Steve Yzerman is under fire as the Red Wings waste Lucas Raymond’s spark | NHL News

Battered and bruised by the good and bad years that the Red Wings have had in the last few seasons, the present one has given rise to worries among fans and analysts alike. In spite of indications of promise, this team continues to threaten lower in the contention for a playoff spot. Speculation has been speculating with just a handful of games to go on Yzerman’s future ahead of what now seems to be a fading hope into the postseason.

The Red Wings lose on the road despite stellar play from Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat

The Red Wings are now at 35-33-7 for 77 points, fighting for the outside wild card position behind Montreal. Their offense still hasn’t been too bad with 2.81 goals per game, but the defense has done most of the damage, allowing 3.16 goals a game. Surprisingly, their power play is among the league’s best, at 28.4 percent, while their penalty-killing unit is the worst in the NHL, checking in at just 69 percent.
The 74 points scored, including the 48 assists that Lucas Raymond has made this season, make him the leading playmaker in Detroit this year. Alex DeBrincat proved to be good for scoring, topping the team with 34 goals, but, while impressive in numbers, has not shown its effects on team results, showing their inconsistency, which now puts pressure on management.
Former NHL player and co-host of Spittin’ Chiclets Ryan Whitney recently brought forth the question, is Yzerman’s job security beginning to waver? Whereas a year or two ago, everyone would have thought that Montreal was behind Detroit in the race for development, it now seems as if they have “flipped the switch.” This has been very worrying, particularly considering that Detroit isn’t going to make the playoffs again and that the offseason is near, which promises to have a lot riding on it for the future. Badly managed contracts will do more harm than good for them.
Despite the discord management is facing today, there was a brief reason to let out those red, white, and blue balloons. The Red Wings triumphed in a tough battle in this eventful game against the Carolina Hurricanes, winning 5-3. Cam Talbot was integral to the victory with 30 saves, while, for some icing on the cake, Patrick Kane recorded his 20th goal of the season- a new NHL record for U.S.-born players. Other contributors during that game include Ben Chiarot, Marco Kasper, and Michael Rasmussen.
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While they roll toward what will be another early summer for the Red Wings, the pressure has now increased on Steve Yzerman to substantiate real change. With Raymond and DeBrincat, two of their stars in their prime, it would have been a delicate balance to strike to avoid another wasted year of limbo in rebuilding the proper mix of talent and strategy.