Rest in Peace, Detroit Red Wings Dynasty

No, Hockeytown, I'm not jumping to conclusions.

I'm not finally writing off the Detroit Red Wings because of their bland 2-2 start that included two losses in Sweden. I like to think I'd be making the same statement if Detroit had started 4-0.

Though general manager Ken Holland is smart enough that his boys won't be down long, there's very real chance that 2009-10 will yield the worst Detroit Red Wings team we've seen this millennium. I wouldn't bet on it at the sportsbook just yet, but here are some reasons why the Wings are in deep trouble.

1. One goalie isn't ripe enough, the other is over-ripe

This needs to be the year Jimmy Howard makes the jump from AHL star and backup goalie to starter or at least 1B to Chris Osgood's 1A. Osgood showed in the playoffs that he still has something in the tank but had Ty Conklin, one of the league's best backups, spelling him often last season. Between Howard, who hasn't yet shown us he's ready to be a big-game goalie, and Osgood, who turns 37 next month, the Wings don't have a go-to puckstopper.

2. Most of their top offensive performers are missing or gone...

Detroit's offense will always at least be decent with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg in the lineup but four of their top six goal scorers from last season are gone. Check out this milk carton:

Marian Hossa (free agency)

Jonan Franzen (ACL surgery)

Jiri Hudler (KHL)

Mikael Samuelsson (free agency)

3. ...And replaced with nothing.

It's not like the Red Wings pulled a Montreal, replacing Kovalev with Cammalleri, Gomez and Gionta. The Red Wings lost all those key offensive contributors and replaced them with...Todd Bertuzzi? Sheesh. The Wings are instead crossing their fingers, hoping Ville Leino and Jonathan Abdelkader mature into snipers quickly. Is Ken Holland simply following his blueprint? We never saw Franzen or Zetterberg coming, did we? Or is he getting a bit arrogant?

4. The blueline stalwarts are long in the tooth

Niklas Lidstrom is one of the greatest defenseman of all time and arguably the best NHLer of the last 15 years, but he's 39 friggin' years old. Puck-moving dynamo Brian Rafalski, who also logs major minutes, is 36. Niklas Kronwall is ready for stardom but the Wings lack true workhorses after that.

I'm not telling you to give up sportsbook betting on the Wings altogether; this crafty group should reach the playoffs again. But can we really say the Wings are better than Chicago, Calgary, San Jose, Vancouver, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh right now?

I don't think so.