It goes without saying - the 2022-23 edition of the Detroit Red Wings that hit the ice in October for their opening night matchup against the Original 6 rival Montreal Canadiens will look far different than the squad that finished last season as the NHL's worst defensive team.
And thanks to the multiple moves made at all three positions by general manager extraordinaire Steve Yzerman, the Red Wings are expected to take a major step forward in the upcoming season. In fact, according to The Athletic, they're the most improved squad out of all 32 clubs.
Yzerman was among the busiest executives in hockey in July, bringing aboard the likes of Andrew Copp, David Perron, Dominik Kubalik, Olli Maatta, and Ben Chiarot. And that was already on top of his acquisition of goaltender Ville Husso from the St. Louis Blues the previous week. Meanwhile, they also brought aboard former Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde as Jeff Blashill's replacement.
So just how big of an improvement can the fans of Hockeytown expect to see from their team on the ice this season? According to BetOnline, their over-under point total was set at 84½; they finished last season with 74 points. Essentially, five more wins than last year.
While it's certainly an improvement over last year, another season on the outside in of the Stanley Cup Playoffs may not sit well with the fans in Detroit, who certainly grew accustomed to seeing the Red Wings in the postseason for 25 consecutive years. The 2021-22 season was the 6th straight year they failed to qualify.
Meanwhile, BetOnline believes that New Jersey, Seattle, Philadelphia, Montreal and Ottawa will all make bigger leaps in the standings compared to last year's record than Detroit.
