Detroit Red Wings grades: Multiple players earn an 'A' — others fall far short
In grading the 2023-24 Detroit Red Wings, nearly everyone aced their finals — but the body of work over the whole season wasn't quite as stellar.
The Wings finished on a thrilling note, winning their final three games. Other season highlights included the 5-1 start, and going 16-4-2 from Jan. 2 to Feb. 28. The lowlight was a seven-game skid in March that included two losses to the lowly Arizona Coyotes, a slide which ultimately denied a playoff berth.
Statistically, there was improvement across the board from last season: to 91 points from 80; 41 victories from 35; 3.35 goals-for average from 2.89; 3.33 goals-allowed average from 3.35; 23.1% on the power play up from 21.1%; 79.6% on the penalty kill from 78.3%.
That earned multiple players an "A" — others fell short, especially given how their salaries impact expectations.
D Ben Chiarot: B
Stats: Five goals, 15 assists, minus-4 rating in 77 games.
Signed through: 2025-26 with a $4.75 million salary cap hit.
The buzz: Plays a heavy game, always ready to stick up for a teammate, was a solid, dependable partner for Moritz Seider down the stretch.
F J.T. Compher: B
Stats: 19 goals, 29 assists, minus-5 rating in 77 games.
Signed through: 2027-28 , $5.1 million.
The buzz: Scored clutch goals down the stretch, and overall delivered a consistent effort at both ends of the ice, and provided leadership.
F Andrew Copp: C+
Stats: 13 goals, 20 assists, minus-2 in 79 games.
Signed through: 2026-27, $5.625 million.
The buzz: Asked to play in a defensive role, and didn't see much power-play time, which impacted his production. Given the expectations, the team needed to see more of a push to demand a top-six role.
F Alex DeBrincat: B-
Stats: 27 goals, 40 assists, plus-1 rating in 82 games.
Signed through: 2026-27, $7.875 million.
The buzz: Scored just 10 goals the second half of the season, going quiet at a crucial time (seven points in 19 games from Feb. 29-April 10) before erupting with seven points the final four games. Many a scorer is streaky, but scoring is DeBrincat's bread-and-butter, and it's disappointing the two-time 40-goal scorer didn't even reach 30 his first year with the Wings.
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D Simon Edvinsson: B
Stats: One goal, one assist, even rating in 16 games.
Signed through: 2025-26, $894,167.
The buzz: Joined the team for good March 19, after a two-game appearance around Christmas. Plays to his 6-foot-6, 209-pound size, and didn't compromise playing defense to chase offense.
F Robby Fabbri: B-
Stats: 18 goals, 14 assists, minus-13 rating in 68 games.
Signed through: 2024-25, $4 million.
The buzz: Impressive offensive output considering he was mostly delegated to the fourth line and power play. Works hard and isn't shy around the net, but needs to improve his defensive game.
F Christian Fischer: C+
Stats: Five goals, 14 assists, even rating in 79 games.
Signed through: Pending unrestricted free agency.
The buzz: Solid character guy who plays hard and kills penalties; one of the team's better defensive forwards.
D Shayne Gostisbehere: A-
Stats: 10 goals, 46 assists, minus-16 in 81 games.
Signed through: Pending unrestricted free agent.
The buzz: His defense isn't what attracts suitors; it's what he can do with the puck. He was brought in last summer on a one-year, $4.125 million to boost the offense from the back end, and delivered with 56 points — including seven assists the final three games. Led the team with 29 power-play points.
D Justin Holl: C
Stats: Five assists, plus-3 rating in 27 games.
Signed through: 2025-26, $3.4 million.
The buzz: Clearly not a favorite with the coaching staff, which used him just 11 times in the second half. He is a 6-4, right-shot defender who plays with physicality, and managed to be a plus-player in scant appearances.
G Ville Husso: C-
Stats: 9-5-2, 3.55 goals-against average, .892 save percentage in 19 games.
Signed through: 2024-25, $4.75 million.
The buzz: Season marked by inconsistency in the first half and injuries in the second half, during which he appeared just once, for nine minutes, before tweaking a lower-body injury that has sidelined him since mid-December.
F Patrick Kane: A
Stats: 20 goals, 27 assists, minus-5 rating in 50 games.
Signed through: Pending unrestricted free agent.
The buzz: What a superstar. Delivered big goals, big assists, and leadership. His .94 points-per-game average was second on the team. Guarded about possibly re-upping after coming in at the end of November for $2.75 million, but Wings are hopeful to keep him.
F Dylan Larkin: A
Stats: 33 goals, 36 assists, plus-5 rating in 68 games.
Signed through: 2030-31, $8.7 million.
The buzz: His importance showed when the Wings went 4-10 without him in the lineup. Led the way with a 1.01 points-per-game average and delivered a third straight 30-goal season. Drives the team with his skills and heart.
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G Alex Lyon: B+
Stats: 21-18-5, 3.05 GAA, .904 save percentage in 44 games.
Signed through: 2024-25, $900,000.
The buzz: Rose from No. 3 to No. 1, did what he could to offset the slow starts that beset the Wings for stretches in the second half. Went 10 games between wins in March, but that had more to do with the team in front of him. The 31-year-old came into the season having played 39 career NHL games. A terrific story and signing.
D Olli Määttä: B+
Stats: Four goals, 14 assists, plus-14 in 72 games.
Signed through: 2024-25, $3 million.
The buzz: Delivered a consistently smart, simple game and was a solid partner for Gostisbehere with a stay-at-home game that meshed well with his partner's penchant for offense. Doesn't see top matchups, but thrives as a third-pair guy.
F David Perron: B+
Stats: 17 goals, 30 assists, minus-12 rating in 76 games.
Signed through: Pending unrestricted free agent.
The buzz: Prone to slow-down penalties and will be 36 in May, but his passion hasn't abated, and he was the one who scored with 3.3 seconds left to force overtime in the season finale to give the Wings a chance at the playoffs. A consummate pro and leader, the only games he missed were during a six-game suspension. The Wings want him back, too.
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D Jeff Petry: C
Stats: Three goals, 21 assists, minus-7 in 73 games.
Signed through: 2024-25, $2.3 million.
The buzz: Another guy prone to slow-down penalties. Coaching staff liked the veteran presence he brought as a partner for Edvinsson down the stretch.
F Michael Rasmussen: B
Stats: 13 goals, 20 assists, plus-8 in 75 games.
Signed through: 2027-28, $3.2 million.
The buzz: Plays with grit and had good chemistry with Copp and Fischer. Missed final seven games with injury.
F Lucas Raymond: A
Stats: 31 goals, 41 assists, minus-12 in 82 games.
Signed through: Restricted free agent.
The buzz: Was on pace for 66 points at season's midpoint, but raised his game down the stretch to finish with 72. Defense needs work, but his clutch game showed in finishing the season on a seven-game point streak, including a hat trick one game and a game-tying and overtime goal in another.
G James Reimer: B-
Stats: 11-8-2, 3.11 GAA, .904 save percentage in 25 games.
Signed through: Pending unrestricted free agent.
The buzz: Won eight games in the second half, including five of his final six starts. Lets in a soft goal most games, but battles. Wings might bring back the 36-year-old for another year if they can't upgrade via free agency or trade.
D Moritz Seider: A-
Stats: Nine goals, 33 assists, minus-7 in 82 games.
Signed through: Restricted free agent.
The buzz: The Wings ask nearly everything of the 23-year-old — play against opposing top lines, on the power play and penalty kill — it adds up to a team-leading 22:22 minutes-per-game average. Matched the 42 points he produced last year.
F Daniel Sprong: B+
Stats: 18 goals, 25 assists, minus-5 in 76 games.
Signed through: Pending unrestricted free agent.
The buzz: His offensive output is impressive considering he averaged just 12 minutes per game. Not great defensively, which is why he was a healthy scratch for a stretch in late March, until Rasmussen's injury forced the coaching staff's hand. Good return on a one-year, $2 million contract.
F Joe Veleno: C+
Stats: 12 goals, 16 assists, minus-16 in 80 games.
Signed through: Restricted free agent.
The buzz: Doesn't bring much offensively, so his defensive game needs to be better. Always gives a full effort.
D Jake Walman: C-
Stats: 12 goals, 9 assists, minus-2 in 63 games.
Signed through: 2025-26, $3.4 million.
The buzz: Disappointing second half, with just three goals and one assist. Dealt with a lower-body injury the latter half of March, came back and played two games before finishing the season as a healthy scratch the final five games.
Coach Derek Lalonde and staff: B-
Derek Lalonde and associate coaches Alex Tanguay (offense, power play) and Bob Boughner (defense, penalty kill) kept the Wings determined through some turbulent stretches, and calm during an intense finish to the season. But the defensive structure was an issue all season, and slow starts marred the team especially in the second half. Losing Larkin shouldn't have impacted the team to the devastation that it did, and that's partly on the staff to do a better job managing the roster and forging lineups that deal better with missing one player. It's on Lalonde to show he's the right guy to take the next step, which is coaching the Wings into the playoffs.
GM Steve Yzerman: A-
Huge credit for having the foresight to sign Lyon, and then keeping him on the roster, even as early on it meant three goaltenders taking reps in practices. Easy to second-guess Yzerman for standing pat at the deadline when the team went into a slide, but he was right not to trade future assets. Taking a chance on Kane, 35, coming off invasive surgery worked out great. Trading for Petry after signing Holl led to Holl barely being used (though that's also on the coaching staff). The young core — Raymond, Seider and Edvinsson — are all Yzerman picks.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.
Her books, "The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings," and “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings grades: Multiple players earn 'A' — others fall short
