The Red Wings haven't made the flashiest moves so far this offseason, but improvements have been made. In addition to re-signing Patrick Kane, Steve Yzerman brought in John Gibson to shore up Detroit's goaltending, and added several role players such as Mason Appleton and James Van Riemsdyk to provide some forward depth.
Some teams in the Atlantic Division have vastly improved their rosters this offseason, while others, such as the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, have perhaps regressed. Another rival of the Red Wings, the Chicago Blackhawks, haven't made any moves that should have Red Wings fans shaking in their boots heading into the 2025-26 season.
Building around Bedard has been a work in progress that shouldn't alarm Red Wings fans just yet
Despite not being in the same division anymore, the Red Wings and Blackhawks are still considered rivals. There is a rich history among these two Original Six franchises, and no matter where they are in the standings, fans can expect the intensity to be heightened every time they meet.
Young sensation Connor Bedard is the highlight of Chicago's roster. Bedard won the Calder Trophy in 2023-24 after scoring 22 goals and dishing out 39 assists for 61 points. He improved on those numbers last season, totaling 67 points on 23 goals and 44 assists while playing in all 82 games. It's clear Chicago is building around Bedard, but they seem to be taking their time.
So far this offseason, Chicago has traded for Andre Burakovsky and Sam Lafferty, and signed Ryan Donato to a four-year contract. All are veteran players who will try to steer Chicago in the right direction, but none are going to vastly change the outlook for Chicago's 2025-26 season. The Blackhawks have the longest odds to win the Stanley Cup at +50000 on DraftKings, and can be considered a long shot to even make the playoffs.
Burakovsky is probably the most noteworthy addition, as he has 387 points over 696 career games. His best offensive season came in 2021-22 with the Avalanche when he set career-bests in goals (22), assists (39), and points (61). His solid contributions provided great scoring depth to a Colorado team that went on to win the Stanley Cup.
As it stands, Daily Faceoff has Burakovsky slated on the second line with former Red Wing Tyler Bertuzzi and Frank Nazar. Donato is projected to start the season on the top line alongside Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen. Lafferty is on the fourth line with Landon Slaggert and Oliver Moore.
Former Red Wings head coach takes over in Chicago
On May 22, former Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill was named as the next head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. Blashill spent seven seasons behind the bench as Detroit's head coach from 2015-22.
He compiled a record of 204-261-72, and made the postseason just once. That came in 2015-16, when Detroit lost in the first round to the Lightning in five games. It remains Detroit's last postseason appearance, and as the franchise enters its 100th season, fans are hungry for playoff hockey in Hockeytown.
Blashill inherits a Blackhawks team that has a long road back to playoff contention. Chicago hasn't made the playoffs since 2019-20, and they've averaged just 59 points per season over the last five campaigns since then. Having a guy like Bedard on your roster certainly helps, and it seems that Chicago will continue to try to build around him moving forward.
The Red Wings won both games against the Blackhawks last season, and when they meet this upcoming season, Detroit needs to be sure to take care of business again.
More from Octopus Thrower