Opening night is finally here for the NHL, but the Detroit Red Wings will have to wait a little longer before dropping the puck on their own season.
While the league kicks off the 2026-27 schedule tonight with three games on ESPN - starting with the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes against the Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET - Detroit won’t get its first look until Friday night, when the New York Rangers come to Little Caesars Arena for the home opener.
“We’re one of the late starting teams this year… I think when we do play the Rangers, that’ll be their third game already.” head coach Todd McLellan said.
That extra time may not be the worst thing for a Red Wings team still dealing with a pair of major unresolved situations. Simon Edvinsson and Dylan Larkin remain in limbo, and Detroit made it through the weekend without needing to trim the roster beyond Carter Gylander while both players’ status stayed up in the air.
The bigger picture is hard to miss. The Red Wings have spent months with no permanent front office leader, and the uncertainty around both Larkin and Edvinsson has only added to the sense that the club still has work to do before the season even begins. Detroit has had nearly five months to trade Larkin and almost three months since the firing of Steve Yzerman to sort out a contract extension with Edvinsson, who bucked convention by arriving at training camp without one.
So with three days left before the puck drops at home for the first time since April, the Red Wings are carrying more questions - not fewer - than they had when last season ended.
That said, Friday isn’t only a season opener for Detroit. It’s also opening night for several of the organization’s college-aged prospects.
Red Wings second-round pick Victor Plante is set to make his college debut, and he’ll do it alongside his older brother and fellow Red Wings second-round pick Max Plante. The two will be joined by their older brother, Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Zam Plante, giving the Bulldogs a trio of Plante brothers on the same team for the first time in their lives.
It should be a busy week around the organization, even if the biggest questions in Detroit are still waiting for answers.
In Other News...
Red Wings Frustration With Chris Ilitch Just Hit A New Level
The Red Wings are heading into the 2026-27 season with plenty of unsettled business already hanging over the franchise, from Dylan Larkins injury absence to the lack of a permanent general manager and broader questions about whether the roster is strong enough to turn the corner. For a fan base that has lived through years of frustration, those concerns have only sharpened the spotlight on owner Chris Ilitch, whose stewardship has become an increasingly easy target as the club tries to regain its footing.
Public criticism has now reached a new level, with a growing segment of supporters openly venting over the direction of the organization and using a Change.org campaign to amplify that message. Ilitch has already addressed the backlash in an interview, and the way he framed the resentment is sure to keep the conversation going as the season approaches, especially with so many unresolved issues still surrounding the team. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Face A Franchise Defining Choice
The Red Wings enter camp with more on their plate than the usual roster questions, and it starts with the unsettled direction of the franchise. Dylan Larkin has asked for a trade, Simon Edvinsson still needs a new contract, and Shawn Horcoff is now in place as interim general manager after Steve Yzermans departure, leaving Detroit to sort through a stretch that could shape the next phase of the organization.
Around the league, the conversation has already turned to whether the Red Wings lean into a rebuild or try to patch together a retool on the fly. Alex DeBrincat adds another layer of uncertainty because his contract situation looms over the season, and the front office has to make decisions with both the present and future in mind while the bigger question around Larkin hangs over everything. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face An Uncomfortable Reality About Their Standing
The Red Wings financial picture is moving in the right direction, even if the hockey side of the equation still has a long way to go. Sporticos latest valuations placed Detroit 13th among NHL franchises, a notable rise in value of about $300 million over the past year, but still not enough to crack the leagues top tier. For an Original Six team with a passionate history, that gap underscores how much ground remains to be made up after a decade-long playoff drought.
Recent efforts to sell affordable ticket packages also speak to the reality around the franchise right now: the Wings are still trying to re-energize the fan base while building a roster that can change the leagues perception of the organization. Insider Elliotte Friedman has noted that Detroit has not always been viewed as a destination of choice for players, and that kind of reputation is harder to shake than a valuation ranking. The on-ice progress is only part of the challenge, because the Red Wings still have to convince people they are a place stars want to be. [Read more 🡒]