Faceoff Factor

Examining the Red Wings - Part 1: Comparing Rosters

Zach Boslett | National Hockey League

Nov 11, 12:29 PM | Hype this story!

2009/10
Bertuzzi – Datsyuk – Holmstrom
Cleary – Zetterberg – Williams
Draper – Helm – Eaves
Leino – Abdelkader – Maltby

Lidström – Rafalski
Stuart – Kronwall
Ericsson – Lebda

Osgood
Howard

2008/09
Datsyuk – Zetterberg – Franzen
Cleary – Filppula – Hossa
Hudler – Helm – Samuelsson
Holmstrom – Draper – Maltby

Lidstrom – Rafalski
Kronwall – Stuart
Lebda – Ericsson

Osgood
Conklin

What is the difference between the Red Wing lineups of the last two seasons? Scoring Depth.

The Red Wings last season were a matchup nightmare for opposing teams because they had three scoring lines all season, and their power play was deadly with one future Hall of Famer on the point, and four other All Star caliber players surrounding him.

This season, after the injury to Franzen and loss of Hossa, they only have one line that is a consistent scoring threat, and with the struggles of Zetterberg and Datsyuk, they are getting outscored at even strength, a stark contrast to their dominant even strength stats from one year ago.

Despite what many Red Wing bloggers/fans/experts will tell you, something is wrong.

The Red Wings, for the first time in years, had a large roster turnover during the offseason, and that is one major factor in their slow start.

They lost 40 goal scorer and All Star 2-way winger Marian Hossa, along with grinding winger Tomas Kopecky, to the division rival Chicago Blackhawks.

Two thirds of their third line in the 2009 playoffs are now playing for different team. Jiri Hudler is playing in the KHL and Mikael Samuelsson is gaining top-six minutes with Vancouver and is playing the best hockey of his career.

Both Hudler and Samuelsson would be top-six forwards on most teams in the NHL.

The Red Wings brought in Todd Bertuzzi but he has been ineffective since 05-06, his last season in Vancouver. He has six points in 15 games this season and is a -5.

They also signed Jason Williams from Columbus, and he only had two goals and a -5 in 15 games until he broke his fibula.

Cleary also is struggling, with two goals in 14 games and has been in the doghouse for much of the season.

Ville Leino had been thrust into a top-six role this season despite only playing 13 regular season games in his career coming into this season. But he struggled and is now playing on the fourth line and only has two goals on the season.

But the main problem so far has been injuries.

Franzen tore his ACL in the third game and will likely miss most of the regular season. He had 34 goals last season, second on the team and is a dominant playoff performer.

Filppula recently broke his wrist as well and he will likely be out until late December as well. He is not a big goal scorer but is one of their main penalty killers and a top defensive forward on the team.

Williams is hurt for at least 8 weeks and Leino, Helm, and Abdelkader, their young players, will have to step up for the first time in years.

The team depth has been shattered now due to free agency and injuries and for the first time in a long time the Red Wings need to rely on their prospects to fill in those holes. So far, they have not and the Red Wings are struggling (by their standards).