The 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings were nothing short of stacked.
10 players on the roster are in the Hockey Hall of Fame In 01-02, Boyd Devereaux and future Hall-of-Famer Pavel Datsyuk played on a line with late career Brett Hull. Eventually, Devereaux was replaced by future captain Henrik Zetterberg. Datsyuk and Zetterberg, at the time, were 23, while Hull was 37. Thus the name "two kids and an old goat" came to be.
The Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Hull line played for two full seasons, with Hull instilling veteran advice and leadership to the two future stars. The rest, as you say, is history. Two out of the three members of the "two kids and an old goat" line are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, with Zetterberg likely joining Datsyuk and Hull in the future.
Now, with a slew of younger players coming onto the roster, the Red Wings have a chance to do it all over again.
How the Red Wings can recreate the "two kids and an old goat" line
It's entirely possible that future Hall of Fame winger Patrick Kane remains with the Red Wings next season. During his end of season press conference, Kane confirmed mutual interest from both parties. Should he return, Kane will be 37 going on 38 in November. He's still got what it takes to produce at the NHL level, scoring 57 points in 67 games this season.
Having said that, something major needs to change about this roster to make it a playoff contender. The Red Wings clearly need more help with even strength scoring. Major trades are likely on the horizon. With that said, does Patrick Kane have a place on the second line?
Kane, by all accounts, can still contribute at an NHL level. But it's clear he's not as fast as he used to be. By November, he'll be 38. If the Red Wings can't make an impact offensively without keeping Kane on the second line, that means there's a much bigger problem that needs to be addressed. Should they find a solution this offseason, they can seamlessly slot Kane into a third line role with first line power play minutes.
Who can partner with Patrick Kane on the third line
Now, for the more exciting part of this thought experiment: who are the lucky candidates to play with a hockey legend? Marco Kasper suffered a pretty brutal sophomore slump this year. He'll be due for a bounce back after a long offseason of training. This would give Kasper a set-up man and allow him to slowly become a key contributor on this lineup. Should things work out, he may even see himself moving up the lineup.
There are a few different solutions the Red Wings could target for the other end of the wing. The top of that list, however, should be forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. The Norwegian prospect gained a lot of confidence during the waning half of the season. That said, when the Red Wings decided to call him up again, their confusing deployment on the fourth line kept him playing just 11 minutes a night.
In order to properly develop as a player, Brandsegg-Nygard needs time to contribute. Doing so with Kane and Kasper on the third line provides him with a solid, physical center, a playmaking veteran and a chance at more favorable matchups to build up his confidence.
This is a chance for the Red Wings to give their younger players a great opportunity.
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