Could the Red Wings be buyers at the deadline for the first time since 2015? If so, Derek Lalonde says the team's main need is "probably another versatile forward."
"Someone who can play center and the wing," Lalonde said Thursday on 97.1 The Ticket. "I love the versatility of some of our forwards, the Joey Velenos, the Andrew Copps, the Michael Rasmussens that can play center or wing."
The Wings' forward depth is indeed one of the reasons they come out of the All-Star break comfortably inside the playoff picture in the East. They have 10 double-digit goal scorers, most in the NHL, and a four-point cushion on the final wild card spot. They rank sixth in the conference in points percentage. In fact, with 58 points through 50 games, the Red Wings are on pace to match their best season since the last time they made the playoffs.
That was seven years ago, tied for a franchise-worst drought. But the Wings aren't necessarily in a rush to get back there under GM Steve Yzerman, who's more concerned with building a perennial contender than squeezing into the postseason. So as the Wings approach the March 8 trade deadline, Lalonde said, "I’d caution our fans." This is not the season to go for broke.
"I do think as a group, why we’re having success is the patience and leadership of Steve Yzerman over time," said Lalonde. "You have to build through the draft. This isn’t done overnight. Are we ready to be a legit Stanley Cup contender? I don’t know. We’re probably overachieving on where our talent is, which is a huge credit to our guys. So I think we’re probably still going to build this thing."
It's not to say Yzerman won't look to upgrade the roster if the Red Wings stay in the race over the next month. At the same time, don't rule out a sell-off if they slip. They have a number of potential rentals who would draw legitimate interest from contenders, headlined by Patrick Kane, David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere.
But in any move to buy, Yzerman won't be putting high draft picks and top prospects on the table. It's just not the time for it in the Red Wings' ongoing -- yes, ongoing -- rebuild.
"He’ll do the right thing if it makes sense, but I think it’s more important if it makes sense going forward," said Lalonde. "So (another forward) will be the wishlist, but I think we’re also realistic on, we’re still in the middle of a process here, which is the right thing to do."
Lalonde's conservative tone reflects Yzerman's stance entering this season: "We would love to make the playoffs. But is it playoffs-or-bust? Internally, no."
"Our goal isn’t just to make the playoffs," Yzerman said. "Our goal is to build a team that can compete for a championship. So the moves we’re making along the way aren’t necessarily designed toward, 'Oh my god, we gotta make the playoffs this year, or playoffs-or-bust.' No, we’re trying to build a nucleus of a young team that’s going to be together for a long time that can compete in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup, and we’re sticking with that path."
Their current path could lead them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, their penultimate season in The Joe. But it won't run counter to the road they've traveled in five years with Yzerman at the wheel.