DETROIT >> The Red Wings would have preferred preparing for the NHL playoffs late last week rather than analyzing the past season with the media.

But the disappointment was tempered by the fact there truly were positives this season, and the Wings really couldn’t have done much more. They tied Washington for points (91), watching the Capitals skate to the playoffs and the Wings staying home, by virtue of a tiebreaker of regulation wins.

The depth general manager Steve Yzerman accumulated in the offseason made the Wings a deeper and better team. The Wings were better throughout the lineup, and there are promising prospects on the way.

“Overall I’m encouraged by the progress of the organization and the development of some of our younger players,” Yzerman said. “I’m kind of disappointed, as most people are, at the end of the season here because it was, particularly the last week of the season, incredibly exciting.”

Many analysts didn’t feel the Wings were close to being a playoff team, a fact coach Derek Lalonde repeated throughout the season. But they stayed in the hunt the entire way.

“You look at the black-and-white improvement, we improved 11 points,” Lalonde said after the Wings had 35 victories and 80 points a year ago (41, 91 this season). “You can also look at it, black-and-white, we missed the playoffs. That’s been hockey for 100 years, making the playoffs.”

A busy summer awaits Yzerman, who has to re-sign restricted free agents Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, some important unrestricted free agents (including Patrick Kane, David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere) and attempt to keep adding pieces all the while keeping an eye on the salary cap.

But, finally for Wings fans, there is hope. Real hope, of possibly ending what has become an eight-year playoff drought.

“We as a management group have to make some good decisions,” Yzerman said. “We’ll be sitting here next year and say that was a good decision, or we’ll be saying, ‘Steve, what were you thinking?’ That’s the reality of it.”

With the end of the season, here is one reporter’s assessment on each player based on performance and expectations.

Goaltenders

Alex Lyon — 21-18-5, 3.05 goals-against average, .904 save percentage. Contract: One year remaining, $900,000 annual average value/salary cap hit. Analysis: The career minor leaguer showed everyone the ability to carry the workload for a team that barely missed the playoffs. Lyon has to learn how to manage a heavy NHL workload. Grade: B

Ville Husso — 9-5-2, 3.55 GAA, .892 SVS. Contract: One year remaining, $4.75 million AAV. Analysis: Husso’s season was marred by injuries and inconsistency when he did play. Next season is big for Husso, as he needs to show he’s durable and able to reach the elite level he’s shown in small doses. Grade: C

James Reimer — 11-8-2, 3.11 GAA, .904 SVS. Contract: Unrestricted free agent. Analysis: Reimer hadn’t been in such a back-up role in a long time; he played infrequently, but he handled it as well as could be expected. Reimer won some big games for the Wings down the stretch. Grade: C-plus

Defense

Ben Chiarot — 77 games, five goals, 15 assists, 20 points. Contract: Two years remaining, $4.75 AAV. Analysis: This was more the Ben Chiarot the Wings expected when they signed him as a free agent in the summer of 2022. He has an old-school mentality on and off the ice and provides needed leadership. Grade: B

Simon Edvinsson — 16 games, one goal, one assist, two points. Contract: Two years remaining, $925,000 cap hit. Analysis: Edvinsson was recalled as the Wings were fighting for a playoff spot and didn’t look out of place in a pressurized situation. He’ll be in the NHL to stay starting in October. Grade: Incomplete

Shayne Gostisbehere — 81 games, 10 goals, 46 assists, 56 points. Contract: Unrestricted free agent. Analysis: The defense is crowded, and Gostisbehere is a free agent, but it would be difficult to lose this elite offensive defenseman. There aren’t many quarterbacks better on the power play. Grade: B

Justin Holl — 38 games, zero goals, five assists, five points. Contract: Two years remaining, $3.4 million AAV. Analysis: A very disappointing season for a veteran who was a free-agent signing last summer. Holl wasn’t able to crack the regular lineup. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Holl’s name in trade speculation. Grade: D

Olli Maatta — 72 games, four goals, 14 assists, 18 points. Contract: One year remaining, $3 million AAV. Analysis: Maatta went from being in a rotation of being a healthy scratch to getting the bulk of playing time in the third pairing. A solid pro who is reliable, not flashy, but predictable and able. Grade: B-minus

Jeff Petry — 73 games, three goals, 21 assists, 24 points. Contract: One year remaining, $2.34 million AAV. Analysis: Probably had the type of season most people expected, supplying some offense, mobility and top-four minutes from a cagey veteran. He plays with a bit more snarl that likely was expected. Grade: C

Moritz Seider — 82 games, nine goals, 33 assists, 42 points. Contract: Restricted free agent. Analysis: Seider took another step toward stardom, going after every team’s top players and never backing down. Seider showed so many times this season he was willing do anything necessary to win. Grade: A-minus

Jake Walman — 63 games, 12 goals, nine assists, 21 points. Contract: Two years, $3.4 million AAV. Analysis: Injuries marred Walman’s season in the final weeks. Before then Walman took a step back from the previous season, particularly on the defensive end. He’ll be in a fight for playing time next season. Grade: C

Forwards

Jonatan Berggren — 12 games, two goals, four assists, six points. Contract: Restricted free agent. Analysis: Berggren didn’t get much of a chance this season after spending most of the previous year with the Wings. Not being waiver-exempt anymore, Berggren will get an NHL opportunity next season. Grade: Incomplete

J.T. Compher — 77 games, 19 goals, 29 assists, 48 points. Contract: Four years left, $5.1 million AAV. Analysis: Compher doesn’t truly star in any area, but he’s more than good in a lot of them. Compher came just as advertised — versatile, contributes offensively, effective on both special teams, good defensively. A very useful player. Grade: B

Andrew Copp — 79 games, 13 goals, 20 assists, 33 points. Contract: Three years remaining, $5.625 million AAV. Analysis: Copp played in more of a defensive role this season, which limited his offensive opportunities. He’s been exactly what the Wings wanted when the Wings signed him two summers ago, a useful pro up and down the lineup. Grade: B-minus

Austin Czarnik — 34 games, zero goals, one assist, one point. Contract: Unrestricted free agent. Analysis: A valuable player who shuttled between Grand Rapids and the Wings. The coaching staff loved his versatility, his ability to play up and down the lineup, and steadiness. Grade: C-plus

Alex DeBrincat — 82 games, 27 goals, 40 assists, 67 points. Contract: Three years left, $7.875 million AAV. Analysis: Supplied the Wings with the offense they badly were looking for, a pure goal-scorer they hadn’t had in a long time. The downside was the streakiness, and occasional slump DeBrincat endured. He has tremendous chemistry with Patrick Kane. Grade: B-minus

Robby Fabbri — 68 games, 18 goals, 14 assist, 32 points. Contract: One year remaining, $4 million AAV. Analysis: Fabbri’s role wasn’t as big as previous seasons, but he still had an 18-goal season and was a effective on the power play. Plays with the grit and chippiness the Wings’ want to see. Grade: C-plus

Christian Fischer — 79 games, five goals, 14 assists, 19 points: Contract: Unrestricted free agent. Analysis: An unheralded free-agent signing, but one who made the Wings’ better. Fischer plays an energized, tough, checking role and does it well. It probably won’t dent the Wings’ salary cap much to bring Fischer back. Grade: B

Patrick Kane — 50 games, 20 goals, 27 assists, 47 points: Contract: Unrestricted free agent. Analysis: For a player who many analysts felt would be washed up given his major hip surgery, Kane surpassed expectations. A dynamic offensive playmaker, Kane fit superbly with the Wings. So well, maybe, that he might get a better deal elsewhere. Grade: A-minus

Dylan Larkin — 68 games, 33 goals, 36 assists, 69 points: Contract: Seven years remaining, $8.7 million AAV. Analysis: This was a difficult season on and off the ice for the Wings’ captain and Larkin navigated it superbly. A point-per-game player, Larkin’s on-ice contributions are only surpassed by his leadership and the way he drives this team. Grade: A

David Perron — 76 games, 17 goals, 30 assists, 47 points. Contract: Unrestricted free agent. Analysis: The age is beginning to show on Perron on the ice, but he still scored some extremely big goals this season and is smart on the power play. The Wings would love to have Perron back, but there likely will be a salary reduction. Grade: B-minus

Michael Rasmussen — 75 games, 13 goals, 20 assists, 33 points. Contract: Four years remaining, $3.2 million AAV. Analysis: For the second consecutive season an injury ended Rasmussen’s season prematurely, but there was continued growth and maturation in his game before then. He complemented whatever line he was on. Grade: B

Lucas Raymond — 82 games, 31 goals, 41 assists, 72 points. Contract: Restricted free agent. Analysis: Few players in the NHL were any better in the season’s final weeks. Raymond found another level, strong on his skates, electric with the puck and consistently making plays. Can he continue or build on that level of performance? Grade: A

Daniel Sprong — 76 games, 18 goals, 25 assists, 43 points. Contract: Unrestricted free agent. Analysis: Give Sprong credit for a terrific level of offensive contribution in a limited role. But the defensive issues that marred is previous stays around the NHL were also apparent with the Wings. It’s unlikely Sprong will be re-signed. Grade: C

Joe Veleno — 80 games, 12 goals, 16 assists, 28 points. Contract: Restricted free agent. Analysis: No question Veleno took steps forward in his career, but his role and ice time seemed to diminish in the final weeks. Veleno showed more offense, and played with a little more of an edge. Grade: C

Staff

Coach Derek Lalonde, and assistant coaches — The Wings missed out on the playoffs in the season’s final minutes. On a tiebreaker, no less. They had 91 points, improved by 11 points over a season ago. They played hard, and never gave up when behind, coming from behind 14 times in the third period to win games. Team defense remains an issue, as the Wings didn’t show any real improvement on that end from a year ago. But this was a playoff-caliber team. Grade: B-plus

Front office

General manager Steve Yzerman —.Yzerman changed over approximately half the roster with some seasoned veterans who knew how to win and came within a whisker of making the playoffs. Nearly every Yzerman acquisition over the past season made a major contribution. But an interesting offseason awaits Yzerman, who has to re-sign Seider and Raymond to new contracts, decide which veteran free agents to retain, and navigate a suddenly tricky salary-cap situation. Grade: B-plus