| Pos | Role | Name |
| C | 1 | Pavel Datsyuk  ActiveThe Chicago Blackhawks have nothing but respect for Pavel Datsyuk. "He’s tricky," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "I’d say probably the toughest guy one-on-one to handle in the league. He’s got a lot of different moves up his sleeve. ... I mean, I can’t say enough good things about him. We always have our hands full when we play him, and we have to be on top of our game." Datsyuk was nominated for the Selke Trophy on Wednesday and he's already won the award three times before. He couldn't save his team from a 4-1 loss in Game 1 though. May 16 |
| 2 | Valtteri Filppula ActiveDetroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock says Valtteri Filppula needs to be a "huge factor" against the Chicago Blackhawks. Filppula, who is slated for free agency this summer, had one goal and four points in seven first-round games but also had some bad giveaways, particularly on a Game 6 goal by Emerson Etem. Due to the Hawks' great depth, the Red Wings need Filppula to be one of their best players without having to play alongside Henrik Zetterberg. May 14 |
| 3 | Cory Emmerton ActiveCory Emmerton will draw back into Detroit's lineup Wednesday night when they open the second round of the playoffs against Chicago. He suited up in the Red Wings' first six games in Round 1 versus Anaheim, but was a healthy scratch in Game 7. He will replace injured forward Mikael Samuelsson in the lineup and will center the fourth line his return. May 15 |
| 4 | Joakim Andersson ActiveCenter Joakim Andersson isn't scoring much, but he is being lauded by Red Wings coaches for his hockey sense which he has displayed during his 35 games with the team. He likes the exposure to critical games and end-of-season play, which approach the intensity of the NHL playoffs. "I played a couple years in the Swedish playoffs," he said. "We went to the semifinals once, and I won two Swedish junior championships," Andersson said of his experience with the Frolunda Hockey Club, beginning at age 16. "It's a new situation, for sure. This is a new level for me, compared to the playoffs I've been in." Apr 24 |
| 5 | Darren Helm  I.L.Darren Helm (back) skated for 10 minutes Monday and said he was "fatigued." Helm has played in just one game this season due to the back injury and the postseason is no time to try to get your legs back. We don't expect Helm to play again this season. Apr 30 |
| LW | 1 | Henrik Zetterberg ActiveDo not be surprised if the Detroit Red Wings put up a much better effort in Game 2 Saturday. The Red Wings were spent coming into Game 1 Wednesday as the dropped a 4-1 decision to the Chicago Blackhawks. Detroit had a tough seven game series with Anaheim and the extra travel to the West Coast did not help. Detroit played like they were in a fog according to Henrik Zetterberg. "That's how it felt like, we were there but we weren't really there," the captain said. "It's nice to have a few extra days here and we feel we're ready to go." The Red Wings expect to play a lot better on Saturday. May 18 |
| 2 | Daniel Cleary ActiveDaniel Cleary knows the Red Wings are the underdogs against the Chicago Blackhawks, but the odds aren't overwhelming. "We think we have a good team," Cleary said. "I know people are probably saying that the gap is pretty wide between us and Chicago, but if you think like that, you don’t really have a chance. We feel that the gap is not like that. They’re the (No.) 1 seed. They've got the pressure." The Blackhawks biggest edge over the Red Wings lies in their depth. If Detroit is going to win this series, it will probably be because guys like Cleary stepped up. May 15 |
| 3 | Drew Miller  SidelinedDrew Miller (hand) believes he's ready to return to the Red Wings' lineup. "I wouldn’t say it’s 100% percent, but I wouldn’t say it’s far off," Miller said. "I think I can play. I’m comfortable with it. I thought practice today was the big step to see how it was. I got through practice and I felt fine and everything, I had no pain. I feel like I was able to perform what I need to perform to be able to play. As far as I’m concerned, I’m available." Miller had four goals and eight points in 44 regular season games. Consider him probable for Game 2 on Saturday. May 17 |
| 4 | Jordin Tootoo ActiveJordin Tootoo netted the game-winning goal in Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Los Angeles. Tootoo has three goals and seven points in 40 games this season. "Any time you can contribute, and as a fourth-line players, it's always exciting," said Tootoo. "You don't get that very often, so you make the best of it." Thanks in part to Tootoo's efforts, the Red Wings have moved up to the eighth seed in the Western Conference. They will try to protect that position on Thursday against Nashville. Apr 25 |
| 5 | Todd Bertuzzi ActiveAfter getting back into the Detroit lineup for Game 2, Todd Bertuzzi was a healthy scratch Saturday. Thursday's game was Bertuzzi's first since February 7 as he suffered back problems and nerve pain in his right leg the last three months. He was joined in the press box by Ian White, Carlo Colaiacovo, Drew Miller and Jordin Tootoo. Bertuzzi was replaced in the Detroit lineup by Mikael Samuelsson, a bit of a surprise since the Red Wings won on Thursday. May 5 |
| 6 | Gustav Nyquist ActiveGustav Nyquist's first career playoff goal was the overtime winner in the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks to even their series at one apiece. Nyquist converted a pretty feed by Valtteri Filppula in overtime to give the Wings the 5-4 win and evening the series at one apiece. Johan Franzen continued to be a playoff scoring machine, scoring a pair of goals and giving him 73 points in 88 playoff games. The Red Wings took a different approach this season, letting the holes in their lineup be filled by their youngsters and they delivered in game two. Aside from Nyquist's goal, the Red Wings also got a goal and two assists from rookie Damien Brunner, and Justin Abdelkader also scored. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk can't be the only source of offense, so it's good to see the kids contributing. May 3 |
| RW | 1 | Damien Brunner ActiveDamien Brunner notched the only goal for the Red Wings in their 4-1 loss in Game 1 of their semifinal series with the Blackhawks on Wednesday night. It was pretty much the lone bright spot offensively for the Red Wings, who couldn't sustain enough of a forecheck and offensive pressure to really put the Blackhawks on their heels, even when the game was tied 1-1 leading up to the third period. Brunner now has three goals and three assists in the postseason. Gustav Nyquist and Jonathan Ericsson picked up the helpers on the goal. Justin Abdelkader had four penalty minutes and had a game-high eight hits. Niklas Kronwall and Johan Franzen finished with a team-low minus-two rating. May 15 |
| 2 | Johan Franzen ActiveJohan Franzen has cooled down again. Franzen has one goal in Detroit's last six games and no points in their last three contests. That's not a horrible stretch, but Detroit needs all of their best players if they're going to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round. When Franzen gets hot, he can be a difference maker and the Red Wings just have to hope that happens. May 17 |
| 3 | Justin Abdelkader ActiveJustin Abdelkader has grown into a top-six forward. Abdelkader's physical play in the main reason he's moved up in the depth charts, but he also has some offensive upside. He had two goals and three points in five games in the first round. If he can continue to get top-six minutes next season, he'll be a candidate for a breakout season. May 15 |
| 4 | Patrick Eaves ActivePatrick Eaves may be inserted in the Detroit lineup for Game 7. Eaves will likely replace one of Mikael Samuelsson or Todd Bertuzzi on the fourth line. Just an FYI in case you are in a very deep playoff pool. May 12 |
| 5 | Mikael Samuelsson SidelinedMikael Samuelsson missed Game 1 due to a "sore" pectoral muscle. Samuelsson originally sustained the injury on March 31 and it never fully healed. "It's been there for a while," he said. "No excuses. I just re-injured it a little bit." Consider him day-to-day for now. May 16 |
| D | 1 | Niklas Kronwall ActiveThe Detroit Red Wings have their work cut out for them when it comes to capitalizing on their power-play opportunities. The Chicago Blackhawks are the only team with a perfect penalty killing record in the 2013 playoffs. "Definitely they've had some success," Niklas Kronwall said of the unit ranked third during the regular season. "They do a good job of making it hard to get the puck through. It's something you have to work on and make sure we get the pucks there." Kronwall leads the Red Wings with 23:39 power-play minutes in the postseason. As a team they had a 24.0% success rate against the Anaheim Ducks when they had the man advantage in the first round. May 15 |
| 2 | Jonathan Ericsson ActiveJonathan Ericsson wasn't too happy with Detroit's defense in Game 1 of their second-round series. "I think it took way too long for us to get out of our own zone and when we get out we don’t have any energy to attack. … We have to do a much better job in the D-zone and the D’s got to do a better job of getting the pucks up and the forwards have to do a better job in being open," Ericsson said. Over the past few seasons, several Red Wings defensemen have either left the team or retired and that's pushed Ericsson into the position of being one of the team's veteran blueliners. He ranks second on the team with 18 hits and fourth with eight blocked shots. May 17 |
| 3 | Brendan Smith ActiveBrendan Smith took a lot of criticism for his play in Game 1 Wednesday. Coach Mike Babcock did not think that Smith played poorly and spent Friday morning in the video room going over a tape with Smith that showed the defenseman all the good plays he made in Game 1. "I saw a young guy try to make a bunch of plays and no one there to accept the pass on the other end," Babcock said. Smith's speed allows him to be the first one to get the puck when it is dumped in and hopefully he will recover from the troubles he had in Game 1 and use the pep talk he got from Babcock to his advantage. Smith has a goal and an assist in eight playoffs games and despite his perceived poor performance Wednesday, he was plus-one in a 4-1 loss. May 18 |
| 4 | Dan DeKeyser SidelinedDefenseman Dan DeKeyser (broken thumb) skated on Friday. Before you get too excited that the rookie defenseman will be back in the lineup, he is still six-eight weeks away from returning. "I was just waiting to see the doctor and after he checked it out, he said I could get at least get on the ice and keep the legs going," he said. "I'm doing every little thing I can to make sure it gets better as quick as it can." Look for DeKeyser to be back for developmental camp in July. He has a lot of talent and should be considered late in deeper drafts next season if he is able to crack the Detroit lineup. May 18 |
| 5 | Kyle Quincey ActiveKyle Quincey was a healthy scratch Sunday. He was replaced by Brendan Smith in the lineup. "I don't have much to say on it," Quincey said. "Three guys are waiting and all ready to play and they're all good defensemen, so it's the nature of the beast." He has not had any fantasy value this season. Apr 15 |
| 6 | Jakub Kindl ActiveJakub Kindl had an assist on Tuesday. Unfortunately Kindl's efforts weren't enough to save Detroit in Game 1 of their first-round series versus Anaheim. He had four goals, nine assists, and a plus-15 rating in 41 games this season. May 1 |
| 7 | Ian White ActiveThe play of defensemen Brendan Smith and Dan DeKeyser have made Ian White and Carlo Colaiacovo superfluous in Detroit. The Red Wings are excited about their young defensemen and Ian White has now been a healthy scratch the last six games. He has only played in 25 games with two goals and a couple of helpers and it appears that his time with the Red Wings is now short. Apr 23 |
| 8 | Carlo Colaiacovo ActiveCarlo Colaiacovo played his first game for the Red Wings since April 14th as he suited up for Game Six of their opening round playoff series against the Ducks Friday. The veteran blueliner only played in six regular season contests due to a shoulder ailment, but his puck-moving skills were a welcome addition for the Wings in his first game back "I thought Colaiacovo had a couple of shifts, like everyone else, he wishes he didn’t have, but I thought he played well,'' coach Mike Babcock said. There's little doubt Colaiacovo will be in the lineup in place of Brian Lashoff for Game Seven of the series Sunday night. May 11 |
| G | 1 | Jimmy Howard ActiveJimmy Howard isn't being blamed for Detroit's 4-1 loss on Wednesday. Howard was one of the few reasons Detroit even had a chance for most of this contest. The Blackhawks were overwhelming in the second and third periods, but Howard kept the game tied until 8:02 of the third period. "We weren't good enough in front of him," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock. "We gave up too many opportunities, and then made some key mistakes down the stretch, obviously." Detroit needs Howard to continue to be one of their best players, but they certainly have to give him more support as well. May 16 |
| 2 | Jonas Gustavsson ActiveOne of the major reasons the Red Wings have struggled this season is the lack of production they have received from their offseason free agent acquisitions. The group of incoming free agents was made up of Jonas Gustavsson, Carlo Colaiacovo, Jordin Tootoo, Mikael Samuelsson and Damien Brunner and the Swiss winger is the only member of that group to offer anything in the way of production although he has also struggled of late. Some of the difficulties have been related to injury, however there's no denying the fact these acquisitions haven't lived up to expectations. Apr 20 |
| 3 | Jared Coreau |