The Detroit Red Wings’ offseason can be described as incomplete, a complete mess, or both. Ready or not, the Red Wings begin their season with a home game against the New York Rangers on Friday night.
Following a 10th consecutive season without a playoff appearance, the NHL’s longest active drought, the Red Wings gave their fans even fewer reasons to feel good about the franchise.
Longtime captain Dylan Larkin privately requested a trade that eventually became a very public revelation.
Larkin reportedly had a falling out with general manager and Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman, who was moved to an advisory role by owner Chris Ilitch in mid-July.
Then came the silence. Heading into training camp, the team still didn’t have anyone running the show until Shawn Horcoff was named interim GM in mid-September.
However, at least two pieces of unfinished business remain. Larkin, who will miss the opener due to an upper-body injury, still wants to be traded. If he plays with the team again, he would no longer have a “C” on his uniform.
“I asked for a trade from the Detroit Red Wings as the captain, and actions have consequences,” he said. “I understand why that decision was made. I’m going to be a professional about it.”
Key defenseman Simon Edvinsson, a restricted free agent, remains unsigned. He returned to his native Sweden near the end of training camp after negotiations apparently stalled.
“It’s business, and the players that are here in the locker room, the coaching staff that is here, we have jobs to do and the business between Simon and the hockey team, we have nothing to do with it,” coach Todd McLellan said. “We can’t change it or affect it. So, we go out and practice and prepare for a game, and if you’re in a Red Wings jersey, you’re playing. That’s the only way we can deal with it.”
With Larkin still on the roster, the Red Wings’ top four scorers from last season return: Alex DeBrincat (85 points), Lucas Raymond (76), Larkin (67) and Moritz Seider (60). No. 1 goalie John Gibson is back after going 29-22-4 last season with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. He is now backed up by Daniil Tarasov.
The Rangers already have played two games. After getting blanked 3-0 by the host Boston Bruins on Tuesday, the Rangers bounced back in their home opener, earning a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
It turned into a historic night as Igor Shesterkin became the first New York goaltender to score a goal. He flung the puck into the empty net at 17:26 of the third period to cap the scoring. Shesterkin raised his stick in the air and was mobbed by his teammates.
“It was a long time in my head,” Shesterkin said, “so I thought that I’d go celebrate in a different way. But like I said, I didn’t see the puck go across the line, and I just was a little bit shy, and I didn’t know what I could do. So maybe next time. I will keep trying to score one more time.”
The whole team was energized by the landmark goal.
“When those moments occur for a team, they’re great moments,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “You can see the raw emotion on the players on the bench. … When he has a moment like that, I think the guys get — they get pretty fired up about it.”
Pavel Dorofeyev and Mika Zibanejad each had a goal and an assist for New York on Thursday, while Adam Fox added two assists.
