The Winnipeg Jets may be closer to drafting Gavin McKenna than they are to earning a playoff spot. Amazing, because if you made predictions at the beginning of the season, those outside of Hockeytown would've put the Detroit Red Wings closer to McKenna while they'd have slotted the Jets as one of the best teams in hockey.
So far this season, the Wings proved they could be one of the NHL's premier teams. As for the Jets? They haven't yet proved they're a bad hockey team, despite their 34 points in 37 contests.
This isn't a team to take lightly, with four players: Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Gabriel Vilardi, and Josh Morrissey all clocking in with at least 30 points. Connor and Scheifele both have 45 points and 18 goals across 37 games. With those numbers, it'd be foolish to count out Winnipeg.
If the Wings want to head into the New Year with momentum, they need to treat the Jets as if they're still surefire Presidents' Trophy contenders. If the Wings do that, they'll own an 11-3-1 record in December. That's nothing short of remarkable.
Red Wings reassign forward John Leonard
With Patrick Kane back and operating at full force, the Red Wings have made a predictable move by reassigning forward John Leonard. Leonard looked good in his cameo with the Wings, playing in seven games and recording four points, two goals, and a minus-2 across 12:16 of average total ice time.
Despite gracing the NHL ice for a short time, Leonard more than proved he's a tremendous asset for the big club, and there's hardly a veteran in the organization who provides better organizational depth.
Should a key player go down with an injury, be very surprised if the Red Wings don't call up Leonard following his better-than-expected showing. In the meantime, look for him to help the Grand Rapids Griffins keep setting new milestones.
New year looming for the Red Wings and other news
Regardless of whether the Red Wings can outlast the Jets on Wednesday night, they can't afford to ease up on the throttle with the new year literally within striking distance. Detroit opens January 2026 with a back-to-back against the Pittsburgh Penguins before a pair of outings with the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks.
On paper, the Wings look like the better team, and that should be four wins against those three opponents. But in the wild world of the NHL, you don't know what's coming, and the Wings must keep their focus against teams they should beat.
In other Red Wings news, Bob Heyrman covered one underutilized trade package the Red Wings can take advantage of should they keep up their winning ways in 2026. This one involves the good old "addition by subtraction" method, and it could be a game-changer for Detroit.
Brian Germinaro covered Moritz Seider's importance to Team Germany in the upcoming Olympic Games. The trip to Milan is coming sooner than we all realize, and Seider is going to be one to watch as he tries to be a focal point for Germany as they look to pull off a few upsets.