The Red Wings’ record says they’re in decent shape, but one area keeps sticking out: the bottom-six just isn’t pulling enough weight.
Detroit is 5-4-3, which isn’t alarming on its face. The more pressing issue is the minus-4 goal differential, which ranks fourth-worst in the division behind the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres. The top-six has held up its end, but the lower half of the forward group has lagged badly.
That’s where the problem gets hard to ignore. Andrew Copp, J.T.
Compher, Michael Rasmussen, Keegan Kolesar, Carter Mazur and Nate Danielson have combined for only 11 points. By comparison, Alex DeBrincat has 13 points in 12 games all by himself.
That gap tells the story.
Detroit has a few ways to address it. The Wings can make a trade, shuffle the lineup or dip into Grand Rapids for help.
One name that stands out is Jesse Kiiskinen.
Of all the breakout players in the system, Kiiskinen has been the biggest surprise. Detroit got the Finnish forward and a second round pick from the Nashville Predators in 2024 in exchange for defenseman Andrew Gibson.
His 2024 season in the Finnish Liiga was modest, with 28 points in 54 games for HPK. Once he got to North America, though, everything changed.
Kiiskinen has opened this AHL season with a point-per-game pace. In 10 games for Grand Rapids, he has four goals and six assists, which leads all Griffins skaters. He’s done it while spending most of his time on the third line, too.
What makes his start so interesting is the way he’s doing it. Kiiskinen plays with a relentless edge, mixing tenacity and determination in a style that seems built for North American ice. He keeps coming at opponents shift after shift, and there hasn’t been much sign of him slowing down.
He also brings the kind of energy Detroit could use in the bottom-six. The team has been missing that kind of gear, especially with Marco Kasper out injured. Kasper’s absence has left that part of the lineup less effective in its own end, and Kiiskinen’s game looks like a fit for that need.
Of course, the Red Wings can’t just add bodies without making room. Once Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton are back, there are already lineup decisions to sort through. Carter Mazur’s limited ice time makes him a likely candidate to be squeezed out, and Detroit still has to determine what happens with Nate Danielson or another forward when both players return.
If Kiiskinen gets the call, the Wings would still need to decide who comes out. Keegan Kolesar has brought hits and fights, but not much beyond that.
Copp and Compher are likely staying put because of Detroit’s thin center depth. That leaves Michael Rasmussen, a forward who has drawn plenty of criticism and has also been given a long look on the power play.
For now, Kiiskinen looks like one of the stronger options if Detroit needs another body. And if the goal is to fix a bottom-six that hasn’t done enough, he offers the kind of hunger that could make him the right first move.
In Other News...
Lightning Suddenly Face Another Lineup Test Up Front
The lineup shuffle around the Red Wings keeps rolling, and this time it is giving Detroit a little more reason to look ahead. Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton are both trending toward returns in a couple of weeks after injuries that have kept them out since the season opener and second game, respectively, while the blue line took another hit with Albert Johansson now sidelined.
For a team trying to keep its depth intact, the timing matters because the East keeps asking for healthy bodies every night. The Red Wings have already had to manage injuries at both ends of the lineup, and even with some help potentially coming soon, there is still another absence to sort through before the next game and beyond. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face An Ugly Dylan Larkin Standoff
Dylan Larkins offseason situation has settled into an uncomfortable holding pattern for the Red Wings, with the captain still in Detroit while trade conversations continue behind the scenes. Larkin requested a trade earlier in the offseason, and the list of teams he would accept a move to has reportedly grown to 10, a sign that the process has been active even if nothing has broken through yet.
Recent talks have taken place between Larkins camp and the team, and Detroit is expected to address the situation publicly at some point soon. For now, the franchise is left navigating a delicate standoff around one of its most important players, with the direction of the next step still hanging over the organization. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face Bigger Simon Edvinsson Decision Than Fans Expected
The Red Wings offseason business has stretched deeper into the calendar than they probably wanted, with Simon Edvinsson still unsigned as a restricted free agent and the market beginning to take shape around him. San Jose is among the teams showing interest in the young defenseman, which only adds to the pressure on Detroit to sort out its plans for a player the organization views as part of its future blue line.
For Detroit, the timing matters because this is no longer just a paperwork item tucked away for later. Edvinssons next contract is starting to draw attention beyond the Red Wings own building, and the longer it lingers, the more it becomes a question of leverage, fit and how aggressively the club wants to protect one of its most promising defensemen from a wider bidding picture. [Read more 🡒]