For the Detroit Red Wings spirit has been a prominent word.
We’ve heard it from the players and coaches. Although a seemingly silly concept, and one that immediately reminds me of the original Bring It On with Gabrielle Union, Kirsten Dunst, and Eliza Dushku. The good old “Spirit Fingers” with Sparky Polastri waving his hands is something that I think people don’t give enough credit to.
When people are feeling good about anything that they’re doing, usually the output is better. Part of that is having fun, feeling confidence and self-worth, and helping others whenever they can. At times, the depressing waves can overtake everything, leading people further into an abyss.
Professional athletes are no different. They looked and played like…not good to put things nicely. Some players looked frustrated, others indifferent, and some looked like they were approaching the “dad years as quickly as they could. It was a bummer to see. It was so bad that I could understand the booing of fans.
Seven thoughts bouncing around my head on the Detroit Red Wings wins
What do you think of the Detroit Red Wings under the new coaching staff so far? Here’s what I’ve thought so far…
1. Marco Kasper introducing fans to his game
Especially early last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Marco Kasper didn’t stand out in any particular way. Kasper always worked hard and gave his all in every shift. Like many young players transitioning to the AHL, he struggled with effectiveness. Most of the time, I forgot he was even playing. It’s not so much a slight against Kasper as it was a credit to the surrounding cast. Headliners like Simon Edvinsson, Sebastian Cossa, and Jonatan Berggren demanded fans’ eyes, coupled with his transition phase to the North American-style game, Kasper fell to the back burner.
Around the halfway point of the season, though, Kasper’s confidence (all over the ice, both with and without the puck) reflected his increasing impact on games. No longer the quiet, easily forgotten name on a lineup sheet, Kasper demanded as much attention as the headliners. As the pressure and stakes grew, so did Kasper’s presence on the ice. In my eyes, he was theGrand Rapids Griffins’ best player in the playoffs and it wasn’t particularly close.
Kasper had a similar start in the NHL. Fans couldn’t fault him for his effort levels but questioned his overall effectiveness. I’ve seen countless fans writing him off as a third or fourth-line player with minimal impact on the offensive side of things. Yet, as I watched him, I saw Kasper get in the right spots in the offensive zone. He would attempt to make a play. However, his shot would go just high or wide of the net, his positioning might have been just a tad out of place, or his pass might have just missed its mark. These areas of opportunity to improve weren’t because of a lack of skill or ability but because a young player was getting acquainted with the best hockey league in the world. I’d argue on a quicker timeline than anybody anticipated.
With both coaching regimes, Kasper has been a favorite of the staff. Bouncing throughout the lineup, Kasper embraces the same role wherever he plays. Puck retrieving, board battling, piano pulling menace to other teams, meanwhile serving as a complimentary piece to any line. Since his most recent change to the Detroit Red Wings top line of Raymond and current captain Dylan Larkin, Kasper has only improved.
It was around this time last season that Kasper’s game took off in the AHL, and I suspect we might see something similar this season. Kasper isn’t just a bottom-of-the-lineup player or another prototypical Detroit Red Wings forward. He’s an ultra-competitive who doesn’t let his emotions get out of hand. Usually, we find super competitive players (like Larkin) who let their emotions get the better of them sometimes. While it’s understandable, there’s this calm maturity to Kasper’s game that is lightyears ahead of anyone I’ve seen play hockey in a very long time.
Playing on a line with Larkin and Raymond, I think we will see the best from each of these players as they complement each other wonderfully. Larkin’s the bus driver/engine if you will. Kasper is a bit of a calming, reliable presence on that line. Meanwhile, Raymond’s kind of everyone’s hype man. This leads me to my next thought.
2. Lucas Raymond is a star in the NHL
As reliable as Kasper is, Raymond is equally consistent. Since bursting onto the scene in 2021-22, Raymond has been under the radar to everyone outside of the Detroit Red Wings fandom. It’s odd, as Raymond was competing for the number one draft spot just a year or so before his 2020 draft year. I guess having an underwhelming season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) during his draft season quieted the hype of Raymond, along with playing for a quieter market, and a lack of the Detroit Red Wings’ success will do that to a player.
Although he likely won’t get the props that he is due, Raymond should be getting international attention for his play. Instead, I keep hearing that the Detroit Red Wings lack a true superstar.
I’m not sure what everyone’s definition of a superstar is, but Raymond is sitting at 23rd in the NHL overall (20th among forwards) in points with 46 in 41 games played. He’s beating out David Pastranak, Artemi Panarin, William Nylander, and Sebastian Aho. Maybe some or even all of these other players are having “down” seasons compared to the rest of their careers, but Raymond is still over a point per game as a 22-year-old in the NHL.
I get that points don’t mean everything. Raymond’s overall game is consistent, effective, and complete. He’s relied upon on both specialty teams as well as the top six, regularly playing on the top line of the Detroit Red Wings. He’s not given easy deployments, either, as he’s often playing against the other team’s best players.
All I’m saying is that the Detroit Red Wings do have a star player as part of their forward group. I wish people would respect Raymond as one.
3. Moritz Seider would like a word as well
Aside from Raymond giving pushback on the notion that the Detroit Red Wings don’t have a star player, Moritz Seider is having himself a season.
We can talk about how frustrated players were prior to the coaching change, or how many players benefited from the switch, however I think none have benefited quite as much as Seider.
In his media availability after the coaching change, Seider emphasized the idea that the team needed to play harder. Seider has played the toughest minutes of any defenseman this season regardless of who he is paired with or what team he is facing. Why?
Well, he’s the only defenseman who consistently played, as hard, fast, and smart as possible. Other players weren’t required to or lacked the discipline to do so even if they disagreed with coaching systems or their game was better suited to other styles of hockey. Seider shows up every game and plays top minutes without complaint or showing his frustration (at least relative to what other Detroit Red Wings players have shown).
Since the change to Todd McLellan, the Detroit Red Wings have been held to a new standard. Defensive pairings that didn’t work previously are now finding new life as McLellan is not accepting subpar play, including from guys who are veterans in the NHL. Before it seemed like they weren’t necessarily pushing themselves or holding themselves to a higher standard. At some point, the previous coach seemed to have given up on them as much as they did on him, so he relied too heavily on Seider and young Edvinsson to play the hardest minutes in the NHL.
McLellan, on the other hand, knows the veterans’ and their capabilities, demanding them to play to the best of their abilities rather than sitting complacently on the bench.
Additionally, McLellan is looking forward to watching Seider grow his game. Particularly in the offensive zone, much like fans are impatiently waiting for his offensive side of the game to reach his defensive capabilities, McLellan thinks there’s more there offensively. To hear that Seider has expectations, and I assume the previous coach did too, to push beyond, to continue developing is promising. As importantly, his coach is giving him the time and space to hone his skills.
Rather than playing ridiculous minutes over the ice, McLellan has balanced the minutes. Seider still plays the most consistently each night, but the minutes are differently spread out across all the defensive pairings. It’s refreshing to hear a coach talk about Seider as a young player who has room to grow his skills in the NHL—not a finished product or the answer to every problem on defense (although he can be and is sometimes). He deserves every chance to develop as much as any other young player on the Detroit Red Wings despite being a fourth-year NHLer.
4. Depth scoring
To hear six players score for the Detroit Red Wings in one game is astounding.
Before the Christmas break, I would have been shocked if we had a game in which three different players scored let alone six.
Having depth scoring is necessary to have success in the NHL, but as importantly it brings a sense of belonging to every player who contributes. They feel like they have helped the team, which is vital to a team’s spirit. One of the easiest ways to build confidence is by scoring goals and winning games.
Rather than relying on one or two lines or, even more specifically, one or two players to score the most (then putting an insurmountable amount of pressure on those individuals), the Detroit Red Wings have been playing like a team. Following suit, their number of wins column has improved as a result of this team-first effort.
Players are all buying into their roles. I’m sure if Vladimir Tarasenko, J.T. Compher, or Berggren were asked if they wanted to play on the first two lines, they would answer with a resounding “yes,” but they are still playing their best hockey together while being on the third line. The fourth line, no matter who is penciled in it is showing a hard-nosed, no-nonsense style that creates momentum shifts for the team even if it doesn’t result in a goal for the Detroit Red Wings.
It seems like players are all inspiring each other to do more than the collective sum of their parts. It’s very fun to see.
5. Patrick Kane’s awakened
Without harping too much on the play before the coaching change, I will say that Patrick Kane is night and day under the new coach. Regardless of the reasons why, Kane is looking like vintage Kane. Wheeling and dealing through the neutral and offensive zones, he’s creating an impact in every game that he’s played.
Of course, the sample size is small, and the impact might not be sustainable for the rest of the season, but Kane is looking like a man on a mission.
The way he can change the pace of the game, manipulate opposing players, and give others time on the ice to make plays is fun to watch. I hope we get to see this side of Kane continue as it’s a spectacle to behold.
6. Alex DeBrincat challenging the one-way forward notion
Is DeBrincat benefiting the most from playing with Kane or is Kane benefitting the most from playing with DeBrincat?
We might not ever find out, but I can say they are two of the most dynamic players in the NHL. Forget age, teams, or actual production, these two are dynamic of a duo as we’ve seen in a Winged Wheel in a long time.
DeBrincat in his own right, has silenced critics of his lackluster defensive play. I’ve seen as many impressive backchecks and takeaways from DeBrincat as anyone on the Detroit Red Wings this season.
Also, DeBrincat is not just stripping pucks or only backchecking, but once he retrieves the puck, he’s making excellent plays to breakout of the zone or carries the puck up the ice himself to create chances for the Detroit Red Wings in the neutral and offensive zone that we haven’t seen from a player like DeBrincat in a while.
DeBrincat was advertised to me as a goal scorer who doesn’t do much else. I can tell you, anyone who thinks that was underselling DeBrincat his worth, as he’s much more than the goals he scores.
7. Andrew Copp not worth his contract who?
Rounding out the red-hot second line, a name I have questioned as much as any Detroit Red Wings player, Andrew Copp.
I was convinced Copp was best as a winger on the third line and that’s all he would be good for with the Detroit Red Wings. While I recognized the “high skill” guys suffered under the previous coaching staff and their systems, I couldn’t put two and two together that they weren’t the only ones suffering.
From what I gathered with the Detroit Red Wings and Copp, it seemed like the style of play would have suited Copp. He’s more of a north/south guy who seems like a perfect option for a dump-and-chase brand of hockey. However, he seems to appreciate holding on to the puck longer. He can keep up with making plays while keeping Kane and DeBrincat comfortable with making the plays they need to in order to see success. In my wildest dreams, I never would have thought that Copp would be a second-line center for the Detroit Red Wings, let alone the anchor between DeBrincat and Kane, but it works.
I have more thoughts on the Detroit Red Wings, the coaching staff, and the wins but I wanted to keep this as brief as possible (I know, I know, too late), while still touching on some of the more prominent thoughts I had.