Mark Stockwell AP
The most recent Kicking Tires Podcast episode had my co-host and me talking about what we wanted to see this December from the Red Wings. ‘Tis the season, and all so we called it our Christmas Wishlist. Here, I’m going to put some of that to writing, but I would still be really grateful if you pressed play on the little embed player we have down below to listen to the episode, including trade rumours and player tier list.
Top of the List:
John Gibson to Figure it Out
Gibson has been brutal to start the season. He only had two games above a .900 save percentage and has a preventable loss which is where the negative GSAx is more than the margin of the loss. On top of that, his over -9 GSAx also isn’t a great sign. For this Christmas, Red Wings fans want nothing more than a save or two out of John Gibson.
Admittedly, it has gotten better recently. Rasmussen and Van Riemsdyk have stepped it up a lot. But keeping the bottom six rolling for the rest of the season is probably reason enough to believe that the Red Wings might see the postseason for the first time in a decade.
Michael Rasmussen for Detroit | Photo Credit Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images
Avoid the Brutal December Trend
December and March are normally the thorns in the Red Wings side in this Yzerman era. With the playoff race so close, bumping the slump in December would do wonders, especially if they can keep up their trend of New Years pushes.
Only if You’re on the Nice List:
Alex DeBrincat for Detroit | AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Marco Kasper to bump the slump
Kasper has gone from one of Detroit’s most disappointing forwards to one of Detroit’s worst. Rasmussen and JVR are now outscoring him and Nate Danielson has passed him in points in a fraction of the games. Kasper hasn’t been doing much on the scoreboard this season so hopefully he can have a second half as good as he did last season.
DeBrincat Back to the Top Line
If you’re really feeling jolly, getting Cat to the top line is something that every fan should want. His play with Larkin and Raymond has turned the three of them into all-NHL superstars. Albeit, he has been playing really well with Kane as of late, so this one is something we can let slide for the time being.
Start Talking to Chiarot About Extending
It may be happening behind closed doors but Chiarot has been so damn good for Detroit this season where I think nearly every fan would be thrilled to see him back in Detroit next season. The market looks slim so keeping Chiarot might actually be more expensive than you’d think, but hey, if Detroit has a good season he may want to reap the benefits of staying around this long.
Christmas Miracle:
Steve Yzerman, Red Wings General Manager | ELISSA ROBINSON/DFP, WOCHIT
This would be the Red Wings version of a Christmas miracle. Detroit has needed another dose of top end talent to the lineup and getting that boost sooner rather than later would be stellar. Hell, last season we got rid of Lalonde for McClellan, so maybe Yzerman is a fan of waiting for the holidays to make some kind of big move. Could Yzerman play Santa once again?
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