ESPN's NHL columnist Scott Burnside posed these questions in his Western Conference preview regarding the Red Wings:
• Does Hasek have another season left in him like last season, when he went 38-11-6?
• Can Kronwall stay healthy for an entire season and prove he's the star material the Red Wings believe he is?
• Just how good can Henrik Zetterberg be?
• Were the no-shows at the normally sold-out Joe Louis Arena during the playoffs a symptom of deeper problems in one of the NHL's most solid markets?
Assuming the Wings are as careful with Hasek as they were last season, yes Hasek does have another season left in him. The Dominator may be crazy, but he's a competitor and it seems he finally find a method of properly warming up/cooling down that is better on his groin. Plus, it sounds like this will be his last season so that's always incentive for him to play well.
As much as I like Kronwall, I have a hard time believing he can stay healthy for an entire season. If he can, I think we could really see some improvement in play for Kronner especially if he sees an increase in playing time with Mathieu Schneider gone.
As each goes by, I see Zetterberg only getting better and better. I don't think he's reached his peak yet and I look forward to seeing how he will produce this season. Not that a contract is an incentive that Zetterberg needs, he will be signing a new contract with Detroit likely this next offseason so that doesn't hurt.
I think it's a symptom of deeper problems. Apparently, the Wings season ticket list has pretty much evaporated causing the Wings to actually try to go out and sell tickets. They'll be selling $9 tickets for October through December games. While they will only be selling 200 of those tickets each game, it's nice to actually see the team attempting to make it more affordable for fans to attend games. I don't think the interest is what it once was whether it's the recent success of the Detroit Tigers or the poor Michigan economy.
The big test will be to see if the Wings reduce the cost of playoff tickets. If they do, will the Joe sellout?