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Last season, the Detroit Red Wings nearly returned to the playoffs after seven straight seasons without a postseason appearance. While the team appeared to be on track for a Stanley Cup Playoff berth, it wound up struggling late in the year and ultimately missed the playoffs for the eighth straight season.
Since the start of the offseason, Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has gone to work, bolstering the team's roster in hopes of ending the playoff hockey drought in Detroit. The franchise re-signed Patrick Kane, while also signing Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Motte.
As Yzerman explained to media members in early July, he's confident that with the group the Detroit Red Wings have assembled, the team will be able to contend for a playoff spot. That, of course, will depend on whether or not the Detroit Red Wings are able to get maximum production out of their players.
Last season, for example, the franchise dealt with injury woes, as well as off-years for key players who the team needed to fill big roles. Here's a look at three players who could have bounce-back seasons.
Three Detroit Red Wings players poised for bounce-back seasons
1: Patrick Kane
As we saw last year, a 'down year' for Patrick Kane was a season that saw the 2013 Conn Smythe winner average nearly a point per game. In addition, after undergoing a procedure on his hip, Kane was nearly able to help fuel the team to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Despite all of that, when looking at his numbers, the 2023-24 season was a down one for Kane given that he didn't play until midway through the year. With the future Hall of Famer returning to form at the end of last season, expect a big bounce-back year from Kane as he looks to return to Chicago-like numbers.
#2: Christian Fischer
Last season, Chris Fischer saw his production drop after a 27-point season with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022-23 season. Despite having his biggest year since the 2017-18 season, Fischer was unable to build on the momentum in his first season with the Detroit Red Wings.
This year, the expectation is that Fischer will play on the Detroit Red Wings' fourth line, meaning his numbers may not jump off the page like a first-liner, however, look for the 27-year-old winger to bounce back after taking the 2023-24 season to acclimate in Detroit.
#3: Ville Husso
Last season, Ville Husso dealt with a lower-body injury that forced him out of the net in mid-December. Upon returning to the ice, he dealt with another lower-body injury that saw him sent to the AHL for conditioning. In April, however, he then suffered a setback, ending the 2023-24 season with a total of 20 games played across the NHL and AHL.
When healthy, Husso has shown that he can be a difference-maker in the net. The big question heading into this season is whether or not he'll be able to remain healthy long enough to remind fans that he can protect the net at a high level.
