Grading the Top Offseason Moves for the Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings enter the 2015-16 season heading in a different direction, but the ultimate goal remains the same.

Detroit had a golden opportunity to eliminate the eventual Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning but failed to take advantage of its series lead. A meltdown prevented the Wings from taking a 3-1 lead in Game 4, and they were ultimately eliminated after losing two of the last three games of the series.

Detroit’s offseason has been an interesting one, and the major moves feature the promotion of Jeff Blashill after Mike Babcock took a job with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Detroit was also an active player at the start of free agency, and the Wings are set up to be contenders in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.

With that in mind, here are some grades for the Red Wings' top offseason moves to date.

Promotion of Jeff Blashill

Grade: A

The Detroit Red Wings will start a new era in 2015-16 with the departure of Babcock and the promotion of Blashill. The Wings were fortunate to have Babcock for 10 seasons, and his tenure is highlighted by a Stanley Cup title in 2008.

While losing an elite coach like Babcock is tough, the Wings are replacing him with another tactician who is a proven winner.

Blashill has been in the organization since 2011 and has spent the last three years as the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. He spent the 2011-12 season as Babcock's assistant, and in his first year with the Griffins, he guided the team to a Calder Cup championship.

You can't really replace Babcock, but Blashill is very familiar with the majority of the Wings' roster. His relationship with players like Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist will be beneficial because they will hopefully become the next Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg for the Red Wings.

Signing of Mike Green

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Grade: B-

The Red Wings made a huge splash inking defenseman Mike Green to a three-year deal that will pay him $6 million a season. The Red Wings have been searching for a right-handed defender for a number of years, and they finally got their man in Green.

It is fair to say Green was a defender who peaked early in his career, and because of injuries, he has been a bit of a shell of his former self.

While that may seem harsh, a slightly lesser version of Green is still better offensively than most defenders in the NHL.

Green posted back to back 70-point seasons at ages 23 and 24, but he spent much of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons out of the lineup with injury.

Green is now 29, but he has rebounded nicely over the past few years with 26 points in 35 games during the 2012-13 campaign, 38 points in 70 games in 2013-14 and 45 points in 72 games last season. The veteran defender is a defensive liability, but pairing him with someone like Danny Dekeyser should stabilize his overall game.

Green is the only defenseman to score 30 goals since 2005-06, and if he is used to anchor the power play, he could very easily pot 15 to 20 goals.

Signing of Brad Richards

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Grade: B-

The Red Wings addressed their need to acquire a second-line center by inking 2015 Stanley Cup champion Brad Richards to a one-year deal worth $3 million a season. He is coming off a season in which he tallied 37 points in 76 games with the Chicago Blackhawks in the regular season and 14 points in 23 playoff games.

He proved that he still had some game left and should bring a nice veteran presence to the Wings' lineup.

This is a situation in which it made sense to spend $3 million, although it will be interesting to see how Richards performs in a world where he isn't teamed up with Patrick Kane.

The two-time Stanley Cup winner is 35 and his overall production has been in a subtle decline for quite some time, but his experience and ability to mentor players are very valuable.

Richards will likely start in a second- or third-line role, and that type of production for a one-year deal worth $3 million is a low-risk proposition.

Drafting of Evgeny Svechnikov

Grade: B+

With the No. 19 overall pick of the 2015 NHL draft, the Detroit Red Wings selected Evgeny Svechnikov from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The Russian forward can play center and wing, and he finished his rookie QMJHL season with 78 points in 55 games.

There were a number of quality players available by the time the Red Wings stepped up to the podium, but it made a ton of sense to take the skilled Russian.

He is playing in the QMJHL right now and will continue to develop there until he is eligible for the AHL. Svechnikov will then get to spend a year or two at the AHL level, and by that time, he will have the chance to make an impact with both Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the verge of retirement.

He projects to be a high-octane impact winger and is exactly what the Wings will need a few years from now.

Signing of Dylan Larkin to Entry-Level Deal

Grade: A

Dylan Larkin made a name for himself at the IIHF World Junior Championships when he put on an impressive display that saw him tally seven points for Team USA. He also had quite the rookie season with the Michigan Wolverines and decided to turn pro for the 2015-16 season.

Larkin will start with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and in all likelihood, he will spend the next season-and-a-half developing his game unless he shows unnatural ability.

The 18-year-old is a special prospect who has grown by leaps and bounds in the one year since he was drafted. He has more to gain playing against AHL talent than spending another season with the University of Michigan.

Larkin will get a chance to prove he is ready, and it will be interesting to see how he answers the challenge in front of him.

Re-Signing of Gustav Nyquist

Bruce Kluckhohn/Getty Images

Grade: A

Gustav Nyquist is one of the Detroit Red Wings' top players, and he's had an impressive career to date. Nyquist has tallied 59 goals and 56 assists for 115 points in 179 games, and he's averaged 27 goals and 53 points a season thus far.

The Red Wings like to let their prospects develop in the AHL longer than most teams, so even though Nyquist is 25, he is still a very young player in terms of experience.

This put the club in an interesting spot because, contractually, Nyquist was only two years away from unrestricted free agency. The team could have tried to give him a bridge deal or sign him to a long-term extension.

Detroit ultimately opted for a deal in between a long-term extension and bridge contract, as it will pay Nyquist $19 million over four years.

Nyquist is one of the Red Wings' top players and should continue to be a 30-goal threat each season. He has been an exciting player to watch thus far, and general manager Ken Holland was wise to re-sign his young star to a fair deal that lays the groundwork for an extension down the line.

Overall

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

GM Ken Holland

Grade: A-

The Red Wings' offseason has seen them promote a coach, draft some quality talent, add some veteran players with skill and sign one of their top prospects to a professional contract.

Detroit has been known for developing players over the past few decades, and that could be looked at as a theme of the offseason to date.

The promotion of Blashill gives the Red Wings a bench boss focused on development. Signing Green and Richards buys time for some prospects such as Larkin to develop in the minors, and the drafting of a talent like Svechnikov bolsters a prospect pool that has churned out a number of notable players in recent years.

The Wings' next step is to lock up some key free agents, which should round out their offseason.

Stats via Hockey-Reference.com and financial information via General Fanager unless otherwise noted.