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Thankful Series 2018-19

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New York Islanders

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As the holiday season quickly approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the New York Islanders.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Islanders most thankful for?

The fact that the departure of John Tavares to Toronto has not significantly affected the production of their top players.  Josh Bailey had a career year last season after spending a lot of time with the former captain but he’s producing at a level not far off of last year’s number while leading the team in scoring.  Meanwhile, new captain Anders Lee is at the same point-per-game mark as last year as well.  There’s no denying that they miss Tavares but they’re certainly thankful that his frequent linemates from the past aren’t missing a beat without him.

Who are the Islanders most thankful for?

Mathew Barzal.  While his numbers have dipped a little bit, the second-year center hasn’t really been hit by the sophomore slump and has adapted well to becoming their top pivot.  It’s not looking as if he’s going to be a big scorer in the NHL but he is already a premier playmaker.  They’re also quite thankful that they have five more years of team control on him so it’s safe to pencil him in as part of their long-term future.  New York is also quite thankful with the way the trade to get him worked out – the Oilers gave up first and second round picks for young defenseman Griffin Reinhart and the Islanders landed Barzal with the first rounder.  (They traded up on the second rounder they got, getting into the first round to select Anthony Beauvillier who is tied for second on the team in goals.)  That trade just keeps on giving.

What would the Islanders be even more thankful for?

A rebound from defenseman Nick Leddy.  He has been a go-to fixture on their back end since he was acquired from Chicago back in 2014.  That has not been the case this season.  He has struggled defensively while his offensive game has been non-existent.  They need him to shore things up at both ends of the ice as that would go a long way towards helping them stay in the playoff hunt.

Getting Lee locked up long-term is something they’d also be thankful for.  They’re running a risk in naming a pending UFA as team captain as the optics of losing a captain for free in free agency for two straight years won’t be pretty.  It would also get their top scoring threat locked up and give them another piece to build around.

What should be on the Islanders’ Holiday Wish List?

Goaltending has surprisingly been a strong point for them which makes it less of an immediate priority.  That said, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Lou Lamoriello look to add another proven option between the pipes.  A top-four defender would also be a huge addition for a back end that goes by more of a by-committee approach.  New York is also in the bottom ten of the league in goals scored so some top-six help (preferably a center to give them some more versatility) would also be useful.  The Islanders are doing well to hold onto a playoff spot so filling even one of these skater vacancies would go a long way towards helping their cause.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New Jersey Devils

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the New Jersey Devils.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Devils most thankful for?

Rather quietly, New Jersey has built up a sizable stable of talented players under the age of 25.  Center Nico Hischier (20), the top pick back in 2017, headlines the group but winger Jesper Bratt (20) is off to a nice start to his sophomore year as well.  Centers John Quenneville (22), Pavel Zacha (21), and Michael McLeod (20) have all shown signs of upside and give the Devils strong depth at a position that’s highly sought after.  Will Butcher (24) and Damon Severson (24) provide them with capable options on the back end as well.  Other than Hischier, there aren’t any franchise pillars to build around but this group should provide them with quality depth (and likely at some point, some trade options) that can serve as a strong supporting cast.

Who are the Devils most thankful for?

Only one team is able to say that they boast the reigning Hart Trophy winner and New Jersey is that team with Taylor Hall.  They acquired the winger back in June of 2016 from Edmonton for defenseman Adam Larsson and the swap has worked out extremely well for the Devils as he has emerged as a legitimate top line player.  There’s a case to be made that he pretty much singlehandedly carried them to a playoff spot last season and while his numbers are down a little bit this year, he’s still averaging over a point per game and leading the team in scoring.  They’re also undoubtedly quite pleased that they’re getting this level of production for $6MM per year, a salary that second liners are starting to receive with regularity.

What would the Devils be even more thankful for?

Aside from Hall signing a long-term extension next summer, New Jersey would be extremely thankful if they could get back to counting on Cory Schneider between the pipes.  This season has been nothing short of disastrous as he has posted a 4.66 GAA with a .852 SV% while dealing with multiple injury issues.  (He just went back on injured reserve today with an abdominal strain.)  Schneider still has three years left on his current deal with a $6MM cap hit and given his struggles, a trade is out of the question at this point.  He was acquired to be their franchise goalie and up until this season, he was.  Now, they have to hope he can eventually rediscover his form.

What should be on the Devils’ Holiday Wish List?

Defense has been an area of need for a while and even though they’ve made some additions in recent years, it’s still a group that could certainly benefit from another top-four addition.  Another top-six forward would also bolster an attack that has largely been quiet aside from Hall, Hischier, and winger Kyle Palmieri.  New Jersey has the cap space to make some impact additions but given where they sit in the conference, it may not be long until their focus shifts towards next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Ottawa Senators

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Ottawa Senators.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Senators most thankful for?

Not being dead last. Most experts as well as fans had the Senators picked as the worst team in the league and with all the offseason turmoil coming from issues surrounding Erik Karlsson as well as locker room issues, the team was being viewed as a laughing stock. Throw in the fact that the team traded away their first-round pick to Colorado in the Matt Duchene trade and things were looking even worse. While the team isn’t in the playoff hunt, the Senators have been respectable on the ice and considering that they have opted to rebuild their team, 14-16-4 record, which could be a lot worse.

Who are the Senators most thankful for?

After almost an entire year of Erik Karlsson rumors, the team finally unloaded their superstar defenseman in a deal with San Jose. Many felt that loss would destroy the team, but second-year defenseman Thomas Chabot has been nothing, if not remarkable. The 21-year-old has already surpassed his offensive totals from last year when he posted 25 points in 63 games. This year, Chabot has already reached 35 points in 34 games and is tied for first in the NHL in points along with Toronto’s Morgan Rielly and Washington’s John Carlson.

This development has made the transition away from Karlsson, who hasn’t taken off yet in San Jose, much easier for Ottawa fans as Chabot is starting to just scratch the surface to his skills in Ottawa. For a young team with very few veteran players, to have a defenseman averaging a point a game is a big deal.

What would the Senators be even more thankful for?

The team needs even more offense and while many of their young players have had some success already, the Senators are a team loaded in young talent. If the team could get some of those players to take that next step, the team would be far better off. The team have gotten some success from both Brady Tkuchuk and Colin White as both players have nine goals already. Surprise defenseman Max Lajoie is another rookie who has already posted six goals and 12 points. However, the team needs others to step up, including Drake Batherson who has seven points in 16 games so far. However, the team needs some of the top prospects in Belleville to take that next step at some point as well, including players like Rudolfs Balcers, Filip Chlapik and Logan Brown.

What should be on the Senators Holiday Wish List?

More than anything, the Senators need some clarity with some of their veteran players. The team has a number of pending unrestricted free agents in Duchene, Mark Stone and to a lesser extent Ryan Dzingel, and the last thing this franchise needs is for those players to walk away in free agency and leave the team with nothing. Unfortunately, no players have given a solid indication that they intend to return and if the team can’t come to terms on an extension with any of them before the trade deadline, they need to move them. Both Duchene and Stone have been impressive this year, so the team should get significant returns for those two if they are forced to trade them, but the team has to hope they can sign one of these players and begin to build this franchise up from there. Another firesale isn’t going to make the franchise look any better.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Nashville Predators

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Nashville Predators.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Predators most thankful for?

Depth scoring. One of the big strengths the team has is their depth scoring as they have solid lines throughout and scoring seems evenly distributed. Scoring is not an issue as the team averages 3.19 goals per game. The team is ranked 12th in scoring and while only one player has more than 10 goals this season (Filip Forsberg with 14), the team has 12 players with at least five goals and a handful of depth, but quality players who are producing offense, including Craig Smith, Ryan Hartman, Colton Sissons, Calle Jarnkrok and Austin Watson just to name a few. With so much in the tank, the team should be well rested when the playoffs approach.

Who are the Predators most thankful for?

Many people believed that while goalie Pekka Rinne was coming off a Vezina Trophy-winning season last year, there might be a decline in the veteran’s play after a disappointing playoffs and the fact that the goaltender is 36 years old and cannot be expected to keep up those numbers forever. Fortunately for Predators’ fans, Rinne has been outstanding once again as despite missing some time with an injury early in the season, he has amassed a 1.96 GAA in 22 games with a .929 save percentage.

Others felt that Rinne might slowly lose his job to goalie-in-waiting Juuse Saros, but so far that hasn’t been the case. The team has been using Rinne quite often and rely on him for the big games. Saros has appeared in just 13 games this season, many of which came during the time that Rinne missed due to injury.

What would the Predators be even more thankful for?

Despite their success due to their depth players, the team has to hope that they can get some of their top players back from injury. The team’s top goal scorer is Forsberg, but the winger has been out with for more than two weeks and could be out for double that with an upper-body injury. The team hopes to get defenseman P.K. Subban back soon, who has missed a large chunk of the season with an unknown injury, while Viktor Arvidsson has also missed quite a bit of time to injury as well. If the team could get healthy, they may have a chance to fare even better in the Central Division, even though they are just one point out of first place.

What should be on the Predators’ Holiday Wish List?

The continued development of Eeli Tolvanen. The team had high hopes when they brought Tolvanen over from the KHL at the age of 19. He’s immensely talented and showed some of those skills off in a brief callup when he tallied a goal and an assist in four games while filling in for several of the team’s significant injuries. That, of course, couldn’t last and he was immediately sent down after Kyle Turris returned off the IR. Many people want Tolvanen to remain with the team, but in reality it’s a waste to play him few minutes in Nashville on a bottom-six line. Until he can outplay someone on the top-six, he needs to spend as much playing time as possible in the AHL until his skills can surpass one of their top players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Montreal Canadiens.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Canadiens most thankful for?

Keeping afloat in the standings without Shea Weber.  While the defenseman isn’t among the top few blueliners in the league like he once was, he still is Montreal’s best threat from the back end.  There were some concerns that Montreal could have found themselves too far removed from the playoff picture but when their new captain returned after missing the first 24 games of the season (not to mention the final 56 contests in 2017-18), they were still holding onto a Wild Card spot, a position they continue to hold down today.  Instead of having to make up lost ground, they’re in the thick of the playoff race.

Who are the Canadiens most thankful for?

Montreal’s decision to deal Alex Galchenyuk to Arizona in exchange for Max Domi in the offseason was met with plenty of skepticism and derision.  Galchenyuk was one of their top scoring threats on a team that wasn’t exactly known for its offense while Domi was coming off of a very disappointing season that saw him just score nine times in 82 games (and four of those came into an empty net).  It had also appeared that the Canadiens had dealt one of their top trade chips without addressing a long-standing need of finding a top center.

What a difference a year makes.  Domi has been Montreal’s top forward all season long, is averaging a point per game, and is doing so while playing center, something Arizona tried briefly last season but opted against it and moved him back to the wing.  All of a sudden, with him and youngster Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the fold, their biggest weakness actually looks like it could be a strong point for the foreseeable future.

What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?

As a result of Carey Price’s new contract kicking in, Montreal now sits at the top of the league when it comes to money spent on goaltending (by a considerable margin over second place Boston).  They aren’t getting much bang for their buck.  Price and backup Antti Niemi have combined for a .894 save percentage this season and sit in the bottom ten of the league in goals allowed.  Many believed that if the Canadiens were going to compete for a playoff berth this season, it was going to be on Price’s back.  Instead, they’re in the mix despite subpar play between the pipes more often than not.

What should be on the Canadiens’ Holiday Wish List?

The right side of Montreal’s back end is set with Weber, Jeff Petry, and Noah Juulsen.  However, the left side remains a collection of unproven players and veteran depth options.  If they intend to make a playoff push, they will need to upgrade on that side.  Beyond that, finding a way to make a pre-emptive roster move before winger Joel Armia returns later this month over waiving a player and hoping for the best (something they’ve done three times already this season with limited success) will be on GM Marc Bergevin’s short-term agenda.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Minnesota Wild

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Minnesota Wild.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Wild most thankful for?

A resurgent season from winger Zach Parise.  Injuries limited him to just 42 games last season and in each of the years before that, he missed at least a dozen contests in each of them.  The injuries had been taking their toll and accordingly, his point-per-game average had dropped in each of the last three seasons.  For someone with seven years left on his contract heading into this one (with an AAV of just over $7.5MM), this was cause for concern.

Fortunately for Minnesota, the 34-year-old is off to his best start in years.  He leads the team in goals (14) and sits second in points (27); his point-per-game mark (0.93) is his best since the 2009-10 season in New Jersey.  It’s far too early to project this as a sign of things to come over the remaining life of his contract but for now, the team is certainly thankful that their top-paid forward is actually producing like one which is something that simply hasn’t happened in recent years.

Who are the Wild most thankful for?

Some eyebrows were raised this summer when Minnesota gave defenseman Mathew Dumba a five-year, $30MM contract last summer but it’s already looking to be quite the bargain.  The 24-year-old leads all NHL blueliners in goals (12) and is just two off of his career high from last season.  He also is logging nearly 24 minutes a night (a career high) and has really emerged as a legitimate top pairing defender for the price of a second pairing player.  It wasn’t that long ago that there were questions as to whether or not he’d be a part of their future.  Now, Dumba is a key fixture for the long haul at a really nice price point.

What would the Wild be even more thankful for?

Production from core forwards Nino Niederreiter and Charlie Coyle.  Niederreiter looked like he was emerging as a high-end forward two years ago when he picked up 57 points, earning himself a five-year contract in the process.  However, his offense dipped considerably last year and it’s down a tick again this season as he has scored just five times.  Meanwhile, Coyle’s name has come up in trade speculation once again and for good reason.  He has the skillset to be an impact player but he simply isn’t producing as he’s sitting on five goals again.  These two are expected to be consistent secondary scorers for the Wild and the only thing they’ve been consistent at so far this season is being consistently inconsistent.

What should be on the Wild’s Holiday Wish List?

Nate Prosser’s hold on a roster spot has always been tenuous and it’s clear the team doesn’t have a lot of faith in him (he has been healthy all year but has played just twice) so adding some defensive depth that Bruce Boudreau would be comfortable using when injuries arise would be useful.  With their secondary scorers not producing enough, adding a top-six winger would also go a long way towards helping them.  That might be enough to help spark Niederreiter and Coyle (if they’re not part of the return going the other way).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Los Angeles Kings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Los Angeles Kings.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Kings most thankful for?

With a victory Saturday over division-rival Vegas and having split four of their last eight games, Los Angeles has pushed its way out of 31st place in the NHL. While that’s not necessarily something to be thankful for, the veteran-laden Kings started so badly that they were last in the NHL by far. However, the team has shown slight improvements since the team fired John Stevens and replaced him with Willie Desjardins on Nov. 4, who has a 7-10 record so far with the team. While that’s nothing great, the team has picked up a few key wins such as on Saturday and can only hope that things will be getting better on a daily basis.

Who are the Kings most thankful for?

With all the goaltending injuries that the team has sustained this season as both Jonathan Quick and backup Jack Campbell have missed large chunks of the season already, the team’s goaltending hasn’t been that bad. The team has been right in the middle, ranked 15th in save percentage with a .903, which is impressive considering their issues. In fact, the always reliable Quick has been the weakest link for the team in goal this year as he has a 3.23 GAA and a .893 save percentage in nine appearances, although it’s likely he’s not playing at 100 percent.

The team should be impressed, however, with their success from their other goalies as Campbell fared quite well filling in for Quick initially before he went down with the same lower-body injury that Quick suffered. Campbell has posted a 2.33 GAA and a .923 save percentage in 13 games, while AHL prospect Calvin Petersen has fared equally as well with a 2.41 GAA and a .929 save percentage in nine games.

What would the Kings be even more thankful for?

Goal scoring. Team star Anze Kopitar, who is coming off a 35-goal, 92-point season last year, remains the team’s top scorer, but has just seven goals and 18 points — hardly numbers of a player who should be somewhere among the league leaders in scoring. In fact, the team’s lack of scoring can’t be placed on just one person as the entire team’s offense has been lethargic all season as other players including Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown and their big offseason acquisition Ilya Kovalchuk have all struggled this year. If Kopitar and some of the other veterans can pick up the pace a bit and start to show their value, the team could find the offense they need to move them from out of the bottom of the Pacific Division.

What should be on the Kings’ Holiday Wish List?

The team has brought in multiple youngsters to attempt to bring life to the team and while some of those players have had limited success such as Matt Luff, the Kings really need to shake up their roster and begin to reshape their franchise. While there have been plenty of rumors around about L.A. moving on from players like Jeff Carter or Tyler Toffoli, the team remains laden with multiple long-term deals that they are stuck with. If they can find any way to move one or two of them, they have to hope someone finds enough value in some of those veterans that they would be willing to take them off their hands.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Florida Panthers

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Florida Panthers.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Panthers most thankful for?

Their young core that is locked up long-term.  In Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, and Jonathan Huberdeau, they have a trio of high-quality forwards aged 25 or younger that are all signed to below-market contracts for at least three more years.  They also have defenseman Aaron Ekblad (22) locked up for seven seasons and while his deal is a bit of an overpayment for now, it could look better a couple of years from now as he continues to improve.  These four players represent a very strong foundation for GM Dale Tallon to build around for the foreseeable future.

Who are the Panthers most thankful for?

Beyond that core group, they’re certainly thankful for offseason acquisition Mike Hoffman.  The winger was picked up for a collection of four draft picks (most of them of the depth variety) and he has had no issues adapting to his new team.  The 27-year-old is third on the team in scoring and is on pace for a career year offensively.  He has been particularly effective on the power play with a dozen of his 26 points coming with the man advantage.  That’s quite a pickup without giving anything away from their roster and considering he has another year left on his contract with a team-friendly cap hit of just under $5.2MM, it’s a deal that has worked out spectacularly thus far.

What would the Panthers be even more thankful for?

Better goaltending, plain and simple.  Roberto Luongo has been okay when healthy but staying in the lineup has proven to be a challenge.  At the age of 39, that’s likely going to continue to be a concern.  They’re paying big money to James Reimer to give them above average goaltending but he has struggled mightily this season, posting career-worst numbers in the process.  Florida has done a decent job scoring goals so far so getting even league average goaltending could be enough to get them going again.  They haven’t had that level of play too often in 2018-19.

What should be on the Panthers’ Holiday Wish List?

Given Reimer’s struggles (plus those of third-stringer Michael Hutchinson), extra goaltending depth should certainly be on the list and if things don’t improve, they may have to move on that sooner rather than later.  Beyond that, a top-six forward would be a helpful addition with Trocheck out long-term and would really improve their overall attack when he returns.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Edmonton Oilers

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Edmonton Oilers.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Oilers most thankful for?

A very jumbled Pacific Division.  No team has truly run away as a contender just yet and second through seventh place are separated by just eight points.  As a result, Edmonton still is right in the thick of a push for a playoff spot despite not a whole lot going well.  They’ve fired their coach, are struggling to score, and have a goaltending controversy with their starter struggling.  Despite all that, they’re three points out of a top-three spot in the division.  There aren’t many times where that much can go wrong early on and still be that close to a postseason position but this is one of them.

Who are the Oilers most thankful for?

Could it be anyone other than Connor McDavid?  The two-time Art Ross Trophy winner is the top player in the NHL in the eyes of many and he continues to get better.  New bench boss Ken Hitchcock is using him even more with his playing time approaching 25 minutes a game most nights and the 21-year-old has shown he’s up to the task.  McDavid is the type of player that a franchise can be built around and he has already made a long-term commitment to the team, inking an eight-year deal with the team last season.  He’s the most expensive player in the league but he is living up to his price tag.

What would the Oilers be even more thankful for?

Getting some sort of positive contribution from Milan Lucic.  He was brought in with the hope that he could provide some grit and scoring alongside McDavid and in his first season with the team in 2016-17, he fared relatively well.  However, last season he struggled considerably while 2018-19 has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster thus far.  He has just a single goal in 28 games while his playing time is down to just 14:28 per night, his lowest since his rookie season.  Considering he has four years left after this one with a $6MM cap hit on a contract that is basically buyout-proof thanks to the signing bonuses, the Oilers are stuck with him for the foreseeable future.  Finding a way to get any production out of him would be huge.

What should be on the Oilers’ Holiday Wish List?

While Edmonton has surprisingly had difficulties scoring this season, their focus should be shoring up their back end.  They have enough depth in the system but a top-four defenseman would go a long way towards bolstering their playoff chances, especially with a greater emphasis on defense under Hitchcock.  However, cap space is at a premium so they will likely have to move a notable contract out in order to get an impact defender.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Detroit Red Wings

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Detroit Red Wings.  Click here for the other articles in this series. 

What are the Red Wings most thankful for?

Their early-season resiliency.  Detroit got off to an abysmal start as they won just once in their first ten games and looked like early contenders to finish in the league basement.  However, they have picked up 11 wins in 18 games since that time and as a result, they now sit just three points out of a playoff spot heading into play on Thursday night.  Considering they’re doing this while placing some of their younger players in more prominent roles, management has to be encouraged with what they’ve seen as of late.

Who are the Red Wings most thankful for?

It wasn’t that long ago that some of the shine had worn off center Dylan Larkin.  He had followed up a strong rookie year with a mediocre sophomore campaign which had some questioning whether or not he’d be able to become a prominent fixture on their top line.  It’s safe to say those questions don’t exist anymore.

After a breakout 2017-18 season that saw Larkin post 63 points, he’s on pace to beat that this season if he maintains his current output.  He also is now among the league leaders in ice time among forwards, checking in at seventh overall at 21:34 per night.  On top of that, he has gone from being a below average player at the faceoff dot to one of Detroit’s best threats in that regard.  The improvement has been considerable and at just 22 years of age, it’s reasonable to think there could be more to come.

What would the Red Wings be even more thankful for?

More production from their veterans.  Thomas Vanek has just three goals in 20 games this year, a pace well short of his 24-goal output a year ago.  Frans Nielsen has only four goals on the season (and three of those came in a single game earlier this week against a career minor league goalie).  Justin Abdelkader also sits at just four tallies.  Combined, the trio makes $12.5MM this season.  No matter how you slice it, that’s not a good return on their investment.

Beyond that, they’d be thrilled if they could find a way to keep their defense corps healthy.  No fewer than six players on their back end have missed multiple games already which has resulted in them having to call upon youngsters that aren’t quite NHL ready yet and that has cost them some games in the early going.

What should be on the Red Wings’ Holiday Wish List?

With all of the injuries they’ve had on their back end, GM Ken Holland will likely be looking to supplement their depth at that position and considering there always seems to be one or two out, that’s something they may want to add sooner than later.  Up front, with their secondary scoring lacking and injuries to Anthony Mantha and Darren Helm that will keep them out for a little while yet, they may want to try to add some help in that department as well.  However, even with the usage of LTIR, their cap space is limited so the odds of them being able to get help both up front and on the blueline are low.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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