red wings have a major problem and they must address it

While General Manager Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings has produced one of the best prospect pipelines in the NHL, there are still flaws.

In his nine years as the Red Wings GM, we've seen multiple prospects promoted to the NHL recently, with Axel-Sandin Pellikka and Marco Kasper being some of the last few.

We were able to see Michael Brandsegg-Nygard play a short stint in the NHL this year and prove what he's capable of. But he wasn't able to make it a full-time role yet.

With Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson being the two anchors on the blueline, they don't play together as much as they used to. The blueline is feeling the strain as the team has struggled on the defensive side of the puck lately.

To put this into perspective, Ben Chiarot, a former Atlanta Thrashers draft pick, is carrying a positive plus/minus, while Axel-Sandin Pellika is still adjusting to his role, with a minus rating on the ice.

The Detroit Red Wings need more depth on the blueline across the organization. While they have Shai Buium in the pipeline, he and prospect William Wallinder are both projected for a third-pairing player rather than a top-four defenseman for the Red Wings.

Buium is Zeev's older brother, who was part of a trade package for Quinn Hughes, who was thought to be a target for the Red Wings. The Griffins have been without him since the beginning of the season, as he remains out on injury, but Buium has resumed skating.

Wallinder hasn't developed in the way the Red Wings have hoped for, scoring 40 points in 152 games. While he isn't thought to be an offensive defenseman, his skills are good in the defensive department, which means he could serve as a call-up from time to time.

While another prospect who is waiting in the wings in the SHL is Anton Johansson, who was drafted. The former 105th overall pick plays for Leksand IF and is in danger of being relegated with a 4-14 start to the season. Johansson, whose no relation to Albert, has seen his team struggle as they've gone without taking a shot after the first five minutes to start the game. It seems structural.

Johansson did play 11 games in the AHL with the Griffins, scoring 5 points during their Calder Cup run. However, in the greater scheme of things, he projects as a second-pairing defenseman at best in the league. He was thought to be a player who'd make a strong push for a roster spot at training camp, but ASP claimed it.

Outside of Simon Edvinsson, the Red Wings didn't have the kind of talent to complete a trade for Quinn Hughes, according to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman.

That is an issue for the Red Wings, who are thin on the blueline in both the AHL and the NHL.