Detroit Red Wings: Keys to a Successful Season

With the reality of a last-place Atlantic Division finish, some components can make this a successful season for the Detroit Red Wings. It is not all doom and gloom. There are steps to be taken that can push the organization forward.

The immediate future looks sort of, well bleak. Good thing future success does not depend on the now.  A changing of the guard is at hand. The good old days are a treasured memory. Now it is time for younger, faster players to take the Detroit Red Wings franchise to a new direction.

Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill has done an excellent job developing Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi and Andreas Anthanasiou into skilled players. As was the case with Mantha and AA he used tough love. Blashill insisted they do things his way that would lead to great team ways. Mantha has taken flight and is ready to become a feared NHLer. AA needs confidence, and he too will take flight.

With Dylan Larkin, Blashill exercised patience while helping Larkin transform from an all-star winger to a two-way ultra-talented center. Blashill takes a lot of unwarranted heat from the fan base. Jeff was never brought in to win Stanley Cups. He was brought in to develop players and to get the maximum out of them. By and large, he has done that and continued to do that.

Now he gets the opportunity to do it all over again. With the next wave of would be Wings. Zadina, Veleno, Hronek, Cholowski, and Sulak come to mind. With Blashill working his magic they have a fighting chance to turn into solid above average NHL players.

Each player has upside and things they need to work on. That is any player, year in and year out. Different situations dictate what changes need to be made. It all has growing pains. But each offers great hope as the players play for stretches at a time and give a glance at what will be one they reach their potential.

To me, this is THE key to this season. Throw wins and losses out the window. Instead look directly at the players and the coach and his staff. A coaching unit that is not in Motown to lift a Cup and in all probability will not be Red Wings employees when the team is ready for a deep playoff run.

When the dust settles on the rebuild and reshaping of the Detroit Red Wings fans will remember Jeff Blashill and this season as one that set the team back on the path to greatness.