The Detroit Red Wings are gearing up for a pivotal offseason this summer. Detroit kept themselves in contention down the stretch but couldn't get the help they needed to make the postseason. The Red Wings haven't made the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons. The first rumor of the offseason for the Red Wings — could they trade one of their goaltenders?
ESPN's Ryan Clark and Kristen Shilton posit the theory in their offseason keys for every NHL team article. The logic is pretty simple — defense and goaltending were huge issues for Detroit this season. Therefore, it can't hurt to make a change.
Detroit's projected top goalie, Ville Husso, did not have a good season and was replaced with a tandem of Alex Lyon and James Reimer. Husso only has one year left on his deal ($4.75 million), as does Lydon ($900,000). Clark and Shilton posit that it could make some sense to try and move Husso and pair someone else with Lyon.
Husso was an All-Star with the St. Louis Blue in 2021-22. However, he did not perform as expected the past few years in Detroit. In 75 games played, he has logged an 0.895% save percentage, 3.22 average goals against, and four shutouts. The Red Wings' record in those 75 games was 35-27-9.
Defenseman Justin Holl is another sore spot for the Red Wings. He signed a three-year, $10.2 million contract with Detroit last summer. He has seriously disappointed.
The Red Wings had one of the NHL's leakier defenses, allowing 3.32 goals per game (9th worst). Head coach Derek Lalonde needs to find ways to improve in this area next season, or Detroit won't fare any better.
How will the Detroit Red Wings approach the offseason?
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has a lot of work to do this offseason.
The first step will be deciding what to do with the players in Detroit's farm system. Yzerman didn't make a move at the trade deadline in part because he has faith in Detroit's young prospects. There are several players who the Red Wings could elevate next season. However, the bigger decision could be who to cut.
The Red Wings also need to make decisions on several UFAs, including Patrick Kane, David Perron, and Shayne Gostisbehere. All three contributed in established roles, but there isn't any guarantee that Detroit will keep these players over younger players from the farm system.
Regardless of where the skaters come from, Detroit needs to make some serious investments in both defense and goaltending.
Looking forward to the 2024-25 season, Detroit should have the talent to be a playoff team. If the Red Wings can learn from this season's mistakes — and follow through on reinforcing their weaknesses this offseason — then they should land squarely in the playoff mix next season.
Considering how close the Red Wings got to the playoffs this season, it may be time to shift into a win-now mentality. Yzerman would be wise to focus on constructing a roster with the goal of making the playoffs in the 2024-25 season.
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