Looking solely at those numbers, it may be tempting to say the Detroit Red Wings are better off without Thomas Vanek. This is ludicrous; a team is more than the sum of its parts. But while the streaks of a team cannot be attributed to a single player, of course, the Red Wings clearly need Vanek at his best in order to keep winning.
Unfortunately, Vanek had struggled this season even before the injury. His offensive results have taken a dip this year, and slowness on defense makes him a bit of a liability.