David-Legwand-4-26-14

The Red Wings acquired David Legwand to fill a hole at center but he ended up playing wing on the fourth line in the playoffs.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings won only one playoff game and had their season end in April for the second time in three years.

They weren’t the tough out they expected to be against the Boston Bruins in the postseason, losing in five games.

But progress was made during the regular season, when injuries forced them to rely on several young players. They reaped the benefits of their growth to extend their playoff streak to 23 seasons.

Expectations will be much higher next season.

Here are some questions as the Red Wings head into the off-season:

Q. What are the team's biggest needs in the off-season?

A. They need a top-four right-handed shooting defenseman. They were one of two teams that had only lefties on defense (Dallas was the other).

There are some free-agent options, including Pittsburgh’s Matt Niskanen, who will be the Red Wings’ top target if he doesn’t re-sign with the Penguins. Other right-handed shooting defensemen headed for free agency include Dan Boyle (San Jose), Derek Morris (Phoenix), Tom Gilbert (Florida) and Marek Zidlicky (New Jersey).

The Red Wings also could use a decent-sized winger with scoring ability. Free agents who fit one or both of those qualifications include Thomas Vanek, Matt Moulson, Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik, Jarome Iginla, Jaromir Jagr and Devin Setoguchi.

The Red Wings are roughly $20 million under the $71.1 million salary cap for 2014-15. Some of that will be exhausted after they re-sign restricted free agents Danny DeKeyser, Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan. But they will have ample cap space to dip into the free-agent market.

Q. Will the Red Wings use the last of their two amnesty buyouts on Johan Franzen?

A. No. Goals are hard to come by and Franzen, when healthy, should score 25. That production would be impossible to replace for his $3.95 million salary-cap hit. They just have to accept that he’s incredibly streaky, disappearing for long stretches, and isn’t the playoff force he was from 2008-10, and take the bad with the good.

If the Red Wings wanted to get rid of them, it would be better to trade him, getting something in return and not pay him to go away. He has six years remaining at a total cost of $17.5 million in his back-diving contract. That should be palatable for some teams. But he’ll likely remain in Detroit for at least another season.

Penguins defenseman Matt Niskanen should be at the top of the Red Wings' free-agent wish list.

Q. Will veterans Daniel Alfredsson and David Legwand be re-signed and what about the other UFA forwards?

A. It’s doubtful that Legwand will be back. He didn’t have the impact the club was hoping for when it acquired him at the trade deadline for blue-chip center prospect Calle Jarnkrok and what turned out to be a second-round pick. The injury-ravaged Red Wings desperately needed a center to help them get into the playoffs, but Legwand finished the season playing the wing on the fourth line.

Alfredsson provided the club what it needed – some offense (tied for team lead with 49 points, in just 68 games), a right-handed shooter and leadership. But he’s 41 and experienced back issues. If he decides in a few weeks that he wants to play another season, the Red Wings probably will work out a deal with him.

As for their other unrestricted free-agent forwards, it’s safe to say Todd Bertuzzi and Daniel Cleary won’t be re-signed, due in part to the emergence of young forwards. Mikael Samuelsson definitely won’t be back.

Q. Will Kyle Quincey be re-signed?

A. Probably not, though it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Quincey improved significantly the second half of the season and the Red Wings would like to re-sign him at the right price (probably less than his current $4 million). But free-agent defensemen are at a premium and Quincey likely would get a better offer on the market.

Johan Franzen continues to be wildly inconsistent, but the Red Wings need his production in the regular season.

Q. Which young players will make the roster next season?

A. Riley Sheahan will not be waiver-exempt next season, so he definitely will be on the team. He’s earned a spot regardless of his waiver status. He filled the second-line center slot admirably, playing well defensively and showing his offensive skills (nine goals, 24 points in 42 games).

Tomas Jurco is exempt from waivers for one more season, so the club has some flexibility with him. He played well (eight goals, 15 points in 36 games) but might need a little more seasoning in Grand Rapids. Where he starts next season might depend on what other moves are made.

Luke Glendening no longer is waiver-exempt, which is why he can’t join the Griffins now. He’ll be on the Red Wings next season, but might move to the wing with their depth at center.

The club needs to make a decision on right wing Landon Ferraro, its 2009 top pick, who loses his waiver-exempt status next season.

Top forward prospect Anthony Mantha should challenge for a roster spot in training camp and the preseason.

On defense, they probably need to move in one of their top prospects. Xavier Ouellet, who’s better defensively, is ahead of Ryan Sproul, Alexey Marchenko and Mattias Backman in the pecking order. Adam Almquist, no longer waiver-exempt, doesn’t want to play in Grand Rapids next season and doesn’t appear to have a future in the organization. He might return to Sweden.

Q. Who will be their backup goaltender?

A. They would like to re-sign Jonas Gustavsson. He was a solid backup to Jimmy Howard, going 16-5-4, with a 2.63 goals-against average. The problem is he is too injury-prone. Other free-agent options include Brian Elliott (St. Louis), Jaroslav Halak (Washington) and Jonas Hiller (Anaheim), but they’ll be seeking starting jobs. Backup possibilities include Al Montoya (Winnipeg), Chad Johnson (Boston) and Carter Hutton (Nashville). It’s a deep pool of goalies, but some likely will re-sign with their teams.

The Red Wings plan to keep Petr Mrazek in Grand Rapids for another season, preferring he plays extensively in the AHL rather than sporadically in the NHL.

Q. Who are candidates to be traded?

A. The emergence of Sheahan and Glendening might make Joakim Andersson expendable. The Red Wings are deep at center with Pavel Datsyuk, Stephen Weiss, Darren Helm, Sheahan and Glendening.

Defenseman Jakub Kindl struggled this season following a breakout year, putting his future with the organization in question. The Red Wings have several promising young defensemen knocking on the door and won’t have room for all of them over the next couple of seasons unless they move a player or two. Kindl has three years remaining on his contract at $2.4 million per season.

Q. What does the future hold for general manager Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock?

A. Each has one year remaining on his contract. Chances are the club will sign Holland to an extension in the off-season. After Holland is signed, Babcock likely will be offered an extension. Then it would be up to him if he wants to stay beyond 2014-15 or move on to a new challenge.