The Red Wings‘ ongoing rebuild is now reaching its tenth season. Unfortunately for the club, the outcome could resemble the one a division rival went through not too long ago.
Specifically, that division rival is the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs went through a rebuild of their own. They tanked in 2015-16, hoping to land the first-overall pick. They did and got Auston Matthews.
The Maple Leafs also had other rising stars in Mitch Marner and William Nylander. Then, the team went out and signed John Tavares to a massive deal in 2018. What did that get the Maple Leafs? A string of first-round exits and an 0-7 mark in Game 7s.
That’s the path the Red Wings are traversing at the moment. The club has a solid core in Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, and Moritz Seider. The Wings have great young players on the rise, like Marco Kasper, Simon Edvinsson, and Albert Johansson.
That core could be enough to land the Red Wings a wild card spot this upcoming season. But is it enough to turn the Wings into serious Stanley Cup contenders?
That’s the big question. If the Red Wings can’t find the star power needed to make the next level, they could morph into the Maple Leafs, an uber-talented team with a great regular-season track record. But when it comes time for the playoffs, the core gets bounced in the first round.
Red Wings Can Avoid the Maple Leafs’ Fate by Focusing on Prospects
The Maple Leafs’ biggest mistake was putting all their eggs into one basket. That basket was the so-called Core Four. The Leafs bet everything on four players, while adding on the fringes. They didn’t have a franchise goalie. Their defense was mostly held together with duct tape. And, the club didn’t have a strong veteran presence to lead them past tough Game 7 situations.
So, what can the Red Wings learn from this lesson?
Putting all the team’s eggs into one basket is a bad idea. The Red Wings would do well to incorporate as much of their young talent as possible. While the core looks solid, GM Steve Yzerman shouldn’t believe that three or four guys are enough to get the job done.
The Red Wings will need to bolster their depth as much as possible. That’s what’s gotten the Florida Panthers back-to-back Cups.
It’s also the lesson the Maple Leafs are just now learning. It took them 10 years to figure out that teams need depth in the postseason. Four guys, as talented as they may be, are not enough to win a championship.
There’s Hope in Motown for 2025-26
The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators are examples the Red Wings could follow. The Red Wings followed the Senators’ lead by trading for a bona fide number-one goaltender. Yes, John Gibson hasn’t been stellar the last three or four seasons. But the team in front of him in Anaheim wasn’t exactly good.
If the Red Wings can be better than Anaheim in front of Gibson, the veteran netminder could have a tremendous bounce-back season.
Yzerman could be on the lookout for depth moves to help the club in the bottom six and blue line. The opportunities may not be there now, but they will be at some point. So, Red Wings fans could be in for what is shaping up to be a potentially exciting season.
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