The Detroit Red Wings need Justin Abdelkader to start producing

In 2014-15 Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader scored 23 goals and had 44 points. His abrasive, physical play earned him the respect of his teammates and admiration of fans. It rubbed opposing teams the wrong way. Those were the good old days.

In the 2015-16 season, Abdelkader again posted solid numbers recording 19 goals and notching 42 points for the Detroit Red Wings. These were the best offensive seasons of his career and with no surprise came with Pavel Datsyuk playing the majority of the time as his center.

The only issue (which at the time was not a big issue) was Justin had signed a seven-year, $29.75 million dollar contract extension. Now it has become a rather significant problem.  Justin Abdelkader has not come close to his early numbers since. In his case playing alongside Wings legends, Henrik Zetterberg and Datsyuk all those years really inflated his offensive numbers.

This season Justin is in a slump. He’s gone 23 games without a goal and 12 games without a point on what is now an albatross of a contract. The Wings are not getting the value for the deal. He has played on the first line while Helm and Bertuzzi both have missed time and the fourth line, more of where he belongs these days.  His 4.25 million per season contract has become un-tradeable, and to make things more complicated, he does have a no-trade clause attached to the deal.

More from Octopus Thrower

• Detroit Red Wings forward Carter Mazur injured in Prospect Tournament
• Detroit Red Wings: What does Klim Kostin’s role look like in 2023-24?
• Detroit Red Wings: 3 players who will make biggest impact in first year
• The Detroit Red Wings need Andrew Copp to start fast in 2023-24
• Detroit Red Wings had a busy off-season; but was it enough?

Justin Abdelkader is a great penalty killer and grinding winger with one small problem. The Detroit Red Wings are shelling out a lot of money for a guy who does not have the offensive ability he showed early in his career. I am sure Detroit would trade some of those kills for some goals and points.

The Detroit Red Wings have a player who is good at one aspect of the game. But paying him big money– money they can not get out from under, not easily anyway. The NHL trade deadline is coming as it does every February. Just like the February of the past no team or teams are going to line up for an overpaid penalty killer in his 30’s that has five years left on his deal.

Yet, the Red Wings coaches and front office all want to sell fans and media on Abdelkader’s willingness to do whatever it takes to help this team win, how his leadership is essential to the rebuild.

Some of that could very well be true. But abrasive, physical play and penalty killing can only get you so far. That is a fact. Offensive production at the forward position is just as important as stopping a power play. For the money they are paying him Justin Abdelkader needs to give more.