Breaking down what could've happened to the Detroit Red Wings if Pavel Datsyuk didn't leave the NHL back in 2016 One of the Detroit Red Wings greatest star players was the "Magician" Pavel Datsyuk, who dazzled the hockey world with his elite puck handling and deking skills while also working as a stellar puck distributor and one of the best two-way forwards of his generation. It was a sad day back in 2016, when Datsyuk decided to leave North America to go back home and play in the KHL with Russian club SKA St. Petersburg. The Russian winger was still a solid player when leaving as he finished his last NHL season with 16 goals and 33 assists for 49 points through 66 games. His 0.74 point-per-game average was still best on the Red Wings at the time and was top 55 in the NHL. The Red Wings were a competitive team with a 41-30-11 record that was good enough to make the first round. They were eventually downed in five games by the Tampa Bay Lightning due to their poor offence that finished bottom eight in the NHL during the regular season. Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/] team site to stay connected to the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/game-day]coverage, and player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players]. It didn't help when the following season, they'd lose their best offensive weapon. From there, the Red Wings would go on to not make the playoffs again. It begs the question of if they still had Datsyuk, who would've entered that season at 38 years old, would they have been competitive again? World Junior Summer Showcase Day 1: Red Wings' Whipple Faces Challenges Versus Sweden, Plante Doesn't Dress [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3e0a9c68-7529-43c9-9865-eb47de0c1803.webp] World Junior Summer Showcase Day 1: Red Wings' Whipple Faces Challenges Versus Sweden, Plante Doesn't Dress USA Hockey's World Junior Summer Showcase kicked off Sunday with a pair of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit </a>prospects involved. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/world-junior-summer-showcase-day-1-red-wings-whipple-lacks-versus-sweden-plante-doesn-t-dress] It's hard to say as in his older age, Datsyuk was starting to experience more injuries. He played only 174 out of a possible 246 regular-season games during his final three seasons, missing 72 games, which is nearly the equivalent of an entire season. Then again, Datsyuk would go on to put up 34 points through 44 KHL games during the 2016-17 season. This could've translated in a rough estimate to potentially 30-40 points through 60 or more NHL games depending on if there's more injuries. There's potential that he could've made a subtle impact in this minimized role. However, the Red Wings had experienced a fall in the standings down to a 33-36-13 record in the 2016-17 season that maybe could've looked closer to .500 with Datsyuk's presence in the lineup. This certainly wouldn't have been enough points to make up the 16-point gap between Detroit and the closest playoff spot occupied by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The most likely outcome would've been we see the Red Wings have a more subtle fall out of being a perennial contender like we've seen recently with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Like with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Red Wings stars in Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg were passed their prime years and likely wouldn't have garnered much success further than what we got. Red Wings' Marco Kasper Thrills With Famed "Michigan" Goal In Summer Play [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c7f43304-230c-457e-b2e3-ea59a6b156da.webp] Red Wings' Marco Kasper Thrills With Famed "Michigan" Goal In Summer Play The skill of Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper was on full display for most of last season, starting with his late October call up from the American Hockey League. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/players/red-wings-marco-kasper-thrills-with-famed-michigan-goal-in-summer-play] Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwnuDfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] favorites!
