For the last 20 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 21^st annual review will appear here on Dobber Hockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2023-24 Dobber Hockey Fantasy Guide.

Gone – Pius Suter, Filip Zadina, Gustav Lindstrom, Dominik Kubalik, Oskar Sundqvist, Jordan Oesterle

Incoming – Jeff Petry, Alex DeBrincat, J.T. Compher, Justin Holl, James Reimer, Daniel Sprong, Klim Kostin, Shayne Gostisbehere, Christian Fischer

Impact of Changes – Few GMs in the NHL were as busy as Red Wings front-office guru Steve Yzerman. Stevie Y is putting together a masterclass in offseason moves this summer to position this young Detroit team to make some noise as a legitimate Stanley Cup playoff threat.

Of course, the big splash on the offensive side of the puck bringing in Michigan local DeBrincat to play on the top line with Dylan Larkin and sneaky-good young gun Lucas Raymond immediately adds a lethal wrinkle to this team's forward group. However, other moves also need to be commended – such as the additions of Sprong and Kostin, bringing balance, grit, size, and skill to the Red Wings' bottom-six group.

Big changes are also happening on the blueline with the additions of Petry and Gostisbehere in particular. Fantasy teams will want to know whether Petry or Gostisbehere will cut into the power-play time of Moritz Seider, the clear number one defenseman on the Red Wings. The 35-year-old Petry is fading offensively, while Ghost is a power-play specialist who will most likely be a third-pairing option at 5-on-5. Neither will log nearly as many important minutes as Seider, which should keep his peripheral stats intact at least.

You might not love the addition of Holl and Reimer, but those are depth pieces that, with reduced roles on this suddenly deep and balanced Detroit club, won't need to shoulder nearly as much load as in previous seasons. This team drastically improved on the front and back end, but can they string together a complete season and compete in a very difficult Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference overall? Can they form chemistry with so many new faces? Time will tell. 

Ready for the Full Time – Simon Edvinsson, Elmer Soderblom

The Red Wings made so many offseason additions that after a quick glance at their projected lineup, it's likely going to take some kind of major injury or something unforeseen for either Edvinsson or Soderblom to really make any kind of major impact this upcoming campaign. The Wings look balanced on the backend and even though Edvinsson is their top prospect and a first-round selection, Detroit is likely in no hurry to rush the smooth-skating rearguard back after injury last spring.

Similar to that is Soderblom in terms of looking for a chance. The big man impressed in his brief stint in the NHL in 21 games last season putting up eight points, but he's currently on the outside looking in. Both players offer up a ton of intrigue and obvious NHL-level quality, but when they will get the chance to prove it is the real question as well as the risk in investing too heavily too early with either young blueliner.

Fantasy Outlook – You cannot help but like the direction the Wings are pointed in. The real question remains in the blue paint. Can Ville Husso seize the moment as the clear No. 1 goaltender in Detroit? It's a big question, one that he has yet to answer. Sure, he's shown flashes of being more than capable, but a 3.11 goals-against average and .896 save percentage is just not going to cut it.

If Husso finds his game and DeBrincat and Larkin form some chemistry, this team will be contending for a playoff spot. That means a lot of fantasy hockey value to be found up and down this talented lineup.

Fantasy Grade – B+ (Last year was C+)