Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report graded each NHL team following Week 1 of the season, and the Detroit Red Wings passed the test. Kinda. Gretz gave the Wings a "B," but he also said, "Their start this season has been a bit of a mixed bag, though.
"They were blown out in Game 1 by Montreal, blew out Toronto in Game 2, and then stole a game from Toronto in Game 3 they had no business winning.
"Given their inactivity during the offseason, it's still hard to be overly optimistic about this situation unless some young players make significant strides this season."
The major gamble Steve Yzerman took involved making room for the youngsters like Emmitt Finnie, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Three bright players, but Finnie is an unproven late-round pick while Brandsegg-Nygard and Sandin-Pellikka are taking a crash course learning the North American game at the NHL level.
It's not a bad situation, but not one you'd want to find your team in if you're expecting a surefire playoff appearance. It would be one thing if the Red Wings lost a close one to the Canadiens before seeing the same results against the Leafs, even if they still escaped Toronto with an ugly win in that second contest.
Detroit Red Wings are setting the stage for a confusing 2025-26 season
Unless something changes in Week 2 and beyond, the Red Wings won't be giving their fans any clarity on whether this is a playoff-caliber team or one that will, once again, fall short. But you can't keep winning by playing bad hockey, which you saw when they got the best of the Maple Leafs on Monday.
Talented teams like Toronto aren't letting you somehow sneak away with a win again, and they're the ones who will be figuring things out as the season progresses. Everybody in NHL circles knows the Leafs, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and other clubs poised to make deep playoff runs will be fine because they have proven track records of finding their respective flow and playing good, consistent hockey.
But the Red Wings have yet to answer whether they can do the same. In 2024-25, they were one of the league's streakiest teams, snagging just 13 wins in the first 34 games before Todd McLellan came in and led them to two seven-game winning streaks. Following that second streak, the Wings were back to playing below-average hockey.
Will the Red Wings keep fans guessing all season?
The Wings weren't going to be a good hockey team early on. It's impossible to play a consistent, high-octane game with three rookies and multiple second-year players. But if there's a difference, it's that this year's version of the Wings resembles the final product you're going to see take the ice for the next five to seven seasons.
Sebastian Cossa, Nate Danielson, and Dmitri Buchelnikov will join them next season at the latest, as the former two could see extensive time in Hockeytown this year. Should this season's version of the Wings get it together, then you won't see as much pain when the next crop of rooks move up.
Whether they get it together depends on if they can stay healthy enough to keep building consistent chemistry. Extensive injuries won't help this team, but if they keep playing together, there's no doubt you will see a different team by the end of the year. Todd McLellan expects and demands perfection, leaving the players with no choice but to raise their own respective standards.