Detroit Red Wings: 3 things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

Reason #2: The Detroit Red Wings goaltending core has increased immensely compared to the 2019-20 situation.

The Detroit Red Wings had to suffer through the 2019-20 season with a corpse of Jimmy Howard in net who’s performance was next to terrible. While Jonathan Bernier was the undisputed Most Valuable Player on the team in 2019-20, it did not help the fact that the tandem was rough.

Bernier will return for the 2020-21 season, which is a good thing. But Howard’s tenure here in Detroit has ended, and he will be moving on. Goaltender Thomas Greiss was signed this offseason and will help the organization aid their goaltending tandem.

Greiss may not be a Vezina winner or even a top-notch starter, but he helps the situation and offers some hope. The organization is improving, leaving them with a better tandem for the upcoming 2020-21 season.

It’s just another reason the team should show improvements from their terrifying 17-49-5 campaign last season. Bernier and Greiss will play out a 1A-1B scenario where Greiss will compete for the “starting” job with Bernier.

Bernier likely maintains the starting role as the 2020-21 season begins, but Greiss will offer some competition. Whereas the 2019-20 goaltending tandem competition was not much of a competition, Howard was virtually useless.

But Greiss will help the Red Wings add some talent and presumably keep them into games more often. Not to mention, if Bernier can perform at the same level that he did in 2019-20, goaltending should not be an issue; they will be able to get-by and show improvements with ease.

Fans should be thankful that Thomas Greiss is joining the Detroit Red Wings goaltending tandem, creating a much better situation than the one from 2019-20.