Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
After a terrible start to the current NHL regular season, the Detroit Red Wings have pushed their way back into playoff contention with an outstanding stretch of victories. Since the Red Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde and replaced him with veteran bench boss Todd McLellan on Dec. 26, they’ve gone 8-2-0, and they now sit three standings points behind the Boston Bruins for the second Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
There’s no question it’s been an impressive run, and because of it, Detroit is now relevant again. But, before anyone gets carried away thinking the Wings are going to continue rampaging their way up the ranks of the Atlantic Division, we need to examine the immediate road that’s ahead for Detroit and guesstimate whether they’ll be able to edge out a slew of teams currently battling them for a wild-card spot.
To be sure, the Red Wings’ upcoming schedule ought to temper expectations for them. In their next 12 games, Detroit will be taking on many above-average teams in direct competition for playoff spots, including the Tampa Bay Lightning three times, Dallas, Philadelphia, Montreal, Los Angeles, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle and Minnesota.
Out of those dozen games, there aren’t many ‘gimme’ games the Red Wings clearly should win – the Flyers and Kraken, maybe, but other than that, the Wings will be taking on talented and determined opponents. And seven of those 12 games will be road games, which is concerning given Detroit’s unimpressive 9-8-2 road record thus far this year.
All this is to say the Wings’ road ahead will be especially difficult to navigate. And now that a playoff spot is within reach, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman needs to be a buyer at or before the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline. The Red Wings are projected to have approximately $9.15 million in salary cap space by the deadline, That’s more than enough to address their issues. And those issues include a defense corps that is hardly one of the league’s most imposing groups.
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Would Yzerman be willing to spend that cap space on a veteran defenseman rental like Montreal’s David Savard? That’s an intriguing proposition. The Canadiens are aiming to secure a playoff spot for themselves, so Savard may not be available. But, there are other options for the…