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NHL Airport, Gate 2: Detroit Red Wings

NHL AIRPORT
GATE 2: DETROIT
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PREVIOUSLY: The Red Wings had made the playoffs for 26 straight seasons, but it all fell apart this year, as for the first time, Detroit missed out on playoff hockey. This year could be classified as the start of a rebuild, but with pieces such as Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha the Red Wings are not going to completely break apart the team. The Wings finished with 79 points last year, second-worst in their division (last place belonged to the Buffalo Sabres). Henrik Zetterberg lead the team in points with 68, while Thomas Tatar scored 25 goals to top his team in scoring. The biggest event for the Wings this season was the final game at Joe Louis Arena, the team will move into Little Caesars Arena for the upcoming season.

ARRIVING: Trevor Daley: Daley is fresh off two Stanley Cup Championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins and should arrive hungry for more. He could become one of the Red Wings' top two defensemen, playing with either Danny DeKeyser or Jonathan Ericsson. He had 19 points last year-not bad for a defenseman of that age.

DEPARTING: Cap space. Again. Each of the last three years, the Red Wings have had virtually no cap space. If the Red Wings want to become a playoff team again, Larkin or Mantha has to evolve into a superstar-or they'll have to make some major salary-cap dumps somewhere and start all over. A recent poll showed that Red Wings fans are losing patience with the management, and their want to not begin a full rebuild is part of that. The Wings need a superstar if they're going to win a cup, or they won't get out of their division, which is filled with players like Carey Price, Erik Karlsson, Brad Marchand, Victor Hedman, Auston Matthews, Shea Weber-the list goes on and on.

TAKING OFF? Not for a while. The Red Wings need to initiate a full rebuild before they're going anywhere, and the management doesn't seem willing to do so. The same happened in Pittsburgh and Chicago, the most recent Cup winners. After a streak of success, the owners realized that they weren't going to win with their rosters and went into rebuild mode, drafting high for players like Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Evgeni Malkin. The Wings need to follow their example and hope for a superstar if they want to get to the top of the league again.

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