Red Wings: Projecting the Defensive Pairings for 2021-22 Season

Staal – Stecher

With the signing of Marc Staal, the Red Wings seem to have filled the last major hole on the defense. Staal played 56 games in Detroit this season, scoring three goals and seven assists. Although he was never one of the team’s best defenders throughout the season, Staal was efficient when paired with right hander Troy Stecher.

It’s a bit of a surprise that Detroit will be getting another season of Stecher. After he was left unprotected by the organization in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, it seemed more than likely that Stecher was the pick. But Seattle opted to go young, selecting Dennis Cholowski. That means fans will get another season of the Stecher-Staal experience.

Stecher and Staal made a fantastic defensive pairing last year, which means re-establishing the duo is a no-brainer. In fact, the two were one of the best pure defensive pairings in the entire NHL.

Yes, that’s right. Staal and Stecher had the lowest goals against per 60 for a good chunk of the season. While it might not be the most exciting pair in Detroit, the two will probably be Detroit’s best pure defenders.