Detroit Red Wings: Four Potential Bounce Back Candidates
The Detroit Red Wings are in considerable need of a persistent effort from a few players, some of whom will remain in the line-up this coming season, while others will be clawing to remain regulars.
The Detroit Red Wings, although rebuilding, could benefit from some established players chipping in on a more regular basis. The team has struggled to find consistent scoring in recent years.
Detroit finished the 2017/18 season ranked 28th in the league with 2.6 goals per game. The power play finished ranked 24th overall converting 17.5% of its opportunities into goals. Detroit recorded on average 30.4 shots per game which ranked 25th in the league.
It would be a significant boost for a team to improve in all of these categories together, that’s something the Detroit Red Wings should focus on for this up and coming season. Detroit has to find a way to direct more pucks at the net, drive the middle lane hard to the net and look for a rebound. More shots equal more opportunities to score.
Detroit has a few older players who need to focus more on contributing offensively to lengthen the depth of the Detroit line-up along with a youngster who is on the bubble to make the everyday roster. If Detroit can find a way to acquire more scoring from the bottom of the line-up instead of being so top heavy it will bode well for their future.
We have four candidates we hope can bounce back or continue to provide some scoring and possibly over-achieve in 2018/19.
The Detroit Red Wings need Frans Nielsen to be considerably better this season. Nielsen recorded 33 points in 79 games.
The Detroit Red Wings signed Frans Nielsen to vastly help their shootouts where they struggled mightily before the arrival of Nielsen. Detroit signed Frans to a 6-year-deal worth 31.5 million dollars. That breaks down to a 5.25 AAV cap hit, which is a high-end third center or a fringe second line center.
Along with that deal, Ken Holland granted him a “no movement clause” for the first two seasons. The remaining four seasons it downgrades to a “Modified No Trade Clause.” That typically means the player has to approve ten teams he would be willing to play for in the event his team was considering trading said, player.
The Detroit Red Wings need Frans Nielsen to obtain more than 33 points in the up and coming season. He was able to score 16 goals and added 17 assists. The 33 points were his lowest points per game total recorded in any full season throughout his career.
Nielsen is a two-way center meaning his reliable in all facets of the game. Nielsen can be used in a penalty killing roll along with being an excellent contributor on the second power-play unit.
Nielsen is known for being often successful in his shootout attempts, he converted 4 of his 6 opportunities last season.
Nielsen while in year one of his Red Wings contract tallied 41 points. 41 considered a bit of a down year, translated to 33 last season. Nielsen struggled in the faceoff circle last season only winning 46% of his draws. That was the lowest winning percentage of his career. While making 5 plus million per season the hopes of Nielsen reaching the 45 point mark and improving in the “dot” that shouldn’t be too much to ask.
Frans has the skill to score 20 goals and the slick passing ability to add 25 assists. Nielsen often found ‘no’ scoring wingers on his line which certainly doesn’t help his point production. The hope is for a younger, deeper, team with scoring from all four lines will boost Nielsen’s productivity to where the Detroit Red Wings initially hoped it would be.
Justin Abdelkader needs to step up in more ways than one this up and coming season for the Detroit Red Wings.
The Detroit Red Wings drafted Justin Abdelkader in the 2nd round of the 2005 entry level draft with the 42 pick overall.
After back to back seasons of 40 or more points, the Detroit Red Wings decided to give Abdelkader a 7-year contract extension worth 4.25 million per season. Along with the contract the Wings decided to stitch an “A’ onto his sweater making him an alternate captain. The departure of Pavel Datsyuk left a vacancy in which Justin was awarded the honor.
The following season after, signing that deal Abdelkader rewarded the Red Wings with a lackluster performance scoring 7 goals and 21 points while playing in 64 games. Or what some would say, NOT GOOD! Last season Abdelkader took a step in a positive direction recording 13 goals & 35 points.
In 2017/18 “Abby” played 16:33 per game, his lowest total minutes per game over the last four seasons. With the volume of Red Wings forwards, Abdelkader should be around that total again this season likely playing where ever Detroit needs him. He can play up on the top line being a worker, retrieving the puck for Larkin & Mantha. He could play on the fourth line being completely an energy guy who rattles the boards every shift.
Abby is sort of a hybrid with his size and physical ability when the puck is going in for him. His highest production came on the wing of Pavel Datsyuk which comes as no surprise knowing how magical Datsyuk was. The definition of “stick handling in a phone booth” is Datsyuk, and then he could lay it on his teammates stick allowing them to finish.
The Detroit Red Wings certainly hope Justin Abdelkader can rejuvenate himself this offseason and bring with him 15 goals & 25 assists when he shows back up for work to the rink in 2018/19.
Darren Helm had a decent season last year for the Detroit Red Wings; the hope is to build upon that success and improve the offensive production.
The Detroit Red Wings did get a boost in offensive production from Darren Helm once he was inserted on a wing that had Dylan Larkin as his center. Helm another utility player who can play up and down the line-up where ever his services are needed. A swing player who can play center or either wing whenever its necessary.
To piggyback on that thought three years ago Darren Helm had taken 77 total faceoffs in 77 games played. Two years ago Helm was in the circle for 420 faceoffs. Last season Helm dug in for a total of 102 draws. His career faceoff percentage is 51% which isn’t all that bad.
Darren Helm expected to start on the wing again this season as long as Luke Glendening is healthy and still a Red Wing. If Detroit indeed decides to trade Glendening, Darren Helm could merely slide right into the fourth line center position.
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Darren Helm signed a 5-year-deal in the same offseason Abdelkader signed his 7-year-deal. Helm has a “No Trade Clause” for all five years of his contract which is no surprise knowing Ken Holland’s reputation. At times I think Ken Holland hands out “no trade clauses” & “no movement clauses” as birthday gifts. Darren Helm has 3 seasons remaining at 3.85 million per season left of that 5-year contract.
Darren Helm in 75 games last season recorded 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points and was a plus 3. It was a bounce-back season for Helm whom the year before was plagued by injuries, limiting him to 50 games played and 17 total points.
The speedy Swiss army knife; Darren Helm, has the potential to upgrade both offensive categories. Helm could achieve 15 goals and 20 helpers for 35 points. That would be excellent 4th line production. Helm similar to Nielsen is a valuable penalty killer as well.
The Detroit Red Wings re-signed Martin Frk who was a restricted free agent to a one-year contract worth 1.05 million this summer.
The Detroit Red Wings used Martin Frk’s services sparingly in his rookie season. Frk essentially considered a “specialty” player in the eyes of the Red Wings coaching staff last season found himself on the ice for power play opportunities and then at the end of the bench often during five on five play.
Martin Frk only played on average of 10:17 minutes per game last season for Detroit. Often finding himself at the left point or the top of the circle on the power-play with his right-handed stick cocked high in the air anticipating a pass he could one-time in the direction of the net.
I use “direction” loosely. An accurate shooter is not how to describe Martin Frk. Often rifling a headhunting one-timer shot well over the net had guys in front ducking for cover. Frk let that blast go enough to gather the attention of the league though. Frk with an absolute cannon if he has worked on his accuracy this summer; that bomb has the potential to net a few more goals moving forward in his career.
Martin Frk will have to work extremely hard this camp and pre-season to get another regular opportunity to be in the everyday lineup for the Red Wings. Playing so little minutes last season won’t work in his favor as he tries to fend off Evgeny Svenchnikov, Michael Rasmussen & Filip Zadina for a final roster spot.
Martin Frk who was sort of the forgotten player in his junior days playing on the wing of Nathan Mackinnon. The opposite winger on that line was Johnathan Drouin, so its safe to say Martin Frk was overlooked at times. The top line for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL was highly productive in 12/13. Frk recorded 84 points in his final junior season, netting 35 goals in 56 games.
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IF; Martin Frk by chance has a tremendous camp and preseason then makes the team, he has potential to be a 15/15 player for 30 points on the fourth line. Frk with that “howitzer” can score 10 or more on the powerplay alone in a full season.