The Detroit Red Wings are staring at a messy crossroads, and the question around the league is no longer subtle: what direction are they going to go in?
That uncertainty has only grown as Dylan Larkin wants out and Simon Edvinsson is not happy with where things stand. Add in veteran players who are in the final year of their deals, and it’s easy to see why people both inside and outside the organization are wondering what comes next for Detroit.
“With everything going on with this club, they now have to figure out, okay, what the hell is our direction now?
Larkin still wants out. Edvinson’s pissed off.
Doesn’t look good for some of the other guys on the team that need new contracts that are looking at this, going, “Oh yeah, this is cool. Good situation we’re in.”
There’s still some reason for optimism on the roster. Mo Seider and Lucas Raymond are locked up long term on strong contracts, and the organization also has other promising young pieces in the system. But that hasn’t solved the bigger issue hanging over the franchise: whether Detroit keeps trying to force a win-now path or finally takes a step back and resets around assets.
One path would be aggressive and painful. That means moving Larkin for futures, deciding whether Edvinson is worth keeping at something like $11 million per season or flipping him for a major return, and then looking at players such as Justin Faulk, Alex DeBrincat, and Andrew Copp as possible trade chips before the deadline. The goal there would be simple: stockpile draft picks and high-end prospects, then use that collection of assets to help the team later, either in trades for proven NHL help or by spending more in free agency.
The other route is to keep chasing immediate upgrades, but that would require the kind of bold moves that could reshape the roster fast. Either way, the current setup doesn’t look stable, and around the league, the Red Wings aren’t exactly being viewed as an attractive place to land right now.
“As I can tell you, there are not a lot of people around the league that are looking at the Wings, going, ‘Yeah, that’s a spot I’d like to be in right now. With everything going on.'”
In Other News...
Red Wings Standings Chase Just Got Tougher In The Atlantic
The Atlantic race is getting a little tighter for Detroit to navigate, with Ottawa set to add some important bodies back into its lineup after a stretch of injury absences. Defensemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub are expected back within the next few days, and forward Andr Burakovsky is also nearing a return from an upper-body injury, giving the Senators a chance to steady themselves at a time when every point matters in the division.
Detroit, meanwhile, made a pair of its own roster moves by activating forwards Chase Stillman and Carter Bear from the injured list and sending both to Grand Rapids. For the Red Wings, those transactions are more about keeping the pipeline moving than altering the NHL picture right away, but they underscore how quickly the standings chase can shift when rivals start getting healthier and depth pieces are being sorted out on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings May Already Have Another Goalie Worth Watching
Michal Postava is off to a strong start in Grand Rapids, and the early returns have already given the Red Wings organization something else to monitor in net. He stopped 36 shots in a 2-1 win over the Manitoba Moose, helping the Griffins keep rolling at home and improve to 2-0-1-0 on the season.
For a team always watching its goaltending pipeline, Postavas first two games have stood out even more because of how calm he has looked. The Griffins have won their last four home openers, and with Postava posting a 1.50 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage so far, there is at least a little more reason to pay attention every time he gets the crease. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Get A Tougher Canadiens Matchup Tonight
The Canadiens are getting a significant boost on the blue line tonight, and it comes at a time when theyve already been trying to sharpen the edges of their roster. Kaiden Guhle is set to make his season debut after missing the first four games following offseason surgery on his adductor muscle, and Montreal plans to slot him next to Mike Matheson against the Red Wings.
To make room for Guhles return, Montreal recently moved Jayden Struble out of the picture in a trade with Nashville for a 2027 second-round pick. For Detroit, it means the matchup suddenly looks a little stiffer on a night when the Canadiens can roll out a more complete defense and lean on a player theyve been waiting to get back. [Read more 🡒]