Shayne Gostisbehere brings shooting mentality, offense to Red Wings blue line

The Detroit Red Wings have lacked a shooting mentality, particularly on a power play that has struggled.

That’s not an issue for newly signed defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.

“I’m blessed to have a pretty hard shot,” Gostisbehere said. “I try to get it off as quick as I can and get pucks through. My grandpa will text me after every game. ‘Only two shots? What’s going on?’ He wants me to shoot every puck I see. Obviously, the more you shoot, the more goals that are going to go in.”

The Red Wings signed Gostisbehere, 30, to a one-year, $4.125 million contract on July 1. He should more than compensate for the offense lost when Filip Hronek was dealt at the trade deadline and provide a scoring boost to a blue line that ranked 24th in the league in points. Most importantly, he is the left-shooting point man general manager Steve Yzerman needed for one of their power play units.

“His shot is really a threat from the point,” Yzerman said.

Gostisbehere showed that by scoring 17 goals as a rookie with the Flyers in 2015-16 and recording a career-high 65 points two years later.

His career lagged the following three seasons, prompting a trade to Arizona in 2021. That’s where he rediscovered his offensive game. He’s produced 27 goals and 92 points the past two seasons, including the final 23 games in 2022-23 in Carolina.

“I had a few good years in Philly and then I think injuries really caught up with me,” Gostisbehere said. “It’s just a blend of falling out of favor there. Thankfully, I got a great opportunity in Arizona. I got to showcase that I could still play in this league and resurrect my career, give myself another chance in showing people that I’m still a good player. It springboarded me into the opportunity with Carolina. It’s nice to have two good years in a row.”

Gostisbehere has experience playing on the right side, which is where he’ll likely be with the Red Wings, who have only two right shooters among their top six in Moritz Seider and Justin Holl.

Forward Christian Fischer, who the Red Wings signed for one year on July 2, played with Gostisbehere in Arizona.

“He’s skilled and he’ll make those high-danger plays, and nine out of 10 times he’s getting the puck through,” Fischer said. “His IQ and how to read the play -- he’s not the biggest guy, he’s not the fastest, but defensively he knows. He thinks the game at such a top level. He can play against that top line every night because he knows their style. I think he’s back to being the Shane Gostisbehere that he was for 90 percent of his career.”

Defense has been the biggest knock on Gostisbehere, who has a career minus-59 rating while playing mostly on bad teams.

“Offensive (defensemen) get a lot of flak for their defensive side,” Gostisbehere said. “They’re going to say you can’t play defense. Any coach I’ve gone to for the first time, they say, ‘I’m surprised that your defensive game is pretty good.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, because I take pride in it.’ I know my better abilities are on the offensive side, but I am a defenseman. I got to play defense first. For me I try to prove that I am a two-way player.”

Not many kids who grew up in South Florida (Pembroke Pines) reach the NHL. Gostisbehere was fortunate that his grandfather was from Montreal and had Panthers season tickets, enabling the young Gostisbehere to go to every home game.

“Just fell in love with the game,” he said. “My sister was a figure skater, so she was at the rink. My mom would give me a stick and I’d run around the rink and just fell in love with the game. I played baseball for sure, but I was all hockey.”

Olli Maatta revived his career last year. Jake Walman essentially launched his career. Both were rewarded with multiyear extensions prior to the trade deadline.

Gostisbehere will get the same opportunity.

“When you sign a one-year deal, you’re betting on yourself. You’re trusting that organization and that opportunity that’s given to you,” Gostisbehere said. “Olli was in the same situation as me. Fell out of favor somewhere, go somewhere else and resurrects his career and springboards that into a contract extension. That’s the dream of every NHL guy when he gets an opportunity somewhere.”