After 11 games, the Detroit Red Wings are 5-5-1. This isn’t the start they wanted, but it could have been a lot worse. Now, after a few days off, they’re ready to go.
Since Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, I’ve been jotting down notes on the team – some good, some bad. Overall, there’s opportunity – opportunity to improve, capitalize on strengths, and move forward positively. Let’s take a look.
Emptying the Red Wings Notebook
1. The Red Wings got good value in the Olli Maatta trade. They also freed up $3 million in cap space. Ideally, Steve Yzerman continues to be active in the trade market to see what else is out there. The players currently constituting Detroit’s bottom six have only accounted for five goals this season – this may be an area to upgrade.
2. Another area to monitor: Detroit’s defensemen not named Moritz Seider or Simon Edvinsson. The Red Wings just haven’t gotten enough from any of these blueliners in any facet of the game. There’s not a lot Yzerman can do right now, but I would expect continual tweaking of the defensive pairs until something clicks.
3. If things continue to trend this way, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect “major surgery” on Detroit’s blue line this summer.
4. On the flip side, Edvinsson and Seider have been outstanding. They’re playing the most difficult minutes of any pair in the NHL and are doing well, all things considered. Perhaps Derek Lalonde can increase their ice time to closer to 25 minutes per game.
Simon Edvinsson-Moritz Seider appreciation post. Toughest minutes in the NHL *and* doing a solid enough job (via @PuckIQ). @FlyingOctoPod #LGRW pic.twitter.com/S9ZnD8gm2O
— Tony Wolak (@TonyWolak) November 4, 2024
5. On top of facing elite competition every night, Edvinsson and Seider sport a positive shot share and expected goals percentage as a defensive pair – on a team that is consistently dominated in these categories, no less. That’s truly impressive.
6. Getting back to shots against, opponents have outshot the Red Wings in nine of their 11 contests so far. While shots aren’t what wins games, this is still concerning. Detroit needs to tip the ice back the other direction.
7. Further, the Red Wings have struggled to generate offense while trailing. Their shot attempts for and high-danger chances for (both per 60) rank 31st and 32nd in the league, respectively. If you can’t muster quality opportunities while you’re trying to mount a comeback, that’s a problem.
8. Some good news: Detroit finally caught a break in their schedule. They played Winnipeg on Halloween, then faced the Sabres on Saturday, and now have the Blackhawks on Wednesday this week. That’s five off-days to practice, make strategy adjustments, and recover from injuries and the flu bug that’s been going around. I’m curious to see how they respond with three games in four nights starting with the Chicago game.
9. Cy Young watch is on for Dylan Larkin. Detroit’s captain has seven goals and one assist so far. Look out, Tarik Skubal.
10. Now that he’s healthy, the Red Wings need to get Vladimir Tarasenko going. The veteran has two goals and an assist this season. He wasn’t expected to light up the scoresheet in Detroit, but 20 goals and 50 points is a reasonable ask. He’s not trending that way.
Related: Red Wings’ Scoring Projections for 2024-25
11. The power play may be a good avenue to spark Tarasenko. In fact, PP2 in its entirety needs a spark. Those currently on PP2—Tarasenko, Jonatan Berggren, J.T. Compher, Marco Kasper, and Erik Gustafsson—have combined for exactly zero power play goals thus far.
12. PP1 has been doing great lately, so there’s that.
Red Wings are 6/15 – 40% – on the PP since I dropped this. Top 5 in the NHL. 💅🏻 #LGRW https://t.co/9WDl5avoaF
— Tony Wolak (@TonyWolak) November 3, 2024
Final Word
With time off to recover, the Red Wings have a prime opportunity to make up ground in the standings. A good test will be their back-to-back contests against the Maple Leafs and Rangers Friday and Saturday. Those two teams have been among the best in the league this season.
To do this, the Red Wings need to execute their game plan better than they have at any point this season. They also need more from their penalty kill and offense in general. They have the talent and experience to do so – it’s up to them to make it happen. If not, changes could be coming.
Data courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and NHL.com.
