The Detroit Red Wings are searching for their scoring touch again, and the numbers tell the story. Nine days ago, they were coming off a 5-3 road win over the Florida Panthers, a game that matched their season high for goals. Since then, they’ve scored just five times over four games and dropped all four.
Coach Todd McLellan didn’t dress it up.
“I use the words offensive confidence,” McLellan said. “It’s as simple as that.”
That lack of finish has dragged Detroit down to 27th in the NHL in goals per game at 2.58, and it’s sending the club right back to Florida hoping a familiar rink can wake up a stalled attack. The Red Wings haven’t just gone cold; they’ve looked stuck.
Alex DeBrincat and Viktor Arvidsson have been held without a point during the losing streak, and DeBrincat has managed only three shots on goal over the last two losses. McLellan made it clear he doesn’t see this as a one-man problem.
“And offense isn’t about one player,” McLellan said. “It’s always at least two players. There’s somebody that has to give you some support.”
The slump also adds another layer of pressure on Shawn Horcoff as he tries to land a scorer in a deal for Dylan Larkin. Marco Kasper’s return from injury should help the lineup, whether he ends up on wing or center, and whether he’s used on the second line or third line.
There is also a potential spark waiting in the system. Carter Bear posted two goals and two assists in a Grand Rapids Griffins matinee win over Rockford, giving him 18 points in 13 AHL games. He may still need to add muscle and spend more time in the minors, but if Detroit keeps sputtering, his skill could become hard to overlook.
For now, though, the Red Wings don’t look like a team playing with much belief at the NHL level.
“I thought we gave the puck away (in the 3-2 loss at St. Louis),” McLellan said.
“We broke out against the heavy forecheck early in the first. We got to the blue line and we just gave it back.”
That’s the kind of sequence that keeps a team chasing its own confidence. Rookie Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has also gone without a point during the skid, and DeBrincat said the answer has to come from inside the group.
“It doesn’t come easy,” DeBrincat said. “We got to get around the net more and put them in.
We’re trying to create our chances. It’s tough to create that confidence.
We’ve got to find a way to be confident in ourselves.”
In Other News...
Red Wings Are Working Through A Roster Decision Fans Will Watch Closely
The Red Wings are still sorting through a roster decision that has plenty of people around the league paying attention, even as the market around them keeps moving. Chicagos Kyle Davidson is said to be willing to deal players and high draft picks if it helps the Blackhawks upgrade, especially for scoring help on the wing, while Detroits own front office and agents are working through creative possibilities involving Simon Edvinsson and Dylan Larkin.
For now, the sticking point is less about interest than clarity. Teams that would like to get involved are waiting for Detroit to make a definitive ask before anything can really gain traction, which leaves the Wings in a familiar holding pattern: exploring options, listening, and trying to find the right path without tipping their hand too early. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Get A Key Piece Back And Still Can't Stop Sliding
John Gibson was back in net for Detroit on Tuesday night, and the Red Wings got the kind of reinforcement they needed in a tight 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Gibson stopped 30 shots in his return, while Andrew Copp and Moritz Seider supplied the offense, but the result still extended Detroits slide to four straight and left the club with five losses in its last six games.
The timing makes the next stretch feel even bigger. Detroit is still working through a road trip that now heads to Florida and then Tampa Bay, and the Red Wings need more than a strong individual performance to turn things around. For a team trying to steady itself, getting a key piece back was only part of the equation, and the gap between effort and results remains the story. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Depth Defenseman May Be Headed For A Familiar Exit
A familiar offseason possibility is starting to surface for one of Detroits depth defensemen, with William Lagesson drawing attention back in Sweden after spending most of the year with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 31-year-old signed with the Red Wings as a free agent in 2024 and spent the bulk of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, while also getting into seven NHL games for Detroit along the way.
Lagessons situation adds another layer to a busy stretch of movement involving former Red Wings and prospects abroad, with Eemil Viro also in talks to stay with the Malmo Redhawks and Filip Zadina sidelined for at least a month after upper-body surgery. For Detroit, the bigger question is whether Lagessons path points to another year of organizational depth or a return overseas before the Red Wings ever get a real chance to see what he can offer beyond spot duty. [Read more 🡒]