Questions remain to be answered on and off the ice for the Wings 2026-27 season
2025-26 Season: 41-31-10, 92 points, 6th Atlantic Division, 10th Eastern Conference
The Red Wings were on top of the Eastern Conference with a 32-16-5 record 53 games into the season, and then hit a three-game losing streak and never recovered. The Wings finished in a free fall with a 9-15-5 record to close out the season and missed the playoffs for a 10th straight season.
Goals For: 239 (22nd/32) Goals Against: 254 (19th/32)
2026-27 Subtractions:
Sebastian Cossa (G) Utah Mammoth, Erik Gustafsson (D) LA Kings, Travis Hamonic (D) UFA, Patrick Kane (RW) Chicago Blackhawks, David Perron (LW) UFA, Cam Talbot (G) Columbus Blue Jackets, James van Riemsdyk (LW) UFA.
2026-27 Additions:
Viktor Arvidsson (LW), Jacob Bryson (D), Andreas Englund (D), Keegan Kolesar (RW), Wilmer Skoog (C), Daniil Tarasov (G),
Arvidsson, Kolesar, and Tarasov all made the initial 23-man roster. The others could see time in Detroit as the season progresses. Arvidsson was the biggest addition on the wing. He had a productive year last season with the Boston Bruins, posting 25 goals, 29 assists, and 54 points. Arvidsson also had a +20 plus/minus last season, which will help the Red Wings on both ends of the ice. Kolesar will bring some much-needed toughness and grit along the boards and in the forecheck. He won a Stanley Cup with the Las Vegas Knights in 2023. Tarasov brings experience as a backup to starting goalie John Gibson. He has 92 career starts and played last year with the Florida Panthers.
Rocky Offseason:
The offseason went about as poorly as one can go for the Red Wings.
One June 4th, it was reported that captain Dylan Larkin made a trade demand/request and that was just the beginning.
Five weeks later, on July 15th, former GM Steve Yzerman was relieved of his duties in July, they then hired a search firm to find the next permanent hire.
The search seemed to not go as planned, exactly two months later, on September 15th, they named former assistant GM, Shawn Horcoff interim GM. What made that puzzling is that he has been with the organization for a decade, they could have done that initially if that was the plan. It seemed reactionary to the search not bringing what they expected.
That limited what could get done in a crucial two months before the season started. It has been ten years since the Red Wings have made the playoffs, there is urgency in Hockeytown.
This not only delayed the decision on Larkin, but there is yet to be a resolution on restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson as well.
Edvinsson is viewed as a top two pairing defenseman and plays with Moritz Seider. As a restricted free agent that wanted to stay, the Wings should have had a deal in place already. Instead, as of this article being published, he is back in Sweden training without a deal and the season starts October 2nd.
Larkin will not be playing at least the first two games of the season due to injury. His trade situation is also undetermined at this point.
All in all, the Red Wings have a lot of uncertainty off the ice as the puck drops on the season.
Roster:
The Red Wings have embraced the young players in their system, some by choice and some by circumstance. They have 11 players age 25 or younger on their opening night 23-man roster.
Offense:
The offense will have to take a step forward, especially scoring five on five. Improving puck possession at each blue line and support in the defensive zone is needed. They will need young players to take a leap forward, especially with the status of Larkin unknown.
Projected lines: (without Larkin for now) If Larkin returns, he will be the first line center as long as he is on the roster and playing.
| LW | C | RW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Alex DeBrincat | Andrew Copp | Lucas Raymond |
| F2 | Emmitt Finnie | J.T. Compher | Viktor Arvidsson |
| F3 | Mason Appleton | Nate Danielson | Michael Brandsegg-Nygard |
| F4 | Michael Rasmussen | Marco Kasper | Keegan Kolesar |
Defense:
The defense could see some options as they try to mix experience and youth together on the backend. Seider is a top defenseman in the league, if Edvinsson returns, that will be the top pairing. Sandin-Pellikka and Anton Johansson had nice camps and preseasons and showed that they can help on the offensive end as well. Faulk was acquired at last year's trade deadline and does provide experience.
Projected lines: (without Edvinsson for now) if he returns, he will be on the top pairing with Seider.
| LD | RD | |
|---|---|---|
| D1 | Albert Johansson | Moritz Seider |
| D2 | Ben Chariot | Axel Sandin-Pellikka |
| D3 | Anton Johansson | Justin Faulk |
Goalies:
John Gibson will be the starter and get the majority of the games in net. He is on an expiring contract and is a candidate to be moved at the traded deadline if he can bring back prospects that can help in the future. The Red Wings have prospects Trey Augustine and Michael Postava that will be getting ready in Grand Rapids, and have a chance to see time in Detroit.
G1 John Gibson
G2 Daniil Tarasov
Key Players:
Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat and Viktor Arvidsson, and John Gibson. These five players will be heavily relied upon to steady the ship this season for the Red Wings.
Players to watch:
Emmitt Finnie, Marco Kasper, Nate Danielson, Axel Sandin Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. These players will get every opportunity to show why they should be part of the long-term plan to get playoff hockey back to Detroit.
Overall Outlook:
The offseason as mentioned didn’t go as planned and there are a lot of questions left to be answered soon for the Red Wings. Will Horcoff be the permanent GM? If Larkin will be traded? Will they sign Edvinsson? What is going to happen to DeBrincat long term?
These will be answered sooner rather than later, however the outlook either way will be a season of giving young players experience and identifying how to build for the future with a new leader in the front office.
They have two young franchise players to build around in Seider and Raymond, but some of the other young players must take this opportunity to become players of the future.
The Red Wings will struggle to stay in playoff competition for long, especially considering the unknown statuses of two of their best players, Larkin and Edvinsson, who aren’t even playing to start the season.
The front office will have to make decisions quickly and get the team with a specific plan in place to proceed and start moving the team in a solidified direction.
Prediction:
If I knew the outcomes of both Larkin and/or Edvinsson, I would be more optimistic. If they stay, the outlook does improve. For now, I am going with them both not on the roster. The Red Wings will have a chance to do a reset and a probable place in the draft lottery this season, along with missing the playoffs for the 11th straight season.
First game:
The season opening game is Friday October 2nd, 6:30 pm ET, in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena. New York Rangers @ Detroit Red Wings.