The Detroit Red Wings need help scoring goals, and GM Steve Yzerman is reportedly looking overseas for offensive reinforcements.
According to multiple reports, the Red Wings are interested in Damir Zhafyarov, the 3rd leading scorer in the Kontinental Hockey League.
The Chicago #Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings have reportedly made offers to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod forward Damir Zhafyarov, according to reports in Russia.
The 26-year old has 20 goals and 58 points in 54GP this season in the KHL, and his contract expires April 30. #LGRW
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) February 17, 2021
The rival Chicago Blackhawks are also said to be interested.
In nine career seasons in the KHL, Zhafyarov has recorded 196 points, and also helped the Russian World Junior Championship squad to the bronze medal in 2014.
With a 4-11-3 record so far in the 2020-21 Season, the Red Wings certainly can use all the help they can get.
BONUS CONTENT
After latest loss, Red Wings say results are unacceptable
The effort was once again there, but the results weren’t.
The Detroit Red Wings fell to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth time this season, losing Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena by a 2-0 final score.
For alternate captain Luke Glendening, the process is about continuing to get better and build on the positive things despite the setbacks beginning to mount in the win/loss column.
“This isn’t acceptable to me or anyone in that room,” Glendening said. “No one is in there preaching moral victories. But it is tough coming to the rink some days when you are getting beat down, beat down, beat down. So you have to look at the positives and try to find what we are doing well and how we can continue to build on that. But also continue to get better at the things we are not doing so well.
“I like the group of guys we have in the room. I think they’re honest. They hold each other accountable. We have to continue to get better. This isn’t acceptable to the group in there.”
Perhaps the most frustrating part of Detroit’s woes is their power-play, which has failed to convert in their last 10 games, a total of 29 chances.
“We have to make sure we are continuing to improve as a hockey team,” head coach Jeff Blashill said. “We can’t get frustrated and take steps backward. Then all of a sudden you’re not a good team. We’ve been a good team here in the last little bit. We’ve got to continue to be a good team and find ways to win hockey games.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s up to each guy to fight through the frustration. It’s up to each guy to dig a little bit deeper.”
Blashill continued by stating the simple fact that his team hasn’t won enough games, and that they have to continue to battle through.
“It’s a challenge,” Blashill said. “There’s no doubt about it. I think the biggest thing is you can’t be satisfied with close losses, yet you have to look process and say, what did we do good and what can we do better, and that’s just the reality of it. I don’t want to be satisfied with the fact we’ve played fairly good, but we haven’t won enough games. So we have to find ways to win these tight games, as we’ve talked ad nauseam about.”
– – Quotes via Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press Link – –
