The Detroit Red Wings are one of the most storied franchises in NHL history.
They have won 11 Stanley Cups, the third-most of any NHL franchise and the most by any American NHL team.
Only the Montreal Canadiens (23) and Toronto Maple Leafs (13) have won more Stanley Cups than the Detroit Red Wings.
Despite their success, the Red Wings have struggled in recent years. They have not been to the playoffs since 2016.
Currently, the Red Wings are first in the Atlantic division, as teams have already played roughly 30 games. However, the standings are close, and Detroit will need to improve in certain areas.
Detroit Red Wings Need To Keep Up Offensive Performance
Detroit is 13th in goals per game and is knocking on the door of being top 10 in this category.
They are eighth in power play percentage.
The Red Wings are putting shots on the net, ranking fifth in shots per game.
Detroit’s offense has been good this season.
They are getting offensive contributions from their top two lines and defenceman Moritz Seider.
The first line for most games has been Emmitt Finnie, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond. The second line consists of Alex DeBrincat, Andrew Copp, and Patrick Kane. Here are how many points each player on the top two lines has, as well as Moritz Seider.
- Alex DeBrincat 34 points in 31 games played
- Dylan Larkin 33 points in 31 games played
- Lucas Raymond 33 points in 29 games played
- Moritz Seider 22 points in 31 games played
- Patrick Kane 21 points in 22 games played
- Andrew Copp 15 points in 31 games played
- Emmitt Finnie 14 points in 31 games played
Detroit has a good offense and will need a top-10 offense to have a good chance of breaking its playoff drought.
Goaltending Remains An Issue
Much like in recent years, goaltending remains an issue for the Red Wings.
Detroit does not have a bona fide starter. Instead, they are playing John Gibson and Cam Talbot at an even rate.
In 17 games played and started, John Gibson has a record of 8-7-1 with a 3.32 GAA and .884 SV%.
Cam Talbot has played in 16 games and started in 14. He has a record of 9-4-2 with a 3.01 GAA and .884 SV%.
Detroit ranks 25th in goals allowed per game.
The Red Wings rank 14th in shots allowed, so this is more on the netminders and not the defense. Detroit is not allowing a ton of shots on net.
Gibson and Talbot are both veteran goaltenders, and they will need to step it up for the Red Wings to have a good chance of making the playoffs.
Detroit Red Wings Favored To Trade For Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes is one of the best defencemen in the NHL.
He is a terrific playmaking defenceman and would tremendously boost the offense and defense for Detroit.
A stacked Red Wings offense would be even better if they were able to acquire Hughes.
This is a move Detroit should try to make. They have not made the playoffs since 2016 and need to take a big swing to improve.
Hughes is playing for a spiraling Vancouver Canucks team, but he still has 22 points in 25 games played. Hughes is tied for seventh in the league in assists with 20.
Having Hughes would also benefit Moritz Seider a ton. A combination of Hughes and Seider would give Detroit a lot of offensive upside among defencemen, to go along with a strong first two lines.
Adding Hughes would make the Red Wings an instant top-10 offense in the league.
Will The Detroit Red Wings Break Playoff Drought?
As it currently stands, the Detroit Red Wings have a decent chance to break their playoff drought. Detroit has a very good offense; however, goaltending remains a major issue.
Cam Talbot and John Gibson will need to improve to give the Red Wings a better chance of making the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
If Detroit can acquire a player like Quinn Hughes, this will greatly increase its chances of making the postseason. Adding Hughes would make the Red Wings an instant top-10 offense in the league, with the potential of being a top-five offense.
The Red Wings’ current chances of making the playoffs are decent. Acquiring a player like Quinn Hughes would significantly increase the chances of making the playoffs.
