When the Detroit Red Wings brought Keegan Kolesar into the fold, it wasn't to provide depth scoring. Kolesar is a bruising NHLer, just as capable of holding his own in a fight as he is laying huge hits. He's never scored more than 30 points in a season and isn't typically expected to carry a line.
But Kolesar needs to be better than he is right now.
In 11 games, the former Vegas Golden Knights forward has yet to register a single point with the Red Wings. The Red Wings currently sit with a -5 goal differential -- good for second-last in the division behind the Buffalo Sabres. The team needs all the help it can get on the offensive front, and, unfortunately, Kolesar hasn't delivered much.
That's why it might be best if Kolesar is scratched for at least one game to help reset.
What's caused Kolesar's lack of production
It isn't that Kolesar is a liability out there. He's second among all Red Wings in hits with 32. Unfortunately, he leads the team in penalty minutes, with 20 in 11 games. More often than not, the team has to play shorthanded when Kolesar is on the ice. Whiel that's part of his game, discipline is something that can make or break an NHL team if things go south.
What's especially concerning is his deployment on the ice. Here's what it's look like the last five games:
Game | TOI |
|---|---|
Oct. 15 (vs. PHI) | 7:57 |
Oct. 17 (vs. SJS) | 5:18 |
Oct. 20 (vs. SEA) | 8:51 |
Oct. 22 (vs. VAN) | 13:09 |
Oct. 24 (vs. CGY) | 8:37 |
Kolesar's lack of play time is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's hard to make much of an impact without ice time and, in turn, failing to make much of an impact means a lack of ice time. Worse yet, the fewer minutes Kolesar plays, the more minutes someone else might need to take on.
Take Saturday's game against the Calgary Flames, for example. Kolesar played just 8:37 of the game, forcing other players like J.T. Compher (15:32 minutes) and Michael Rasmussen (13:45) to stay out for longer periods of time. While it can be beneficial to have players like Alex DeBrincat or Lucas Raymond out for offense, in the long run, all this does is create burnout and can build upon more scoring lulls in the future.
How a scratch can help Kolesar
Sometimes, all a player needs is to clear their head with a game on the bench. Look at how quickly William Wallinder has come into his own despite a timeshare role with Axel Sandin-Pellikka. In six games, the young defenseman has three points, good for fourth among all Red Wings defensemen. Save for a tough game against the San Jose Sharks, Wallinder is showing the benefits an occasional scratch can do for some players.
This shouldn't be thought of as an indictment on Kolesar, nor should it be treated as the team giving up on him. Hockey is just as much a mental game as it is a physical one. A mental reset can go a long way in getting a player back on track.
The sooner the Red Wings get some depth scoring out of Kolesar, the sooner they can get back to making a dent in the Atlantic.
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