While it can be frustrating to watch the playoffs without the Detroit Red Wings, at least there's still reason for optimism.
Last week, The Athletic released their All-Under-25 team lineup and two Red Wings made the cut. "The idea is simple," the article reads. "Build a 23-man roster (13 forwards, seven defensemen, three goalies) made up of the best players born since 2001 (though a couple of them turned 25 in early 2026, this meant that they were all under 25 when the 2025-26 season began)."
To no one's surprise, defenseman Moritz Seider and winger Lucas Raymond were the picks from Detroit. The Red Wings are one of seven teams to have more than one player on the U25 roster (the others being the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, Utah Mammoth, Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild).
Defensemen Simon Edvinsson nearly made the cut as the U25's seventh defenseman, though writers Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman mentioned that he would be a shoe-in on the Second All-Under-25 team.
This is the overall lineup the writers settled on:
Forwards:
LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
Tim Stutzle | Macklin Celebrini | Connor Bedard |
Matt Boldy | Jack Hughes | Lucas Raymond |
Cole Caufield | Leo Carlsson | Juraj Slafkovsky |
Cutter Gauthier | Wyatt Johnston | Dylan Guenther |
Logan Cooley |
Defense
LD | RD |
|---|---|
Matthew Schaefer | Moritz Seider |
Jake Sanderson | Lane Hutson |
Thomas Harley | Brock Faber |
Jackson LaCombe |
What this means for the Red Wings
The national media echoing what fans have known for years is certainly a good sign. It means players like Moritz Seider will get more attention when considering awards like the Norris Trophy (of which he should receive several votes). Lucas Raymond, despite a near point-per-game season, remains fairly underrated at the national level. Including him on a hypothetical lineup like this draws more attention to his game and thus gives him the flowers he deserves.
While these hypothetical lists may seem trivial or frivolous at times, they're still important benchmarks for a player's talent. This is a great sign for Detroit's burgeoning stars and their overall perception in the national world. This season was frustrating, to be certain, but there's plenty of reason for optimism.
Still, there's one glaring concern that continues to plague the Red Wings.
Red Wings need difference-maker in prospect pool
Sure, Seider and Raymond both made the list. But what does that say about the current state of the prospect pool or the rest of the U25 lineup? What prospect in Detroit's pool has a chance to crack this lineup in the future? One may make a case for Sebastian Cossa or Trey Augustine, the latter of whom made his debut in Grand Rapids in April. But, beyond the goaltending, where is Detroit's difference-maker?
This isn't to say that prospects like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard or Axel Sandin-Pellikka won't pan out. It's just a question of how much of an impact they'll make on the roster. Will they serve their respective roles on the roster, or do they have a chance to break out into star contributing roles? The odds aren't entirely impossible, but a lot needs to go right in order for it to happen.
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