2018-19 Detroit Red Wings Regular Season Preview
As the Detroit Red Wings continue to overturn their roster, the 2018-19 season is worth tuning into. As the prospects begin to arrive at Little Caesars Arena, it brings the hope of a brighter tomorrow and stirs optimism for the franchise.
The worst thing that could happen to the Detroit Red Wings is veterans start to overachieve, and the Red Wings miss out on a lottery pick. I do not believe that will be the case. During the preseason young prospects looked the part of budding NHL caliber players.
That is what this season will be about for the Wings. As players get called up from Grand Rapids, some will stick some will get sent back for more seasoning. The Detroit Red Wings have a solid core of prospects. Filip Zadina, Joe Veleno, Jonatan Berggren have given an enormous boost to the prospect pool.
Look for Anthony Mantha to continue to take steps forward. Mantha should lead the team in goals. Dylan Larkin who is a #1 center, is a fantastic playmaker. He should lead the Red Wings in points.
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Rookies Dennis Cholowski and Michael Rasmussen will be counted on heavily not only for offense and defense respectfully. They will be asked to produce on the power play, and the penalty kill that was ranked 23rd at 77.5% successful and they were shorthanded 258 total times.
Don’t expect a playoff appearance for the Red Wings this season; I do think they will hang around the last playoff spot for a while though. This season is about development and overall improvement. At this time the Red Wings need to continue to push younger players and allow older players one last hurrah.
I have mentioned before, and it bears repeating. Wins and Losses do not matter. It is far more critical to get young players to understand their job. Seems simple enough, but it is not. After all, they call these growing pains.
Bold Prediction: Jeff Blashill’s job is safe, after two non-playoff seasons. Blashill was brought in to oversee the youth movement. This is pivotal for the Winged Wheels. Many new faces should be arriving by seasons end.
Finally, I have gone back and forth on who the best rookie will be. It was very enticing to pick Rasmussen, but, I am going with Cholowski. It has been a long time since Red Wing fans had a defensive player to cheer for. It ends with Cholowski.
Next. Predicting how the Atlantic Division will Shape Up. dark
The Detroit Red Wings are getting closer to being a competitive team. Another lottery pick will get them even closer. If all of that is not enough to get the attention of the fanbase, I leave you with this. Steve Yzerman is home, back living in Detroit.