Detroit — The Red Wings missed the playoffs for a 10th consecutive time last season, so obviously everyone in the lineup needs to do a little more to end what is now the NHL’s longest such streak.
But some players need to do a little more than others.
While the likes of Moritz Seider, Alex DeBrincat and John Gibson, among a few others, either performed at expected levels or beyond, there were too many who didn’t have the type of season the Wings needed from them.
There are several notable uncertainties as training camp beckons in six weeks. Will captain Dylan Larkin be at camp, or does his trade request get fulfilled or keep Larkin out? The general manager will play a major role in the Larkin saga from here, and who will that GM be, now that Steve Yzerman has been transitioned to a different front-office role? Restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned.
And, as usual, the Wings always could use more offensive punch, and there are several free agents that could help in that regard.
But internal improvement is the smoothest way for the Wings to improve. Here are six Wings players, listed alphabetically, who need to rebound from subpar seasons:
Mason Appleton
The free-agent signing from the previous summer had a poor first season, not giving much of the lift to the Wings’ bottom-six forward group.
Appleton, 30, had one goal and two assists in his final 34 games, after a decent first half of the season. If Appleton can play at that first half level for 84 games, the Wings will be the better for it.
Appleton might be in a battle for playing time, after the acquisition of Keegan Kolesar and Carter Mazur’s expected promotion to the NHL. Maybe that’ll elevate Appleton’s performance.
J.T. Compher
This will be Compher’s fourth season with the Wings, and it seems like he’s been on a similar list to this one every summer. It’s been a free-agent signing that has yet to completely pan out.
Compher, 31, is coming off his worst season with the Wings, and next to worst in the NHL, with only 11 goals and 28 points, with a minus-13 rating. Compher saw his ice time drop to an average of 15 minutes, 40 seconds per game, his lowest total in six years.
Compher did show a spark when playing an offensive role, playing on one of the two top lines, and given the possible holes in the lineup this season, there’s a chance Compher will be playing there. In whatever role, the Wings are hoping there’s more spark from Compher overall this coming season.
Marco Kasper
Arguably, no Wings player had a more disappointing season, especially after Kasper had such a promising and productive rookie season. Kasper only had 19 points in 81 games, a sophomore slump for the ages, though there might be a key reason.
Kasper disclosed after the season he was playing with a knee injury that apparently slowed him physically most of the season. If Kasper is sound and healthy heading into training camp, along with the fact many metrics and analytics showed Kasper was fine analytically and Kasper had a lot of bad shooting luck, there’s reason to believe Kasper will bounce back.
A production level of 15-20 goals and about 40-45 points would be a nice rebound season for Kasper.
Dylan Larkin
If Larkin is still on the roster come opening night, a little more will be expected from him. Larkin’s point total dipped to 67 points, although he did score 34 goals. But returning from an early March lower-body injury, having missed seven games, Larkin seemed slowed by the injury and couldn’t provide the spark the Wings needed to stop another season-ending slide.
The inability to produce a bit more at even strength (Larkin had 42 points, basically middle of NHL) continues to be a point of frustration for Larkin, and the lineup as a whole.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Be it if Sandin-Pellikka is with the Wings, or down in Grand Rapids, Sandin-Pellikka needs to get acclimated to the North American pro game. At times, it appeared he might been rushed to the NHL, struggling particularly on the defensive end.
With seven goals and 21 points, Sandin-Pellikka showed a glimpse of his offensive potential. He handles the puck well and is confident with the puck on his stick.
But the physicality of the NHL, defensive awareness and when to take chances are areas Sandin-Pellikka will get comfortable with over time.
Unless injuries occur early the Wings’ defense looks set, meaning Sandin-Pellikka could begin the season in Grand Rapids.
Michael Rasmussen
The 6-foot-6 center appeared to have cemented himself as a key bottom-six forward whose biggest contribution was defensively. But Rasmussen, 27, struggled all over the ice. Rasmussen’s six goals and 14 points were among the lowest totals of his career, and he saw his average ice time fall to just 12 minutes, 39 seconds per game.
Rasmussen possesses the ability to play a grinding, physical game, and has shown at times during his career as someone who can score 10-15 goals. The Wings need that version of Rasmussen to return.
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: For Red Wings to rebound, these 6 players must bounce back
Reporting by Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
