Detroit Red Wings fans lose faith in two specific players near season end

While the core of the Detroit Red Wings is solid, this next piece won't be about them. When it comes to the ongoing rebuild, the team will need a veteran presence like Patrick Kane to guide them.

Unlike veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who's been a terrible replacement for Shayne Gostisbehere, and forward Vladimir Tarasenko.

While we could buy into the fact that Erik Gustafsson was a stopgap to the loss of Shayne Gostisbehere, he has failed to produce up to expectations. A former reliable two-way defenseman is losing his ground, as he's only scored 18 points ( 2 goals, 16 assists) in 60 games with the Wings this year.

He's also accumulated a -19, in less games played than his teammates which isn't something you'd want attached to your name.

Gustafsson failed to fit into the Red Wings' style of play and was a better fit on Peter Laviolette's Rangers.

It's doubtful that Tarasenko would want to stick around a full rebuild, which the Red Wings are about to embark on. He may prefer to find himself on another cup-contending team, or instead heading back to the team that drafted him, the St. Louis Blues.

Hockeytown and Tarasenko should part ways, as he's eighth on the team in points, with a meager 31 in 77. A small sum for someone who was known as a sniper in the past.

His 10 goals and 7.8 shooting percentage give us an idea of how well he's performing, and his -16 isn't helping matters either.

Tarasenko should be given a ride to where he wants to go, as long as Yzerman can facilitate the trade and make room for a better veteran, or someone from Grand Rapids, the team is ready to promote.