It’s official: The Detroit Red Wings have become such a laughably bad hockey team that, at least for the moment, I’m finding it shocking that Derek Lalonde still has a job. I mean, this was a borderline playoff team last season that is now sharing last place in the Atlantic Division with the rebuilding Montreal Canadiens, so maybe it’s worse than bad.
But can it seriously get any worse? Oh yes, it can, as the Red Wings are also tied with not just the Habs, but the Columbus Blue Jackets, with the lowest point totals in the Eastern Conference. If there’s any comfort in this situation, it’s that the Wings at least have a game in hand vs. the Canadiens, but is there really anything else to like here?
The Red Wings, somehow, allowed the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks to get the best of them amidst what could be a season-changing road trip. Oh, and guess how many points both teams have? If you said “16,” you guessed correctly, which officially defines the Red Wings as laughably bad at the moment.
Nobody expected such a debacle of a campaign for the Red Wings
Want even more fun? Detroit, despite showing at least some life offensively in both of those losses, with a third loss to the LA Kings sandwiched in between, they remain 29th in the league in goals scored with 46. Yeah, so much for the high-octane group that was unless your name’s Dylan Larkin, who’s about the only reason to tune into this team right now.
So far, it will take nothing short of a miracle for the Wings to somehow salvage this disaster of a season. There’s nothing to them right now, and it’s that point of the year when you start asking yourself whether it’s time to start moving some veterans like Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, a pair of veteran wingers who were supposed to help end this playoff drought.
No, we don’t need to tear down this team and start from zero, as they still have a remarkable core. But right now, what they’re doing isn’t working, and if this endless losing persists for a couple more weeks, why not start moving some vets, acquiring and/or recalling young talent, and at least developing them?
Now, this isn’t to say the season is a complete waste, as we’re still very early into the 2024-25 campaign. But if this is still an issue come December 1st, Steve Yzerman needs to hand Lalonde some walking papers and at least look like he’s doing something.