The Detroit Red Wings have missed the playoffs for 10 straight seasons, and the Red Wings Stanley Cup window has looked shut for most of them. Detroit finished 41-31-10 with 92 points last season, its best point total since the 93 it posted in 2015-16, the last year the franchise played a playoff game.
At one point last season it looked like Detroit would finally end the drought. Then the Red Wings lost their final three games and watched the postseason from home again. Heading into the 2026-27 NHL season, and despite all the noise of this offseason, one national outlet thinks Detroit is closer to real contention than the mood around the team suggests.
The Athletic Says the Red Wings Stanley Cup Window Is Opening
The offseason gave Detroit plenty to talk about. Steve Yzerman stepped down as executive vice president and general manager on July 15 and stayed with the organization as a senior adviser, and Shawn Horcoff took over as interim general manager on Sept. 15 while the club searches for permanent hockey operations leadership. Dylan Larkin lost the captaincy on Sept. 11 after requesting a trade, and the Red Wings will open the season without a captain.
Even so, Dom Luszczyszyn and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic put Detroit in their window opening tier in a leaguewide look at where every NHL team stands heading into 2026-27 and into the future.
That will come as a surprise to plenty of fans in Detroit. Luszczyszyn and Wheeler said,
โThe Red Wings have studs in Seider, Raymond and Edvinsson and significant quantity in Prospect Tiers with nine players (!). Theyโre missing a true superstar up front, though, and thatโs the difference between a good score here and one that looks like San Joseโs or Anaheimโs.โ
Seider and Edvinsson Anchor the Back End
Defensemen Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson are expected to anchor Detroitโs top pairing, and the Red Wings need both of them to carry that load all season long. Lucas Raymond is the third name The Athletic leaned on, and his growth up front matters most on a roster the writers say is still missing a true superstar forward.
Good Enough to Be a Playoff Team
Luszczyszyn and Wheeler think this core is good enough to be in the playoffs this season. They said,
โThe Red Wings are an interesting place given the current malaise around the franchise, right next to the Sabres where the vibes couldnโt be better. What their placement says is that the teamโs core is good enough to be playoff-worthy, especially with the leap Moritz Seider took last season. The potential growth of Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson can cement that further. Itโs everything else thatโs become an issue, a testament to Detroitโs poor draft record during the Yzerman era. Is this the year they start seeing results?โ
Buffalo Showed How Fast It Can Turn
The Buffalo Sabres ended a 14-year playoff drought last season, their first postseason trip since 2011, and won the Atlantic Division at 50-23-9 with 109 points. If Buffalo could go from the longest drought in the league to a division title in a single year, the Red Wings can close a much shorter gap in 2026-27.
