Red Wings reload, once again a favorite to challenge for Stanley Cup

Photo by Erik Roush/MiHockey

 

By Michael Caples – 

During the first week of the Red Wings’ informal skates at Joe Louis Arena to prepare for training camp, Jimmy Howard acknowledged that his team was in for a rather unusual NHL season.

“We’ve got a lot going on, don’t we?” the Wings’ starting goaltender said. “With the Winter Classic, a lot of guys here vying for Olympic spots, HBO 24/7… It’s going to be pretty hectic around here.”

When asked if all the distractions were going to be a concern within in the locker room, Howard was quick with his response.

“No, not at all,” he said. “Not with this group.”

It’s been more than a year now since Nicklas Lidstrom retired from professional hockey, leaving the captain’s ‘C’ hanging in Henrik Zetterberg’s locker on his way out (figuratively speaking, of course). And the Red Wings’ first go without No. 5 in the line-up didn’t come without adversity; after returning in January from a half-season lockout, Detroit barely reached the playoffs.

Yet a season with roster influx and fresh new faces meant lots of on-the-job training and a new sense of confidence moving into the 2013-14 season. The additions of Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss didn’t hurt, either.

“We skate together, for just a few practices, and they looking good,” Pavel Datsyuk said of his two new teammates. “They are unbelievable players. They fit the team; we try to help them. They know what we need to do together, with everybody dreaming.”

Pegged as an early favorite to win the Eastern Conference, the Red Wings have done what they do best – reload. Last season, there were calls for Mike Babcock to be replaced by the Winged Wheel faithful. Now, people are keeping their schedules open clear into spring, in the hopes that there is plenty of playoff hockey to watch.

“I think of course any time you hit August after the summer, you want things to get started,” Niklas Kronwall said. “We’re prepared, we’re ready for this season. Obviously there have been some changes to our line-up, in an exciting way. I think we’ve added some big pieces to our team. That’s just going to make us as a team even stronger.

“The younger guys that played really well last year, they get a chance to prove that they really belong here, and make a name for themselves. I think we’re in better shape than we were last year heading into camp, and of course, it’s going to be a fun year with moving to the East, the Winter Classic, and some very exciting things ahead of us.”

The additions of Alfredsson and Weiss have strengthened the Wings’ offensive front, as the former Ottawa Senators captain brings a scoring touch, and the former Plymouth Whalers star brings a two-way game that the Wings always hoped for out of Valtteri Filppula.

The expectation – at least for now – is that the Eurotwin duo of Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk will start on the Wings’ top line, along with Muskegon native Justin Abdelkader. Weiss, Alfredsson and Johan Franzen will round out the top six, with youngster Gustav Nyquist repeatedly knocking on the door, as well.

Nyquist was one of only a handful of Red Wings that could be sent down to the minors without having to clear waivers, so he will start the season with Grand Rapids. Cory Emmerton, meanwhile, was placed on waivers and cleared, but he’s slated to start the 2013-14 season back in Detroit.

The Red Wings’ lines from practice this morning, according to the team’s official Twitter account:

  • Henrik Zetterberg – Pavel Datsyuk – Justin Abdelkader
  • Johan Franzen – Stephen Weiss – Daniel Alfredsson
  • Dan Cleary – Joakim Andersson – Todd Bertuzzi
  • Drew Miller – Cory Emmerton – Mikael Samuelsson

*Tomas Tatar was the extra forward on the ice

There isn’t much of a logjam on the blue line, however. Those spots have filled in quite nicely for the Wings, as the biggest jump in player growth from this time last year came on the back-end. Niklas Kronwall leads a group of 20-somethings that have improved in a hurry.

Jakub Kindl, Jonathan Ericsson and Brendan Smith all showed signs of improvement over the 2013 season, while in-season additions Brian Lashoff and Danny DeKeyser strengthened the blue line even more.

“I think there were maybe a lot of question marks before last season about pretty much a whole new team, or a lot younger of a team, and stuff like that,” Ericsson said. “We’ve got the same core as we did last year, and some veteran additions, and that’s going to help us a lot. I think we’re looking forward to a really successful year, and we’re all going for the Stanley Cup – that’s what we’re aiming for.”

The Red wings boast one of the top goaltenders in the league in Howard, a netminder who takes criticism from a fan base despite consistently posting desirable numbers. Last season’s 21-13-7 record, with a .923 save percentage and 2.13 goals-against, were some of his best numbers, and there’s no signs of him slowing down. The ability for the Wings to find him a suitable back-up, however, will be a storyline to watch. Jonas Gustavsson battled injuries last season, and is doing so again to start the 2013-14 campaign. He will have pressure from Petr Mrazek, who impressed Detroit management with an impressive first pro season in Grand Rapids last year, and is currently slated as Howard’s back-up on the opening night roster.

It should be an exciting time in Detroit this season – even if there weren’t all the extracurricular activities.