The Detroit Red Wings enter the final full week before the Christmas break with 39 points and following a road trip that saw them go 4-1-1 while outscoring opponents 22 to 16. And the Wings were hot, scoring four or more goals in five of those games, setting the stage for a successful slate heading into the break.
Unfortunately for them, they're playing the New York Islanders on Tuesday to start things off. You already know how bad the Wings have been vs. the Isles this season, so it's time for them to exorcise their demons.
Then they host the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday in what will be a back-to-back. Utah proved a point on Sunday: That they can go down by three goals and still win in what was a thriller against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Utah is without star forward Logan Cooley, but they're still lethal and trying to stick around the playoff race. So there's a massive sense of urgency here.
After that, it's a home-and-home against the Washington Capitals on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21. The Caps are third in the Metro with 40 points, so playing a team with that caliber in a second back-to-back within a week is just tough luck for the Wings. And to cap it all off, the Wings face the Dallas Stars on Dec. 23, who are the second-best team in hockey with 47 points.
The good news? Detroit's hot, and players like John Gibson have shown they can step up and dominate when asked to. Should this continue into the break with so many tough opponents, then our optimism surrounding the Wings can only grow. But they have to stay consistent against some of the league's best teams.
Detroit Red Wings are getting some help
This was a move a lot of us saw coming. On Sunday, we learned the Red Wings were calling up John Leonard, who had flat-out dominated in the AHL this season. In 20 games with the Griffins, Leonard has 19 goals and 29 points, and he's playing like a man who deserves a chance to stick around with the big club, not just sit in the press box.
Leonard hasn't seen significant time in the NHL since the 2020-21 season, when he played in 44 games with the San Jose Sharks, putting up 13 points and three goals across 11:15 of average total ice time. He saw limited action in 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24, before spending all of 2024-25 in the AHL.
What will Leonard's role look like with the Red Wings and is he sticking around long? Those are questions the Wings will answer. To make room for Leonard, the Wings sent Erik Gustafsson back to the AHL.