Michael Rasmussen's 30-Game Point Drought Raises Questions About His Future With the Red Wings

One of the most highly discussed draft picks in recent Detroit Red Wings history is Michael Rasmussen, selected ninth overall at the 2017 NHL Draft. 

The six-foot-six forward was taken after producing very solid numbers in the Western Hockey League with the Tri-City Americans, where he returned for another season after being drafted.

Detroit fans became even more excited a year later. During the 2018-19 season, Rasmussen didn't just make the jump to pro hockey, he made it to the NHL. He played three games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, scoring a pair of goals, before spending most of the season with the big club. 

In his first season with the Red Wings, the Surrey, B.C. native finished with 18 points in 62 games, a respectable total for a youngster. Little has changed in his production since as Rasmussen has settled in as a 20- to 30-point depth forward and has never reached the upside Detroit hoped for. 

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Last season, he finished with 14 points in 64 games while dealing with injuries and being a healthy scratch at times. He entered this season already in a scoring drought that dated back to last January, and he heads into Tuesday's game against the New Jersey Devils riding a 30-game point drought.

Rasmussen has now played eight seasons in the NHL, all with the Red Wings, and has recorded 66 goals and 88 assists for 154 points in 459 games. That raises a question under the team's new management direction of should Detroit try to move Rasmussen and see if he can thrive elsewhere? With so many young players in the minors deserving a chance at an NHL role, is he worth keeping on the main roster?

Rasmussen will be a free agent at the end of next season, so he still has plenty of time to make a case to be brought back. But if the drought continues, the question will only get louder of when will the Red Wings come to a decision on the former top ten pick?

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