The Red Wings are headed into training camp with a familiar problem and a fresh place to look for help.
Detroit has already watched Patrick Kane’s 16 goals and James van Riemsdyk’s 15 goals walk out the door, and captain Dylan Larkin’s 34-goal season is also hanging in the balance because of a trade request. That’s a lot of scoring to replace, and the Wings didn’t bring in a wave of forwards who look ready to fill that void on their own.
Viktor Arvidsson is the big addition up front after scoring 25 goals last season for Boston, and he should help. But beyond him, Detroit’s offensive upgrades at forward are limited, which is why the conversation quickly shifts to the blue line.
There was real production from the defense last season. Red Wings defensemen combined for 40 goals, their best total since 2023-24, when the group scored 44 and Detroit still missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker.
Moritz Seider led the way from the back end with 10 goals, while Simon Edvinsson added nine. That gave the Red Wings 19 goals from their top defensive pair alone. The second pair chipped in 10 more, with Ben Chiarot and Justin Faulk each scoring five times.
Faulk’s number deserves a closer look. He scored those five goals in only 17 games after coming over from the St.
Louis Blues at the NHL trade deadline, and over the full season he finished with 16 goals - just one shy of the career-best 17 he posted for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016-17. He has had five seasons with at least 15 goals, so expecting him to keep supplying offense isn’t a big ask.
Detroit did not have much margin for error in the scoring department last season either, with only four players finishing above 15 goals. And while the defense could again be part of the answer, there is a catch on the horizon: Axel Sandin-Pellikka’s seven goals may not be enough to keep him in Detroit, since there’s a good chance he starts the 2026-27 season in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
In Other News...
Red Wings May Have Found A Sneaky Winger Worth Watching
Detroit added another young winger to its organizational pipeline when it signed Sutter Muzzatti to a two-year, entry-level contract after first getting his rights from Nashville for future considerations. The move fits the kind of low-cost swing teams often make on college talent, especially when a player has just finished his NCAA run and is ready to test the pro waters.
Muzzatti is expected to begin his professional journey with the Red Wings' affiliate team, giving Detroit a close look at how his game translates against pro competition. For a club always searching for useful depth and a little offensive upside from the wings, he is the sort of prospect worth tracking even if his path to the NHL is still just beginning. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Quiet Move Could Complicate Nate Danielsons Path
Detroits latest quiet roster shuffle brought in another center option, with Sutter Muzzatti arriving from Nashville before quickly landing a two-year entry-level deal. The move did not come with much fanfare, but it fits a familiar pattern for a front office that has spent plenty of time looking for size and depth down the middle as it continues to build out the organization.
Muzzatti, 23, just finished his season at Notre Dame and comes with the kind of profile that can create competition in a crowded pipeline. For a prospect group that already includes Nate Danielson as one of the more closely watched names, any addition at center has a way of sharpening the picture, especially when the new player arrives with pro contract in hand and a clear path into the system. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings GM Search Raises One Big Concern Before Training Camp
A recent Detroit Free Press report has put an uncomfortable spotlight on the Red Wings front office search, suggesting the clubs longer-than-expected process is not just about finding the right general manager, but about how much authority that person would actually have. With training camp approaching and no firm timeline for a hire, the delay could leave Detroit making important roster calls without a clear voice in place to drive them.
The same report also points to the kind of hesitation that can linger around a team trying to modernize its decision-making. If ownership approval is required for most moves, a GMs ability to act quickly and independently becomes a real question, especially with player evaluation, contracts and camp decisions all stacking up at once. For a franchise trying to move forward, the concern is not only who gets the job, but how much room that person would really have to do it. [Read more 🡒]