Lately, as the Detroit Red Wings were squandering games and frittering away what was once a massive lead for the final NHL Eastern Conference playoff spot, who are these guys was a fair question to pose.
In more recent action, there’s been a completely different answer to this query. Just as they were doing during their impressive run during January and February, the Red Wings are again playing to an identity and with an identity. And because of that, you can once more identify this team as a success story.
You can also thank the so-called Identity Line for setting the tone and setting that bar high.
The forward unit of Christian Fischer, Andrew Copp and Michael Rasmussen were not accountable during Thursday’s huge 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders, they were also showing the way in the accounting department.
Andrew Copp right place right time for a 2-1 lead!#LGRW pic.twitter.com/io0HaxKelO
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) March 22, 2024
Copp scored twice, his first goals in 21 games. Fischer would open the scoring with a dynamic breakaway tally. He was good for three points. With Rasmussen dishing a pair of assists, the trio combined for seven points.
It wasn’t merely that they were setting each other up. In the process, they were setting a tone for their teammates.
That unit forechecks like fiends. They thrive in matching up with top players from the opposition and grinding them into the ice surface.
“We all have similar mindsets and obviously three big bodies,” Fischer said. “Obviously doing some matchups with other lines. The three of us, we love that type of thing.
“It’s the game within the game if you could shut down those big boys amd make life hard for them. I think we’re just on the same page.”
Thursday, that was the front page. Following a scoreless opening frame, Fischer would finally put a crooked number up on the scoreboard. Breaking into the clear down the left wing, he cut to his forehand and slipped the puck past the outstretched glove of Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin.
Christian Fischer scores on the breakaway to draw first blood!#LGRW pic.twitter.com/kLQJqKoF2q
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) March 22, 2024
“Came up with it on the spot,” Fischer said of his breakaway move. “It (puck) was on its side, too. We hate to see that.
“Found a way to put it in. Got a little excited there in the celebration.”
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin offered a one-word response regarding what it means to the team when that group is firing on all cylinders.
“Everything,” Larkin said. “I think we know when they’re rolling like that, they turn the game. It gives us a look. We have an identity line.
“They play hard on pucks and obviously they’re all responsible defensively. They really play in the offensive zone and wear other lines down.”
And when they’re wearing on the other team, the rest of the Wings wear it well. They step up to take advantage of the openings created for them by their identity group.
“Playing the right way,” is what Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde likes to call it.
“All their success came off simple hockey,” Lalonde continued. “They’re owning the middle of the ice, they’re defending correctly, they’re playing off the forecheck, everything we want out of a team game.
“They took a lot of pride in getting the (Bo) Horvat matchup tonight and they won it, and it was a big part of the win tonight.”
And just like that, Detroit is again looking like a playoff squad. The Red Wings are three points clear of Washington and five ahead of the Islanders.
For their long-suffering fans, that’s an identity that they’ll happily identify with.
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Through much of his time with the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been too good to be a second-line center, yet not quite a top liner for a contender. Now aging out of his prime, his play has dropped off the past two seasons, only rebounding when moved to the wing next to midseason acquisition J.T. Miller. That presents a problem for New York. The Rangers are not deep down the middle. Moving Zibanejad back to center provides that depth, putting Vincent Trochek back in his appropriate 3C role. But does Zibanejad again suffer without Miller? It also leaves the Blueshirts thin on the right side. Zibanejad can’t play two positions at once and the Rangers cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. There is a solution, however: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Anaheim and New York already have strong front office ties, with a pair of trades in the past eight months. The cross-continental line should be open. McTavish is precisely the player archetype that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sought in this past year. The 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and plays with a grit that Drury adores. An old-fashioned power forward in the making, McTavish hunts bodies, making life miserable for defenders on the forecheck and finds pockets of space when off the puck, where he unloads a cannon of a shot. An all-situations player, McTavish digs in the corners and is developing nicely as an offensive driver. McTavish is a hard worker who shows leadership traits. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan loves to play with speed and relentless pressure, a mantra that suits McTavish down to the ground. For a second-line center, McTavish’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but 52 points (22 goals) in 76 games for a bad Ducks team is nothing to sneeze at. In New York, he would also presumably get to play with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Given the playmaking ability of those wingers and McTavish’s heavy shot, 30-plus goals could be on the cards. Bleacher Report has stated that the Ducks are unlikely to extend McTavish an offer sheet, instead willing to match whatever offer comes his way. Does that mean he is on the trade block? At the very least it means that Anaheim will likely be willing to listen to offers. That said, it would take an almighty package to pry the former No. 3 pick out of Orange County. The Ducks would rightly command a first-round pick — if not two — and a highly-rated prospect. New York has its own first-rounders in store, as well as a, likely, late first-rounder next year, with second-round picks each year except 2027. Would New York part with a first, a second and a pair of its top prospects? The Rangers are loaded with left wing prospects. Whilst Gabe Perrault is likely off the table, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard should be discussed, as should defenseman E.J. Emery. Would picks and a pair of prospects be enough for Anaheim, though? Here’s a thought experiment: a deal centered around Will Cuylle. As mentioned, the Rangers have a raft of left wingers coming through and Lafreniere is also a natural left winger. Would trading Cuylle for McTavish solve the Rangers' issues at the pivot, allowing Zibanejad to help fix the right-hand side and give the team room to develop more youngsters on the left? Could this solve three issues in one swoop? It would be a, potentially, seismic move, but it might just make sense for both teams, especially if the Ducks are not looking to keep McTavish around long-term. It would complete a remarkable offseason for Drury.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the sports news cycle throughout the 2025 offseason. It has been an extremely busy time for general manager Omar Khan and the rest of the front office. Moves have been made on both sides of the ball, which has fueled excitement in a city that has not seen a playoff win since the 2016 campaign. One of the more intriguing pieces to the puzzle as training camp gets underway isn't necessarily any of the new faces, but rather, a group that returns its core from 2024. The offensive line is expected to play a crucial role. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer is on the hot seat for what seems like the third year in a row, and his training camp got off to the wrong start when the most experienced member of his unit, Isaac Seumalo, was placed on the non-football injury list. This will provide a challenge during team development, as offensive linemen need to build rapport with one another and be in unison once the regular season kicks off. Another storyline is the presence of 2023 first-round selection, Broderick Jones. The Steelers traded up to pick him out of the University of Georgia, but he has yet to live up to the hype. In all fairness, he was drafted to be a left tackle, but hasn't gotten the chance to play there permanently. He will have the opportunity to do so in his third professional season, and he has a fifth-year option to consider that could be declined in the 2026 offseason if he underperforms. One of the most team's most respected insiders, Gerry Dulac, appeared on the "Steve Jones Show" on Wednesday, and when the left tackle came up in discussion, it wasn't all positive. The Steelers apparently believe he can be a phenomenal lineman, but they aren't convinced he is completely bought in. "They really really think Broderick Jones is immensely talented," Dulac said of the third-year offensive lineman. "They would just like to see him mature, kind of professionally, personally [and] take his job and his performance just a little more seriously." This is certainly a concerning comment from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter. Jones was looked at as a raw prospect coming out of college, but he always possessed the size and talent to be a great player in the NFL. If he isn't taking his job seriously enough, it would suggest that he is trying to rely on his skills alone, which is never good enough at the highest level. The offensive line has the ability to determine how the Steelers' 2025 season goes. With a 41-year-old quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, the big men up front will need to keep the guy under center upright. The team will also want to run the ball effectively, so it will be imperative to create holes and win the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis. Pittsburgh isn't necessarily starting off training camp on the right foot with Seumalo unable to participate in team activities, and now the comments from Dulac surely will be cause for concern when it comes to Jones, who has yet to convince the fan base that he was worth a first-round pick in 2023. If he wants to remain in the Steel City long-term, Jones should be preparing to be the most serious individual in the locker room. Steelers should have one clear advantage on the offensive line Zach Frazier was selected in the second-round back in 2024, and he was one of the most important rookies in the NFL. Entering his sophomore season, he is expected to not just take a step forward, but play like a Pro Bowler. While there could be some questions and inconsistencies in certain spots, Frazier should be the No. 1 guy that the group can rely on week in and week out.
It’s been a busy summer for New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, having watched several pitchers and the team’s primary third baseman fall victim to lengthy IL stints. Cashman has at least three holes to repair, but who can the Yankees deal to land some worthwhile replacements? Among New York's trade chips that have been frequently mentioned as of recent is outfielder Spencer Jones. Whether for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez or Pittsburgh Pirates' Mitch Keller, several rumors have suggested a package involving Jones, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect and purported “left-handed Aaron Judge.” Up until this season, Jones had struggled to live up to his monstrous expectations, which made him rather undesirable in prior trade discussions. But whereas many teams and writers saw him as a hard pass in trade talks over the offseason, Jones has now become a hot commodity. Off to a scorching start in Triple-A (.408/.470/.901 with 10 home runs in just 17 games entering Wednesday), Jones has compiled a head-turning .313/.412/.683 stat line with a career-high 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 246 at-bats across Double and Triple-A this season. With his awe-striking power finally producing some results, Jones has become a top-of-the-line trade chip. However, this doesn’t mean the Yankees should consider trading him. Why not? Center field-related uncertainty Yankees’ center fielder, Cody Bellinger, has played well in pinstripes this year which raises the topic of his player option for next season. In addition, since he is getting paid more than his option is worth next year, chances are he decides to try the free-agent market. If Bellinger does leave, center field will be wide open as Trent Grisham will also likely test free agency after this season. Unlike Jones, neither Judge nor Jasson Dominguez have displayed the aptitude necessary to capably play the position. The Yankees’ shallow depth will also prove to be a challenge for finding a replacement. If Bellinger does stay, he can slide into first base while Jones takes over at center. But whether he decides to stay or go, Bellinger will be a free agent after the 2026 season. Trade value Jones’ numbers are on fire, but his trade value has yet to catch up, due to his unstable track record. Nonetheless, using a prospect of Jones’ caliber (along with others) to land someone like Keller (career 4.43 ERA), for example, or any similar player would equate to mismanagement. Given his torrid stretch this year, there is a good chance Jones lives up to his stunning potential. Selling him for a fraction of his future worth would be regrettable. Yankees’ current situation The Yankees are without Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt for the year and many others sit on the IL alongside them. This deficiency could be offset by acquiring some rentals, namely Suarez. However, as the risk with all rentals, Suárez will likely test free agency at the end of the season. Unless the Yankees extend or sign him, he won’t share the same side of the field with Cole or Schmidt (while active). If they can land Suarez without trading Jones, all would be well for the Yankees. If not, this could be a case of mortgaging the future to improve a very gloomy present. In the end, it may be better to have Jones’ bat backing Cole over the next three years rather than Suárez’s bat backing Will Warren this year. If the Yankees are dealing for rentals at the deadline, it’s best to leave Jones out of it.
The Washington Commanders will have a squad full of new faces on the field this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The pass-rush unit in particular has been a work in progress all offseason, with veterans Javon Kinlaw, Deatrich Wise Jr., Jacob Martin, and Eddie Goldman all among the additions to a defensive line that will need all the help it can get. Then, just when it seemed like the smoke had cleared, Adam Peters went out and signed Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller. How will all the new pieces fit together? We may have gotten a glimpse on the first day of training camp. Commanders already pulling out all the stops to make revamped defensive line work It's going to require some creativity to find efficient combinations with the Commanders' defensive front, particularly on the edge. Joe Whitt Jr. duly obliged with an intriguing formation that nobody saw coming. It was expected from the moment Miller signed that his primary position would be on the edge, despite playing most of his career as an outside linebacker. It's unclear if he will be a starter or more of a situational piece, perhaps a specialist to mostly come in on third downs, and this specific set seems to imply the latter. What's more intriguing here is using Luvu as an edge rusher, while moving Dorance Armstrong Jr. inside. The hard-nosed linebacker became a quick fan favorite after he was signed on a bargain last offseason, finding a long-term home in Washington following stops with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. Luvu racked up a career-high eight sacks en route to being named a second-team All-Pro last season. He certainly knows how to rush the passer when given opportunities. Armstrong is a player who could perhaps benefit from being moved around a bit, especially if Miller is going to take some of his snaps on the outside. He was solid but unspectacular during his first season in Washington after coming over from the rival Dallas Cowboys, compiling five sacks. More will be needed this time around. It's also notable that this set does not include Kinlaw, Washington's highest-priced defensive acquisition this summer. The former San Francisco 49ers star is another player who Whitt has hinted at wanting to use in different ways, so it will be interesting to see where he fits if Armstrong is going to take snaps inside. All in all, it's clear that Whitt is trying to make the most out of a situation that everyone knows is less than ideal. Only time will tell how it works out. More Commanders news and analysis