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WN ROUNDTABLE: WHICH RED WING IS SLATED FOR A BETTER SECOND HALF

By Brock Seguin

Feb 3, 2017, 15:26 ESTUpdated:

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Photo: Rick Osentoski (USA Today Sports)

The Red Wings will hit the ice for game 51 tonight and it’s safe to say that a number of players have disappointed through the first 50 games of the season. These underwhelming performances has led to the Red Wings sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference with the playoff streak in jeopardy.

We asked our great staff here at WingsNation who they think will have an improved “second half.”

BROCK SEGUIN

I think there are a number of players who should be in for a better unofficial second half, but Frans Nielsen is the clubhouse leader for me. Nielsen has the fifth best CorsiFor% (50.55) on the team and the third best Relative CorsiFor% (+3.38). Unlike some of the younger Red Wings’ forwards, Nielsen sees very consistent playing time, which makes it easier to project a strong finish for him.

Nielsen is on-pace for his lowest point total since his second full year in the NHL (2009-10). Having collected only 10 goals and 16 assists (26 points) in his first 50 games, Nielsen has a lot more to offer and an improved power play will go a long way in helping him do that. The Red Wings’ power play has been anemic all season and Nielsen is a going who typically produces with the man-advantage. He scored 16 PPG with 42 PPA (58 PPP) in his last three seasons—that’s nearly 20 power play points per season and he’s on pace for just 13 this year. Lastly, his on-ice shooting percentage sits at just 7.30%, which is on the low side and something that should inflate.

NICK SEGUIN

This is a tough question because, really, the whole team needs to bounce back. If I have to choose one guy, though, I’ll go with Petr Mrazek. He’s been bad this year. Like, really bad. After a solid rookie season in 2015-16, Mrazek signed a two-year bridge deal in the offseason and was expected to be the Wings’ #1 goalie out of the gate. This was a perfectly reasonable assumption, considering the elite numbers he put up for stretches of last season. But then, when the season got underway, Mrazek completely underwhelmed us all. Even when Jimmy Howard fell to injury, Mrazek was losing starts to Grand Rapids Griffins call-up Jared Coreau. Mrazek’s .894 SV% is dead last among goalies who have played more than 20 games and his 3.16 GAA is ranked 36th (out of 42). He’s definitely not getting any goal support form his teammates (they’ve scored a mere 1.86 G/GP while Mrazek is in net), but he’s certainly not stealing games for them either. All that being said, if there’s anyone who is slated for a bounce back, it’s Mrazek. I expect him to pick up his play a little bit and boost his stats. With 11 back-to-backs left this season, he’ll definitely get some starts. If the Wings can get on a roll and get some wins, it will do wonders for Mrazek’s confidence. Besides, how much worse can he get? When you’re last, there’s only one way for you to go.

ADAM LASKARIS

I’m gonna have to go with Dylan Larkin. Currently on place for a whopping 30 points, Larkin hasn’t quite looked the dynamic offensive force we saw from him a year ago. Part of that comes from bad luck, some from a bad power play and perhaps some from him simply playing above his ability in his first year in the league, but it’s still likely he’s better than his current rate of production. If Larkin continues to push the game offensively like he’s been able to and can contribute in the defensive end of the ice, expect a second-half resurgence from #71

KYLE KRISCHE

I’m with Nick that the most likely candidate is Mrazek given the current situation of the team. My vote though would have to go to Tomas Tatar. There’s no reason Tatar and Nyquist shouldn’t be 1 and 2 in points on this team yet neither are on pace for even notching 50. He started the year without being able to get a bounce to go his way, shooting about 4% for the first few months and lost what seemed to be his secured top line spot. I think with this power-play being a total joke he’s going to see more minutes there and has the hands to finish. It’s not even worth a total tank in a draft this poor and he’s got a contract to prove he’s worthy of coming up. He’s got motive and hopefully Blash loosens the leash.

Dark horse candidate for a bounce back would by Nyquist who gets traded to Chicago, puts up a point-per-game pace and wins a Stanley Cup.

SAM BLAZER

Not exactly sure that he is going to end up having a bounce back second half but Brendan Smith is going to be the most compelling during the second half of the year. He is going to be heavily distracted and it isn’t obvious where he is going to fit in. Is he going to be traded? Is he going to be re-signed? If they need to revamp their defense isn’t he a player they should hold on to? He is going to consistently generate the most storylines and maybe the added pressure will produce one hell of a second half along the way.

SCOTT MAXWELL

I think my pick for having a bounce back second half is Riley Sheahan. Ignoring the obvious fact that he has yet to score a goal, he also had an uncharacteristically bad season from other aspects of the ice as well. All of his shot metrics are at a career low, although they have been trending downwards over his career. He also has the worst PDO of all Red Wings skaters playing regular minutes, and has also had no consistent linemates all season, as the most time he’s spent on one line is 59:25, with Larkin and Tatar. And come on, he isn’t so bad that he’s gonna go the entire season without a goal, right?