The Detroit Red Wings' season, by all accounts, is over.
After getting booed off the ice following their tenth consecutive elimination from the playoffs, the team hit a low point nobody thought possible. Morale couldn't possibly be lower with both the team and the fans.
But it doesn't have to be the end of the world.
Two games remain on the schedule: one against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the other against the Florida Panthers. The Lightning have already clinched the playoffs. The Panthers have already been eliminated. There's nothing to lose at this point for anyone involved. The season could end today, and, by all accounts, nothing would change.
The final two games of the season don't have to be pointless, though. Here's why:
Red Wings should give every prospect a chance
Last month, the Grand Rapids Griffins locked up their spot in the playoffs. Weeks later, they clinched their division. With just a handful of games left on the season, the Providence Bruins hold a four game lead on the Griffins for the AHL's Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the best regular season team in the league.
With this in mind - and with the playoffs just on the horizon - why not give the prospects a chance to show their stuff? The season's over for the Red Wings. The playoffs are on the horizon for the Griffins. This is the perfect chance for Detroit's prospects to show their stuff in a small sample size.
This will be a golden opportunity for the prospects, as well: the Lightning will likely rest their stars and the Panthers are just simply too injured to make a major impact on the ice. If the rumors of the Red Wings' rash of injuries are true, the best thing the team can do for their players is to let them rest.
This serves as a win-win for both sides. The NHL forwards can finally get started on surgeries or rehab and the prospects get the ice time they need to be impact forwards. While the sample size is small, games like these final two mean more for the prospects than the veterans. This is a chance for the youth to show they've got what it takes at the NHL level.
Red Wings have nothing to lose at this point
There's no downside to giving the prospects a chance. Prospects like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Amadeus Lombardi and Nate Danielson need opportunities. They will, of course, fight for those roster spots next season, but isn't this an ideal scenario to see what they've got? Worst case scenario, they can showcase a would-be trade candidate to teams looking to add prospects.
If the season is already lost, why not try to salvage something out of it?