On Tuesday, Sara Civian of Bleacher Report gave some interesting one-word descriptions for all 32 NHL teams. Some were beyond accurate, like when she used the word "bright" to describe the New York Islanders. Others were more outlandish, like calling the St. Louis Blues "Cup-bound."
As for the Detroit Red Wings? "Intriguing" was the term. Civian wrote, "The Atlantic is a mess, but the Red Wings at least had a decent start among the mess, and now they've got a 9-7-0 record despite their current three-game skid. A strong start was crucial for this team as it looks to get back into the playoffs."
That was an accurate take on Tuesday, and it has only become more accurate in the last few days. For one, it's hard to decipher what to make of the Atlantic Division, especially after the division-leading Montreal Canadiens suffered not one, but two major blows to their lineup.
Strong starts, but stronger play in the coming months is required for the Red Wings
The Red Wings, now 10-7 following their win vs. the Anaheim Ducks, have been "intriguing" in a few ways. For one, this is a team that decided to keep three rookies with the big club to kick off the season, and one that already had three second-year players in Albert Johansson, Simon Edvinsson, and Marco Kasper. Elmer Soderblom, who had less than a full season of experience, was also there.
Teams that young, even with cornerstones like Moritz Seider, Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, and Lucas Raymond, aren't supposed to win. They're supposed to be awful, and contend more for the first-overall pick than they are the playoffs. But through 17 games, the Red Wings have bucked that narrative and could be surefire contenders.
What's more, their early-season success involved wins against a lot of playoff teams from 2024-25, including two over the Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues, and one each against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Edmonton Oilers.
Red Wings have proven they are no pushover to begin the 2025-26 season
Once again, it looks like the Red Wings will be hanging around the playoff hunt come the 2026 Olympics and subsequent trade deadline. With so much youth on the team right now, you couldn't ask for a more positive step in the right direction, and they can be scary if Marco Kasper gets back on track while Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Emmitt Finnie, Simon Edvinsson, and Albert Johansson keep figuring things out.
We also can't forget about Nate Danielson, who has played in two games so far with the Red Wings, averaging 13:15 of ice time so far. Danielson is a future top-six player, and it won't be long until he proves why he belongs in Hockeytown as opposed to Grand Rapids, whether that comes immediately or over time.
So, Civian was definitely in the right when referring to the Red Wings as "intriguing." They're a young, high-potential team capable of winning games against opponents they should have no business keeping pace with. It doesn't mean they're immune to growing pains, as we have already seen, but the Wings are going to keep fans interested all season long.