Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Devin Little | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 12:25 PM ET
For the ninth straight season, the Detroit Red Wings will not partake in the NHL playoffs. This is the longest playoff drought in franchise history. To make matters worse, the Red Wings are poised to take a step backwards after finishing a point shy of ending their drought last season.
There are a number of reasons the Red Wings find themselves in this position. Some of them are outside of their control, such as the ascension of both the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens. Others were well within their control, and those are the things that general manager Steve Yzerman will work to address when the offseason commences.
1. Help for Seider on the Blue Line
Since the 2021-22 season, Moritz Seider has been the Red Wings’ rock on the blue line. At just 24 years of age, the German defender has years of experience going up against the best the league has to offer. Detroit leans on their top defenseman more than almost any team in the NHL because, until recently, he hasn’t had much help elsewhere in the lineup.
Simon Edvinsson (22) and Albert Johansson (24) were welcome additions to the Red Wings’ blue line this season. Edvinsson joined on a full-time basis after playing in 25 games across the prior two seasons, and Johansson made his NHL debut and established himself as an everyday player once the Red Wings made their coaching change in December. The Swedish duo played together on the team’s second defense pairing for a long stretch of time this season, producing solid results in the process.
The Red Wings’ top prospect, Axel Sandin Pellikka, is poised to make his North American debut with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL), and he brings a high level of skill and offensive awareness to the blue line. It is far from a given that he will make the jump to the NHL next season, however, so it would be prudent of Yzerman to explore opportunities to add more talent to the blue line in Detroit.
There are plenty of interesting names slated to be available in free agency, but the Red Wings will need to be mindful about the players they already have under contract as well. Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl and Erik Gustafsson are all under contract for next season along with Seider and Edvinsson, and Johansson is in line for a nice raise as a restricted free agent. It will be interesting to see if Detroit explores a buyout, not so much for the additional cap space, but rather to free up a roster spot.
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2. Consistent Goaltending
The Red Wings’ overall save-percentage (SV%) will be below .900 this season. This is a source of regression as they had a .902 SV% last season.
Some of this regression can be attributed to Alex Lyon’s dip in performance this season compared to last season. The 32-year-old was the Red Wings’ go-to goaltender last season and finished with a .904 SV%; this season his SV% sits at .895 with just three games left in the season. His quality-start percentage (QS%) also dropped from .512 to .480, which reflects his inconsistency this season.
Cam Talbot and Petr Mrázek are both under contract for next season and with 22-year-old Sebastian Cossa knocking on the door down in the AHL, the Red Wings don’t have to do much when it comes to goaltending this offseason. They will likely sign a veteran that can hold down the fort in Grand Rapids if Cossa makes the jump to the NHL, but beyond that there isn’t a need for additional goaltending within the organization.
That being said, goaltending is still an area where Yzerman should explore opportunities for an upgrade. Talbot has been solid but inconsistent this season and he is months away from turning 38, and Mrázek has a career QS% of .511, so it would be unwise to rely on him to correct the Red Wings’ inconsistency issue in goal. If there is a trade opportunity that would bring a little more reliability to Detroit’s crease, it has to be something to consider.
3. Red Wings Lack Even-Strength Offense
Perhaps the most frustrating area of concern for the Red Wings this season was their lack of offense at even-strength. Their power-play almost single-handedly kept them alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but their inability to score at even-strength only exacerbated the team’s other issues.
The Red Wings have averaged under two 5v5 goals a game this season, and they rank 24th in the league in overall goals-for. When your defense lacks talent and you can’t rely on your goaltending on a nightly basis, you need your offense to outscore your problems from time to time. The Red Wings did not have an offense capable of doing that this season.
Just as there will be some intriguing defensemen available on the open market this offseason, there will be some equally intriguing forwards looking for a new contract. The biggest name, as of right now, is Mitch Marner, the Toronto Maple Leafs winger on the verge of recording his first 100-point season – 64 of which were recorded at even strength. It is widely believed that the soon-to-be 28-year-old will sign a contract with an eight-figure cap hit, and it will be interesting to see if Detroit is willing to flex their cap space and be in the mix for his services.
The Red Wings also need to make a decision on some of their own forwards, namely Patrick Kane. The future Hall-of-Famer is on a 67-point pace this season, but half of his points have come on the power play. His offensive awareness is still at an elite level, but the physical limitations that come with aging are starting to inhibit his offensive ceiling. He overcame the hip procedure he had done in 2023, but there are legitimate questions to be asked about what his role with the Red Wings would be next season.
Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
There are a number of exciting prospects that could help address the Red Wings’ lack of even strength offense. Sandin Pellikka, Nate Danielson and Carter Mazur all have the potential to improve the team’s firepower, and all three will be looking for NHL minutes next season. Continued growth from players like Edvinsson, Lucas Raymond and Marco Kasper would help the cause as well.
How Will the Red Wings Ring in Their Centennial?
The Red Wings undoubtedly have big plans for their centennial season. The 2025-26 season will be a yearlong celebration of the franchise and everything it has accomplished. In a season where the organization will boast that they have the most Stanley Cups of any franchise based in the United States, they better be doing everything they can to make sure their playoff drought doesn’t reach a full decade.
There is not any one single player that will fix everything for the Red Wings, and Detroit won’t have unlimited cap space to throw at their problems. However, a few smart additions and tweaks to the roster should put the team back on track. In a season where a large portion of the fanbase will have a “playoffs or bust” mindset, the organization needs to do everything they can to give their team the best shot at getting the job done.
