While flirting with a spot in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Detroit Red Wings were soundly defeated in consecutive games by the Ottawa Senators in a 12-3 combined final score.
It was at that time that GM Steve Yzerman decided his team wasn't ready for playoff hockey and became a seller at the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline, trading Tyler Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins, Filip Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks, and Oskar Sundqvist to the Minnesota Wild.
The following season, Detroit found itself in an advantageous position in the standings, holding a nine-point lead over the cutoff for the final wild-card playoff spot. However, what followed was a disastrous 3–9–2 stretch in March, culminating in the team losing any hope of the postseason on the final day of the regular season due to a tiebreaker.
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Last season, the Red Wings were in one of the final Wild Card postseason spots near the end of February, but once again, struggled in March. They posted a 4-10 record that month and fell out of the postseason race.
Wednesday evening marks Detroit’s final game for several weeks, as the NHL schedule breaks for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
When play resumes in late February, the Red Wings, currently second overall in the Atlantic Division, will be determined to write a new script this time around.
Multiple rumors suggest the Red Wings could become buyers for the first time since 2015, when they acquired Erik Cole from the Dallas Stars and Marek Zidlicky from the New Jersey Devils.
NHL Insider Links Red Wings to Potential Blockbuster With Former Western Rival NHL Insider Darren Dreger has given insight into what the Detroit Red Wings could potentially be looking for via trade. That season also marked the year before their most recent appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If they were to begin today, the Red Wings would confirm their spot in the postseason for the first time since 2016.
To ensure Stanley Cup Playoff hockey comes to Little Caesars Arena for the first time, the Red Wings must avoid the March struggles that have plagued them in each of the past two seasons, a goal they'll have their sights trained on.
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