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1999-2000 Stat Leaders Stat  Leader  No.  Goals  Brendan Shanahan  41  Assists  Nicklas Lidstrom  73  Points  Steve Yzerman  79  +/-  Chris Chelios  48  Shots  Brendan Shanahan  283  Ice Time (F)  Steve Yzerman  21:06  Ice Time (D)  Niklas Lidstrom  28:44  Faceoff Pct.  Kris Draper  57.63  Hits  Martin Lapointe  207  PP Pts  Nicklas Lidstrom  31  SH Pts  Nicklas Lidstrom  5     Sergei Federov  5

It's no secret the Red Wings are embarking on a season that may well signal the end of their reign as one of the league's elite. It's no secret, either, that critics have written the Wings off as a graying team with one foot in the grave. But not so fast, says captain Steve Yzerman. "I still like our core. I like [our] attitude, I like [our] professionalism. Our foundation is very good."

Detroit is still a dangerous team with the ingredients to challenge for the Stanley Cup again, although its depth has been diminished by the departures of C Igor Larionov, F Darryl Laplante and F Stacy Roest. But last season Larionov showed signs of slowing down and then became bitter when the Wings pulled a contract offer off the table.

With the emergence of the Blues, the Western Conference is that much tougher when you also throw in the Avalanche and Stars as contenders. The question isn't whether the Wings will be ready for the battles but whether they can survive the physicality from the taxing matchups. The guess here is that they can.

Count on the Wings to contend again. Had GM Kenny Holland decided to rebuild, coach Scotty Bowman certainly would have called it a career. As long as the competitive embers are still aglow in Bowman, the Wings should be there at the end.

For more on the Red Wings, bookmark this page and check back Wednesday, Oct. 11 for a Sports Illustrated Scouting Report.

BRIGHT SPOTS		GRAY AREAS
Experience, experience, experience. The nucleus of the club, albeit a year older, still knows what it takes to get it done. Signing 22-year-old C Boyd Devereaux was a small risk, but scouts love his tenacity and rugged style. Joe Louis Arena is getting a new paint job thanks to the Detroit Building Authority. Somehow, some way, opposing coaches, should they lose at the Joe, will still find a way to blame Bowman for bogus fumes. Yzerman needs 28 points to pass Phil Esposito (1,590) for fifth place on the all-time scoring list. Will he ever slow down? Chris Chelios finished second to Chris Pronger in plus/minus with a plus-48. Although he doesn't produce like he used to on offense, he's still top notch on the defensive end. Wings finished tied with the NHL's best home record (28-10-3), scoring a league-high 152 goals in their own confines. Career minor league goalie Manny Legace, 26, has played well in camp the past two years. So well that the Wings are losing faith in No. 2 netminder Ken Wregget. After playing just a quarter of the games last season, feisty winger Darren McCarty had a strong camp, netting a hat trick in one game and leading the the team in preseason points with nine.		Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan, Pat Verbeek and Yzerman accounted for 56 percent of the goals scored by Detroit forwards. It's become cliche, but age on the blue line sends up red flags. Of Detroit's top four defenseman, three of them -- Chris Chelios, Steve Duchesne, Larry Murphy -- are 35 or older. Murphy had it right last season when he said that when an older team wins, they're considered "experienced." But if they lose, they're thought of as "old." There aren't any youngsters in the minors who can step in and give this team a shot in the arm. With a drop in depth and talent, Detroit will need G Chris Osgood to steal more games singlehandedly, especially come playoff time. He was decent in the playoffs, but absolutely needs to be better to give the Wings a shot. The time is now for him to prove he belongs among the elite. A knee injury will sideline Yzerman at least through the first two games of the regular season. The Wings will also watch Shanahan, who battled a sore groin through camp. A quirk in Martin Lapointe's contract allows the gritty 27-year-old forward to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He could break the bank.

Comings
Player	Pos.	From	Via
Steve Brule	C	New Jersey	Free agent
Boyd Devereaux	C	Edmonton	Free agent
Jason Elliott	G	Detroit	Re-signed
Brent Gilchrist	LW	Detroit	Re-signed
Yan Golubovsky	D	Detroit	Re-signed
Maxim Kuznetsov	D	Detroit	Re-signed
Larry Murphy	D	Detroit	Re-signed
Chris Osgood	G	Detroit	Re-signed
Marc Rodgers	RW	Detroit	Re-signed
Toivo Suursoo	LW	Detroit	Re-signed
B.J. Young	F	Detroit	Re-signed

Goings
Player	Pos.	To	Via
Darryl Laplante	C	Minnesota	Expansion
Igor Larionov	C	Florida	Free agent
Stacy Roest	C	Minnesota	Expansion

Prospect Watch
Jesse Wallin, D, 6'2", 190
Born: Nov. 3, 1978
Acquired: 1996 draft, first round (No. 26 overall)
A devastating car accident a couple years retarded his progress, but now he seems to be back on track. He's a stay-at-home type who is effective at clearing the slot in front of his own net. For his size he's an agile player who isn't too flashy.

Get the Highlighter
Thurs., Oct. 5 at Calgary: The journey to the Stanley Cup begins in Calgary.
Tues., Oct. 17 vs. St. Louis: The Blues are still smarting from last season's playoff collapse and the perceived notion that they're still skating in the Wings' shadow. They're still gunning for Detroit.
Fri., Nov. 17 vs. Dallas: Western Conference final that wasn't. Dallas heads into town for their first matchup of the season.
Fri., Dec. 15 at Colorado: Where have you gone Claude Lemieux? Any bad blood left? The Wings visit Colorado for the first time since the Avs eliminated them from the playoffs.
Sat., April 7 vs. Colorado: Wings' 82-game "preseason" schedule ends with a meeting against the Avalanche.

Quoteworthy
"I can't see myself just going into another job in hockey. When I leave hockey I'll be a Joe Fan. I still enjoy it."
--Bowman, after agreeing to coach another year

Team-by-team previews compiled by CNNSI.com's Ken Klavon, Jamie MacDonald and Jimmy Traina.

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