The Detroit Red Wings have been in a playoff drought since breaking their 25-year streak of making it to the postseason. Since then, it has been trying to rebuild its fortunes and acquire prospects to improve its chances.
But the rebuild, which has been going on since the 2016-17 season, has yet to show any results. And while the Red Wings have acquired more than 77 prospects in the last eight years, things haven’t improved. And one former legend might know the reason why.
Pavel Datsyuk Points Out a Clear Error in the Detroit Red Wings Rebuild
When the Red Wings appointed the current GM, Steve Yzerman, to his position, many thought that they would recover their winning ways. But it has been close to a decade, and they have yet to reach the playoffs.
And while they have developed one of the deepest prospect pipelines in the league, their chances for a playoff berth remain unchanged. So when former player and legend Pavel Datsyuk was asked for his opinion, he had an answer ready.
In his recent interview with RG, the two-time Stanley Cup-winning forward mentions, “The Red Wings were at the top for a long time, winning many titles, so it’s understandable that their rebuild is taking more time than usual.” But he also mentions that they lack leaders.
He mentions how Detroit used to be an NHL powerhouse once, with 25 straight playoff appearances and five years from 1997 to 2002, where they won three Stanley Cups and one more in 2008.
Datsyuk continues, “They say a rebuild takes about seven years, but since Detroit was so high up, the road back to the top takes even longer.” He mentions that it is already a plus that Detroit has a great arena, but they still need some work.
Lack of Strong Leadership Is a Reason Behind Detroit’s Drought, per Pavel Datsyuk
He said, “Perhaps what the team lacks is standout leaders — but that’s true not only for Detroit; it applies to hockey in general.” He continues with, “Players are maturing more slowly these days, and some never mature at all, staying teenagers forever.”
Datsyuk believes that while they are building the team based on a modern roster, they are still keeping their old core values. He says, “You can’t do it the old way anymore — the game has changed a lot: the rules, the business, and the style of play.”
According to him, while the Red Wings started slow, he has faith that they will catch up soon enough.
