The Red Wings’ power play may be headed for a real test, and the timing could hardly be messier.
Detroit is already operating without a general manager, and with captain Dylan Larkin trying to get out of the door, the unit that once carried so much of the offense is staring at major change. That’s a lot to juggle for a team that has already had scoring issues, finishing 22nd in 2025-26.
Even so, the power play was one of the few bright spots. Detroit finished 12th at 22.6% last season, and the numbers from the year before were even better: 64 power play goals, tied for the league lead. Last season, the Red Wings scored 56 power play goals, which ranked sixth in the NHL.
Patrick Kane and Larkin were central to all of it. Kane was involved in 45.3% of the power play goals in 2024-25 and 29.6% last season.
Larkin’s fingerprints were all over the unit too, with involvement in 42.1% two seasons ago and 42.8% last season. Over the past four seasons, Larkin has scored 57 power play goals.
Detroit’s biggest offseason addition, Viktor Arvidsson, brings scoring history but not much of a special-teams track record. He has hit 20 goals or more six times in his career, including 25 last season for Boston.
But he has never been a major power play threat, with more than four power play goals in a season only once. Last year, he finished with nine power play points.
There’s also the possibility that Michael Brandsegg-Nygard could get a look. If he makes the team, he might even be used in the bumper spot if Larkin is traded.
He has a quick release and a sizzling shot, but that would still be more of a trial run than a solution. It’s a let’s-see-what-we-have move, not the kind of answer you plan around.
Whoever ends up running hockey operations and coaching the group - Todd McLellan is in that mix - won’t have much runway to sort it out. The preseason has been cut in half because the league is preparing to launch its new 84-game regular season, so there will be less time to tinker and even less time to settle on a fix.
Detroit’s other goalie situation is still unresolved too. Cam Talbot, who is listed as the Red Wings’ 2026-27 backup goalie, remains unsigned at 39.
He’s coming off a rough season with a 3.19 GAA and .883 save percentage, but his track record still gives him a chance to land somewhere. NHL general managers can get uneasy about their depth once training camp opens, and Talbot’s .911 career save percentage could make him an appealing insurance option.
In Case You Missed It, Bob Duff examined when the Red Wings believe goalie Trey Augustine will be ready for the NHL in the third installment of DHN’s series on Detroit prospects. Elsewhere, coach Igor Larionov’s St. Petersburg team in the KHL acquired the rights to Detroit goalie Daniil Tarasov in a move meant to plan for the future, and defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka will have to compete for a roster spot at Red Wings training camp.
In Other News...
Red Wings Depth Plan Suddenly Puts Evgenii Dadonov In Focus
Evgenii Dadonov has emerged as one of the more interesting names in the Wings depth picture, with reports tying him to KHL interest from Traktor Chelyabinsk, Shanghai and Ak Bars Kazan. For now, though, the veteran winger is said to want to stay in North America, which keeps Detroits situation relatively straightforward even as overseas clubs continue to circle.
The KHL has been busy reshuffling rights around other familiar names, including goaltender Daniil Tarasov, whose return to that league now looks more complicated after his rights were moved to SKA St. Petersburg. Elsewhere, Canadiens prospects Vinzenz Rohrer and Alexander Gordin are on the move in Europe too, but for the Red Wings the immediate focus remains whether Dadonov stays put and how much of a factor he can be in the clubs depth plans. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Search Could Signal A Very Different Front Office
The Red Wings are moving into the interview phase for a new director of hockey operations, and the search already hints at a front office that could look quite different from the one that just closed the book on the Steve Yzerman era last month. Detroit is aiming to deepen the role of analytics in hockey operations, which makes this more than a routine replacement search and gives the next hire real influence over how the organization is shaped.
One name that has surfaced is Jeff Greenberg, who is currently with the Tigers, though he is not being presented as a clear favorite. What makes the process especially interesting is that Detroit is also considering whether to split the job into two posts, potentially adding both a president of hockey operations and a general manager, a structure that would signal a more layered decision-making setup than the club has used before. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Hold A Rebuild Advantage Few Teams Can Match
The Red Wings enter the next stretch of their rebuild with a kind of flexibility that can be hard to find this time of year. Detroit has about $19.5 million in salary cap space, and that room gives the front office options beyond just adding players. It also creates a chance to shape the roster in a more deliberate way as the team looks to keep building its asset base.
What makes that flexibility so interesting is how it can be used as a trade tool, not just a spending one. Detroit could take on an unfavorable contract from another club in exchange for assets, or retain salary in deals that bring back draft picks, giving the organization more ammunition for the next few seasons. The cap picture could become even more fluid if captain Dylan Larkin is moved, leaving the Wings with a rebuilding advantage that plenty of teams would love to have. [Read more 🡒]