It's September. For some, school's starting up again. For others, it's the start of football season. For Detroit Red Wings fans, despite the team's best efforts, it's training camp and preseason time.
Training camp's a little different this year. The first (and most obvious) change is that training camp no longer takes place in Traverse City. This time around, it's in the BELFOR Energy Center, a closer option for the organization. The beautiful beaches and gorgeous vineyards have been replaced by a cheaper alternative.
On top of new venues come new faces. As of right now, the Red Wings are still on the hunt for a new general manager. If rumors are believed to be true, the team hopes to have a GM in place by Labor Day, giving the newcomer all of two weeks to acclimate himself with the situation.
At the end of the month, despite their best efforts, the Red Wings will finally play hockey again.
The Red Wings as they stand
Assuming the elephant in the room isn't addressed, the Red Wings will likely start the season with Dylan Larkin on the top line. To call the center depth shallow beyond Larkin is a bit of an understatement. Andrew Copp, Marco Kasper and J.T. Compher round out the rest of the men in the middle, thus leaving the Red Wings in a bit of a pickle once Larkin does find a new home.
The wing depth, fortunately, is in a much better spot, though not by very much. Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat both finished the team first and second in scoring. They are joined in tow by Viktor Arvidsson, who scored 25 goals for the Boston Bruins last season and Emmitt Finnie, a pleasant surprise addition to the roster.
After that, things get a little dicier.
Sure, there's a chance one of Michael Brandsegg-Nygard or Carter Bear cracks the opening night roster. But, if they don't, the rest of the lineup will have to rely on players like Mason Appleton and Michael Rasmussen, both of whom scored all of 14 points apiece. There won't be much competition for Brandsegg-Nygard and Bear, but they'll need a strong preseason showing to force the new GM's hand.
Defense an unusually bright spot
As strange as it may seem, the defense is, oddly enough, in a pretty good spot overall. Moritz Seider, already one of the best defensemen in the NHL, just celebrated his best season of his career. Simon Edvinsson, due for a big contract extension, has been described as a player that's already begun to break out. Together, they form an elite top pairing, capable of facing off against anyone in the NHL.
The second pair, on the other hand, is likely the only blemish on an otherwise good corps. Ben Chiarot's big hits and imposing presence are fun, but, at this point in his career, he's making far more mistakes than he's preventing. Deadline acquisition Justin Faulk provides the team with some extra offense, but at 34 years of age, it's unlikely he's going to bring a whole lot beyond that.
Barring a Justin Faulk trade, the bottom pairing is by far the most subject to change. Albert Johansson is likely the long term man on the left side. The right, on the other hand, has a bit of a logjam going on.
Jacob Bernard-Docker signed a contract extension this offseason, but faces some steep competition to keep his spot. Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who played between the Red Wings and the Grand Rapids Griffins, is on the hunt to reclaim his spot. William Wallinder signed a waiver ineligible contract and will likely vie for that last spot, as well.
Plus, let's not forget dark horse candidates like Anton Johansson, who could easily surprise the team during preseason.
Goaltending is fine enough
Last season, John Gibson's stellar run was sandwiched by a slow start and a poor finish. The latter wasn't entirely his fault, as the entire team seemed to shut down once the dreaded March Sadness began. The Red Wings nearly wrung Gibson out by the end of the 2025-26 season, starting him 57 times -- the most action he's seen in nearly a decade.
To be fair, the team didn't have much of a choice. Gibson's backup, Cam Talbot, finished the season off with a putrid .883 save percentage. The Red Wings, taking note of this, upgraded by signing Daniil Tarasov, a career .897 backup. While not particularly impressive as far as save percentages go, Tarasov showed he could take up a decent workload, starting in 33 games for the Florida Panthers last season. With his help, Gibson will have more time to rest and get into his best possible form.
How to endure the Red Wings this season
There's no sugarcoating it: this season's going to be a rough one.
Once Larkin is gone, the team's center depth takes a hit. They've already lost a top-five scorer on the roster in Patrick Kane. Without Larkin, their poor offense will only get worse. Sure, there's plenty of opportunity for young players to take the reins, but, until they show they can do it consistently, they're unproven commodities.
Players will be traded this season. Some might even be players you like or saw as part of the future. Either way, change is coming. The Red Wings can't mire in mediocrity forever. Sooner or later, something has to give.
The only way out is through.
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