Although the Red Wings ended the season out of the playoffs, the coaching staff and upper management couldn’t help but find some positives in the year. Many young players took strides towards becoming high level NHL players, the defense improved, and Detroit’s goaltenders performed excellently. Of course, finishing 27th in the league is not without its share of negatives, as some players failed to live up to expectations and the team as a whole still struggled offensively. The season was an up and down experience for Detroit, and with it coming to a conclusion, the Red Wings’ players will be graded out based on their season performance. Here is the forward group:
Adam Erne: A
Erne came into the season as a potential healthy scratch and had to fight his way into the lineup. After a slow start, Erne came alive, playing on a heavy forechecking line with Luke Glendening and Darren Helm. He ended the season with a career high in goals (11, tied for the team lead) and points per game (0.44) and provided physical play and quality defense. Erne gets an A for bouncing back from an abysmal 2019-20 and carving out his role perfectly as a bottom six grinder who can provide important depth on offense.
Jakub Vrana: A
Although Vrana played just 11 games with the Red Wings after being traded to Detroit at the deadline, he was arguably their best player down the stretch. In those 11 games, he put up 8 goals (including a 4 goal game) and 3 assists and used his speed and shot very effectively. He earns an A grade for sparking the Red Wings’ offense and will enter next season as a go to player in the top six.
Filip Zadina: A-
Zadina’s start to the season was derailed by a stay in COVID protocol, but once he found his groove, he quietly became one of Detroit’s best players over the course of the year. Although he didn’t put up incredible offensive numbers (19 points in 49 games), his offensive play still looked good and his defensive game improved immensely. He provided a spark in the Red Wings’ lineup with his puck possession and 200 foot game; he earns an A- minus this season for the overall strides he took and will look to go into 2021-22 taking more steps offensively.
Robby Fabbri: A-
Fabbri wasn’t able to play a full season due to COVID protocols and a season ending injury, but he made the most of his time on ice. Despite just 30 games played, he finished second on the team with 10 goals and sixth on the team with 18 points. Fabbri was a high energy player who proved himself to be a top six winger this season. He’ll go into next season as a go to goal scorer and earns himself an A- for his offensive production.
Michael Rasmussen: B+
Rasmussen was among the young players that both the coaching staff and management mentioned as taking big strides this season. He started the year in the AHL with Grand Rapids but was soon called up as an injury replacement and found his place on the team. Although he didn’t put up a large amount of points (3 goals, 12 points in 40 games), he played a solid 200 foot game and used his size (6’6”, 229 lbs) very effectively. He also stepped up at the end of the season, playing a bigger role as top center Dylan Larkin went down with injury. He grades out as a B+ and will go into next season battling for a bigger role on the team.
Sam Gagner: B
Gagner, acquired at the trade deadline last season as part of the Andreas Athanasiou deal, re-signed with the Red Wings in the offseason, giving them depth and versatility for their forward group. Gagner managed 15 points in 42 games as a mostly bottom six player and was able to play up and down the lineup as a center or a winger. His 15 points were right around what was expected from the veteran, although his struggles at the beginning of the season prevent him from moving into the A-grade quadrant. He earns a B for finding a niche in the lineup in the second half of the season.
Dylan Larkin: B-
Larkin entered this season as the newly named captain of Detroit and looked to bounce back from a down year offensively. Coming off a 73 point campaign in 2018-19, Larkin struggled at the beginning of the 2019-20 season, which led to a drop in offense and just 53 points. 2020-21 was more of the same; Larkin put up just 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists) in 44 games, his second lowest point per game output in his career. Despite his low offensive output, however, Larkin still provided value to Detroit as both their leader and engine. A crosscheck by Jamie Benn ended his season prematurely; his B- represents a combination of his offensive struggles but consistent hard work and battles.
Luke Glendening: B-
Glendening’s value to Detroit doesn’t necessarily come in goals and assists but rather defensive play, penalty killing, and faceoff percentage. His faceoff percentage of 60.9 was second in the league to only Patrice Bergeron, and his 2:25 average time on ice short handed was fifteenth in the league amongst forwards. Although he began the season with just 3 goals in 40 games, he came on strong at the end of the year with 3 goals in his last 14 games. He earns a B- for playing tough minutes but his lack of offensive depth at the beginning of the year prevents him from getting a higher grade.
Bobby Ryan: B-
Ryan, a free agent signing in the offseason, started the season hot with 4 goals in his first 3 games, but cooled down as the season went on. Despite that, his signing gave the Red Wings both depth within the forward group and a veteran presence in the locker room. An upper body injury ended his season prematurely, but he gets a B- for solid yet inconsistent offensive play.
Givani Smith: B-
Smith only played 16 games this season but provided a spark for the Red Wings when they needed it. His 4 points in 16 games aren’t much to write home about, but as a young bottom six forward, his production was about where you want it. He also stepped up for the team when necessary, engaging in multiple fights to back up his teammates. His highlight of the year was a Gordie Howe hat trick against the Florida Panthers on February 7th; He earns a B- for a combination of impactful games and some not so impactful games, but solid work for a young forward.
Richard Panik: C+
Panik was acquired alongside Jakub Vrana in the Anthony Mantha deal and was inserted into Detroit’s bottom six. His speed helped him make plays right away, and with 4 points in 11 games, he provided the depth the Red Wings sought in trading for him. His overall play was solid but not always incredibly impactful, earning him a slightly above average grade of a C+.
Vladislav Namestnikov: C
Namestnikov, nephew of former Red Wings forward Slava Kozlov, didn’t put up a ton of offense but was trusted by the coaching staff in tight defensive situations, leading to 5 empty net goals. Like Gagner, his versatility allowed him to play up and down the lineup as both a center and wing, and his 17 points were 5th amongst Detroit forwards. He grades out with a C due to quality defensive play, but underwhelming offense.
Evgeny Svechnikov: C
The Red Wings’ 2015 1st Round Pick, Svechnikov has struggled with injuries the past few seasons but managed to stick with Detroit this season after a mid-year call up. He played limited time in just 21 games and put up 3 goals and 8 points in that time. While his production wasn’t eye opening, it was a step forward for the 24 year old Russian, and he’ll use this time in the NHL to help him win a roster spot next year. He gets a C for mostly average play this season.
Darren Helm: D+
A veteran forward, Helm struggled for most of this season, and is unlikely to be re-signed in the offseason. His offensive production dipped and he wasn’t quite the defensive forward he has been in the past. Despite this, after being put together on a line with Luke Glendening and Adam Erne, Helm was able to find his groove again as a quality forechecker and penalty killer. His D+ represents his drop in play this season and issues finding consistency
Valtteri Filppula: D+
Filppula started the 2020-21 season in the lineup but soon found himself a healthy scratch come March. Injuries at the end of the season inserted him into the lineup, and while he performed decently, it’s not enough to overcome his poor play in the first half of the season. A free agent this offseason, it’s unlikely Detroit re-signs him, which could mean the end of his career. He receives a D+ for a forgetful season.
Frans Nielsen: D
Nielsen came into this season looking to forget a 2019-20 season in which he scored just 4 goals in 60 games, but his 2020-21 was more of the same. He played just 29 games, scoring 1 goal, and was a frequent healthy scratch until an injury shut down his season at the end of the year. He has one more year on his contract and could be a buyout candidate in the offseason. His D grade represents a horrendous year that could be his last in the winged wheel.
Tyler Bertuzzi: Incomplete
Bertuzzi played just 9 games for the Red Wings, and, although he performed well in those games (5 goals, 2 assists), his season ending injury results in an incomplete grade. He’ll need a new contract in the offseason and will hope to go into next year fully healthy as one of Detroit’s most important players.
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