The Grind Line: Red Wings’ Next Playoff Team

What’s The Grind Line? Apart from the once-famous line of Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, and either Joe Kocur or Darren McCarty, The Grind Line is also The Hockey Writers’ weekly column about the Detroit Red Wings. This week, Tony Wolak, Devin Little, Ian McNaughton, Patrick Brown, Peter Ploshehanski, and Ryan Guenter are the muckers who make up THW’s forechecking unit and sound off on Red Wings topics.

Detroit’s rebuild is on the upswing. But when can we start to see the fruits of their labor?

In this week’s edition of The Grind Line, The Hockey Writers’ Red Wings coverage makes their predictions for the next Red Wings postseason appearance – when we finally get some return on investment for watching a rebuilding team. 

Tony Wolak: 2022 Playoffs

I firmly believe the Red Wings are close to making the playoffs. It won’t be this coming season, though. However, 2021-22 could be an exciting one in Hockeytown if a few things pan out.

First, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond need to have NHL cameos this season (once their SHL campaigns wrap up). Giving them a taste of NHL action will go a long way in motivating the two to put in the necessary work over the summer to earn full-time roles next fall.

Second, the Red Wings need to select an NHL-ready player in the 2021 NHL Draft. Michigan’s Owen Power would be a fantastic choice, as would Carson Lambos and Brandt Clarke. More talent on the blue line is an absolute necessity, which brings me to my third and final requirement: Adding a difference-maker via free agency.

Yes, it’s time to spend big in the free agent market again. Dougie Hamilton, Taylor Hall, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could all test the open market this summer and the Red Wings have plenty of cap space to work with. Given the flat salary cap, contract offers could be depressed once again, giving the Red Wings an advantage over other teams. 

They’re not going to win the Stanley Cup, and the Red Wings are still very much in rebuilding mode, but if the stars align perfectly we could see a return to playoff hockey much sooner than anyone anticipated.  

Ryan Guenter: 2022 Playoffs

The Red Wings will return to the playoffs in 2022. By the time 2021-22 rolls around, the Wings will know what they have from their most recent offseason additions and can plan accordingly.

There’s also the group of young players including forwards Larkin, Bertuzzi, Mantha, Zadina, Raymond, Robby Fabbri, Michael Rasmussen, and Joe Veleno. The defensive group is still grooming, but is led by Filip Hronek and followed by Seider, Albert Johansson, Gustav Lindström, Dennis Cholowski, and Jared McIssac. Not all of these names will become impact players in the NHL but it is an exciting group of young prospects.

Lastly, the Red Wings are in a great financial position now and moving forward with several ‘dead’ contracts set to expire in 2021 (Henrik Zetterberg and Stephen Weiss). Yzerman can target a few areas of necessity given the fiscal flexibility. Two wish list list items in the next few seasons include a legitimate second-line center and goaltender. Oh, and a definitive captain (i.e., Larkin).

2022 – book it!

Peter Ploshehanski: 2023 Playoffs

I really want to be optimistic and say 2022, but I have to go with a year later and am cautiously going to say 2023. Several things will have to happen for Detroit to squeak in.

Stecher and Merrill will have to play well and be re-signed. These two along with Hronek will become veterans, ushering in and mentoring a new era of young defensemen in Detroit. Seider and Johansson will have to make the jump into the NHL but that does leave an open spot on the back end. Drafting Power, Lambos, or Clarke would add to an already strong defensive core as well.

In addition, Mantha needs to stay healthy and realize his full potential. Zadina also needs to be a 60-70-point per year player. These two guys can really take some of the pressure off of Larkin who has been spread almost paper thin these last two seasons. We also need Raymond to be the player that scouts and experts advertised him as.

Lastly, we need a goalie. I could see the Wings riding Bernier off into the sunset until one of Keith Petruzzelli, Filip Larsson, or Victor Brattstrom realizes their potential. Bernier is only 32 years old and he seemed to be the only bright spot on the team last year. If the things I mentioned do happen, I think Red Wings fans will be pleasantly surprised in 2023.

More from The Grind Line

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