Detroit Red Wings Season Predictions from the OT Staff

With our season preview to be tomorrow morning prior to the Detroit Red Wings’ first regular season contest, here are the predictions from our staff regarding different topics for the season. With Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider making the roster, it certainly will be of the more anticipated seasons in recent years.

Will that transfer into wins during the season? We’ll find out.

What do you expect from the Red Wings this season?

Chris: The Detroit Red Wings will be a much more balanced team this year.  Led by Dylan Larkin and the newly acquired Pius Suter, the Red Wings have two lines that can score.  The additions of Suter and rookie Lucas Raymond, and improved health of Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, should provide the Red Wings with an improved power play.  The team also has depth that has been missing for several years.  Joe Veleno, Jonatan Berggren and Taro Hirose are all forwards who will start the year in the AHL with Grand Rapids, but players who can fill in if injuries begin to plague the Detroit forwards during the season.

On defense, the Red Wings have not only more depth, they have more skill.  The additions of Nick Leddy and Moritz Seider will provide the Red Wings with a legitimate top pair.  Filip Hronek will play with the healthy Danny DeKeyser as the number two defense unit.  In goal, Thomas Greiss will be joined by Calder Trophy finalist, Alex Nedeljkovic to form a solid 1-2 goaltending duo.  The additions to the team should allow the team to be more competitive on a nightly basis which should lead to more wins on the season.

Alex: Well, that was a fun off-season. From the draft to the preseason, it’s been a busy few months for the organization, which seems to be finally trending upwards. The breakout success of Lucas Raymond in the preseason and Moritz Seider’s inaugural season as a Red Wing are perhaps the most exciting aspects of the team’s improvement. But don’t forget about free agent Pius Suter, or newly acquired goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, or Seider’s mentor, Nick Leddy.

It’s a pretty fresh roster in 2021-22 and the Red Wings rebuild seems to have turned the corner, but they need to improve this year to validate the moves of the off-season. The team should progress on both defense and (especially) offense, as well as special teams – the power play cannot struggle as much as it did last season. An improvement in the standings should come as a result of a better roster, but don’t expect playoffs just yet.

Nate: I expect more excitement from the fanbase as the younger players make their way up to Detroit. Having Raymond and Seider on board is one thing, but imagine if Veleno stays up the remainder of the year and Berggren has a cup of coffee, too. What about Donovan Sebrango getting a look, especially if Yzerman deals Leddy at the trade deadline?

This felt like the first big push made by Yzerman to move the needle forward with the aforementioned trades Alex wrote about. He also signed a gem in Suter, and is keeping his first two first round choices on the roster. Blashill finally has some talent to work with, and now, excuses about the team “not having the talent” will be met with more skepticism should there not be improvement. I don’t think they’ll be a playoff team, but I think they’ll certainly take another step forward–this time with a lot of younger players leading the charge.

Who will be the Red Wings MVP?

Chris:  Pius Suter.  Last year as a rookie, Suter scored 27 points in 55 games including only three points on the power play.  This point total would have led the Red Wings in scoring.  Now 25, Suter will have an opportunity to play more on the power play and should score at a higher rate.

Alex: Dylan Larkin. Last year wasn’t the captain’s best with the team, and a season ending injury from Jamie Benn only worsened it. However, with the return of Tyler Bertuzzi from injury and the addition of Lucas Raymond (possibly Filip Zadina), Larkin should be able to find his groove as Detroit’s first line center. With a healthy top line and a player like Raymond slotting in, the stars are aligning for a major rebound year for Larkin. Expect a great season from Detroit’s captain.

Nate: On one hand, I think Larkin will see a rejuvenated season. On another, I think that Seider will bring a stability to the blue line not seen since Nick Lidstrom or Nik Kronwall. I’m going to go with Seider because I think his success ultimately shows that Yzerman knows what he’s doing, and will provide the green light to begin the ascension out of the rebuild and into a playoff push. Seider has only gotten better in every league he’s played in, and I think the same will be here.

He becomes the foundational talent Detroit has desperately needed.

Who will be the Red Wings Breakout Player?

Chris: Filip Zadina will have a breakout season for the Red Wings.  He will start the year on the 2nd line with Robbie Fabbri and Pius Suter.  He will play a regular shift and should earn 2nd power play minutes.  If he plays to his capabilities, Zadina should score 15-20 goals playing with these linemates.

Alex: Pius Suter. It’s a bit of a boring pick, considering the presence of two stellar rookies (Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond) and a player like Filip Zadina (who’s just waiting to have a breakout season), but Suter just fits the team.

His five exhibition points (two goals and three assists) tied for second on the team and he seems to already be developing plenty of chemistry with Robby Fabbri. Suter will also have either Lucas Raymond or Filip Zadina on his line, which will bring even more talent to the second line. Suter won’t be the flashiest player in Detroit this season, but don’t be surprised if he racks up points and brownie points with the coaching staff as the second line center this year.

Nate: Lucas Raymond. The kid is the real deal and I think is the first bonafide budding star forward Detroit’s had since Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. So much has been said about how they have to pick first or second in order to get that superstar, but I think sometimes things fall the right way that it all works out.

Raymond looked every bit the guy Wings fans and staff hoped for in preseason. Surrounded by other talented Wings and if he truly gets first line minutes, Raymond has a chance to really make an impact.

Which Red Wing do you see being traded by the Deadline?

Chris: Nick Leddy is Steve Yzerman’s best trade candidate.  If Detroit is out of the playoff hunt at the trade deadline, Leddy could be moved for a 2nd round pick in the 2022 draft.

Alex: Troy Stecher. This is Stecher’s last season on contract with the team. He had a pretty solid season with Detroit last year, finding success paired with Marc Staal and acting as one of the more well-rounded defenseman on the roster (not just a pure defensive blue liner).

However, the organization didn’t find his play important enough to protect him for the expansion draft. With some depth on the defense this season (Gustav Lindstrom and Jordan Oesterle), don’t be surprised if Yzerman decides to maximize value and ship Stecher off at the deadline.

Nate: Tyler Bertuzzi. It wasn’t what Yzerman said in his press conference about the talented forward not taking the COVID vaccine, it was how he said it. Specifically, that Yzerman pointed out both he and his family were vaccinated, a subtle statement when discussing the decision making of a player.

The trickiest part of the deal will be the rules regarding his playing status in Canada. However, a hungry playoff team without Canadian opponents, and possibly some relaxing of rules could find Bertuzzi more expendable by the trade deadline.