
The Hockey News' Adam Proteau cited Yzerman's inability to address the Red Wings' offensive difficulties and porous defense.
Proteau noted that the Red Wings had $11 million in salary-cap space at last month's trade deadline. While Yzerman bolstered the right side of his blueline by acquiring Justin Faulk, he failed to address the Wings' scoring needs.
Whoever sits in the Red Wings' management chair during the off-season must address the weaknesses that derailed their last three seasons.
Max Bultman of The Athletic cited their struggles to score at 5-on-5 as a priority to be remedied. Detroit Hockey Now's Kevin Allen also mentioned their lack of offense at even strength, but he also thinks they lack a winning culture and suitable depth among their bottom-six forwards.
MLive.com's Ansar Khan observed the Red Wings lack an elite scoring forward. He felt they should be aggressive in this summer's trade market.
Khan suggested the Wings make a serious pitch for St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas or Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson. He also mentioned Auston Matthews, if he becomes available, but doubted the Toronto Maple Leafs would trade him to an Atlantic Division rival.
Like Allen, Khan believes the Red Wings must upgrade their bottom six forwards. He also felt they should find a reliable second-line center, noting the position has been a concern for years.
There has been speculation about Alex DeBrincat's future with the Red Wings. He will be UFA-eligible in July 2027, but the Wings can sign him to an extension starting this July.
It remains to be seen how DeBrincat's contract talks go this summer, but it's unlikely they'll trade their leading goal-scorer.
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