The Detroit Red Wings will not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a fourth straight season after reaching them the previous 25.
The Red Wings (17-49-5) were not among the 24 teams to make the Qualifying Round or Seeding Round Robin when the NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26
Here is a look at what happened during the 2019-20 season for the Red Wings and why things could be better next season:
Goaltending:The Red Wings allowed the most goals in the NHL (265) and the most per game (3.73), so it's no surprise they ranked last in team save percentage (.886). Jimmy Howard, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the season, was 2-23-2 with a 4.20 goals-against average in 27 starts, including 0-18-2 in his final 20 decisions, so figuring out the goalie situation will be important.
Special teams:Detroit did not perform well on the power play or the penalty kill. The Red Wings ranked 29th in the League on the power play (14.9 percent) and were last on the penalty kill (74.3 percent). Combine that with the fact that they took the fewest shots on goal per game in the League (27.1) and allowed the fifth most (32.8) and it's not hard to see why they were on the outside looking in.
No offense:With 142 goals scored in 71 games, Detroit was the lowest-scoring team in the NHL, averaging two per game. They scored one goal or fewer 30 times and were shut out seven times.
Reasons for optimism
Yzerman as GM:The Red Wings legend should fare better in his second season as general manager and has shown the ability to turn teams around. The Tampa Bay Lightning hadn't made the playoffs in three straight seasons before Steve Yzerman took over; in his eight seasons as GM there from 2010-18, they made the Eastern Conference Final four times and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final once (2015).
Surplus of draft picks:Detroit has 10 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, including six in the first three rounds. That should set up the Red Wings nicely in the future. They also have forward Filip Zadina (No. 6 in 2018 NHL Draft) and defensemen Filip Hronek (No. 53, 2016 NHL Draft) and Moritz Seider (No. 6, 2019 NHL Draft) who all should contribute in the NHL next season.
Core forwards: Dylan Larkin, Mantha and Bertuzzi were bright spots this season. Larkin was coming off a breakout season in 2018-19 with 32 goals and 73 points and the 23-year-old led the Red Wings in points (53) when the season was paused March 12 due to concerns about the coronavirus. Mantha averaged almost a point per game with 38 (16 goals, 22 assists) in 43 games and the 25-year-old was on pace for career highs in goals and points before a shoulder injury sidelined him nearly two months. Bertuzzi led Detroit with 21 goals and the 25-year-old had an NHL career-high 48 points in 71 games.
