The returns of Ville Husso, Ben Chiarot and Patrick Kane have the Red Wings primed for a playoff push after the All-Star break.

In the NHL, health is wealth.

If a team avoids injury and trots out a healthy lineup most nights, it can play to its full potential. More scoring, better defense, stronger goaltending — these are obvious perks, but so are the more nuanced ones like line cohesion. For a Detroit team that’s rather healthy coming out of the All-Star break, these perks come right when they need them to make a final surge for the playoffs.

Detroit is about to get a boost from goaltender Ville Husso, defenseman Ben Chiarot and winger Patrick Kane. Besides forward Matt Luff who has not played a game this season, the Red Wings’ injured reserve list will be empty. That stroke of good health comes at an advantageous time as the Red Wings currently sit tied with the Maple Leafs for fourth in the Atlantic Division. Both teams occupy the Eastern Conference’s wildcard playoff spots. However, MoneyPuck.com gives Detroit a 49.2% chance to make the playoffs according to its projections.

Husso returns to the roster following a conditioning stint and rehab for a lower body injury. He last played Dec. 18, when he left the game injured in a loss to Anaheim. In his conditioning stint, he led Grand Rapids to a 3-0 victory with a 25-save shutout.

After an upper body injury sustained against Carolina, Chiarot is expected to rejoin the main roster. Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said Jan. 27 that the veteran blueliner would be out until after the All-Star break.

Meanwhile, winger Patrick Kane is expected to return from his own lower body injury this Saturday against Vancouver, though he is still on the injured reserve list. He last dressed Jan. 14 against Toronto, playing two shifts before two hits from Maple Leafs winger Pontus Holmberg. The Red Wings later won that game.

“I think we played 19 games there in a pretty short amount of time, so get some rest, obviously have the break coming up, and should be good to go after that,” Kane said Jan. 30. “I don't see any way I wouldn't be able to come back after the break."

Getting Kane back might give a boost to the Red Wings’ offense, especially for winger Alex DeBrincat. With roots going back to their time in Chicago, the line-mates each tallied 16 points in 19 games with Kane in the lineup. But since Kane’s injury against Toronto, DeBrincat has scored just three points in seven games.

If those two can rekindle the magic they had going — and considering the high-volume offense DeBrincat generated at the All-Star Game — Detroit might be able to get more production out of DeBrincat. Considering the influence that Kane had started to gather before his injury according to Lalonde, Kane’s leadership might also show up. For a roster with significantly less experience than him in chasing a playoff spot, the wisdom of the three-time Stanley Cup winner could be as valuable as any scoring touch he can bring to the ice.

With Husso, the Red Wings regain a key goaltender in their rotation. He began the season as the starter, though Alex Lyon has cemented himself in that role since a combination of personal leave and his injury kept Husso out of the lineup. Husso struggled when he was in the lineup this season, notching an .893 save percentage and 3.53 goals against average across 18 games. Without the situation changing, it seems likely that Husso will replace James Reimer as the primary backup goaltender.

Having a healthy roster is a new feeling for Detroit. Earlier this season, it had to cope with the loss of centers Dylan Larkin and J.T. Compher at the same time, which led to a significant reduction in its offensive abilities. Similarly, a December injury to Lyon put the Red Wings’ back against the wall as it coincided with Husso’s, forcing them to sign Michael Hutchinson. And even when he has played in games, defenseman Jake Walman has been banged up for the majority of the season. 

All told, Detroit has lost 144 man-games to injury this season as of the All-Star Break, which ranks 15th most in the NHL. The Red Wings have not faced the hardest battle against the injury bug compared to their peers, but their injuries have come to significant pillars of the lineup.

As Detroit pushes closer and closer to making its first playoff run since a one-round skirmish in 2016, staying healthy will be important to fielding a competitive team. It has adequate depth, especially in scoring forwards and depth defensemen, but it logically plays its best when it can utilize the best players on the roster. With a complete outfit, those decisions can come easily.

For now, the Red Wings are healthy. If they can cash in on that advantage, it might help in their efforts toward reaching the playoffs.

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