What the Detroit Red Wings need to do to make the team a contender
What started as a promising 2023-24 regular season for the Detroit Red Wings turned into a disaster as the club fell down the Eastern Conference standings and failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The addition of future Hall of Fame winger Patrick Kane provided an offensive boost, as the 35-year-old scored 47 points in 50 games with the club. Lucas Raymond took a step forward in his third NHL season, recording a career-high 72 points, and blueliner Mo Seider produced another 40-point season in just his third campaign.
But the club just missed out on squeaking into the playoffs for the eighth straight season, and the team needs to both lock up their young stars, as well as bring in talent via free agency or trade in the off-season.
On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk look ahead to the Red Wings’ summer ahead and what their biggest needs are going into the 2024-25 campaign.
Tyler Yaremchuk: The Red Wings are an interesting group heading into the summer, as they only have six forwards under contract for next season, as both Lucas Raymond and Mo Seider are RFAs, so a couple of big contracts to tackle for General Manager Steve Yzerman.
Frank Seravalli: Huuuuge!
Tyler Yaremchuk: It’ll be interesting to see if they go with a bridge deal or a long-term contract.
Frank Seravalli: I think you have to go long term, try and buy as many years as you can.
Tyler Yaremchuk: Outside of that, they’re desperately trying to get into the playoffs. When you look at what Yzerman needs, I think they need a good top-six forward, and they probably need a really good top-two defender.
Frank Seravalli: They tried that with Kane last year, but I think it’s all about their defense. Simon Edvinsson is coming, all the scouting reports I’ve received have said they’ve been impressed with what they’ve seen.
But to me, they need more depth. They have Seider, they have Edvinsson, but they need at least three really good defensemen to get you into the playoffs. They got a lot of work to do.
