The Detroit Red Wings got off to a roaring start this offseason by landing goaltender John Gibson in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. The move promised to be the beginning of a huge summer that would set the tone for a return to the playoffs in 2025-26.
But then, the rest of the summer has been mostly crickets. The Red Wings have made some moves around the fringes, but nothing that would truly move the needle. The addition of James van Riemsdyk would have been a major move ten years ago.
The dumping of Vladimir Tarasenko for peanuts was another expected move. But the move didn’t yield anything in return beyond cap space.
While the forward group didn’t need a massive overhaul, the blue line leaves some question marks unaddressed. Mainly, Justin Holl and Ben Chiarot remain as unattended issues. That’s where the Red Wings could have used upgrades.
But such upgrades did not come. As a result, the Red Wings will be running it back with pretty much the same lineup. It’s almost as if Steve Yzerman believes that the only thing keeping the Red Wings from a playoff spot was a solid starting goaltender.
And yes, John Gibson is that. He’s a solid starting netminder. But his injury history over the last couple of seasons cast doubt over this overall effectiveness. If Gibson stays healthy, and the Red Wings play well in front of him, he could be a difference-maker.
But if the Red Wings don’t get their act together in front of Gibson, it won’t matter if he stands on his head every game. The Wings could fall woefully short for yet another season.
Yzerman betting on Red Wings’ prospect pipeline
It’s worth pointing out that Steve Yzerman does have a point in building his club organically. The mistakes he made in signing players like Holl, Chariot, Tarasenko, J.T. Compher, and Andrew Copp promise to be erased by the emergence of a healthy prospect pipeline.
For instance, Marco Kasper hit the scene last season, showing glimpses of becoming a bona fide second-line center.
Additionally, Albert Johansson and Simon Edvinsson look like the real deal. That bodes well as the Red Wings won’t have to compete with other teams across the league for high-end talent. The homegrown stable of future stars could give the Red Wings a decided advantage over other teams.
But there’s no telling how long that prospect pipeline will take to emerge as a core that can lead the Wings back to Stanley Cup contention. That’s the issue and that’s the reason why fans are growing impatient.
If the Red Wings get off to a subpar start, Steve Yzerman will be hard-pressed to make a major shakeup. He won’t be able to get the coach to fall on his sword this time. Yzerman will need to make a bold move to signal to fans and the organization that he’s serious about winning this season.
