The Red Wings are losers of five in a row with 19 games left on the schedule. Technically Detroit is still in the mix for a wild card spot, but the margin of error is razor-thin at this point. Each and every game is “important” this time of year — especially for a team who technically bought assets at the trade deadline.
Let’s talk about that — the trade deadline. I feel we’ve all had enough time to process and digest the move(s) made, but I am not sure how everyone feels about it. I sense a lot of unrest from the fanbase, but that’s mostly because of the people who just can’t be pleased. Steve Yzerman picked up Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith for Joe Veleno. It’s tough to see JV go, but I personally thing Smith is an upgrade over him. Mrazek is, well, Mrazek. He could be really solid or really underwhelming. Probably no in between. Is this trade enough to right the ship? You bring in some depth for a shaky goaltender position that has proven to be a pain point for this team, and you add veteran pedigree to another position of need after Andrew Copp went down for the season. I know a lot of people liked Veleno (I liked him as well), but he was expendable a this point. To fill a couple areas of need using only a bottom-six player is not a bad move.
My overall trade deadline grade for the Red Wings: C+
Not great, not bad, just…. fine. And I think that’s okay for now.
Speaking of the new guys – the Wings announced their numbers. Craig Smith will wear 15, and Petr Mrazek will wear 43. Kinda funny that Mrazek gets that number — it was Carter Mazur’s just a matter of days ago, but that was before he got injured in his NHL debut. Sad trombone.
A New Way to Watch
Ilitch Sports & Entertainment announced over the weekend that select Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons games will be simulcast for free on FOX 2 Detroit. That will actually start tonight for Detroit’s game against Ottawa. The other games that will be available through this will be March 27 (Ottawa), April 1 (St. Louis), April 8 (Montreal), and April 14 (Dallas).
It’s not a lot — but it’s a start. The media world continues to shift and adapt to consumers are becoming more and more frustrated with streaming services and the costs that come with them. It also breaks the mold of traditional RSN broadcasting — something we have not had in a very long time. The hope is that maybe one day Ilitch will have invested in its own channel/streaming services that will feature many games for free with ads. Not confident in that happening, but one can hope!
That’s all for now. Have a good Monday, friends.
