If there’s something Red Wings fans can look forward to amidst this perpetual losing, it’s that Sebastian Cossa has a chance to help them turn things around. At least for a short while. But it will take a few players to get this team back on track.
Just a couple of weeks back, I outlined two players to keep an eye on as November faded into the twilight. Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat continue to be outstanding, with the former now on pace to go over a point per game while the latter hit double digits in goals scored, the second Red Wings player to hit the mark.
But do you know who else has caught my eye? Vladimir Tarasenko. Yeah, the same Vladimir Tarasenko who looked like an incredible free agent bust just a short while ago. Back when I wrote that piece, Tarasenko looked like a winger past his prime, with just three points in 13 games.
Since then, Tarasenko has gone on a roll, with eight points in the last 10 games. Overall, he’s still behind the eight-ball, with just 11 points and four goals in 23 contests and a shooting percentage in the single digits, but his recent trajectory screams rebound.
Vladimir Tarasenko may finally show the Red Wings were smart to sign him
For the time being, Tarasenko is still getting middle-six minutes with occasional top-six ice time, so if he starts getting a little more consistent and the Wings get completely healthy again, he may morph into a valuable depth scorer. Or at least a playmaker. That would be huge for a team that has been finding the net more often but remains an ugly 28th in goals scored with just 63 heading into Monday.
Yeah, the Wings are still hard to watch at times, but with Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and now perhaps Vladimir Tarasenko all getting hot at the right time, the end of the calendar year may be interesting for this hockey team.
They have a long way to go, and that gap between the Wings and the top three teams in the Atlantic threatens to intensify with each loss. But the sheer upside is that, finally, those players who were supposed to be scoring or making plays are doing so, and it’s not too late for the Wings just yet.
They need a sense of urgency, and there’s no sugarcoating it, but it looks like Tarasenko and a few of the franchise cornerstones are finally getting the message. Let’s hope their upward trajectory continues into 2025.