Push for Playoffs

Team: 2024-25 Detroit Red Wings

Initial Creation Date: Mar. 31, 2024

Published: Apr. 1, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

In this scenario, the team directs Yzerman to make a push for the playoffs next season in order to end a 7 year playoff drought.

In order to facilitate the adds to the roster, Stevie signs Raymond and Seider to bridge deals.

He trades for William Karlsson to hold done the 2C spot and move Compher to RW. Karlsson with 52 points in 62 games, 55.4% face-off win percentage and strong 2 way play while only take 20PIMS in comparison to Compher's 40 points in 69 games and 44.3% face-off win percentage. Compher also a strong 2 way player and doesn't get penalized much, only 34 PIMS. The face-off win percentage alone would have meant approximately 100 more possessions for us compared to the other teams, generally speaking. Also, actually having a player capable of playing consistently in the top 6 instead of the mix of Perron, Ras and Veleno I think will be beneficial. He could also be able to cover for Larkin if he gets hurt again.

Adding a guy like Kolesar for physicality and defensive depth I feel is a must. He could be taken out of the trade and trade adjusted likewise if Vegas feels they need to keep him. We would just have to sign a similar player in free agency.

Korczak, another young player who seems to be trapped be the depth of the team. Don't know if he could be made available but he's a solid young defenseman and he could get third pair minutes in Detroit is we move on from Petry and Holl.

Trading for Sturm to help with the defensive side of things. He doesn't put up much for points but his play away from the puck is very good, he also currently has a 59.2% face-of win percentage and was hovering over 60% most of the year. That would be a pretty big improvement over Veleno's 48.2% and Fischer's 41.1%.

Trading Maatta would suck but we have younger options that need to get I the line up and I think they would prefer to keep Chiarot. Added an AHL forward coming back just cause. Could really be any team interested and I believe there will be many interested parties.

I might be a touch low on Kane and Roy, but that will be determined whenever they sign their contracts in free agency.
I bought out Petry and Holl. Holl obviously hasn't really been a great option for us and Petry I think should just finish his career.

I brought back Reimer for 1 year at 1M just to have some insurance in net. He has actually been pretty solid all year and although I think Husso can bounce back, doesn't hurt to have options. I also want Cossa to spend the full year in Grand Rapids as a starter. It wouldn't be awful for him to get a bit of time with the big club but I think it would be better for his development if he was starting games instead of riding the bench. If Reimer doesn't return, I would re-sign Fischer. I went with the goalie option for the reasons of Cossa above and I feel like bringing up a forward is a lot simpler and likely benefit those guys more. I would like to see Mazur, Danielson and Soda possibly get some time next season, if they don't make the team.

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