Lalonde Says All-Star DeBrincat Has Performed ‘As Advertised’

The Detroit Red Wings have gotten what they paid for when they acquired Michigan native Alex DeBrincat from the Ottawa Senators. He’s on a pace for 30 goals and that has helped Detroit climb from 24th to sixth in team scoring from last season to this season.

They wanted a proven goal scorer and he has delivered.

He will be the Red Wings’ lone representative to today’s NHL All-Star game today (3 p.m., ABC) in Toronto.  This year’s All-Star format is a three-on-three tournament with teams selected by Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Hughes an nd Connor McDavid. Matthews chose DeBrincat in the eighth round of their draft.

The Matthews team is Toronto heavy. It includes Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Vincent Trocheck, Filip Forsberg, Igor Shesterkin, Mathew Barzal, Clayton Keller and Jake Oettinger.

Goal Drought

DeBrincat goes into the All-Star break in the midst of a scoring drought. He has found the net only once in the past 14 games. During his slump, the Red Wings went 9-2-2 in January. DeBrincat has five assists in that span. Since linemate Patrick Kane went out with his lower body injury,  DeBrincat has four points in eight games.  Without Kane, he has gone three games without a shot on goal.

Kane will be back in the lineup after this extended break. The Red Wings don’t play again until next Saturday.

But the Red Wings know that scorers have ebbs and flow in their scoring frequency. DeBrincat has 205 goals in 500 career games. Those numbers most suggest he has consistency.

Detroit coach Derek Lalonde has called the DeBrincat acquisition a great pickup.

“The player has been as advertised,” Lalonde said. “He’s been excellent for us. Obviously, he’s provided goals, but the human being is just a great person. He’s awesome, infectious, everyone likes him. I did not know that about him. He’s been a nice addition to the group.”