Detroit Red Wings Playoff Streak: Curse or Blessing?

The Detroit Red Wings have made the playoffs 24 straight seasons – an amazing achievement. But failure to extend the streak might be a blessing in disguise.

There’s a reason Detroit is known as Hockeytown. The Detroit Red Wings have been a winning organization for a long time, a model for other teams to aspire to.

In their history, they have won the Stanley Cup 11 times. They have an impressive list of Hall of Famers, and a terrific draft resume.

They most recently won the Stanley Cup in the 2007-2008 season. But the accomplishment the Wings are currently known for most is their active playoff streak of 24 seasons in a row.

In an era where the salary cap makes for a more leveled playing field, such a streak is am amazing accomplishment.

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Even so, the end of the streak – whenever it happens – might not be the end of the world for the Red Wings. In fact, it might actually be a very good thing.

Since Detroit last played in the Stanley Cup finals (’08-’09) they have been treading water as an organization. They have been good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to do any damage once they’re there.

In those past seven seasons, the Red Wings have won just three playoff series, and appeared in zero Stanley Cup Finals. During that same span, the Chicago Blackhawks – the new Detroit Red Wings – have won fourteen playoff series and three Stanley Cups.

Detroit’s playoff streak seems to have affected how the Red Wings approach the trade deadline. Gone are the days when Detroit would acquire talents the likes of Dominik Hasek, or even Robert Lang.

In recent years GM Ken Holland has been content to make very minor tweaks at the deadline, adding role players like Erik Cole, David Legwand, and Marek Zidlicky for prospects and non-first round draft picks.  Recent offseason free agent signings haven’t offered much more excitement.

Holland has said numerous times that the Wings are retooling on the fly, and he generally likes the core of players they have.  So why make major changes to a competitive roster?

Because the Wings continue to make the playoffs they also have not been retooling their roster with high draft picks. Dylan Larkin, picked 15th overall in 2014, is the highest draft pick since Martin Lapointe in 1991.

Over two decades is a long time to go without drafting in the 15, especially when teams like the Blackhawks have built their team around franchise cornerstones  – Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Brent Seabrook – all top 15 selections for Chicago.

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Of course most Wings fans aren’t going to root against their team’s success. And there’s no way Red Wings management, coaching and players are going to do anything except their very best to have the Red Wings excel.

But Ken Holland seems to be running the Red Wings with an ultra conservative approach, while being content to have this team just make the playoffs every year.

It’s nice to say your team makes the playoffs every year, but the Wings weren’t built to merely qualify for the postseason. Detroit fans should want more Stanley Cups, and Ken Holland should be positioning his team for that too.

Take away the streak, and perhaps Ken Holland will feel pressure to make more major changes – not just minor cosmetic alterations. Sure, maybe that means Holland swings and misses on some major free agent acquisitions or blockbuster trades.

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But if there’s no risk, there’s no reward. And I prefer the reward of winning a Stanley Cup every five or ten, or even fifteen years, over simply winning a ticket to the playoffs every season.