Breaking: Wings make a surprising expansion decision

So much for the rebuild?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Breaking: Wings make a surprising expansion decision
Keystone Press

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is in a strange position. For the first time in 25 years the Wings failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this past season and are now looking to the future. At least, that’s been the mandate from management, but today’s protected list for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft shows that the team may be moving in a different direction.

Despite being eight years older and signed to a more onerous contract, the Wings have elected to protect goaltender Jimmy Howard over Petr Mrazek. It’s a surprising development to say the least, not only because Mrazek is younger and cheaper than Howard, but he’s arguably the team’s better goaltender. While he experienced inconsistency in 2016-17, the 25 year-old Mrazek was thought to be one of the NHL’s best young goaltenders just one calendar year ago, but with today’s news his future is entirely up in the air.

Will Mrazek be afforded the chance to wrestle the starting job in Detroit away from Howard? Or, will he be handed the job in Vegas? Maybe he’ll had to fend off a veteran like Marc-Andre Fleury in Vegas? Again, his future is up in the air and what ends up happening for Mrazek in 2017-18 is anyone’s guess.

Wings fans, what’s your take on this? Surprising? Good move or bad move?

Source: TSN