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The Detroit Red Wings made major moves in NHL Free Agency to take a step forward. These moves were different from the big splashes for the likes of J.T. Compher in years previous. But signing Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract and pairing him with Patrick Kane is something that fans can get excited about. Even if Tarasenko and Kane's best days are behind them.
It made sense why the Red Wings made the moves they made, as well. Detroit made their initial splashes to make the roster more competitive on the ice while the prospects developed in the minors. It worked, as the Winged Wheel came within a point of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, it's time to add veterans to fortify the roster and give the kids a chance to break through.
Unfortunately, the good vibes from last season are now where to be found. The Red Wings are 9-10-2 entering their Wednesday night matchup with the Calgary Flames at Little Caesars Arena. Only the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens have fewer points in the Atlantic Division at this time. The Red Wings are more on track for a top-10 draft pick than they are a playoff spot.
There is some belief in Detroit's ability to turn things around. After all, they did it last season after a brutal run of form in November and December. However, fans should not expect a repeat performance in 2024-25. Here are two reasons for Red Wings fans to be concerned about the team during the 2024-25 season.
Red Wings are horrific offensively at 5v5
One of the biggest disappointments for the Red Wings in 2024-25 was their offense at 5v5. Detroit has shown a near inability to score a goal when each team is at full strength. In fact, it seems as if the Winged Wheel struggles to simply put the puck on the net.
The Red Wings have the worst Goals For Per 60 Minutes at 5v5 (1.61) in the Eastern Conference, according to Evolving Hockey. In fact, only the Nashville Predators are worse at scoring goals at full strength. This is not an extreme underperformance, either. Detroit has the worst Expected Goals For Per 60 Minutes at 5v5 (2.05) in the entire NHL.
Looking further into the matter paints an even bleaker picture. The Red Wings are shooting 6% at 5v5 with 28 goals on 407 shots, according to Evolving Hockey. This puts them on pace to score just 106 goals at full strength in 2024-25. For comparison purposes, they scored 175 goals at 5v5 last year. If they continue on their pace in 2024-25, it will be Detroit's lowest amount of goals at 5v5 in a scheduled 82-game season since 2019-20.
This is not entirely surprising once you examine who has scored for the team this year. Dylan Larkin leads Detroit with 12 goals to this point. Behind him is Alex DeBrincat with eight goals and Lucas Raymond with five. Raymond is heating up, but overall, the scoring depth is not here for Detroit in 2024-25.
Patrick Kane has three goals through the first 20 games of the season and is currently hurt. Vladimir Tarasenko, meanwhile, has just two goals on the year after entering the season with some expectation. The big signings have also not panned out as initially envisioned.
The Red Wings might be able to find a second gear and score more goals. But finding a second gear when starting at absolute zero is still not good enough for this team to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Major changes are needed if they want to truly spark their offense at full strength.
Detroit has limited flexibility to make needed changes
The Red Wings need to make major changes to their roster. Unfortunately, they don't have a ton of flexibility at this time. The Winged Wheel has $3.11 million in cap space at this point, according to PuckPedia. Detroit created some space thanks to the Olli Maatta trade earlier in the year.
However, it's unlikely the Red Wings are going to be able to make a similar move. Maatta was a trade candidate for a couple reasons. He entered the season on an expiring contract. And his $3 million cap hit was easy for a team like the Utah Hockey Club to stomach.
Other players are making lofty salaries for Detroit this year. It's not a lack of big contracts that creates a limitation on their ability to make change, though it certainly doesn't help. What causes the limitation is the number of bad contracts.
J.T. Compher joined the Red Wings as a potential top-six center. However, he is now Detroit's fourth-line center. Additionally, names like Andrew Copp, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot, and Ville Husso have not played up to the salaries they are making.
The Red Wings need a jolt in the arm, but it's difficult to make the sort of move they need. General manager Steve Yzerman is no shrinking violet, to be fair. But it's going to be tough for him to spark the team given the way he has constructed the roster.
