Predicting the 2018/19 Detroit Red Wings Team leaders

The Detroit Red Wings are set to commence a new season.  This leaves us to wonder who will lead the team statistically throughout the year.

The new season brings many new faces into the Detroit Red Wings lineup.  The Wings are in the midst of a youth movement and points may be at a premium to achieve for the young players.  Ken Holland and Jeff Blashill seem to realize this isn’t 1999 anymore finally.

In the “new” NHL a salary cap driven era, the successful teams have a handful of star players getting paid with the bottom forwards contributing depth scoring on rookie deals.  It is pretty difficult to produce if you’re buried in Grand Rapids waiting for an opportunity to be called up.

The Detroit Red Wings have many young players set to make a mark in Motown this year, and it has become a breath of fresh air for the franchise.  The rookies are not prepared to lead the team yet by any means but serve as critical depth pieces sprinkled throughout the lineup.

We predict the team leaders on the morning of opening night, just in time for the start of the new season;

Goals: Anthony Mantha

The big 6’4 power forward possesses a wicked shot to go along with his large frame.  Mantha was able to achieve a career-high 24 goals last season.

The expectation is Mantha will continue to develop in a positive fashion to lead the Red Wings in goals.  Mantha will be skating 5 on 5 with Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist to start the season.  The trio will be the most dangerous as a group the Wings will have to offer.

Mark my words, the Detroit Red Wings will have a 30 goal scorer this season.  This will be the first season since 2009 that a Wings player will surpass 30 goals.  Predicting Mantha does indeed take a step forward, we have the big fella potting a team-leading 31 goals on the season.

Assists/Points: Dylan Larkin

Dylan Larkin has been the best young playmaker the Detroit Red Wings have had in quite some time.  Larkin will anchor the club’s top line, again playing like the Wings number one center.

Along with being a staple on the top line, Larkin will serve as a member of the top power play.  In addition, he will find himself on the second penalty kill unit.  Ice-time and opportunity won’t be a question for the dynamic forward.

Larkin led the Detroit Red Wings in assists and points last season; we expect things will be more of the same this season.  Larkin led all Wings forward in ice-time in 17/18 averaging 19:51 a game.  Larkin will lead the way likely eclipsing the 21-minute mark this season.

The Detroit Red Wings will call on their bell-cow early and often this season to pace the offense.  I am expecting a 22 goal season, and team-leading 51 assists totaling 73 points.  It would be a 10 point increase from last season.  I don’t think it is too much to ask from a teams number one center who just signed a five-year contract extension.

Penalty Minutes: Justin Abdelkader

If Luke Witkowski were expected to be a regular, this would be a simple category to predict.  He is not so I’ve decided to go with associate captain Justin Abdelkader.  Abdelkader will skate exclusively as a bottom-six forward this season.  I expect 8 to be more of an agitator this season regularly stirring the pot.

Abby will be asked to be hard on the body on more of a nightly basis.  Abdelkader will ruffle feathers being more of a physical presence leading to more trips to the sin bin.  I have Abdelkader penciled in with 98 penalty minutes this season.

Wins: Jimmy Howard

Jimmy Howard will record a sub .500 record this season but will lead the Wings in wins.  The Wings will be searching for success and wins at times this season.  It is not the ideal situation for any goaltender backstopping a rebuilding young team.

Jimmy Howard will notch 24 wins to lead the Wings this season.  As much as that number looks underwhelming, it is an upgrade to Howard’s 22 wins last season.  Jonathan Bernier will get his fair share of work snatching some victories for himself.

Breakout Candidate: Andreas Athanasiou

Everyone loves to predict the player they feel will aspire to have a breakout season; I am no different.  I think this will be the year AA sets career highs in all major statistical categories.  He won’t lead the team in any of them but expect a much better offensive outburst from the young center.

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Athanasiou will see the most significant bump in ice-time this season with the departure of Henrik Zetterberg.  With the increased ice comes more responsibility.  AA along with many others, me included have lobbied for more ice-time for the young forward, and this will be the year Blashill will be forced to allow it.

The Detroit Red Wings needed to fill a hole in the line-up at center.  AA will start the season as the Wings third line center.  Although we would rather see him plugged into the two hole, it is a start.  AA will see some power play time giving him more opportunities for points.

He has made a conscious effort (thru preseason) to improve on the defensive side of his game and has been working on his ability to work his way back into the play rather than floating around center ice. I have Andreas Athanasiou pegged for 26 goals and 22 assists, totaling 48 points.