Despite the horrific, bad, to worse, to terrible 2024-25 campaign from the Red Wings, there’s no denying how good their core is. And this article, even if it’s every bit as harsh in tone as some of the others I’ve written that have just criticized this team lately, isn’t about them.
Give that core proper guidance with another seasoned veteran or two who can perform well regularly, and you’ll see a much better team on the ice in 2025-26. That means the playoff drought shouldn’t hit the one-decade mark. But, general manager Steve Yzerman must do his due diligence and acknowledge the fact that he shouldn’t like his team as-is.
So, there are two players on this roster who need to go to the wayside, where fans can forget they ever wore the winged wheel. At least two, really. But let’s talk about the worst of the worst and why I’d like to see them playing for a rebuilding team next season.
Vladimir Tarasenko
No, Vladimir Tarasenko probably wouldn’t want to deal with a full-on rebuild. I can see him going to a team that may need one more winger, preferably a veteran, who can guide them. And yep, in case you didn’t already figure it out, I’m talking about the St. Louis Blues. Big surprise, right?
Anyway, the Vladimir Tarasenko experience in Hockeytown must end the second Steve Yzerman sees a chance to move him. Tarasenko is eighth in points on the team as the year winds down, having snagged 31 in 77 games. But he’s got just 10 goals and a 7.8 shooting percentage to boast.
Yeah, that’s not what Yzerman was thinking when he brought the seasoned veteran into Hockeytown. In fact, I wouldn’t even mind seeing Tarasenko go elsewhere just so Yzerman can make room for another prospect getting ready to rise through the ranks while picking up a reliable veteran.
Erik Gustafsson
Wow, this one was a disaster. While I never seriously saw Erik Gustafsson as Shayne Gostisbehere’s replacement, I expected more serviceable play from someone who could act as a stopgap. Unfortunately, Gustafsson couldn’t even do that.
Fast-forward 60 games, and he’s got two goals and 18 points on the season, a far cry from the two-way potential he’s shown in the past. It’s also pretty bad when you have the worst rating on the team at minus-19 while having played in fewer games than most of your teammates. Oh, and for the record, Tarasenko has the second-worst rating at minus-16.
Overall, it was nothing short of an awful showing from Gustafsson, who looked lost half the time when he was on the ice. These are a pair of players nobody in the Red Wings fandom will miss once Steve Yzerman makes the right move and cuts ties with them.
As to where Gustafsson could end up, it’ll surely be with the next team in a full-on rebuild. There isn’t a contender out there who would want to deal with him following what was an ultra-lackluster year.
