The Detroit Red Wings finished last season with a 41-31-10 record and 92 points. That put them sixth in the Atlantic Division. Detroit is looking to end its 10-year playoff drought in 2026-27.
The Red Wings have major questions as the season is about to begin. Will Dylan Larkin even play a game for Detroit? Will they be better or worse without him on the team? Can Detroit finally end the drought, or does it stretch to an 11th season?
Detroit Opens 2026-27 With No Captain and No Permanent GM
Larkin lost the “C” this month after requesting a trade in June, and the Red Wings will start the season without a captain, with Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider wearing the “A.” Steve Yzerman stepped down as general manager on July 15 and Shawn Horcoff has run hockey operations on an interim basis since, an offseason that left Detroit with neither a captain nor a permanent GM. Larkin told reporters the trade request “wasn’t easy.”
The Athletic Lists the Detroit Red Wings Among Bottom Feeders
Sean McIndoe of The Athletic wrote about the top tier teams in the NHL and also wrote about the potential bottom feeders. He thinks that the Red Wings could be potential bottom feeders in the NHL for the 2026-27 season. McIndoe said,
“Their offseason in six words: Captain quits. GM fired. Replacement … eventually.
Why they’re here: Because the offseason was a mess, from Dylan Larkin’s trade request to Steve Yzerman’s late exit to whatever it is they think they’re doing now. It was the league’s weirdest offseason, and almost certainly its worst.
Is that making some of us forget that this was a 92-point team last year, with room to move up just based on young players improving? That’s the danger, and if any team could play the “nobody believes in us” card, it might be this one, with even their own fans largely turning on them. It just feels like it’s going to get worse before it gets better, and maybe by a lot.”
Why a Last-Place Finish Would Not Be a Shock
Detroit had a minus-17 goal differential last season, better than only Florida and Toronto in the Atlantic. If the team doesn’t play with Larkin and they are better than expected, then great. The truth of the matter is that this team may be in for a long 2026-27 NHL season. If Detroit finishes in last place in the Atlantic Division, it would not be surprising at all.
The answers start Friday, Oct. 2, when Detroit opens the season at home against the New York Rangers.
