In their first game at home since the Olympic break, the Red Wings offered reminders of who they can be and what they are not. They built a 3-1 lead on the Golden Knights with two strong periods, only to collapse in the third and lose in overtime. They can be a stiff team. They are not one yet, a reality that looms large at a juncture of the season where the Wings have come undone three years in a row.
"We let our foot off the gas a little bit," said Alex DeBrincat. "Good teams will make you pay like that. We gotta come out in the third and stick to our same game that got us there, play in the O-zone and kill the clock that way, rather than sitting back and letting them attack the whole time."
The trade deadline is Friday. As the Red Wings aim to snap a nine-year playoff drought -- and really, isn't it time? -- their lineup has clear limitations.
Dylan Larkin was flanked on the first line Wednesday night by Michael Rasmussen and Patrick Kane, two players who -- to borrow a term from Todd McLellan -- are mostly just "jerseys" at five-on-five (with due respect to No. 88). The void on the second D-pair was filled by Jacob Bernard-Docker, who is not a top-four defenseman on a credible playoff team. Even Andrew Copp, who has played well for Detroit this season, is overcast as a No. 2 center on a team with playoff aspirations, especially when the No. 1 center is overcast, at times, himself.
Larkin was on the ice for both of Vegas' third-period goals; Bernard-Docker was guilty of some poor play in his own zone on the first one. Down a man in overtime, the Wings iced a defensive duo of Chiarot and Albert Johansson and failed to clear the puck after a face-off win by Larkin; it was in the back of their net moments later. Maybe a healthy John Gibson makes an extra save and turns that game in Detroit's favor, but the Red Wings can't keep asking their goalie to be their best player down the stretch.
"We gotta find a way to finish off those games when we’re up by two in the third," said DeBrincat. "Good teams win those games, so gotta keep working to get to that point."
Steve Yzerman, of course, can help them get there by making an upgrade or two at the deadline, while keeping an eye on the future. His team badly needs a right-shot defenseman to stabilize the second pair, and could really use another top-six forward with some scoring punch and jam. The Red Wings still aren't all that hard to play against, especially for teams that are heavy up front.
The clock is ticking. Supply is shrinking, as possible fits for Detroit wind up elsewhere. Ahead of Friday's 3 p.m. deadline, here are four priority targets for Yzerman and the Red Wings.
Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
Yzerman is not in the high-end rental market. He doesn't think the Red Wings are there yet, and he's right. He's only parting with premium assets if it brings in a player who lifts the team now and moving forward, like he did three years ago for DeBrincat. Trocheck feels like the perfect potential addition up front. NHL players with 100-plus goals and 800-plus hits over the last five seasons: Brady Tkachuk, Tom Wilson, J.T. Miller and Trocheck.
The Red Wings were in on Trocheck as a free agent in 2022 before he took a longer-term deal with the Rangers and the Wings settled for Copp. Where Copp is probably punching above his weight as a No. 2 center behind Larkin, Trocheck -- who just won a gold medal with Larkin -- would not be.
Trocheck, 32, is a legitimate two-way difference-maker, a consistent 20-goal scorer, an asset on the power play and the penalty kill, a master at the face-off dot. He could take on the other team’s top line, when needed, to create better matchups for Larkin. And Trocheck has a real edge to his game. He's not a "heavy" player in the traditional sense of the word, but he's a thorn in the opposition's side. The Wings need more of that sort of obnoxiousness.
He's got lots of playoff experience, and he's signed for three more seasons after this one with a very reasonable $5.6 million cap hit. The Rangers are motivated to move Trocheck, who will cost a lot. He will likely set the trade market for centers, unless someone pays the freight for Robert Thomas of the Blues, which feels far-fetched. You can start with a first-round pick and a highly-ranked prospect for Trocheck. It would be worth it for the Wings.
Justin Faulk, St. Louis Blues
Detroit's most pressing need is on the blueline. It would be negligent on the part of Yzerman to not add someone who's capable of playing top-four minutes, ideally a right shot. He tried on Tyler Myers, who apparently used his no-movement clause to direct a trade from Vancouver to Dallas when Detroit was in the mix.
Faulk makes a lot of sense, and actually feels like a better potential fit than Myers would have been. He doesn't have near the size, but possesses the puck-moving skills and skating ability to complement Chiarot and help the Wings get up the ice at five-on-five. He's logged big minutes against top competition his whole career, and chips in some offense, with 11 goals in 61 games this year.
Faulk, who turns 34 this month, is just a smart, steady player who would lend Detroit's blueline much-needed dependability in big moments. And he's signed through next season with a reasonable $6.5 million cap hit, which would give fellow right-shot defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka the runway he needs to develop into a reliable top-four option himself.
Again, Faulk won't come cheap, and he has a 15-team no-trade clause. But if a first-round pick would get it done, it's worth considering for Detroit.
Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers
Yzerman has prioritized size on the blueline, and Ristolainen would complete a towering top four. He's 6'4 and tends to play like it. He's a right shot who can handle heavy minutes. He won't bring much offense, but that's really not what the Red Wings are seeking here. Ristolainen would make them harder to play against. He was a force for Team Finland in some high-stakes games in the Olympics.
The Flyers want a lot for Ristolainen, who's 31 and signed through next season with a team-friendly cap hit of $5.1 million. Their reported asking price is a first-round pick and a prospect. That could feel heavy depending on the prospect, and there's certainly some injury risk here. Ristolainen has missed well more than a season's worth of games the past few years, most recently dealing with an upper-body injury that cost him a couple weeks in January.
But the thought of a top four of Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, Chiarot and Ristolainen has real appeal, especially as the Red Wings ponder the big-boy minutes they'll need down the stretch.
Blake Coleman, Calgary Flames
A two-time Cup winner with the Lightning, Coleman brings a lot of the qualities the Red Wings lack up front. He checks and he scores, he hounds pucks and he win battles, he skates well and he plays quickly. That's the sort of feisty forward who can tilt the ice in the middle six. Even as a winger, Coleman could give Detroit a real spark.
Of course, his history with the Lightning is exactly why they're one of the favorites to land him. Coleman has a 10-team approved trade list and a lot of say in where he goes, if he's dealt. And the Flames will be seeking a healthy return, with Coleman under contract through next season at a $4.9 million cap hit. A first-round pick will likely be involved.
But the Red Wings should absolutely make a play here. Coleman, 34, has the physicality, speed and scoring ability to push them to a higher gear in the kind of big games where their roster has faltered in the past.