The Detroit Red Wings (41-31-10) were in a prime position to snap a nine-year streak of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a 32-17-6 record through four months, the Red Wings found themselves teetering between the third spot in the Atlantic Division and the wild card.
Instead, the team completely collapsed, going 9-14-4 the rest of the way, missing the playoffs for 10 straight seasons. To make matters worse, they traded their first-round pick for defenseman Justin Faulk, who didn’t do much in a Red Wings.
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With the Buffalo Sabres making the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Red Wings now possess the longest active streak without reaching the postseason. General manager Steve Yzerman could be on thin ice in a rough offseason.
The Red Wings had long sought Steve Yzerman in the front office. After his playing days were over, he was part of the scouting regiment under then general manager Ken Holland, but after Holland refused to move out of his position, Yzerman accepted a GM position with the Tampa Bay Lightning on May 25, 2010.
Nearly nine years later, the Red Wings finally got Yzerman to come home, with Ken Holland departing for the Edmonton Oilers. Unfortunately, the move hasn’t been as fruitful as everyone imagined. Yzerman has built the Red Wings from a god awful team to a competitive team, but nothing more than that.
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The Red Wings have developed younger stars (Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider), but Yzerman has failed to acquire veteran players to help them. Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane have been solid, but the Red Wings have whiffed on several others.
Defenseman Ben Chiarot (four-year, $19 million) and center Andrew Copp (five-year, $28.125 million) were signed to bloated contracts. Defenseman Justin Holl (three-year, $10.2 million) was so bad that he had to be dealt in the Justin Faulk deal.
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The Red Wings have also failed to build a competent defense through trades. The Faulk trade cost them an unprotected first from this season, and Yzerman has also sent out Jake Walman and Filip Hronek out the door.
The Red Wings dealt Walman to San Jose along with a second-round pick, and he did so well that the Sharks shipped him to Edmonton for a first-round pick. The free agency failures and lack of a competent back end have been a problem throughout Yzerman’s tenure, and the Red Wings could move on from Yzerman if they can’t get it together next season.
The Red Wings will need to improve their scoring numbers to get back to contention. They were the no. 22 team in goals (239) and for a team competing for the Stanley Cup, that’s unacceptable.
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There are a few quality options in free agency. They could reunite with Pittsburgh Penguins winger Anthony Mantha. He broke out with 33 goals and 31 assists through 81 games. Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch could be a good option, too. He crossed the 30-goal mark in three of the last four seasons.
Outside of that, the Red Wings could go big on the trade market, similar to what they did for Alex DeBrincat. Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk could be available, and he’s just two seasons removed from a career-high 37 goals.
During Steve Yzerman’s end-of-season media availability, he noted that the team might need an identity change on their bottom six. “So, I’d like to see us — in our bottom six, we need some production as well, and also to have some definition,” said Yzerman, according to Max Bultman of the Athletic, “Maybe a true checking line or shutdown line, and then depending on what you have in your top nine, you build your fourth line a little bit around that.”
The Red Wings already have David Perron and James van Riemsdyk departing, either due to free agency or retirement. However, other players like J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, and Mason Appleton didn’t play well either.
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Yzerman should look to trade any of these forwards away. It’s anyone’s guess who they’ll target to shore up the bottom six, but they need a jolt from there to help the top-scoring talent out.