DETROIT – Saturday marks the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the NHL, and for the eighth consecutive season, the Detroit Red Wings will not be participating.
However, if you were to ask any of the players, they would tell you the last two months’ worth of games felt like win-or-go-home situations.
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“I am pretty sure at some point I asked for meaningful games in April, and we got that,” said captain Dylan Larkin during his end-of-year press conference on Thursday. “I would have loved to have that opportunity to be in the playoffs, but we got to keep building this thing to get there and then stay there.”
The Red Wings definitely improved in 2024, winning six more contests and collecting 11 more points than the previous year.
Larkin, who just completed his ninth season with Detroit, is right, however. If the team wants to continue to put itself in the position it was in this past week and potentially play more than its allotted 82 games, it must make some upgrades.
In steps General Manager Steve Yzerman, who spoke to the media on Friday (April 19), which also happened to be the five-year anniversary of his joining the Red Wings front office.
“Whoever is here, we have to improve,” said Yzerman. “I thought we took steps this year and at times were good, and as we all saw at times, we had some tough stretches.”
Yzerman was most likely referring to the seven-game losing streak the team went through in early March, which took them from a wild card spot to the outside looking in.
It’s now his time to shine as free agency fast approaches.
With multiple players due for new contracts, the Red Wings front office must make many tough decisions regarding who to keep on the roster to ensure consistency next season.
Patrick Kane
As soon as it was announced that Patrick Kane would be joining the Red Wings in early December, a fire was lit under the team and its fanbase. Twenty goals and 27 assists later, the veteran has set aside all doubt about the hip injury that hampered him for much of the 2023 campaign.
Shouldn’t signing Kane to a new, longer-term contract be a no-brainer?
As always, it takes two to tango, and the forward was very vague when answering questions about his future in Detroit.
“It was fun to be around the group, it was fun to be a Wing and in this organization, and I’ll definitely have some memories that will last me a lifetime,” said Kane.
The key word in that quote from Kane this week is “Was.” It definitely sounds like he has played his last game with the winged wheel on his chest, but the interest in getting a deal done from the Red Wings side has to be immense, considering all that he did for them this season.
In just 50 outings, Kane had the fourth most goals on the team, the sixth most points, and the most game-winning goals with seven. The 35-year-old also had 13 games in which he logged multiple points.
Suppose the Red Wings want to retain such a premier player that they know will be a staple on the first or second line, steady the power play unit, and average around a point a game.
In that case, they will likely have to pay Kane an annual salary of more than the $2.75 million he earned this season.
David Perron
Unlike Kane, David Perron sounds like someone who would be more than happy to remain in Detroit.
“The city in general, I think for me, my family really enjoys it here,” said Perron. “There is no reason at this point to think about anywhere else. I hope it works out.”
Also, unlike Kane, Perron’s numbers dipped this year and continue to descend as he turns 36 in May. He was a mainstay on the first power play unit for much of his two seasons in Detroit.
Head coach Derek Lalonde praised him for attempting to spark hope in the locker room about going on winning streaks to keep postseason aspirations alive.
Perron’s future with the Red Wings will depend on the price of a potential new contract and whether the front office prioritizes keeping veterans instead of making room for younger players to push for roster spots come training camp.
Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider
Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are grouped together because they are both unrestricted free agents this summer, as their rookie contracts are near the end of their validity.
The two of them can be paired in more ways than one. They made their Red Wings debut together, have worked up to the top forward line and defensive pairing, respectively, and are set up nicely to receive well-deserved raises this summer.
“In the end, it’s a business, but I think I am confident to say I’ll be a Red Wing next year,” said Seider, who played in all 82 games for a third consecutive season.
The 23-year-old German has established himself as one of the best young defensemen in the NHL and will only get better from here.
The offensive numbers don’t jump off the page for Seider (nine goals, 33 assists), but the defensive stats do, as he finished second in the entire league this season in blocked shots, including a career-high 10 in a win over the Sabres on April 7.
Raymond was the talk of the league in the final 10 days of the regular season.
The one they call “Razor” went off in the month of April, racking up 12 points in eight games, featuring his second career hat trick on April 11 against the Penguins.
“I love this team, I love this city, and I want to be here,” Raymond said in his exit interview.
The prime of his career may have started during the Red Wings push for the playoffs, and it would be in Yzerman’s best interest to ensure that it continues while wearing red and white.
Raymond ended up beating out Larkin for most points on the team this season with 72, and in a few months’ time, he may have a contract similar to that of his captain.