Year after year, media and fans were treated to the same mantra coming out of the Detroit Red Wings’ front office, led by Steve Yzerman:
“Keep drafting. Keep developing. Build around the core.”
Yzerman, of course, is no longer the Red Wings’ general manager (GM). On top of that, Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings are going through a messy breakup that, apparently, could still end in reconciliation. Detroit is in disarray as fans are showing real apathy towards the Original Six franchise despite finishing just outside of the playoffs the last three seasons.
Despite that chaos, it is almost poetic that the Red Wings’ best hopes for flipping the script on the 2026-27 season rests in the hands of the players the organization drafted and developed with hopes they can become part of the next championship core in Detroit.
Red Wings' lack (and loss) of production
In the months leading up to free agency, much was made of the Red Wings’ lack of five-on-five (5v5) production last season. It was a glaring problem during the final stretch of the season, highlighted by Larkin posting just nine 5v5 points from December 1 until the end of the season.
It is also why many expected the team to re-sign winger Patrick Kane, one of the team’s best performers at 5v5 (he led the team in 5v5 goals in their last 36 games.) Instead, he opted to steer away from the circus going on at Little Caesars Arena and rejoin his beloved Chicago Blackhawks on a two-year pact.
We could hyperfocus on the factors that led him to make that decision, but what’s done is done; nobody is wearing number 88 for the Red Wings this season. Instead, the focus shifts to how the Red Wings can make up for that lost production.
The addition of Viktor Arvidsson in free agency should help; the Swedish winger had 42 5v5 points last season, a total that would have finished second to Alex DeBrincat among Red Wings skaters last season. But Arvidsson is 33 years old and is not someone the organization can rely on for potent offense well into the future.
DeBrincat may factor into the Red Wings' future, but he can’t do it all himself. With Larkin’s status being in the air, Detroit has no choice but to turn to their youngest forwards to make up the difference.
Kasper, Brandsegg-Nygård & others to carry the torch
Part of the Red Wings’ shortcomings last season can be attributed to some of their younger players failing to meet expectations. That discussion begins and ends with Marco Kasper, the organization’s top pick in the 2022 draft.
During the 2024-25 season, Kasper’s rookie year, the Austrian forward averaged over 15 minutes of ice-time and collected 37 points in 77 games. While those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, it was enough to set the bar a little higher entering his second season. Instead, he registered 19 points in 81 games while averaging 13:48 in ice-time last season.
Hypothetically, where do the Red Wings land if Kasper simply matches his offensive totals from his rookie season? Maybe it’s still not enough to push them into the playoffs, but it likely pushes them right to the line. While he is not solely responsible for the Red Wings’ disappointing 2025-26 season, when management and coaches say the “need a little more” from their players, this is the kind of stuff they’re talking about.
Because of this, as well as head coach Todd McLellan’s overall belief in him, Kasper is a big-time bounce-back candidate this season; a return to form or even a step forward would go a long way towards not just making up for lost production, but also the Red Wings’ ability to ice a competitive roster against any opponent.
In the early stages of the preseason, Detroit looks to be toying with an “all-kids” line of Carter Mazur, Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. All three played some number of games with the Red Wings last season, and all three have a level of competitiveness that defines their games.
Danielson could prove himself to be part of the solution down the middle this season if he can crack the code on producing offense at the NHL level – especially with their top center currently in limbo. Brandsegg-Nygård, however, has a real opportunity to blossom into something the Red Wings haven’t had in many years: a genuine power forward.
Brandsegg-Nygård surprised many when he made the Red Wings’ roster out of training camp last season. While he only played in 14 NHL games last season, he proved himself to be a consistent offensive threat in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Grand Rapids Griffins, collecting 44 points in 60 games, and then asserting himself as their most dangerous forward during the Griffins’ eight-game playoff run.
Brandsegg-Nygård plays a heavy game, averaging just over three hits a game with the Red Wings, but his shot could be the key to solving Detroit’s secondary scoring woes. Factor in potential contributions from prospects Carter Bear and Max Plante - not to mention the possibility of increased production from the blue line - and suddenly there is a path for Detroit to ice a more potent attack.
A lot would have to work in the Red Wings’ favor, but this is why you draft and develop: to accumulate a pool of talent that is ready to jump in and contribute when the moment presents itself.
Youth leads to hope
While Larkin’s situation remains unresolved, the Red Wings’ lineup looks fairly similar to lineups in years past. Lucas Raymond, Larkin and DeBrincat will all be leaned on as the team’s top offensive producers; if their offense dries up, the Red Wings will almost certainly finish the season near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The only way for the Red Wings to end their playoff drought in 2026-27 is for them to be more effective than they were last season. While this is a pretty obvious statement to make, it speaks to the fact that help isn’t coming anytime soon – in fact, it’s more likely that Detroit decides to sell in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, rather than add reinforcements.
The Red Wings’ best hope of avoiding that is investing in their young talent by giving them the ice-time and opportunity to make up the difference. Whether the players can fulfill that promise is another story, but as things stand today, it’s their best way forward.
Yzerman’s tenure as GM may be over, but the Red Wings are still right where he left them: waiting for the kids to arrive.
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