"More Aggresive Game": Todd McLellan Looks At Positives Amidst Michael Rasmussen's Scoring Slump

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During the summer, the Detroit Red Wings lost veteran forwards Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk, who both combined for 88 total points of offense. 

While the Red Wings have been getting offensive production as expected from the newly re-signed Alex DeBrinct and UFA signing Viktor Arvidsson along with young forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, they need other players to begin producing more consistently. 

One such player who has found himself completely absent from the scoresheet all season long thus far is Michael Rasmussen, whom the Red Wings selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. 

In fact, Rasmussen hasn't registered a single goal or assist since he last scored on January 5 of last season against the Ottawa Senators, a span of 31 games as of Oct. 15. 

Needless to say, that's a concerning lack of offense from a player selected with a valuable top-10 draft pick. 

But despite the lack of production dating back to January, Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan viewed the situation through a more positive lens.

"I've liked his game better this season than last season," McLellan said following practice on Thursday. "I think he's more physically involved and there's more contact; he's playing a more aggressive game." 

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At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Rasmussen has the size of a prototypical power forward that most teams would love to have.

His offensive production peaked with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans in 2017-18, when he recorded 31 goals and 28 assists for 59 points.

At the NHL level, Rasmussen reached a career-high 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) in 2023-24, but his production has declined since, with 21 and 14 points in the following two respective seasons. 

While dwindling stats and a prolonged offensive slump can be difficult to see from a former high draft pick, McLellan emphasized that Detroit will look to maximize Rasmussen’s strengths and said he has liked what he has seen this season, even though the forward has yet to get on the scoresheet.

"I don't think that Ras is going to be counted on to score a boatload of goals or points, but he's going to give us what he can.

But I do think that his game has been better in the first six (games) this year than they were at the end of last year." 

In the six games he's played in 2026-27, Rasmussen is a minus-four and has dished out 15 hits while amassing seven total shots on goal. 

So far in his NHL career, Rasmussen, who is signed through 2028 with a $3.2 million salary cap hit, has tallied 66 goals with 88 assists in 460 contests. 

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