The Detroit Red Wings just can't catch a break.
It's bad enough that they've missed the playoffs for ten consecutive seasons. To make matters worse, the arms race just keeps growing in the Atlantic Division.
The Florida Panthers acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators, turning their superteam into an even stronger threat. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and are almost certainly getting a high-end talent with their pick. Worst of all, the Senators, who just acquired four draft picks from the Panthers, will likely use that draft capital to acquire a high-end winger to replace Tkachuk.
To add insult to injury, the Red Wings still have to worry about trading their soon-to-be-former captain, who demanded a trade earlier this month.
Will it ever get easier for the Red Wings?
If this offseason is any indication, probably not.
Red Wings stuck in toughest division in the NHL
There's no doubt that the Atlantic Division is the single toughest division in the NHL. Last season, four teams scored over 100 points in the standings, with the Ottawa Senators just outside that milestone with 99. No other division in the NHL came close to that point total.
If the Red Wings were in the Pacific division, they would have been the third place team in the division and would have made the playoffs. If they played in the Western Conference, they would have made the playoffs.
The fact of the matter is that the odds were stacked against them last season and will continue to be stacked against them next season.
Here's a look at the rest of the division:
1. Florida Panthers
The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions that spent the offseason healing up and stocking up on fresh talent. The addition of Brady Tkachuk makes this team one of the toughest in the NHL.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning enter next season with a single-minded focus on dominating in the playoffs. They're bound to make a multitude of upgrades this offseason and still have top-tier threats in Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
3. Montreal Canadiens
Quite possibly the most exciting young team in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens are built for long-term success. From Nick Suzuki to Cole Caufield to Lane Hutson, their lineup is top-to-bottom loaded with offensive talent.
4. Buffalo Sabres
While the Sabres are likely losing Alex Tuch this offseason, their Atlantic Division-winning roster is nothing short of lethal. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin are deadly enough, but, when partnered with their depth, the team is built to bring it across the board.
5. Ottawa Senators
Don't sleep on the Sens. Despite losing Brady Tkachuk and suffering a humiliating sweep to the Carolina Hurricanes, the roster still packs a punch. From Tim Stutzle's mastery at center to Jake Sanderson holding it down defensively, the Sens are a threat whenever they're firing on all cylinders.
6. Boston Bruins
Will the Bruins ever be bad? Boston seems incapable of ever taking a step back. The roster, which includes names like Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak, refuses to regress at any level.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
If the rest of the division wasn't an issue, Toronto makes things ten times worse. They're about to upgrade on Auston Matthews and William Nylander by adding Gavin McKenna, the consensus first overall pick. Talk about a headache.
Red Wings may need to wait a little longer to contend
Unfortunately, we're reaching the point where it might be tough for the Red Wings to seriously contend next season. The team just doesn't have enough talent to remain in the top-four of this division. Worse yet, they still have to worry about trading their soon-to-be-former captain. If the team seeks future assets, they'll likely need to trade Alex DeBrincat and Justin Faulk, as well. If they hope to contend, they need to make a major move.
No matter what, nothing will become clear until Larkin is traded.
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