The year 2019 is, mercifully, now officially behind the Red Wings.



It had its moments (including a particularly ceremonious homecoming in the front office), and most would concede expectations were pretty low coming in. Still, for Detroit, 2019 was still largely defined by disappointment.



Will 2020 be any kinder to the franchise? It’s not looking too likely, but here are eight predictions for what the new year could bring to Detroit.



1. Andreas Athanasiou will be traded.



It might be a tougher deal to swing than it would have seemed four months ago, with Athanasiou going through a down year, but a trade of the former 30-goal scorer still looms as the likeliest “splashy” one the Red Wings could make in 2020. Here’s the twist, though: I’ll say the deal doesn’t happen by February’s trade deadline, and instead has to wait until the offseason, perhaps culminating at the draft.



With the speedy forward...