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Red Wings Have Slim Chance to Return to NHL Playoff in 2021-22 Season

By Iain MacMillan

Jakub Vrana and the Detroit Red Wings will try to take a step forward in the 2021-22 NHL season.
Jakub Vrana and the Detroit Red Wings will try to take a step forward in the 2021-22 NHL season. / Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
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The Detroit Red Wings, once a perennial powerhouse in the NHL, is in the middle of a rebuilding phase.

While it’s never fun as a fan of a sports team to live through a rebuilding period, it’s clear that the Red Wings are trending in the right direction. They won’t be like other Detroit teams *ahem* Lions *ahem* who seem to never improve despite “rebuilding” for decades.

WynnBET has released odds for each NHL team to make the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, and oddsmakers still suspect that the Red Wings are a few years away from returning to the postseason. They have Detroit’s odds to make the postseason set at +1100, which is an implied probability of 8.33%.

Don’t let that bum you out too much Red Wings fans, there’s a lot of things to be excited about.

For one, Steve Yzerman seems to be an absolute wizard in the front office. He made one of the best value trades of the offseason, acquiring goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from the Carolina Hurricanes, while only having to give up Jonathan Bernier and a third round pick.

Nedeljkovic started in 23 games for the Hurricanes last year, and he had a stellar 1.90 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. While there’s likely to be some regression, Detroit may have just snagged the best goalie prospect in the NHL.

The Red Wings also have one of the best farm systems in the NHL, and while it may take a few years for these players to pan out, there’s few teams in the league that have as bright of a future as Detroit.

It doesn’t help the Red Wings’ playoff chances that they’ll be competing in arguably the best division in the NHL. The Atlantic Division has the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, Cup contenders in the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, and two teams in the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens who are tough tests as well.

If it’s any consolation for Red Wings fans, WynnBET has their point total for the upcoming season set at 77.5, which is above two teams in the division. The Ottawa Senators point total is set at 72.5, and the lowly Buffalo Sabres are set at 68.5.

There’s a lot to be excited for in Detroit, but fans will have to have patience. Their return to the playoffs won’t happen this season.

Want to bet on the NHL this year? Download the WynnBET app now.

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