Adam Erne
Last Year’s Stats (45 games) – 11 Goals & 9 assists for 20 points
Why Erne will hit 20 goals – Last year’s barrage of 11, which technically made him the leading scorer for the Red Wings after the trade of Anthony Mantha, earned him a nice raise for the next two seasons. Now, will the organization cash in, too? Erne could be a huge asset up front on the power play and with some more skill on the third line, matching his 11 and building on it shouldn’t be too far out of the realm of possibility. Eight of his 11 goals came at 5 on 5. For a team that struggled to score, it was a huge boost for both him and the Wings. Can it continue?
Why Erne will not score 20 -It was Erne’s highest goal total as an NHL player and came in a burst with nine goals in an 18 game stretch. Erne was one of the unlikeliest candidates to top the team in scoring yet there he was. Not known as a goal scorer, we’ll see if that consistency continues.
Filip Zadina
Last Year’s Stats (49 games) – 6 Goals & 13 assists for 19 points
Why Zadina will hit 20 goals – As echoed throughout this article, there’s a much better supporting cast around him. At times, Zadina would find himself on the third line and well, the linemates there weren’t going to give him the opportunity to score goals as he would on a stronger top 6 line. Zadina stands to benefit greatly from the offensive talent infusion Yzerman has slowly added to this season in Leddy, Suter, and Vrana–the latter being a boon for Zadina when he arrived last April. If there was ever a season to see Zadina make a sizeable jump, it’s this one. As if he needed any more motivation, his ELC comes to an end after this season, giving him a chance at a handsome raise should his scoring numbers increase.
Why Zadina will not score 20 – As he’s progressed with the Red Wings, Zadina has shown strong playmaking skills where at times, he’s looked hesitant to snipe as he was drafted to do. This seems a result of the insistence on a 200 foot game, which is certainly not a bad thing at all. While Zadina has looked stronger on the puck and better on both ends of the ice, he was ultimately drafted to score goals.