Things haven’t looked great for the Detroit Red Wings after the start of the new year, so let’s head to the stock exchange to assess the damages.
For those who haven’t read it before, the stock exchange series is a way to assess player performances by “trading” their stock – who’s trending up, down or holding steady?
Trending Up
Dylan Larkin
Larkin has only three points in his last five (a goal and two assists), but that’s more reflective of the team’s offensive output. The captain consistently looks like one of the best forwards nearly every night in Detroit; even when the rest of the offense isn’t showing up, Larkin usually tallies some shots on goal. Also, Larkin will be attending his second NHL All-Star game this season.
Nick Leddy
Leddy has been playing solid hockey of late, and it was reflected on the scoresheet with his first goal as a Red Wings. The better the veteran defenseman plays, the more likely it is that he’s dealt with at the deadline.
Trending Down
Playoff odds
To say the playoff odds for the Red Wings are trending down is an understatement. Detroit has one win in 2022, and they’ve fallen precipitously down the standings. Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins are red-hot, running away with the two wildcard spots in the east. Barring a miraculous run, Detroit’s playoff hopes are dead.
Filip Zadina
The Zadina struggle continues. Zadina’s play has been a major point of contention among the fanbase, especially after he was a healthy scratch against the San Jose Sharks. Zadina has not recorded a point in his last five games, and he just looks like he’s losing his confidence on the ice – the scratch did not change much. After every good play, the young forward seems to follow it up with a bad one. He’s just trying to do too much on the ice. Regardless of one’s opinion on the play of Zadina, it’s impossible to argue that the lack of production has been extremely disappointing.
Staying Put
Moritz Seider
Seider has continued to be the Red Wings best defender. Nothing has changed here. His 21 assists on the season still leads all NHL rookies. In his last five games, Seider has three assists. The young defenseman’s best plays don’t usually show up on the stat sheet – the incredible dangles to enter an opposing zone, the impressive moves to maintain possession in the offense zone, etc. It seems that through every game, Seider adds a little more to his toolkit.
Alex Nedeljkovic
Neddy only has one win in his last five games played, but he’s still been quite good for Detroit. Often facing a bevy of shots and not getting much goal support, it’s impressive that Nedeljkovic still has a solid save percentage (.916). In fact, in his last five, he only has one game below .900. Nedeljkovic is not at all the problem here.