Red Wings must trust the process

Many fans  will remember that the Detroit Red Wings were a dominant force in the NHL for almost two decades. Although those days may seem long gone, it wasn't so long ago, and with a bit of hope and patience, those days could be back.

The Wings started the season well, but they are now seeking to avoid losing a fourth game in a row tonight against the Oilers.

Now, it comes as no surprise that the Red Wings are struggling to win games consistently so far this season. As a matter of fact the Wings have been lackluster for a few seasons, having failed to make the playoffs for three years in a row. As early as it is in the season, fans may have to come to peace with the Wings missing the playoffs again this year sooner rather than later.

That being said, there is a bit of joy to salvage yet in Hockey Town this year. The Wings' first offensive line is producing quite nicely and what's more, it is composed of three young and talented players. Anthony Mantha has 6 goals and 10 points in 7 games while Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi both tally 7 points in as many games.

Unfortunately, that is about it when it comes to positivity so far this season as the rest of the team has struggled immensely. On one hand, the goalie situation in Detroit is not optimal. An aging Jimmy Howard who seems to be way past his prime is battling for the strating job with career-backup Jonathan Bernier. Both netminders have a goal against average above 3.00 and a save percentage below 0.900.

To make matters worse, the Red Wings suffer from a lack of depth throughout their lineup. To give you an idea, 30 year-old Luke Glendening who had a career-high 10 goals and 23 points in 78 games last season is playing on the 2nd line. 

It seems clear that the Detroit Red Wings are still undergoing a rebuild at this point in time. The past few seasons have been an opportunity to draft well for the Red Wings and they are currently sitting on a very interesting pool of prospects, namely Filip Zadina, Moritz Seider, Michael Rasmussen and Joe Veleno.

Developing prospects slowly is the Detroit way. This philosophy has seen the likes of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist - none of whom were selected in the first round of the draft - become elite NHL players with the Wings. As insider Helene St. James points out, Detroit has stopped trading first round picks and are now reaping the benefits with Anthony Mantha and Dylan Larkin leading the team from the front.

The Detroit Red Wings have a history and a reputation for being patient with their prospects. This season might be yet another difficult one in Hockey Town, but fans and players alike should definitely trust the process.