Third playoff ousting: Detroit Red Wings aim for all the best next time-NHL News
The Detroit Red Wings seem not to be ok with the situation at certain positions and are likely to get themselves quite busy in the fresh talent hunt during the free agency when it starts on July 01, 2012.
It took only five games for Red Wings to get eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff quarterfinals series against the Washington Capital, and the exit reflects on the falling quality of talent at certain positions.
Wings’ general manager, Ken Holland, avoided media at the team’s locker room cleanout and photo ceremony following their exit from the playoff series.
Red Wings’ coach, Mike Babcock, said of the team situation:
"As I've watched these teams go on and I hear, 'Well, this team hasn't won a playoff series since '[2002] and this one just won their first one,' you know, it might seem a little selfish but I don't mind being selfish. I think we should be there every year.”
He added:
“We think with some tweaks and some good work in the off-season from our players and us as a management team, we can be way better."
This was third straight playoff ousting for Red Wings and some commentators believe that in spite of exploring opportunities for new talent off the free agency, the management should not go for rash changes.
Some of them have noted with caution that the team should not press the panic button as it might leave them without some of the most experienced players.
They believe it was too early to determine the team’s performance as a collapse and launch a complete rebuilding campaign all of sudden.
However, the coach said he would explore all the opportunities to make the team a better outfit while coming out into next season.
Around the possibility of weighing hiring of new players, he said:
"I've always been in those conversations or on the phone doing whatever I've got to do. I've got air miles, too. I could fly in."
Until the start of the free agency, which has a couple of months left yet, the managers can utilise the time to sit together and ponder upon the team’s future.
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