Detroit Red Wings' playoff streak was great, but what now?
As acceptance and disappointment settle over the Detroit Red Wings, they are assuaged by pride and optimism.
The sun set on the Red Wings’ incredible playoff streak Tuesday night, as they were mathematically eliminated from the 2017 race. It ended an era that began in 1991 and lasted 25 seasons. The man who led the franchise's transition from misery to mastery and who defined the Wings for so long that he became known simply as The Captain reflected on the end by emphasizing its greatness.
“I think everyone in Detroit should be proud of it,” Steve Yzerman said last week. “It is incredibly difficult to make the playoffs in this league. Going back to the early '90s, this team was a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup for a lot of years. It wasn’t just a four- or five-year span.”
Current captain Henrik Zetterberg, likewise, spoke of the accomplishment, even as he acknowledges disappointment of being on the team that ended the streak.
“It’s been a good streak, and I think, when you think back on it, you are going to be proud of it,” Zetterberg said.
A number of factors led to the Wings missing the playoffs this season. Injuries piled up, headlined by goalie Jimmy Howard being out two-plus months. Too many players performed below expectations through the first half, headlined by goalie Petr Mrazek, forwards Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan and defenseman Danny DeKeyser. The defense corps never got the upgrade it needed, and the power play was shockingly bad until it began delivering in mid-February. And Pavel Datsyuk departed last summer with a year to go on his contract, leaving the Wings without their most creative player.
Former head coach Mike Babcock as much as predicted this would happen when he left in 2015, noting the lack of an elite up-and-comer in the system. There is blame to go around, from management to coaching to players.
Relative newcomers to the team recognize the magnitude of what was lost.
“The streak was something you were reminded about all the time when you were here as a visiting player,” said forward Frans Nielsen, who signed as a free agent in July. “It is, for sure, something we should be embarrassed about, being part of the team that ended it.
“Hopefully, something good comes out of it — we get a really good player this summer in the draft. But it is disappointing that it is over. It is absolutely nothing I am proud of.”
A source of pride is what the Wings accomplished after they got their playoff legs in the 1990s: Stanley Cup championships in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. The Wings advanced to the playoffs decade after decade at a time no other team managed even half that. The streak was fed by a dozen Hall of Famers and, just when it appeared it might be coming to an end, it was sustained another decade by a pair of late-round picks in Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Even when an NHL salary cap was instituted in 2005, the Wings continued to win.
“The streak is impressive on all levels,” said former player Kirk Maltby, now a pro scout. “It is extremely impressive. They had some lean years in the '80s where they were bottom feeders, and that is how they got some great, great draft picks.
“We got some incredible draft picks, and we have an ownership that was willing to do what they could to help team win.”
Such a streak only has been accomplished four times. The Boston Bruins hold the record, at 29 seasons (1968-1996), with the Chicago Blackhawks at 28 seasons (1970-1997). The St. Louis Blues had a 25-season streak in 1980-2004. The Pittsburgh Penguins have the longest active streak, at 11 straight seasons.
“It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact the Wings have been that good, and it's been a quarter-century,” said Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters, an assistant with the Wings in 2011-14. “You don’t see it in any sport at any level. It’s been in an incredible run, with some unbelievable highs.”
The streak began after an era so dreadful, the team became known as the “Dead Wings.” Detroit made the playoffs only twice between 1967 and 1982. The rebuild got its first break in 1983, when the Wings drafted Yzerman fourth overall, but it was the gold mine that was the 1989 draft that transformed the Wings into contenders. Back then — back when European players were overlooked and Russia was behind the Iron Curtain, the Wings were able to select Nicklas Lidstrom at 53rd overall, Sergei Fedorov at 74th and Vladimir Konstantinov at No. 221. Lidstrom turned out to be one of the best defensemen ever. Fedorov was an elite two-way player who could blow by opponents with his speed. Konstantinov had established himself as one of the fiercest defensemen in the NHL when his career ended in June 1997 because of injuries from a limousine accident.
With those four on board, the Wings went on to add stars and grinders: Brendan Shanahan, Chris Chelios, Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Dominik Hasek, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, Kris Draper, Joe Kocur, Maltby and many more. They thrived under ownership in Mike and Marian Ilitch willing to spend in return for being annual contenders.
“Everyone we picked up did well for us,” former coach Scotty Bowman said. “Edmonton got rid of Maltby, but he was great for us. He was important for us. Chelios was, at first, only coming for a year or two, and then he plays for 10 years. The Russians were amazing.”
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When Yzerman and company aged into their mid-30s, in came Datsyuk, drafted in the sixth round in 1998 and Zetterberg, drafted in the seventh round in 1999.
The Wings went to the Stanley Cup finals six times between 1995-2009, winning four times.
“I remember, when the salary cap came in, people said, 'Well, now the Wings will be in a fair playing field with everyone,'” Maltby said. “Well, within three years, we won another Cup and lost the next year in the final. It shows the commitment of ownership, management, coaching, players, everyone, to buy into the Red Wings way.
“At the same time, especially since the cap, the streak might have been our biggest foe, our downfall. It’s a double-edged sword. We kept the streak alive, and because of that, we have not gotten any high-end picks. Now everyone has scouts everywhere, gems are found and are first-round picks. There is no hiding players anymore, like we did with Russians before.”
So how do the Wings become competitive again? Tanking guarantees nothing — of the teams that have gone through years of misery recently, only two — Chicago and Pittsburgh — have championships to show for it. It took the Blackhawks a decade of losing to gain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Penguins went through half a decade of losing but then had the master stroke of luck to get the No. 1 pick in 2005, yielding Sidney Crosby.
Other teams are still searching for Cup celebrations.
The Florida Panthers missed the playoffs 13 times since 1998, leading to drafting third overall in 2011, second overall in 2013, and first overall in 2014, and still, they are likely to miss the playoffs this season. Since the 2004-05 lockout, the Coyotes franchise has drafted inside the top 10 six times — and has missed the playoffs nine times, including the last five years.
Then there is Colorado: Detroit’s contemporary in the late '90s and early aughts now has a lineup that includes the first overall picks from 2006 and 2013, second overall from 2011, third overall from 2009, 10th overall from 2015 -- and the Avs are the worst team in the NHL.
The Edmonton Oilers, meanwhile, drafted first overall in 2010, 2011 and 2012, seventh overall in 2013 and third overall in 2014 -— and kept missing the playoffs. They are competitive team again because, in 2015, their first overall pick yielded Connor McDavid, a generational player like Crosby. Likewise, Toronto’s rise has come with the addition of Auston Matthews, the generational player who went first overall in 2016.
There is no generational player in the 2017 NHL draft, should the Wings win the draft lottery and select first overall. They should get a good player, but he likely won’t make an immediate impact.
Unrestricted free agency is not the shopping event it used to be, either, as teams have realized that it is imperative to hang on to their stars. But reinforcements via July 1 are possible — Nielsen has been everything the Wings hoped for, and Thomas Vanek exceeded expectations. The Wings would like to re-sign Vanek, whom they traded to Florida. Steve Ott, traded to Montreal, is also a possibility to return, depending on who is lost in the expansion draft.
To regain a competitive advantage, general manager Ken Holland and his staff will have to explore trades and think hard about how much it is worth giving up to get what the Wings need most: a defenseman who can anchor the top pairing.
“They don’t need a complete retool,” Bowman said. “Detroit has some pieces, they just need to spruce up in some areas. Draft picks this year are good to have, but draft picks are not impactful for two to four years.
“It’s a work in progress. A lot will depend on the off-season. If they can pick up a defenseman, but it’s not easy to find a defenseman these days. So many teams are short on defense. But they have enough young guys that can be better than average.”
There are good building blocks on the team in Dylan Larkin (he has had a tough second year but has the smarts to figure out how to become an impact player), Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou have provided a huge lift down the stretch, giving them confidence that should carry over into next season. They are exactly what the Wings need: young players lifting some of the weight off the veterans, as Datsyuk and Zetterberg did a decade ago. Likewise, Tatar and Nyquist have surged down the stretch, as has Mrazek. Young defensemen such as Nick Jensen and Robbie Russo have gained valuable experience.
Veterans have been the team’s most consistent performers: Zetterberg turns 37 in October but has been outstanding this season. Howard is playing the best hockey of his career and just celebrated his 33rd birthday. Vanek, 33, was the Wings’ top producer in points per game when he was traded.
The Wings arguably have more right to miss the playoffs this spring than any other team. Years of not drafting inside the top 10 have caught up to them, and injuries decimated the roster. But as they bid farewell to Joe Louis Arena and move into Little Caesars Arena, they do so with a team that, with a couple good moves, should once again be competitive.
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Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.