On a press run for his upcoming “Magic Game” in his hometown of Yekaterinburg, Russia, Detroit Red Wings legend Pavel Datsyuk made a surprisingly bold claim about his former team in a recent interview with Sergey Demidov of RG Media . Throughout his playing career, Datsyuk was a prototypical hockey player when it came to conversations with the media, making only plain statements if he chose to speak with them, which makes his recent comments seem somewhat out of character.
The comment raises concerns about how effectively Dylan Larkin , Alex DeBrincat , and Patrick Kane are guiding the Red Wings in the right direction. This uncertainty may also extend to the next generation of Detroit’s stars, including Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider .
Datsyuk certainly has a leg to stand on when it comes to the leadership required for sustained success at the NHL level. His career began during the 2001-02 season on a Red Wings team that boasted 10 future Hall of Famers at the time, and he was a part of the most recent Detroit team to qualify for the postseason during the 2015-16 season.