The Detroit Red Wings took a step up from the 2021-22 NHL season, so the pressure ratchets up on them to beat the other Atlantic teams trying to jump into a playoff spot.
We’re well into the NHL’s 2023 off-season, and we’re analyzing every team’s off-season picture and their outlook as the 2023-24 campaign approaches. We’re breaking down teams in alphabetical order, and on this day, we’re looking at the Detroit Red Wings.
2022-23 Grade: B
Biggest Positive Heading Into the Off-Season
The Red Wings made modest gains in 2022-23, finishing with three more wins and six more standings points than they finished 2021-22 with. Their difficulty, and ultimately, their failure to make the playoffs underscores how tough it really is to make the jump from a playoff outsider to a playoff participant. That said, there’s still reason for hope that the Wings will continue to trend upward in 2023-24.
For starters, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has carefully managed his salary cap picture. The Red Wings have more than $30.6 million in cap space, with 16 players under contract for this coming season, according to PuckPedia. As a result, the Wings will likely be one of the biggest players in the trade and free agency markets.
Meanwhile, Yzerman has bulked up the number of young assets in the organization, with five picks in the first two rounds of the 2023 NHL draft. Combine that draft stockpile with high-impact youngsters Moritz Seider, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and you have the makings of a foundation the Red Wings will lean on for the next decade and longer.
It will take more time for Detroit to ascend to the point of being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, but the needles point in the right direction, and Wings fans have every reason to hope better days are right around the corner.
Biggest Need Heading Into The Off-Season
Detroit is slowly improving, but there are still notable holes throughout the roster, including up front – where they need depth added in their bottom two forward lines – and on defense, as well as on their backup goaltending.
Starting netminder Ville Husso didn’t exactly light the league on fire in his first season as a Red Wing, but if he gets more support from the team’s blueline and their backchecking forwards, his individual numbers will get better.
The Wings are in a cap position where they’ll be able to outbid many opponents for UFAs, and Yzerman’s stockpile of draft picks will be crucial to building slowly but surely in the difficult Atlantic Division.
Coach Derek Lalonde’s first year behind Detroit’s bench put players on notice they have to be accountable, and the change we’re likely going to see happen in the Motor City is a direct result of their inability to properly defend. This isn’t to suggest Yzerman won’t address their forward unit, but certainly, their play in their own zone is the biggest area that needs improvement.
Bottom Line for Detroit This Off-Season
Another season of no playoff hockey would be problematic for Yzerman, whose cachet still resonates among Red Wings fans and media. They must show more improvement this coming year than they showed last season, and if they have unfortunate luck on the health front, that won’t be enough of a reason to accept the status quo in 2024 and beyond.
The rubber is hitting the road in '23-24, and they need to make up approximately 15 points to leapfrog over other Atlantic teams and secure a playoff spot.
The infusion of veteran help this summer will help in that regard, but they continue to need internal improvement from their young players still making a name for themselves. Without better years from Wings players already on the team, the supplemental moves Yzerman makes won’t be enough to push Detroit into the post-season. Yzerman has had four years as Wings GM, and if his team can’t produce tangibly better results, Red Wings supporters will start showing their anger and frustration.
The pressure ratchets up exponentially from this point, and nothing less than a playoff berth will satisfy the angst of a fan base that had grown accustomed to consistent playoff appearances and championship success.