Did the Red Wings Actually Get Worse This Offseason?

The Red Wings needed to take a step forward after missing the playoffs for the 10th straight season, but did they?

Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Detroit Red Wings should have entered the offseason with a clear objective. Get better. It is getting harder and harder to argue that they accomplished that goal.

Detroit finished 41-31-10 last season and posted its best points percentage since Steve Yzerman took over, but it wasn’t enough, yet again. It has been 10 long years since the Red Wings have skated on postseason ice.

What followed that disappointment? Well, not exactly what many expected.

Patrick Kane left. James van Riemsdyk has not re-signed. Then came the gut punch. Dylan Larkin requested a trade and wants out, at least for now.

The biggest offseason additions were Viktor Arvidsson and Keegan Kolesar. Daniil Tarasov replaced Cam Talbot behind John Gibson.

Now, training camp is just days away, and there are still monumental questions surrounding the team. One very uncomfortable one, but certainly worth asking, looms.

Did the Red Wings actually get worse?

Detroit’s Offense Needs Help

Viktor Arvidsson Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If there is a clear area on this roster that possibly took a step in the wrong direction, it is up front.

The Red Wings were exactly good offensively last season to begin with. They averaged 2.91 goals per game, which was ranked just 22nd in the NHL. Their 142 goal when 5-on-5 was even worse - 30th.

So, looking back, you would think they would try to improve, but it appears they lost production.

Kane recorded 16 goals and 57 points over 67 games last season. Van Riemsdyk added 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games for the organization. David Perron, who came at the trade deadline, has also departed.

With all that said, Detroit did make one important addition.

Arvidsson is coming off an impressive bounce-back season with Boston, where he scored 25 goals and 54 points over 69 games. Possibly even more impactful for the Red Wings is that 45 of those points came at even strength, a clear weakness on this team.

So, to be clear, replacing Kane with Arvidsson isn’t necessarily a downgrade.

Looking at the big picture though, the problem is clear. Detroit didn’t just lose Kane.

No other major offensive addition was made to replace those that were lost. That puts an incredible amount of pressure on players already on this team to provide it, and the proof just isn’t there.

Marco Kasper needs to bounce back this year after only scoring nine goals last season. Emmitt Finnie will have to set up. Then younger players like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Nate Danielson and others are going to have to assume larger roles.

The situation isn’t hopeless. There are ways that Detroit can improve. They just took the hard road again.

Relying on players they already have and hoping big things happen seems to be the route.

Red Wings Addressed One Weakness

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One way to improve is to become harder to play against. Last year, the team ranked 29th in the NHL with 1,480 hits. Kolesar should directly impact that stat.

He helped Vegas last year by recording 270 hits which was the seventh-most in the NHL. He’s certainly not going to transform the offense, but that’s not why the Red Wings acquired him.

He will give the bottom six a different identity and should provide a physical presence on the ice that Detroit is clearly lacking.

The defense has the potential to be better without making any significant offseason additions.

Moritz Seider is coming off what could be his best NHL season where he had a career high 10 goals, 50 assists and 60 points.

Simon Edvinsson has established himself as a major part of the blue line. Of course, this is assuming that Detroit will finally step up and get him under contract again.

Justin Faulk isn’t necessarily an offseason addition, as he arrived during the trade deadline, but now Detroit will have the advantage of having him all year.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka should also improve as he has logged another NHL season.

While it might not look like it on paper, there is an argument that even with no dramatic changes, the defensive group could be stronger.

Goaltending Likely a Wash

Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

How much can Detroit get from John Gibson?

He finished last season 29-22-4 with a .901 save percentage and four shutouts. Honestly, he was a major contributor to the fact that the Red Wings stayed in playoff position all year.

Talbot finished with an .833 save percentage and then became a free agent after the season.

Detroit replaced him with Tarasov, who finished last year in Florida with a .895 save percentage in 33 games.

So, that doesn’t make them better in net, but it also doesn’t look like a downgrade.

A healthy Gibson offers the Red Wings enough goaltending to compete.

Did Detroit Improve Enough?

Coming back to our original question. Did the Red Wings get worse? Probably not.

There’s not much of an argument though that they got significantly better, either. So, what that leaves is the fact that the team might have avoided regression.

So what.

This is a team that has missed the playoffs for 10 years. Consecutive years. That’s the longest-running drought currently in the NHL.

Just because we can’t effectively argue that they didn’t get worse should not give anyone comfort.