Heading into the All-Star break, the Detroit Red Wings are one game under .500, sitting at 20-21-6. The Wings are 1-2 since the last stock exchange, with losses to Toronto and Los Angeles and an overtime win over Anaheim. Let’s assess this week’s performances by heading to the Red Wings stock exchange.
For those who haven’t read it before, the stock exchange series is a way to assess player performances by “trading” their stock – who’s trending up, down or holding steady?
Trending Up
Alex Nedeljkovic
After a couple of rough starts last week, the rookie goaltender seems to be back to his high-end play for Detroit. Nedeljkovic had a .933 save percentage against the Ducks and a .930 save percentage against the Kings. It’s reassuring to see such an important piece of the team return to form.
Filip Zadina
Zadina has three points in his last four games. After a brutal start, the forward seems to have gained a bit of confidence in the last couple of weeks. Zadina is thriving on a line with Michael Rasmussen and Adam Erne; the line looked dangerous against the Kings and the Ducks. While he’s not quite “filling the nets” like fans expected, Zadina seems to be trending in the right direction.
Trending Down
Marc Staal
Staal is more a symptom of a problem (a bad defense), but that doesn’t mean he’s been good this season. The veteran defenseman has been either invisible on the ice or straight up bad. He has just six points in 40 games this season – to say he contributes nothing offensively is an understatement. Staal hasn’t been terrible defensively (certainly not as bad as Danny DeKeyser), but it still hasn’t been great. The vet is an alternate captain, so he’s certainly a positive presence in the locker room, but in terms of on-ice play, it’s just not the best.
The team’s playoff odds
Well, after a fun start to the season, it looks like any hope of a playoff berth is all but gone. The Red Wings are the next team out of the Eastern Conference wildcard spot, but the Capitals and Bruins are well ahead. A miracle is needed if the Red Wings want to make the postseason.
Staying put
Jordan Oesterle
Oesterle scored his first goal as a Red Wing in overtime against the Anaheim Ducks. Oesterle hasn’t been especially good this season, but he’s doing exactly what is asked of him – a seventh defenseman that can fill-in any pairing gaps when needed without much of a drop off. It was nice to see him rewarded for his competent backend play, but it won’t do much to shoot up his stock.
Tyler Bertuzzi
Bertuzzi continues to be one of the best forwards on the roster. He has two goals in his last three. Bertuzzi has looked good on both the first and seconds lines, developing noticeably chemistry with his line mates in a short amount of time. Bertuzzi is a key piece of the offense – a talented goal-scorer that is hell-bent on driving offense.