2007 NHL Season Preview - Detroit Red Wings

Throughout the past decade or so, there has been no more prolific team in the NHL than the Detroit Red Wings. The city of Detroit is not dubbed "Hockeytown" for nothing. Their fans watch every season as the Red Wings flirt with potential regular season greatness. However, greatness is also measured in Stanley Cup victories, and with their latest string of early playoff exits, one has to wonder whether that magic is lost.

For 82 regular season games, the Wings are among the game's elite. They rarely lose, usually in contention for the President's Cup for the team with the most points, and a favorite to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup in June. However, since 2002, they have not sipped wine from the Cup and are hungry. The run to the Conference Finals last season only further whet the appetites of their fans and the organization. Can they finally break through?

Detroit Red Wings
2006 Record (W-L-OTL-PTS): 50-19-13-113; Central Division Champs
2006 Postseason (if applicable): Lost in Western Conf. Finals (4-2 to Anaheim)
Coach Name (record w/team): Mike Babcock, 108-35-21 (.755)
Key Additions: D Brian Rafalski (New Jersey); RW Dallas Drake (St. Louis)
Key Subtractions: C Robert Lang (Chicago); RW Todd Bertuzzi (Anaheim); LW Kyle Calder (Los Angeles); D Mathieu Schneider (Anaheim)

Offense: This team has no shortage of goal scorers. Even with big men Robert Lang and Todd Bertuzzi leaving in free agency, the Red Wings have no shortage of players that can score and make plays. Their top 4 goal scorers return, including young stars Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Both of these guys must make a more consistent effort to score with some of these other names having left the team.

Datsyuk has been a great playmaker for the team, leading them last season with 60 assists, but the coaching staff and the team want him to have more of a nose to scoring goals rather than setting them up.