Detroit Red Wings Migration From Relevance and Into the Abyss
After the departure of Nicklas Lidstrom, the Detroit Red Wings haven’t been the same. An aging core and a playoff streak that spans a quarter century, the pressure to remain competitive is necessary. Failure to supplant the aging talent on the team has put them in a precarious spot has seen the quality of play diminish in the Motor City.
The Detroit Red Wings, for two decades, have been the model of success. Four different Stanley Cup banners have been raised to the rafters of Joe Louis Arena since 1997. The list of Hall of Fame talent that’s been a part of the Red Wings family is impressive. The accolades, from those around the NHL, have given Detroit a mindset only few teams can claim.
San Antonio Spurs, New England Patriots, Manchester United, and the Detroit Red Wings. All these teams know they can win, others teams think they can win. The elite teams operate with the mindset that victory, on the big stage, is a personality rather than a feeling.
Being good, for as long as Detroit has, is due to the solid foundation with which everything is done. Since 1992, the Red Wings haven’t had a top 10 pick at the NHL Entry draft. They’ve drafted and developed players extremely well
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But, all good things must come to an end.
Detroit isn’t finding Hall of Fame players anymore.
Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha look to be bona fide snipers in the league. But questions persist about Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar leading the Red Wings forward.
If you close your eyes and think about the Red Wings, I’m sure the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will stand out.
Detroit has good players who have yet to create an identity for themselves. The young core is linked to an identity of the past. They’re linked to a history that precedes some of their births.
The supporting pieces they sign during free agency aren’t making the necessary difference. Steve Ott and Stephen Weiss were never going to be the answer.
PATH FORWARD
In order for Detroit to rise, once again, to prominence, a detachment from history is the first order of business. The past is a nice place to visit, but you shouldn’t live there. There has got to be a shift away from the current veterans. The young players need to be the catalysts for offense, the veterans have to be the supporting cast. A reversal of roles.
The Detroit Red Wings know the structure of the puzzle, they need to look at their pieces a bit differently to solve it.
