The Detroit Red Wings find themselves rolling again after a slow start to January, having won four of their past five contests to sit third in the Eastern Conference with 60 points, trailing only the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes. The Wings defeated the Hurricanes on Monday night 4-3 in overtime, led by Alex DeBrincat’s three-point effort.
DeBrincat has been a force for the Red Wings’ offense, tied for the team lead in points with Lucas Raymond at 49, leading the team with 24 goals and third on the team with 25 assists. Quietly, DeBrincat finds himself on pace to crack the 80-point plateau, which would surpass the previous high in points set back in 2021-22 when the Michigan native posted 76 points as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
DeBrincat is in his third season with the Red Wings after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators in July of 2023. A restricted free agent at the time, DeBrincat signed a four-year deal worth $31.5 million to stay with the Red Wings for the foreseeable future. Over the first two years, the now 28-year-old posted 67 then 70 points, good for top three on the team in both seasons.
The 27 goals in DeBrincat’s first season with the Red Wings were a bit underwhelming for some fans who had seen the right winger top 30 goals three times during his time with the Blackhawks. DeBrincat rebounded in his second season with the Red Wings, leading the team with 39 goals. The forward is on pace for another season in the 40-goal range.
Among all players in the National Hockey League, DeBrincat finds himself tied for 18th in points and tied for eighth in goals amongst all skaters. The Red Wings forward has posted an identical stat line to Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and the same goal output as Florida Panthers star Sam Reinhart and San Jose Sharks young forward Macklin Celebrini, putting him among the league's best scorers.
An area where DeBrincat has really shown growth has been the overall defensive play. Through 48 games, DeBrincat has posted a plus-five rating, which sits fourth on the team behind Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Speaking back in November, DeBrincat touched on the growth of his defensive zone play and how it's gotten better throughout his nine-year career.
“This year I've been relatively good defensively,” DeBrincat said. “Obviously that’s something I try to work on every year.”
The addition to the line
Another contributing factor to the play of DeBrincat has been center Andrew Copp stepping up to play with DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, providing stability down the middle. Copp has recorded 19 points in the Red Wings’ past 21 games, including the overtime winner on Monday night. DeBrincat touched on the addition that Copp has been to his line post-game Monday evening.
“He’s been great, he battles so hard and is able to make those little plays off the boards,” DeBrincat said. “He’s been a great addition to our line, and I think we can keep this momentum going.”
If the Red Wings are going to bring the playoffs back to Hockeytown, they are going to need DeBrincat and his line to keep leading the way, just like what was shown on Monday night.