New Red Wings defenseman is the perfect choice to be a breakout candidate in 2024-25
On paper, the Detroit Red Wings look like they are doing everything right, and one free agent they signed this summer was definitely worth it.
There may not have been a single under-the-radar acquisition in the NHL that was better than Erik Gustafsson, who found a spot in the middle of the pack when I ranked the Detroit Red Wings top seven defensemen heading into 2024-25.
And I’m not the only one excited to see what Gustafsson will do on the ice, as Connor Earegood of The Hockey News also seems to be a fan. In a piece outlining a trio of breakout candidates for the Wings in 2024-25, Earegood listed Gustafsson alongside Alex DeBrincat and Justin Holl, saying, “He's slated to be a big piece of the power play, destined for far more minutes than his past season with the New York Rangers.”
The above statement is very true, as Gustafsson was part of a stacked NY Rangers rotation in 2023-24 but that won’t be the case in Detroit. At long last, Gustafsson may finally receive the ice time he’s proven himself worthy of in the past, and that could take the Wings a long, long way.
Erik Gustafsson is a perfect candidate to “break out” for the Red Wings
Looking back at Gustafsson’s ice time throughout his journeyman career in the NHL, he has experience playing top-four minutes, even if averaging 20 minutes per game in a single season hasn’t been the case for a while though he got close in 2022-23. Still, Gustafsson more than made the most of his offensive game at the blue line, with 42 points in 70 games two seasons ago before turning around and producing 31 last season.
If you’d like a measuring stick on what Gustafsson may be capable of, let’s revert to his time with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018-19 when he logged 17 goals, 43 assists, and 60 points across 79 games and 22:35 of average total ice time.
I’m not saying that this is what’s coming to the Motor City in 2024-25, as it’s been years since Gustafsson hit those numbers, but it indicates what he could potentially do when given proper ice time. We’ll see if he gets close to those numbers this season, but at the absolute least, I would project him to put up around 40 points at the minimum.
manual