The 2024-25 Detroit Red Wings season may have ended in familiar fashion—with an empty postseason schedule—but inside the locker room, there’s fresh optimism. And it starts at the top.
Dylan Larkin, the heart and soul of the Red Wings, believes the tide is finally shifting. And he’s crediting head coach Todd McLellan for helping turn that corner.
“Todd is a really good coach and I’ve been very impressed with him,” Larkin said during his season-ending media availability. “A Training Camp with our group, our young guys, and our core with him would be very valuable. I think Todd is going to really help turn this thing around here.”
That’s not just captain-speak. That’s buy-in from the most important voice in the building.
Players Responding to McLellan’s Style
McLellan wasn’t even behind the bench for a full season, but the veteran coach made an immediate impression on a roster filled with young talent and veteran grit.
Andrew Copp, one of the team’s most experienced forwards, echoed Larkin’s praise.
“But from the time that I did have, I thought (McLellan) was a real leader,” Copp said. “He had a really nice presence to him in terms of getting us going and holding us accountable, but at the same time empowering the players on the team and the leadership and trusting us to instinctually play.”
That balance—structure mixed with player empowerment—is exactly what the Red Wings have lacked in recent seasons.
A Promising Finish, But Not Enough
After replacing Derek Lalonde midseason, McLellan guided the Red Wings to a 26-18-4 record. It was a respectable run, but the damage had already been done from the slow start.
Detroit finished just outside the playoff picture, once again. But this time, something felt different. There was resilience. There was urgency. There was identity.
Now, with a full offseason and training camp under McLellan’s belt, the Red Wings are hoping year ten of the drought ends very differently.
