Detroit Red Wings building themselves a contender in silence

The Detroit Red Wings are nearly at the end of the road for the 2022-23 season. While some of the team’s competitors are heading toward a postseason run, the Red Wings’ postseason hopes have officially ended.

While the end of the road seemed inevitable, the Detroit Red Wings were finally eliminated. But on the bright side, they are not deeply entrenched in a lost season. Sure, Connor Bedard has the makings to be the next perennial great. But the Red Wings will still get a solid addition in the draft, no matter how the lottery shakes out.

However, that should not concern the Red Wings faithful because the 2023-24 season already looks fun. There’s plenty of time to kill this summer, but the Red Wings will continue moving in the right direction.

The Red Wings have been doing many things right and are building themselves a contender. They’ve done it pretty quietly. No major blockbuster trade for a superstar and no top-tier first-overall pick, but they have been getting it done.

Detroit Red Wings are full-steam ahead in the right direction.

It’s an exciting time to be a Detroit Red Wings fan. The Red Wings have found themselves a core to build around. Dylan Larkin was locked up on his eight-year contract extension, meaning he is here to stay.

But the more exciting part is the youth. Mortiz Seider and Lucas Raymond have returned and have been able to start cementing roles with this team moving forward at their respective positions. It was just one game due to an injury ending his chances, but Marco Kasper looks like he will be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Red Wings.

A step further, Simon Edvinsson has shined on defense and looks great on the team’s blue line, with room to keep growing and developing. The Red Wings also have a lot to like regarding returning veterans.

Dominik Kubalík was solid in his first season with the team, and seasoned veteran David Perron has also been a welcome boost to the offense. In terms of the defense core, Jake Walman and Olli Määttä signed contract extensions this year and will stick around with the Red Wings.

The point here is the pieces to the puzzle have started to come together. The team is starting to look like they will put up a fight in the eastern conference for years to come as their rebuild starts to pay off.

There’s a lot to like about the direction of this team. They’ve done it pretty quietly and will come out looking like a different team in 2023-24, and that’s a good thing for the Red Wings. Lots to like, and like I said, it’s an excellent time to be a Red Wings fan.