3 players that need to step-up for the Detroit Red Wings right now

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Thomas Greiss

When the Detroit Red Wings went out and signed netminder Thomas Greiss, he was considered the backup to Jonathan Bernier. The Red Wings then flipped Bernier to the Carolina Hurricanes for rookie netminder Alex Nedeljkovic who has turned out to look like something to be excited about for the future.

But, Greiss is a reliable backup and still is able to fit that role. The Red Wings know that he is capable of being a perfect 1B guy in a 1A/1B scenario. With Nedeljkovic likely, not able to be the standalone starter night in and night out like Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tampa Bay, Greiss has to fill the gaps.

The Red Wings call upon Greiss to come in and keep the Red Wings in games when he is in the crease between the pipes. It’s hard to do that when he’s giving up goals and not playing up to the standard that the Red Wings know he can.

In 2021-22 Greiss has started 12 games with one appearance replacing Nedeljkovic. He has a 5-6 record with a .889 save percentage and a 3.67 goals-against average. This is a prime example of the fact that the Red Wings need Greiss to be better.

Allowing almost four goals a night as the backup may not seem like it’s horrible, but the Red Wings cannot afford to drop games and lose because of a poor backup goalie. Since the Red Wings are running a 1A/1B setup, Greiss has to be better so that he can provide a quality start when he is called upon.

The bottom line is, Greiss has to step it up for the Red Wings.