The Detroit Red Wings have needed a change for quite some time now.
While it's been a widely known thing in the organization for a while, nobody expected the sheer amount of change that's come this offseason. Disgruntled soon-to-be-former captain Dylan Larkin wants out. General manager Steve Yzerman stepped down from his role. Patrick Kane left to return to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Rather than look at this as a disaster, it should be treated as a hard reset.
This gives the Red Wings the unique opportunity to ship out stagnant, underperforming players and readjust the locker room culture to make it more energetic and passion-driven. It allows the Red Wings to focus more on toughness rather than collapsing when any sort of adversity comes their way.
One of the key facilitators in resetting this culture is Keegan Kolesar, the Red Wings' newest acquisition from the Vegas Golden Knights.
How Kolesar can help develop a winning culture
It should go without saying that Kolesar knows what a winning culture looks like. Kolesar was a key contributor during the Golden Knights' 2023 Stanley Cup victory, holding down the fourth line with aggressive, punishing play. He played a significant role in generating energy in their 2026 Cup Finals run, as well. He's been in underperforming locker rooms and high-energy ones and knows the DNA required to make a team cohseive.
Apart from that, though, he fits the exact blueprint the Red Wings need to emulate moving forward. In the past, the Red Wings have shied away from conflict, often folding in the face of adversity. Teams like the Florida Panthers steamroll the Red Wings whenever they play, pulverizing the team with ruthless phyisicality.
Adding Kolesar can change that.
For the first time in what feels like an eternity, the Red Wings finally have a guy who will stand up for his teammates and won't back down. Kolesar is willing to drop the gloves or deliver a huge hit to shift the momentum of big games. This sort of play style creates a ripple effect among a roster. No longer will the Red Wings grow meek in the face of danger. Instead, they'll learn to finally stand up to the bullies, finally establishing their identity as a no-nonsense team.
Kolesar doesn't answer one key question
That said, Kolesar isn't the kind of player who shows up on the scoresheet very often. Last season, he finished the year with just six goals and 17 points. If he were on the Red Wings, he would've been one of the lowest scoring forwards. Still, as hard as it is to believe, he'd still be outperforming both Michael Rasmussen and Mason Appleton offensively while remaining a single point behind Marco Kasper.
Kolesar isn't the kind of player a team brings on for scoring. He's an energy guy, one that can ignite the flames of aggression among the rest of the team. Having said that, the Red Wings still have to address their lack of scoring some way. They've done an admirable enough job securing Viktor Arvidsson, but, until they find some extra scoring, they'll be in the same place they were last season.
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