Playoff streak ending could be positive for Red Wings

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Ever since Steve Yzerman retired in 2006, writers looking for the ultimate “I told you so” have been predicting the demise of the Detroit Red Wings and their playoff streak. The number of pundits looking to foretell the end of this run seemingly doubled when Nicklas Lidstrom hung up his skates in May of 2012.

Through it all–through the dead puck era to the salary cap era–the Red Wings have managed to be a constant in a sports world that is constantly being overturned and shaken up on the fly. The last time Detroit missed the playoffs was 1989-90, good for a run of 24 seasons. That consistency is clearly important to Ken Holland and the team’s brass, as they typically add a piece or two at the trade deadline even when a deep run isn’t likely.

There’s a tough question that Red Wings fans don’t want to consider now. Not as the team clings to the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. But would it actually be so bad if The Streak came to an end this season?

As we work through this, keep in mind that this isn’t a prediction of any kind. We’re not saying that this team led by Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Dylan Larkin will be caught and surpassed by the Philadelphia Flyers. Too many scribes have attempted to forecast that ending, only to look silly once the playoff seeds are set.

We just want to know: would it really be so bad?

Obviously the preference is to make the postseason. Anything can happen once the puck drops in the playoffs, and it is that hope that has driven the Red Wings to sneak into the dance on multiple occasions. But what would happen if the ridiculous run of appearances was finally over and the franchise didn’t have to move mountains to keep it going?

Some may argue that this outcome would strip some of the luster off of the Winged Wheel, but when is the last time a prized free agent chose Detroit over another NHL city? Players like Chris Chelios used to waive their no-trade clauses to join the Red Wings while looking for a Stanley Cup ring. Free agents like Marian Hossa, Brett Hull and Brian Rafalski used to spurn big-money deals in order to chase down hockey’s ultimate prize in “Hockeytown.”

That doesn’t happen anymore. There are other perennial contenders in place now, with teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins rising to prominence over the last decade. This isn’t to say that Detroit still isn’t an attractive location for players. It just isn’t the mecca that it once was. That’s what happens when playoff appearances don’t last for more than a round or two.

The Red Wings are six or seven years removed from being a lights-out contender. In 2008-09, they advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season and boasted a roster chock full of talent. They’ve had several 100-plus point seasons since then, but haven’t been able to get back to the Western Conference Final.

Missing the playoffs would essentially give the Red Wings a soft reset of sorts. The expectation will always be to make the postseason, but that’s the case for every team. And the organization’s history isn’t going anywhere either. No one is going to be forgetting about the 24-year streak anytime soon. It’s the high-water mark in hockey and in professional sports in general. That’s a heavy burden though, and one that may be weighing down the team’s ability to make the right decisions for the future.

Holland stood pat at this year’s trade deadline–a marked departure from the usual–but he is typically moving prospects and picks to add veterans for the postseason push. There’s nothing wrong with that if a run at the Stanley Cup is legit, but does anyone honestly see this team getting by the Blackhawks or L.A. Kings as-is?

At this point, Detroit is looking to make it just for the sake of keeping the streak alive, and that’s no way to run a hockey team. It’s an important part of this organization’s DNA, but that might not be a great thing. Without a two decades-plus run to think about, Holland would be free to construct a team without desperately trying to jam his fingers under a Stanley Cup window that closed years ago.

There are some excellent young pieces in Detroit worth building around. Dylan Larkin looks to be the organization’s future captain and Petr Mrazek has emerged as one of the NHL’s top young goalies despite his recent struggles. Many of Detroit’s key players are on the wrong side of their primes though, and it’s only a matter of time before the Red Wings are trying to figure out life beyond Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

They’ve managed to handle numerous retirements and trades up to this point, but again, is simply surviving enough?

This isn’t a call for any sort of rebuild. We’re just talking about missing the playoffs for one year. That would remove a lot of pressure on the players in the locker room and in the front office. It would also allow Detroit to possibly draft higher than 15th overall this summer. The difference between the 11th-overall pick and the 17th can be pretty massive.

The Red Wings shouldn’t be looking to miss the postseason and fans would have a right to be upset if the impressive streak came to an end. But once the emotion dies down and reason can set in, would it really be such an awful thing? It’s impossible to know for sure, but it’s a reality fans in Detroit may have to face sooner rather than later.

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