Austin Konenski
The Detroit Red Wings’ season is over. On Wednesday night, Detroit were defeated by the Florida Panthers by a score of 8-1, completing the season with 92 points. Despite the late-season collapse, the Red Wings finished the campaign with the most points since they made the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs (93 points).
It was gearing up to be a special season for the Red Wings. On January 25, the organization woke up leading the Eastern Conference. It didn’t last for long, as Detroit struggled to produce down the stretch. It was a historical collapse that raises many questions going into the 2026 NHL offseason.
However, there were some amazing developments for the Red Wings this year. Alex DeBrincat eclipsed 40 goals for the third time in his career. In fact, Detroit had not seen a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa during the 2008-09 season. DeBrincat was sensational after a slow start.
Meanwhile, Mo Seider emerged as arguably the best defenseman in the NHL. Seider had the top defensive rating of any NHL defenseman in contention for the Norris Trophy. The 25-year-old’s offense was stellar as well, becoming the first Detroit defenseman to reach 50 assists in a season since Nicklas Lidström in 2008-09.
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin also earned an Olympic gold medal after the United States of America beat Canada in the Gold Medal game. While Larkin and Detroit weren’t able to reach the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, there are still plenty of personal milestones that were accomplished.
The Red Wings hope their star players are even better during the 2026-27 NHL season. With some new additions, Detroit hopes to find itself back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs next season after a rough finish in 2026.
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