The Detroit Red Wings are off to their best start in several seasons. The Wings sit in second place in the Atlantic Division, two points off the lead with a game in hand.
Despite the strong start, the Red Wings can’t seem to catch a break with injuries. After losing Lucas Raymond for a short while, the next player to go down was veteran scorer Patrick Kane.
Kane sustained an upper-body injury during the overtime period of the October 17 matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning and has not played since. The 36-year-old was on a tear, scoring two goals and five points in his first five games of the season.
Since then, Kane has yet to play. According to PuckPedia, Kane will not play in the Red Wings’ next contest against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. While there has been some progress in his recovery, he likely won’t be playing any time soon.
The Red Wings are getting set to begin a five-game West Coast swing, in which there could be some hope that Kane might join the team at some point. PuckPedia estimates that Kane could be in the lineup as soon as November 4. Nevertheless, there’s no firm timeline.
Judging from the spill Kane took in that game against Tampa, he could be dealing with a shoulder issue. Given that the Red Wings are playing well overall, the team won’t be looking to rush Kane back into the lineup.
Red Wings Getting Huge Boost from Appleton
The Red Wings didn’t cause much of a wave when they signed Mason Appleton over the summer. The signing largely flew under the radar, with few predicting that Appleton would have the impact he’s had for the team.
But Appleton has become a highly valuable piece for the Red Wings this season. While he was earmarked for a bottom-six role, Appleton shot up the depth chart when the club lost Raymond earlier this season. He scored a game-winner against the Toronto Maple Leafs, showing good chemistry with Dylan Larkin and Emmitt Finnie.
Upon Raymond’s return, Appleton fell down the depth chart again. But then, Kane’s injury opened the door for Appleton to climb up the depth chart. That situation allowed him to jump back up to the second line with Alex DeBrincat and Marco Kasper. Appleton has looked solid and will hopefully continue to provide the depth the Red Wings need as playoff contenders.
Detroit Could Still Add More Depth
The Red Wings’ strong start could prompt GM Steve Yzerman to look into adding more depth. Amid the club’s surplus of veteran defensemen, the Red Wings could look to move a blueliner like Justin Holl or Erik Gustafsson to land a depth forward or two.
The goal wouldn’t necessarily be a top-six scoring forward. Instead, the Red Wings could be looking to pluck a bottom-six forward who could climb up and down the lineup amid emergencies and injuries.
The move may not come now. But mounting injuries and inconsistency among other clubs could spur the trade market to open up soon.
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