2023-2024 Playoff Tracker - updated after each DET game

[WF19]

I think if they miss, Lalonde is gone..With contracts being up Yzerman is going to lose players when he could of used the deadline to gain assets. Seems very uncharacteristic of him unless he thought they'd be in the playoffs.

 

[nbwingsfan]

I really don't understand the whingeing. If you are complaining about missing the playoffs you either just like to complain, are so addicted to disappointment that you seek it, or just don't understand reality.

Yzerman would have loved to make the playoffs this year but he did not intentionally build for it. The rebuild is on schedule. We are in the lucky to get in phase of the rebuild. If we don't get in, it's not underperforming, this is where this team, the way it is built should be. It was always going to be a slow roll. There is a good percentage of complainers that would still complain even if we made the playoffs. It's complaining just for the sake of complaining. We still have so many prospects in the pipeline that need a chance to fill out. We are not there yet and in all honesty not even really that close.

We saw what prioritizing the playoffs above all else does to a team. Yzerman was intentionally hired because we are fixing the damage from prioritizing the playoffs every year above all else. It can't always be about the playoffs as much as some people don't want to hear it. You can scream at a pot of water all you want, it is going to boil when it boils.

There’s nothing about this team that ever should have led to the third worst record (maybe it was 4th I forget) in the NHL since March.

Yes there’s a lot to complain about that isn’t whining, and a ton of that falls on the coaching

 

[GreatGordie9]

I still believe we make it.

I believe that to get in we need three wins which means we will have to beat the Leafs as well.

 

[nbwingsfan]

I think if they miss, Lalonde is gone..With contracts being up Yzerman is going to lose players when he could have used the deadline to gain assets. Seems very uncharacteristic of him unless he thought they'd be in the playoffs.

There was nothing about this team that predicted this kind of collapse to miss. We needed to be a bottom 5 team to miss, which we ended up being.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

Bingo. It would have been nice to make the playoffs this year. It's incredibly frustrating how the Wings pissed that opportunity away. But it does not make or break the rebuild or the long term goals of the franchise.

Disagree about ruining Howard, though. Guy played over 500 games over 10+ seaons with a .912 sv%. Guy was a good goalie who had some injury issues at times.

I say it solely because I tie his injury issues back to two things.

1) He/them rushing him back after 2014. Either they gave him the indication he might lose his spot to Mrazek or he got worried that he might. So he never actually let it heal properly. Yeah, it healed enough to clear... but until 2014, he never once had injury problems like that and he never once avoided them after that.
2) He, like most humans, got doughier as he aged. Early 30s Howard with injury time to sit in 16/17/etc. well, you saw the softball picture.

He was a legitimately great goalie three out of his first four years in the league.

I guess I can stand corrected though... the Wings ruined the situation. They had two good goalies who both amounted to nothing because they didn't stick with one or the other. I am personally biased against Mrazek because I saw too much of my (admittedly f***in terrible) game in his. Like, I can see when a goalie overcommits because *I* overcommit.

 

[Gniwder]

I believe that to get in we need three wins which means we will have to beat the Leafs as well.

It doesn't look like the Leafs have much to play for though, they're pretty much locked into their playoff spot and can't move up or down. 5 pts ahead of TBL and 5 points behind FLA with only 6 points (3 games) left.

 

[redwings8831]

It doesn't look like the Leafs have much to play for though, they're pretty much locked into their playoff spot and can't move up or down. 5 pts ahead of TBL and 5 points behind FLA with only 6 points (3 games) left.

Their final home game of the season and Matthews pursuit of 70. Plus they also play Florida on Tuesday (and have a game in hand) so they still have a chance of catching them.

 

[Gniwder]

Their final home game of the season and Matthews pursuit of 70. Plus they also play Florida on Tuesday (and have a game in hand) so they still have a chance of catching them.

Good, we all know the Leafs like to let their fans down, lol.

 

[Retire91]

There’s nothing about this team that ever should have led to the third worst record (maybe it was 4th I forget) in the NHL since March.

Yes there’s a lot to complain about that isn’t whining, and a ton of that falls on the coaching

Not going to take away anyone's need to complain, but exercise my need to call it out. This team is already exceeding expectations on the season. We weren't supposed to make the playoffs and we are still maintaining an outside shot. Collapses can happen when a team plays over its head. There is really no story here other than a team being exactly where it should be on paper. Just my two cents but situations don't always need scapegoats especially when the situation is expected.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Not going to take away anyone's need to complain, but exercise my need to call it out. This team is already exceeding expectations on the season. We weren't supposed to make the playoffs and we are still maintaining an outside shot. Collapses can happen when a team plays over its head. There is really no story here other than a team being exactly where it should be on paper. Just my two cents but situations don't always need scapegoats especially when the situation is expected.

When comfortably in a playoff spot, suddenly having the 3rd of 4th worst record in the entire NHL to end up falling short is absolutely a story and is just making excuses

 

[theYman]

I think if they miss, Lalonde is gone..With contracts being up Yzerman is going to lose players when he could of used the deadline to gain assets. Seems very uncharacteristic of him unless he thought they'd be in the playoffs.

He should have been gone a long time ago

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

Not going to take away anyone's need to complain, but exercise my need to call it out. This team is already exceeding expectations on the season. We weren't supposed to make the playoffs and we are still maintaining an outside shot. Collapses can happen when a team plays over its head. There is really no story here other than a team being exactly where it should be on paper. Just my two cents but situations don't always need scapegoats especially when the situation is expected.

Derek Lalonde, is that you?

 

[WF19]

He should have been gone a long time ago

Definitely don't disagree but I also the team isn't really set. Yzerman isn't Holland and just let his contract run out. If he's no good he will get rid of him and accept it was the wrong decision.

 

[jkutswings]

I think an interesting hypothetical in relation to this post is: if we had the exact same rebuild as tampa bay to win two nattys and lose in the finals for the three peat, would you be okay with it?

if yes, then we have another 4 years or so left. if not, then you just want instant gratification like everyone else these days and that's fine and all, but you'll be more disappointed than happy.

How do you figure? Tampa missed the playoffs for 6 years. Then they lost in the second round, and the year after that they won the Cup. Or do you mean the run whether they were IN the playoffs for 6 years before they won it all?

Yzerman has been here 5 years. Are you saying that this roster will miss the playoffs again next year, then somehow ramp everything up to win a round, then win it all in one more year? Or that they have another 5-6 years to go? Either way... who's their Kucherov? Or Point? Or Stamkos?

At this pace, in 2026 they'll win maybe a round, still have a long way to go before they actually contend for a Cup, and have nowhere near enough in the pipeline to get it done.

 

[FMichael]

Fans are like this:

Month ago: we just need to win "our" games and we are fine;
Week ago: we just need to win against Washington and Pittsburgh and we are fine;
Today: we just need Washington and Pens to loose their remaining games and we are fine;
Week from now: golfing....

And yet 90% of fans see "a lot of positives".

The truth is this team blew it at multiple levels.

Absolutely…You could see this coming a few weeks ago…It’s why I’m indifferent about this season ending…Maybe we lose the remaining 3 games and drop another spot or two for the draft…Gotta try to put a positive spin on this turd sandwich of a season

 

[FMichael]

This roster ain't what you think it is.

It’s not, but it is a roster that most would argue certainly underperformed throughout this season and I feel coaching (or a lack of) played a role in this.

 

[redwings8831]

Another loser point for the Isles and they're at 90.

 

[DamonDRW]

Another loser point for the Isles and they're at 90.

So they made it.

 

[Ulysses31]

So they made it.

if pitt wash det lose. think they need 92 to lock it in otherwise.

 

[DamonDRW]

if pitt wash det lose. think they need 92 to lock it in otherwise.

That's highly unlikely. We call it "almost improbable" event in probability theory.

 

[GarlicbreadTB]

Islanders got Devils and Penguins(!) left so their next game is pretty huge.

 

[Realgud]

To the people saying we weren't supposed to make the playoffs.... wouldn't you think Kane signed precisely because him and Steve thought they could make it? Maybe I misunderstand Kane's late career intentions but it would be weird if he signed here while Steve and Lalonde told him they weren't "supposed" to make it.

 

[heyfolks]

How do you figure? Tampa missed the playoffs for 6 years. Then they lost in the second round, and the year after that they won the Cup. Or do you mean the run whether they were IN the playoffs for 6 years before they won it all?

Yzerman has been here 5 years. Are you saying that this roster will miss the playoffs again next year, then somehow ramp everything up to win a round, then win it all in one more year? Or that they have another 5-6 years to go? Either way... who's their Kucherov? Or Point? Or Stamkos?

At this pace, in 2026 they'll win maybe a round, still have a long way to go before they actually contend for a Cup, and have nowhere near enough in the pipeline to get it done.

who's their Kucherov? Or Point? Or Stamkos?

I will play along. Raymond, Debrincat and Larkin.
Hedman - Seider. Plus Edvinsson. With Johansson, Wallinder, ASP and Toumisto in the pipeline.

Still not a complete team, and the biggest build for the Bolts is actually in net. The Wings do not have an Andrei Vasilevskiy in the pipeline.

The Wings need another high end winger, two centers and a netminder. In the system, they'd have to hit on Kasper, Danielson and Cossa.

At day's end, they won't be built like the Bolts. Their D will be their strength.

​

 

[ricky0034]

if you think about it the Sharks are pretty similar to the 80s Oilers

they got Gretzky(Zadina), Coffey(Vlasic), Messier(Givani Smith) etc

 

[saska sault]

To the people saying we weren't supposed to make the playoffs.... wouldn't you think Kane signed precisely because him and Steve thought they could make it? Maybe I misunderstand Kane's late career intentions but it would be weird if he signed here while Steve and Lalonde told him they weren't "supposed" to make it.

Think Kane signed here for the potential of the team this year and going forward and likely the training staff and facilities. Coming off that surgery likely he wanted the best of the best and has had nothing but good comments about how they have treated him. He likely wants to play a few more years so let's hope other factors besides the on ice product help him feel comfortable sticking around.