Austin Konenski
The Detroit Red Wings have some major decisions to make before the 2026 NHL offseason. Despite scoring the most points (92) in a season since 2016, the Red Wings won’t be participating in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This comes after a historical collapse since January, and one NHL insider has the latest on whether major changes are coming or not.
There are no expected changes in terms of how the Red Wings front office looks at this time, as reported by The Athletic’s Chris Johnston on the Chris Johnston Show. This includes Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman, who has been in NHL rumors over the past few weeks.
Would the Detroit Red Wings make the right decision by keeping Steve Yzerman?
It is fair to wonder if the Red Wings would be making the right decision by keeping Yzerman. On one hand, Detroit had its best season in 10 years since making the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. On the other hand, the Red Wings had a massive late season collapse with the playoffs on the line again.
The Red Wings roster and coaching staff was put together by Yzerman. Detroit head coach Todd McLellan was a great hire and the team is lucky to have him. Meanwhile, Mo Seider is arguably the best defenseman in the NHL while Alex DeBrincat eclipsed 40 goals. The franchise had not seen a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa during the 2008-09 season.
However, there are other flaws that should have been addressed. The Red Wings had very low production from their bottom six and the offense struggled to score in five-on-five play. Both of these were known before the NHL trade deadline, where Yzerman acquired defenseman Justin Faulk and forward David Perron.
It has been a slow and heartbreaking grind to reach this point, but Detroit has come up short for three straight seasons. The Red Wings have the longest playoff drought in the NHL. Unfortunately, the franchise had back luck with its playoff situation. It has the 13th-best record entering the regular-season finale when 16 teams make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Yzerman has improved the Red Wings over the last few years, but the late-season collapses have ruined the narrative. Right now, it doesn’t feel like any major changes for the front office are coming in Detroit. This isn’t the wrong decision, but it does mean that Yzerman has to make positive changes this summer.
What the Detroit Red Wings should change outside of the front office
The Red Wings need to figure out the best way to proceed. Detroit has a bunch of young prospects combined with veterans that didn’t produce as much as expected. Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is getting older while Seider and Lucas Raymond are growing into their own. Simply put, there are two directions for Detroit.
The organization needs to put its faith in the young players and “throw them into the fire” or use its assets to acquire an elite player. Detroit desperately needs an elite offensive forward, such as Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. It also needs a second center to take the pressure off Larkin.
From the top six to the bottom six, there are changes that can optimize the offense. The bottom six didn’t provide much down the stretch and building depth has to be a priority. This could come from NHL free agency or putting their trust in the young players to produce at the top level.
The defensive lines seems pretty set, putting most of the focus on the offensive production. The best decision would be to acquire an elite first line forward. At the same time, the team should put more emphasis on the bottom six with the other young players, hoping they can start to produce, as expected.
The Red Wings may not have much front office drama in-house, but they have to address the flaws of this roster. It’s time to make a concentrated effort to get Detroit back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Read More: Detroit Red Wings Eliminated from Playoff Contention After Collapse
