The Detroit Red Wings' obvious New Year's resolution for 2026 is a simple one: end the nine-year playoff drought. It goes without saying that every Wings fan out there wants to see their team playing beyond an 82-game slate for the first time since 2016.
So we need to dig deeper and ask this critical question: How can the Red Wings reach their ultimate goal of punching their ticket into the 2026 playoffs? They need to stay consistent on the ice, bounce back from bad losses, and beat opponents whom they stack up better against on paper.
Those are abstract concepts and ones everyone in Hockeytown knows. It's just the short answer to the critical question outlined above. Below, there are three resolutions the Wings must make once the clock strikes midnight and well into Mar. 2026.
Take full advantage of the Olympic break
Most players won't see ice time in the Olympics, and they'll be watching at least Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond playing for Team Germany and Sweden, respectively, should they stay healthy.
If the Red Wings keep playing consistent hockey, they must take full advantage of the upcoming break when the NHL goes dark. Take some time off from hockey, don't take any unnecessary risks, and maintain your conditioning.
The Wings need to remember that the other 31 teams will be doing the same, especially those in playoff contention. They need to put themselves in the best possible position to come back stronger than ever with as little rust as possible when the league resumes play. Especially since they'll be heading into a pivotal month.
Avoid the March slump
Over the past two seasons, March has crushed the Red Wings' playoff chances. In Feb. 2024, they were a sparkling 7-3. Then, Dylan Larkin went down with an injury and the Wings lmped to a 3-9-2 mark in March. They regained traction in April, finishing the year on a three-game winning streak, only for them to narrowly miss the postseason despite finishing with 91 points.
Mar. 2025 yielded similar results, with the Wings going 4-10 through the entire month. This came on the heels of two seven-game winning streaks when then-new head coach, Todd McLellan, seemingly turned things around. The Wings once again got their act together in April, but by then, it was too late, and they regressed from the previous season with just 86 points.
This season, it must be three times the charm. Hopefully, nobody misses extended time with an injury as Larkin did in 2024. But if they do, then the Wings must find a way to step up and minimize the effects an injury would otherwise have.
Detroit is too good a hockey team to let an injury derail their season in March, and it's worth noting that the Wings started falling apart when Andrew Copp went down in 2025. To best avoid this, Detroit must do something else it hasn't done in its previous two seasons.
Don't be scared to make a big trade acquisition
It's time for Steve Yzerman to step up and make that big trade in March. His team may have drafted and developed talent internally, but you don't win Stanley Cups unless you make your team deeper with a major impact player, even if they're a rental.
In 2025, Yzerman acquired Craig Smith and Petr Mrazek at the deadline, and neither of them lasted. He barely did anything noteworthy in 2024, and it led to predictable results for the Wings. It would be one thing if Detroit stagnates in early 2026 and is barely in the playoff race, but things aren't trending in that direction.
If Yzerman is serious about ending the drought this season, he has more than enough draft and prospect capital to work with. Entice a team slated to finish near the league's basement or well out of the playoffs with those draft picks, prospects, and maybe an expendable NHLer, and bring in talent from the outside to maximize this team's chances of earning a playoff trip.