The Detroit Red Wings have went 1-2 since the last edition of the stock exchange – it was an inconsistent week, to say the least. Detroit secured one of the more impressive wins of the season in overtime against the Hurricanes, but they followed it up with a pair of losses in the sunshine state.
Let’s head to the stock exchange to assess the player’s performances in this stretch.
Trending up
Michael Rasmussen
Big ‘Ras had a strong week. He wasn’t especially impressive on the stat sheet (he scored one goal against the Carolina Hurricanes), but he had plenty more opportunities. After spending a majority of his career as a center, Rasmussen has been playing on the wing of late. He seems more confident, willing to take offensive risks that he wouldn’t as a center. Sure, he might not be living up to where he was selected in the draft, but he’s showing signs of progress.
Trending down
The penalty kill
Detroit’s PK unit was downright awful this week. The Wings have up six power play goals in just three games. Sure, it was against some of the best, most lethal man advantages in the league, but six goals is just too much to give up in such a short stretch. The schedule is still brutal in the next few weeks (minus a game against the Arizona Coyotes), so the unit will have to buckle down and stop the bleeding.
The Guelph Line
Well, the Guelph Line has finally been broken up. Jeff Blashill decided to put the lines in a blender Saturday night, splitting the typical second line unit apart for the first time in a while. For now, it seems as though the Guelph Line’s hot streak is finally over.
Staying put
The defense
Welp, the Red Wings defense didn’t change much this week. Sure, they didn’t give up 10 goals like they did against the Maple Leafs last week, but the defense was still pretty terrible. The 6-2 loss to the Panthers was especially brutal on the back end. Whether it be lack of personnel or the system currently being facilitated, the stock for Detroit’s defense is still one of the lowest.
Moritz Seider
Seider’s point streak came to an end in Detroit’s loss to the Panthers. He went eight straight games with a point, which is the franchise record for a rookie defenseman. The streak may have come to an end, but Seider is still one of the best players on the roster, and probably the best rookie in the NHL. He stick didn’t fluctuate too much this week.