The real question isn’t if the Detroit Red Wings will reach the playoffs, but how far this team is prepared to go once they arrive.
Detroit is coming off their ninth straight year without making it to the postseason. It’s been painful for everyone involved and general manager Steve Yzerman has clearly felt the heat.
But instead of cutting and running, the former captain has spent the entire offseason trying to make moves. They acquired former all-star goaltender in John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks and picked up veterans James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton.