Historic doesn’t always mean good. Historic is a title usually applied to something that has only happened once, or to something that hasn’t happened in a very long time. The Red Wings offseason clears that bar easily, and not in the positive sense of the definition. This one is for the ages in the worst ways.
Dylan Larkin Makes History
Dylan Larkin was the 37th captain of the Detroit Red Wings, and the first Michigan-born captain in the storied franchise’s history. Those parts are well known. Here is the part that stings: he asked out while still wearing the C, and on Sept. 11 the Red Wings announced they will open the 2026-27 season without naming a captain at all.
We have long waited for answers as to why he made that request, and during the presser on Sept. 17, we didn’t get any. Asked what pushed him to it, Larkin said only, “I’m not ready to go there yet.” Even with Steve Yzerman out of hockey operations, it seems that lips are still tightly shut in the organization. This lack of loose lips has been annoying in the past, but with the captaincy already gone and Larkin still wanting out of Detroit, it would’ve been nice to get a reason why.
The Good: Edvinsson, DeBrincat And A Cleaner Sweater
Even with the captaincy vacant, no permanent GM in place, and the entire offseason basically being a bust, Simon Edvinsson and Alex DeBrincat both seem dedicated to Detroit. Both players are approaching their final season under contract, Edvinsson as an RFA and DeBrincat as a UFA. These key players still wanting to stay in Detroit is good. Also, finally taking the trash company patch off the sweater is probably the best thing that has happened.
I’d put Shawn Horcoff becoming the interim GM in that category as well. Yzerman stepped down July 15, and even though Horcoff has been running hockey operations since, he didn’t have any authority to make trades or sign contracts. Now that he has the interim tag, he has the power. Even though Horcoff was rumored to be out of the running for the permanent position, Chris Ilitch said otherwise when the team announced the move Sept. 15.
“Our search has attracted significant interest in the head of hockey operations position from respected leaders across the industry, and several of those candidates, including Shawn, remain under consideration for the permanent role.”
Chris Ilitch, Red Wings governor and CEO
The Bad: No GM, No Captain, No Answers
The bad is easy to guess. Larkin’s trade request. No permanent GM named. No captain heading into camp. Really, most of the Red Wings’ headlines this summer have been unpleasant and have dampened hope. We have become the joke of the NHL, and even though I still have hope for this team, we deserve it.
The Ugly: A Fanbase Out Of Confidence
The ugly is what this all means as a culture. With everything that has happened, it is going to leave lasting effects. There is a confidence a fan gets in a team when they are playing well, where you get excited for the next game. Parts of last season, we had this confidence. I can remember saying to myself, “It doesn’t matter who we play next; this team is firing on all cylinders.” For most of last season, I had this confidence, as I’m sure most of you did as well, until March.
To put this simply, we as fans have no confidence in the team leadership across all levels. They gave us nothing to cling to that would inspire any confidence that this team will make the playoffs. In fact, the decisions made this offseason have created a vacuum of hope and have replaced it with dread. This has a trickle-down effect on the team. Without good, solid leadership, it wouldn’t take much for the team to get turned off course.
This Red Wings Offseason Needs A Historic Answer
It’s going to take more than just a few winning streaks to lift the fanbase up and out of the spiral of lost hope and dread. We need a historic run. This season is crucial for the franchise. There are too many fans who are ready to completely write off the Red Wings, and I really don’t blame them. Making the playoffs this season, I think, is the only way to right this ship before it capsizes. We need to extend Edvinsson and DeBrincat, name a good captain, and get Hockeytown back on course. We need to have a historic season, but in the best way.
