The Detroit Red Wings are no longer just a team on the rise - they’ve arrived.
At 31-16-4, Detroit finds itself neck-and-neck with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings. While Tampa holds games in hand, the Red Wings are right in the thick of things, and that’s no accident.
This is the payoff of years of patient roster construction under GM Steve Yzerman. The “Yzerplan” has moved from blueprint to execution - and now it’s producing wins.
The stars are doing what stars are supposed to do. Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin are driving the offense, playing with the kind of pace and precision that gives opposing defenses fits.
DeBrincat’s scoring touch has added a dynamic edge to Detroit’s top six, while Larkin continues to be the emotional and strategic heartbeat of this team. And on the back end, Moritz Seider is firmly in the Norris Trophy conversation - and for good reason.
He’s anchoring the blue line with a presence and maturity beyond his years, logging heavy minutes and tilting the ice in Detroit’s favor.
With the trade deadline looming, the big question becomes: how aggressive will Yzerman be? On the latest episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, former NHL goalie Carter Hutton and host Tyler Yaremchuk dug into that very topic - and the consensus? It’s time to swing big.
Yaremchuk didn’t mince words: “This is the make-or-break year for the Yzerplan,” he said. “I don’t think he’s going to sit on his hands.”
And it’s hard to argue. With the Red Wings tied for the top spot in the East in terms of points, the opportunity is there for the taking.
Yzerman has built a core that can compete - now it’s about reinforcing that foundation with the right pieces.
Yaremchuk floated the idea of targeting high-impact players rather than short-term rentals. Names like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas from St.
Louis came up - the kind of players who could not only help now, but fit into Detroit’s longer-term vision. “If you can go get a Robert Thomas and add him to this group,” he said, “don’t screw around with the rental guys.
I want to see Detroit take a big swing.”
Hutton, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of balance. Yes, Detroit is in a position to contend, but they’ve also built something sustainable - and mortgaging the future for a short-term splash could jeopardize that.
“They have something built well,” Hutton noted. “And then you do look at the Atlantic Division… if you finish 2-3, you get a pretty sexy matchup in the first round, right?”
That’s the tightrope Yzerman walks now. Push in too many chips and you risk disrupting the chemistry that’s gotten Detroit this far. Play it too safe, and you might miss a golden opportunity in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Either way, the Red Wings are no longer a rebuilding project. They’re a team with real aspirations and a GM who’s shown he’s not afraid to make bold moves when the time is right. With the deadline approaching, all eyes are on Detroit - and the Yzerplan is about to face its biggest test yet.