When Dylan Larkin was suspended without pay on Thursday, the Red Wings suddenly found themselves moving on without the player who had been the face of the franchise. That shift also put an unexpected name at the top of the city’s professional sports longevity list: Michael Rasmussen.
Rasmussen, drafted ninth overall by Detroit in 2017 and in the NHL since 2018, is now the longest-tenured athlete on the Red Wings and across all of Detroit sports. After seven seasons in the organization, the depth forward has become the senior figurehead in a landscape that includes younger arrivals across the city’s other major teams.
The gap is pretty clear when you line up the other longest-serving players. On the Red Wings, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond are next, and both arrived in 2021-22.
The Tigers’ closest counterparts are Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, who both debuted in 2022. For the Lions, punter Jack Fox has been around since 2020, while Pistons guard Cade Cunningham began in 2021-22.
Rasmussen’s Detroit résumé is bigger than many would expect for a player filling a lower-profile role. He has appeared in 467 games, scored 67 goals, added 90 assists and totaled 157 points. His best offensive season came in 2023-24, when he posted 33 points.
This season, the 27-year-old Surrey, British Columbia native has one goal and two assists for three points in 13 games.
There’s also a clear on-ice trait behind his staying power: his skating. Rasmussen has logged 31 speed bursts between 20 and 22 miles per hour, a number that ranks in the 88th percentile of the NHL and comes in at nearly twice the league average of 15.9 bursts.
In Other News...
Red Wings Suddenly Face Real Pressure In The Simon Edvinsson Talks
The clock is suddenly working against Detroit in the Simon Edvinsson situation, and the stakes are a lot higher than a routine restricted free agent negotiation. The Red Wings have until Dec. 1 to get Edvinsson under contract, with interim GM Shawn Horcoff making it clear that signing the young defenseman remains the priority as the team tries to sort out its next move.
But the talks have not stayed neatly between player and club. Trade discussions involving Edvinsson have reportedly taken place, with San Jose among the teams that have shown interest, which adds another layer of pressure to a situation already carrying a hard deadline. If Detroit and Edvinsson cannot reach an agreement, the Red Wings may be forced to weigh whether to keep pushing on a contract or explore a market that appears to be forming around him. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Make Another Blue Line Change After Tough Early Decision
The Red Wings are making another adjustment on the blue line, recalling Jacob Bernard-Docker from Grand Rapids and sending Axel Sandin-Pellikka back to the Griffins. It is the latest shuffle for a defense group that has already been in flux early this season, with Detroit trying to find the right mix while balancing development and immediate help.
Bernard-Dockers return gives the Red Wings another option after his season got off to a delayed start, while Sandin-Pellikka heads back to the AHL after a limited run in Detroit. The former first-round pick showed enough promise to earn a look, but the club is clearly opting for a reset after his minutes were hard to come by and the defensive results were uneven. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Goalie Prospect Suddenly Has A Real Opening To Climb
Carter Gylander has spent the better part of his development path inside the Red Wings system, moving through the Grand Rapids Griffins and Toledo Walleye after four seasons at Colgate University. Drafted by Detroit in 2019, the goaltender finally turned pro in the 2024-25 season and has already gotten a taste of both minor league stops as he tries to establish himself within the organization.
For a prospect in that stage of the climb, every assignment matters, and Gylander is still working toward a full-time role with the Griffins. He remains in the Red Wings pipeline and is trying to turn those early pro opportunities into something more permanent, which is exactly the kind of development arc Detroit keeps an eye on as it sorts out its future in goal. [Read more 🡒]