The Detroit Red Wings are in the middle of one of their most important offseasons in years, and that makes the 2026-27 season feel just as pivotal. The roster still has plenty of moving parts, but there are a few things that have to break right if this team is going to call the year a success.
A big one starts down the middle with Marco Kasper. His rookie season in 2024-25 was a real breakthrough: 37 points, including 19 goals and 18 assists.
Last season, though, the production dipped hard. Kasper finished with just 19 points, a little more than half of what he posted the year before, and while plenty of people expected some kind of sophomore slump, he also looked snakebitten for much of the year.
That matters because the Red Wings may need someone to step into a bigger center role. If Dylan Larkin is moved before opening night, Kasper could be the player who helps fill that gap.
The energy he brings, the willingness to get to the dirty areas, and the fact that he can score give him a real chance to rise into the top center spot. For Detroit, that would be a huge development.
The youth movement is another piece of the puzzle. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Nate Danielson are both at important points in their development, and the Red Wings need at least one of them to push forward.
Brandsegg-Nygård made the opening night roster last season, but he spent most of the year with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Even there, he showed why the organization likes him so much, putting together a strong two-way season and finishing with 44 points in 66 games.
Danielson’s situation is different, but just as important. The first-round pick from the 2023 Draft still hasn’t made a full-time NHL impact.
Injuries have played a part, and when he did get into the Red Wings’ lineup, he managed seven points in 28 games last season. Training camp and preseason will matter a lot for him, especially with at least one opening in the lineup to start the season.
If he takes a step, he could give Detroit some much-needed depth.
There’s also the possibility that another young player, such as Carter Bear or Carter Mazur, forces his way into a middle-six role. If that happens, the Red Wings would get the kind of youthful jolt that can change the feel of a veteran-heavy group.
Goaltending is another area where Detroit needs the right answer. When John Gibson was healthy last season, he looked like one of the NHL’s best goalies.
His play lined up closely with the team’s success, though he did start to fade in the second half and seemed worn down. After dealing with injuries for several seasons with the Anaheim Ducks before being traded to the Red Wings at the 2025 Draft, simply staying healthy for most of the 2025-26 season was a positive sign.
If the 33-year-old can deliver the kind of play he showed in the middle stretch of last season, that would give Detroit a major lift.
With Cam Talbot not returning - he remains an unrestricted free agent - the Red Wings brought in Daniil Tarasov to back up Gibson in 2026-27. Tarasov, who played a career-high number of games last season with the Florida Panthers, is expected to compete with prospect Michael Postava for the backup job. Whoever wins that spot will need to provide real support, and if Gibson can’t stay healthy, that goalie will have to shoulder more of the load.
The ideal setup is straightforward: Gibson stays healthy and steady, while Tarasov or Postava gives him enough relief to keep him fresh. That kind of stability in net would go a long way, especially for a team that struggled to score at five-on-five last season.
Even with the upheaval around the organization, there’s still a path to optimism in Detroit. The Red Wings already have key pieces like Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and Moritz Seider in place. Add in a stronger youth push and dependable goaltending, and there’s still a chance this group can finally snap its playoff drought in 2026-27.
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Red Wings Fans Will Want To See Marco Kaspers Latest Offseason Step
Marco Kasper is back on the ice in Klagenfurt, Austria, and for the Red Wings that is the kind of offseason checkpoint worth watching closely. After the knee injury that kept him out of the IIHF World Championship, the young forward has resumed training with skills coach Yannick Dube, working alongside NHLer J.J. Peterka as he gets back into a rhythm away from Detroit.
Kasper also plans to suit up in the Austrian Sunshine League, another sign that he is trying to stack meaningful reps before camp opens. The Red Wings have a few other summer notes worth tracking too, from draft pick Michal Orulk earning an invitation to an elite goaltender skills camp in Czechia to Nicklas Lidstrom picking up another honor from Hockey Sverige, but Kaspers return to on-ice work is the one that should matter most to the teams immediate future. [Read more 🡒]