The Detroit Red Wings getting off to a hot start in the 2026-27 season is crucial. Detroit has missed the playoffs the last 10 seasons, the longest active drought in the NHL, and the Red Wings open the regular season Friday against the New York Rangers. If they get off to another slow start, there are very uncomfortable decisions that this franchise is going to have to make, and a Red Wings rebuild is the one at the top of the list.
Would this be the year that a slow start propels Detroit into a rebuild? The rebuild may already be starting from within. Dylan Larkin asked the Red Wings for a trade, and he has since been linked to the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens and the Minnesota Wild, among others. With Simon Edvinsson also not with the team, there is a chance he gets traded as well with the contract dispute.
The Athletic Says a Red Wings Rebuild Is the Fallback
Sean McIndoe of The Athletic wrote about 10 teams that have to get off to a fast start this season, and Detroit is one of them. If the Red Wings don’t start strong, there is a great chance they are facing tough decisions.
If they don’t get off to a hot start, McIndoe wrote:
“Blow it up. Blow it all up. This team is hopeless, and the GM should trade everyone over the age of 25. You know, after they get around to finding an actual GM. But yeah, definitely get Larkin out of here for whatever you can, because that’s a better option than putting him in the lineup to get torn to shreds by the home crowd.”
He is correct that they should start all over if the Red Wings get off to a poor start. The only untouchables in trade talks would be Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Everyone else would be expendable.
Detroit Still Has No Permanent General Manager
Shawn Horcoff was named interim general manager on Sept. 15, but is he the right guy to get a potential haul in return for Larkin or even Edvinsson for that matter? Detroit needs an actual general manager in order to get stuff done. This is why Edvinsson is not signed and back in Sweden.
This is a team that will have to rebuild. Even though they haven’t made the playoffs in 10 seasons, they don’t have a lot of talent on the roster.
Alex DeBrincat Is the Toughest Call
Alex DeBrincat is 28 years old and is in the final year of his four-year, $31.5 million contract. Assuming the Red Wings are bad, they should also offer trades for him. There are contenders who would no doubt overpay for a player who scored 41 goals and added 44 assists last season. Detroit is a team this season that could be having a total fire sale.
