Things have been going well for the Red Wings this season, as they battle for first place in the Atlantic Division. But the team got some bad news that will make it harder to keep pace with the likes of the Canadiens and Lightning.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who missed his third consecutive game on Tuesday night, is officially going to be sidelined through the Olympic break, which is set to end for the Red Wings on Feb. 26. That means Edvinsson will be out for the team's upcoming games against the Los Angeles Kings (Jan. 27), Washington Capitals (Jan. 29), the Colorado Avalanche (Jan. 31 and Feb. 2), and Utah Mammoth (Feb. 4).
So, how will the Red Wings be able to keep up the momentum without Edvinsson in the lneup for the foreseeable future?
Red Wings' chemistry just got tested with Simon Edvinsson out
Not having Edvinsson in the lineup does hurt for Detroit, considering he averages 22:35 of ice time this season. Not to mention, he has a +6 plus/minus ratio, which is tied for the fifth-best on the Red Wings roster. It's extremely difficult to replace the production of one of your top defensemen. Just ask the New York Rangers if it's any easy, as Adam Fox's injury was a major factor into their free fall and decision to sell at the trade deadline.
With Edvinsson out, the Red Wings need to figure out who could be replace him on the top defensive pairing alongside Moritz Seider. Thus far, the team moved up Jacob Bernard-Docker to pair with Seider. Bernard-Docker joined the team this past offsesaon after splitting time with the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres last season. In 37 games, Bernard-Docker put up soiid numbers, posting a +9 plus/minus ratio in 14:29 of average ice time. Of course, we'll see if he can keep playing at a solid level in an expanded role.
There's also the chance the team could move up Ben Chiarot, who is a left-handed defenseman. Chiarot has primiarly played on the third pairing with Axel Sandin Pellikka. Chiarot is a 13-year veteran that has been with the Red Wings since the 2022-23 season. Chiarot had a rough first few years, notably putting up a -31 plus/minus ratio in his first season. But this year, Chiarot is putting up better numbers, as he's recorded four goals, seven assists, and a +1 plus/minus in 21:07 of average ice time. Perhaps down the road the Red Wings could move Chiarot up to the top pairing.
Then, there's always the trade deadline. The Red Wings are obviously waiting to see if the few weeks off in February will do wonders for Edvinsson's recovery. But what if he isn't cleared right away? Or if he's sidelined for longer? That should cause General Manager Steve Yzerman to begin working the phones to try and add a defenseman by the March 6 trade deadline. Names like Simon Benoit of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Logan Stanley of the Winnipeg Jets, and Brett Kulak of the Pittsburgh Penguins would fill the role of left-shot defenseman.
The Red Wings can take solace in the fact that they have quite the cushion near the top of the Atlantic Division. This allows head coach Todd McLellan to test out some new pairings in Edvinsson's absence. But make no mistake, they need to find a solution to this problem sooner than later.