The Mike Babcock era in Detroit was, by all accounts, successful. In his ten seasons as head coach, the Red Wings enjoyed ten playoff appearances, a 58.2% regular season win percentage (64.9% points percentage), two Presidents’ Trophies, two conference championships, and a Stanley Cup championship. How could anyone ask for more?
Even before Babcock’s departure to the Toronto Maple Leafs, many fans have wondered whether a descent into lower rankings was near, capping a full quarter-century of some of the best and most consistent hockey the NHL has ever seen. But aside from a new head coach, a few new teammates, and a brand-new arena soon to come, little has changed since last season in Hockeytown and pessimism is, frankly, unfounded.
New Coach, New Era for Red Wings Hockey
Perhaps there was no better choice for Babcock’s replacement than Jeff Blashill, who is no stranger to the organization. Blashill, a Michigan native who played college hockey at Ferris State, coached Detroit’s AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins from 2012 to 2015, winning 134 out of 228 regular season games (a 58.8% win percentage) and taking the Calder Cup in 2012-13. There is simply no coach more familiar with the team’s young talent and prospects, many of whom spend significant time with the Griffins before ever joining the Wings, and his familiarity – and, so far, success – with these players is firmly established.
Perhaps, also, the team has regained some appeal in the free agent market, a strong point of criticism in the second half of Babcock’s tenure. While the Wings have tended to rely less on free agency with such a remarkable scouting system, this offseason saw two solid additions at center and defense: Brad Richards, a fourteen-year veteran fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with the Chicago Blackhawks, signed a one-year deal on July 1st, and Mike Green, a right-handed defenseman who played ten seasons with the Washington Capitals, signed a three-year deal that same day.
After just fourteen games under Blashill, Detroit is hovering around .500 and goalies Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek continue to rotate, but we have yet to see the very best of the improved lineup. Green, battling an upper body injury, returned for only his eighth game on November 8th, and Brad Richards has yet to return after a back/lower body injury on October 21st against Edmonton. Also on the injured list is “the Magic Man,” Pavel Datsyuk, whose season debut draws nearer as fans patiently, yet anxiously, await his return.
Datsyuk and captain Henrik Zetterberg are undoubtedly the heart and soul of the modern-day Red Wings, and Datsyuk’s presence will help their performance more than that of any other player. As we’ve come to realize by watching the “Euro-twins” at the top of their game, not all good hockey in the post-lockout era is reflected in the crucial stat columns of goals and points. Although they are indeed point-scorers, their true skill goes much deeper as two-way players. Timely goals can win individual games, but “little things” which don’t show up on highlight reels – steals, poke-checks, recovering loose pucks, maintaining possession – separate the great from the good over time, and often in ways that only the truest fans, who watch their teams game after game, can appreciate. Richards and Green will recover soon enough, but when Datsyuk’s ankle is fully healed, possibly as early as mid-November, only then will we see the true Red Wings on their run for a 25th straight playoff appearance.
