Last week, we learned the Detroit Red Wings will have to wait another year to unleash Evgeny Svechnikov. The left wing, who turns 22 this week, had knee surgery which will keep him sidelined until next season. The timing of this news could not come at a more interesting time: his younger brother, Andrei, 18, came to town this week with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Although he was mostly a non-factor in the game, hearing his name took its emotional toll on Red Wings fans. Any utterance of his last name was a dagger reminding fans what could have been this year.