This year, the Detroit Red Wings play 16 games against Pacific Division teams. Detroit will play a two-game, home-and-home series against each of the eight teams.
Three of the eight teams currently are over the salary cap allowed by the NHL. This week, Edmonton, Vancouver and Vegas will have to reduce their team salaries in order to meet the league mandated upper limit of $81.5 million. This can be done by placing players on LTIR, placing players on waivers and having those players picked up by another team, or trading players for prospects and draft choices in order to reduce payroll.
Here is a look at the eight Pacific Division teams that Detroit will start to play against starting on Saturday October 16.
Anaheim Ducks
2021 Record: 17-30-9
Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Projected Cap Hit: $68,500,750
Cap Space: $12,999,250
Expected LTIR: Ryan Kessler-C (Cap Hit:$6,875,000)
Expectations: Make Playoffs
Former Red Wings: None
vs Red Wings: Thursday Jan 6. @ Anaheim 10:00 PM ET, Monday Jan 31 @ Detroit 7:30 PM ET
Players Joining
Ben Hutton (Toronto)
Players Leaving
Haydn Fleury (Seattle)
Danton Heinen (Pittsburgh)
Carter Rowney (Detroit)
David Backes (Retired)
How will the Red Wings stack up against Anaheim?
Although the Ducks only added one new player to their roster, the team is bustling with young prospects. After scoring eight points in 24 games with the Ducks last season, Jamie Drysdale should quarterback the power play as a 19-year-old this year. Former 9th overall draft choice Trevor Zegras should also play his first full season in the NHL this year. At 22, Maxime Comtois will enter his second full season in the NHL. The Red Wings are deeper than the Ducks and should be able to potentially sweep the two-game series.