Yzerman's Red Wings return to the ice

The puck drops tonight for the Red Wings' home opener against another Original Six team, the Montreal Canadiens.

State of play: Like all other Detroit teams, the Wings are in rebuild mode. But fans see promise in general manager Steve Yzerman's molding of the franchise.

• Notable new arrivals include second-line center Andrew Copp and David Perron, a goal-scoring forward with an edge, MLive Red Wings reporter Ansar Khan tells Axios.

What they're saying: "The infusion of youth, the signings of veterans in the offseason and the new coach, I think, add up to more optimism than we've seen in the last several years," Khan says.

What we're watching: New coach Derek Lalonde replaces Jeff Blashill, who was fired after seven seasons. The two are good friends and have similar backgrounds with roots at Ferris State.

• Will Lalonde bring a fresh perspective or is he a Blashill clone?

By the numbers: The Wings finished 26 points out of the final playoff spot last season with a record of 32-40-10.

• "The goal this year is not the playoffs, but just getting above .500 and showing significant improvement from last year," Khan says.
• Next year is when to expect a playoff run.

If you watch: The game starts at 7pm, televised on Bally Sports Detroit.

• Tickets start at $90.