DETROIT RED WINGS 2020-21 SEASON PREVIEW
The 2019-20 NHL season was one to forget for the Detroit Red Wings. In a season shortened by the Covid-19 virus, the Red Wings managed only 17 wins, and 39 points, finishing dead last in the NHL. Even worse, they fell to the 4th pick in the Draft, selecting Lucas Raymond, a forward from the Frolunda Indians. General Manager Steve Yzerman was determined to improve the team through free agency, without handcuffing the team with bad contracts like his predecessor had done.
After originally announcing that head coach Jeff Blashill would return for the 2020-21 season, Yzerman reversed course, and fired the coach, instead turning to an unproven coach in Kyle Dutcher. "We felt we needed a change. For whatever reason, Blash wasn't getting everything out of the players, so we needed to go in a different direction. Kyle will be strict, tough, but fair." said Yzerman. When asked how he would treat the players, Dutcher responded only with this memorable quote. "The name on the back of the jersey doesn't matter. That symbol on the front, that Winged Wheel.....THAT is what matters. I don't care who you are, what your name is, if you aren't producing, aren't working hard, you aren't going to play."
In the offseason, the Red Wings first bought out the contract of Justin Abdelkader. Then, in free agency, Yzerman added Defensemen Jon Merrill, and Troy Stecher. A pair of not flashy, but very good defensemen. Detroit also added winger Bobby Ryan. Ryan only had 5 goals last season in 24 games with the Ottawa Senators, but he is just the low risk, high reward player Yzerman was looking for. Before last season, Ryan had had double digit goal totals in the previous 11 seasons.
Detroit also added center/winger Vladislav Namestnikov, who had a combined 17 goals and 31 points in 65 games between Ottawa, Colorado, and the Rangers. He will bring depth on the second/third line.
Perhaps the biggest need for the Red Wings was goaltender. Jonathan Bernier was very good playing behind Detroit's porous defense last year, but Jimmy Howard was awful, and was not brought back. Instead, Yzerman signed Thomas Greiss away from the New York Islanders. Greiss was 17-9-4 as a back up in New York, and he is expected to challenge Bernier for the #1 spot in Detroit. Said Dutcher of the goaltending situation..."They are both gonna play. If they both play well, they will both keep playing, but if one of them steps up, they will get the majority of the workload"
Detroit returns it's top line of Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, and Tyler Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi is coming off back to back 21 goal seasons. Larkin's goal total dropped from 32 to 19 last season, and his point total dropped by 20. Mantha got off to a hot start, then promptly got injured for the second straight season. Still, he managed 16 goals and 38 points in 43 games.
Robby Fabbri,was picked up on waivers from St. Louis after a couple poor seasons, and a horrible start last season. He rebounded, scoring 14 goals and adding 17 assists in 52 games with the Wings. He will center the second line, likely with Bobby Ryan, and Filip Zadina. The Wings are looking for big things from the former 4th overall pick in Zadina. He scored 8 goals in 28 games last season, before being injured and missing quite a bit of time.
The rest of the roster is filled with role players for the most part. Still, the Wings should be able to roll out two pretty good lines, and should be much improved on defense, and between the pipes, making the playoffs a possibility.
| Detroit Red Wings Depth Chart - 2020-21 | ||||
| STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
| LW | Tyler Bertuzzi | Filip Zadina | Vladislav Namestnikov | Darren Helm |
| C | Dylan Larkin | Robby Fabbri | Valtteri Filppula | Frans Nielsen |
| RW | Anthony Mantha | Bobby Ryan | Sam Gagner | Luke Glendening |
| D #1 | Jon Merrill | Danny DeKeyser | Marc Staal | |
| D #2 | Filip Hronek | Troy Stecher | Patrik Nemeth | |
| G | Thomas Greiss | Jonathan Bernier | ||
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