The Detroit Red Wings reached the midway point in their season on Thursday. Detroit fell in overtime to the red-hot Edmonton Oilers by a score of 3-2. And now, we can take a broader look at this team. The Red Wings find themselves in the midst of a playoff push, but there are a lot of questions to be answered.
On some nights, Detroit looks like a legitimate playoff contender. They play like a team ready to finally return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after seven long years away. However, on other nights, they look like a team that is simply lost on the ice.
With one half of the season in the books, here is a review of the first 41 games. Here are the midseason grades for the Detroit Red Wings at the midway point of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Offense grade: A-
Offensively, the Red Wings are one of the best teams in the league. In fact, they are top 10 in goals for per game. Furthermore, no team in the Eastern Conference has scored more this season than Detroit. They can score with the best teams in the NHL, no question.
It's not hard to see why, either. Detroit made a big trade for winger Alex DeBrincat in the offseason. And to this point, he has delivered for the Winged Wheel. The Michigan native has 17 goals and 38 points through 41 games in his debut season with the team.
The Red Wings have received other major contributions from Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Raymond, in particular, has proven promising this year. The 21-year-old has looked the part of a top-six forward ahead of restricted free agency this summer. This performance certainly makes those upcoming contract negotiations more interesting.
I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention the addition of Patrick Kane, as well. The future Hall of Famer joined the Red Wings back in early December. And while the team fell off, “Showtime” thrived. To this date, the 35-year-old has six goals and 14 points in 17 games. It's a promising sign for a player coming off a historically devastating hip resurfacing surgery.
Detroit's offense receives an A grade because it's the reason they are where they are. When Detroit's offense clicks, they are one of the toughest teams in the league to beat. If they make the playoffs, the offense will be the major driving factor in getting them there.
Defense and goaltending: C-
For the Red Wings, I am lumping the team's defense and goaltending together because the grade is the same. While Detroit's offense is thriving, its goaltending and defense are not. The Red Wings get a C- in these departments, though it arguably could be a lower grade.
Defensively, the team look out of sync on most nights. Detroit makes major mistakes in their own end that wind up costing them games. Furthermore, some of their best defensemen put in some rather questionable efforts from time to time. It leads to high-danger scoring chances, which more often than not leads to goals.
In goal, it isn't much better. Ville Husso and James Reimer have struggled mightily for big stretches. They have been extremely inconsistent this season. Reimer, in particular, struggled during the team's brutal month of December. In any case, both have allowed some really bad goals this season.
Detroit's saving grace in goal has been journeyman Alex Lyon. Lyon signed with the Red Wings in the summer after a promising stint with the Florida Panthers. And he has thrived in Hockeytown, playing to a .922 save percentage. Lyon has established himself as the team's number one starter this year.
Detroit's defense and goaltending have buried them in 2023-24. The Red Wings would be in a much better position with average goaltending and defense. However, they have failed to even cross that bar at times this season. As a result, they get a C- grade through the first 41 games.
Final thoughts
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the best offensive teams in the NHL. However, they struggle in their own end and with keeping the puck out of the net. This team truly lives and dies by their offense. In fact, their win against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday was their first victory in which they scored three or fewer goals.
If Detroit has any designs on making the playoffs, they need to tighten up defensively and in goal. They can't continue to rely on out-scoring and out-skilling opposing teams. Continuing to rely on offense will result in an eighth consecutive season without playoff hockey in Hockeytown for the Winged Wheel.
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