Octopus Thrower grades the Detroit Red Wings with Midseason report cards

The Detroit Red Wings had a huge month in January. They put together a 20-point month and came surging back into the postseason race. With that comes the All-Star break, giving the team some time off, with only Alex DeBrincat making the All-Star Game.

However, the Detroit Red Wings will get some rest, hoping to bring their team back at 100% for the second half of the year, rested and ready to put the pedal to the metal. Detroit must keep fighting, which comes with a big second-half performance.

Before turning the page to the second half of the season, the Octopus Thrower staff is going to take a look in the mirror and dive into the Red Wings roster after 50 games to take stock of where the team is at and where they may be headed, with the second half on the horizon.

In doing so, we will put together some report cards for the Red Wings players, grading them out and taking some time to talk through things players are doing well and players who may need to change some things. It's an excellent time to take stock in Detroit and get a feel for what went right and wrong.

The Detroit Red Wings midseason report card is glowing after January.

While it's past the halfway point in the 2023-24 season, Detroit still has 32 games left on the schedule. But, with 50 down and 32 left, it's a good time to regroup and see what the team can do better heading into the 32-game sprint that awaits.

It's certainly not where many folks expected Detroit to be after the month of December that the team had, but a bounce-back month in January really vaulted Detroit back into the playoff race, which is shocking in its own right.

The Red Wings are 26-18-6 through 50 games and are tied for fourth place in the Atlantic Division heading into the All-Star break. Their 58 points have them tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs, leaving them one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and eight points behind the Florida Panthers.

They hold a six-point lead over the New York Islanders, who are the next closest team in the wildcard race. Detroit's big month lifted their season out of the mud and got them back on their horse. The midseason round-up would look and feel much different if Detroit did not climb out of this rut.

As we dive into the players and their midseason report cards, follow along on Octopus Thrower throughout the All-Star Break.