We made it to the regular season, and there's more optimism in the air as the 82-game slate begins with the Detroit Red Wings making some promotions on Monday. It shows us that the Yzerplan is, finally, coming to fruition, and there's a good chance that fans will see nine players Yzerman drafted making significant contributions all season.
That's nearly half the lineup, and that number may even grow as the season wears on. But it's proof that the plan is working and even entering into a new era. One that will see the Red Wings transform back into legitimate perennial playoff contenders.
Therefore, it's okay to get a little bold for this one, starting with the way the lineup could look all season, barring injury, per Daily Faceoff.
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Emmitt Finnie | Dylan Larkin | Lucas Raymond |
Alex DeBrincat | Marco Kasper | Patrick Kane |
Andrew Copp | J.T. Compher | Michael Brandsegg-Nygard |
Elmer Soderblom | Michael Rasmussen | Mason Appleton |
Left Defense | Right Defense | |
Ben Chiarot | Moritz Seider | |
Simon Edvinsson | Axel Sandin-Pellikka | |
Albert Johansson | Travis Hamonic |
How many points will the Red Wings end up with?
Projected Total: 92 points
With the Red Wings getting younger and the schedule looking rough early, with the first six games coming against playoff teams, the Wings will struggle. But that doesn't mean fans need to ditch their optimistic outlook.
Look for the early-season matchups to be learning experiences for the back half of October, which features easier opponents like the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues (twice), LA Kings, and Anaheim Ducks. Still a couple of playoff teams here, but a more manageable schedule.
Plus, those learning experiences from the first few games should pay dividends in the second half of October and into November. Short growing pains, in other words, will lead to phenomenal results.
The Wings also won't need to change systems halfway through the year following a training camp and preseason under head coach Todd McLellan. That will also play to the Red Wings' advantage, especially as the season progresses. Expect them to find ways to avoid a repeat of the last two campaigns when monumental collapses defined them.
Where will the Red Wings finish against the Atlantic Division?
Projected Finish: 5th place
The Florida Panthers will be fine despite injuries to their top two players, Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov. They're a deep team that can still lean on players like Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett, among others.
Ditto for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade. Matt Knies should step in and fill the void Marner left, and Toronto shouldn't miss a beat. Nor should the Tampa Bay Lightning, whose core looks as good as ever.
The Montreal Canadiens look like a surefire wild card contender with a young and fantastic top six. Montreal also added young talent in defenseman Noah Dobson over the summer, and they won't fool anyone this year.
Detroit should finish ahead of the Ottawa Senators, a team that overachieved in the first year of the Travis Green Era. Physical play fueled the Senators in 2024-25, as did adding Linus Ullmark in the net. But the Wings and the top four teams in the Atlantic have enough offensive ability to outmaneuver the Senators.
The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins are the weakest links. Both look like they're in retooling mode for the season, and while they have game-changing talent, neither team is deep enough.
Player to watch
Marco Kasper is the breakout candidate capable of doubling his 37-point, 19-goal points total. Kasper put up 30 points and 17 goals since the McLellan era kicked off. When you give him a full summer of work and the fact that he proved he's a good system fit, 74 points and 30-plus goals isn't out of the question.
Should Kasper break out, he will help put the Red Wings back into the top 10 scoring groups in the NHL. Add in the dynamic duo that is Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane most likely flanking him, and he could center one of the league's better lines.
Player to be concerned about
John Gibson looked like an outstanding add-on, but there needs to be a reality check. Gibson is 32 and played in just 29 games a season ago, thanks to injuries and other ailments. And when he was the No. 1 guy in the net, Gibson faced an onslaught almost every night with one of the worst teams in the league in front of him.
Gibson could step in and be the outstanding netminder he was before the rough days began in Anaheim. But it's also fine to question how much serviceable play he has left after spending the greater part of seven seasons simply trying to keep the Ducks in games.
Prospect to watch
Nate Danielson could be the next one on the docket. Starting the season on the "injured non-roster" list, it will be a while before Danielson appears in another game, most likely for the Grand Rapids Griffins. But he was enjoying an excellent preseason before going down with an injury, and if he were healthy, maybe Danielson would be in that lineup and ready to open the season in the Winged Wheel.
Still, he will return at some point, and when he does, look for Danielson to pick up where he left off. Depending on what the situation looks like with the Red Wings, there's a good chance Danielson could make more than a handful of appearances in the NHL.
Why fans can be cautiously optimistic
The Detroit Red Wings aren't good enough to finish in the Atlantic Division's top three. The talent is brewing, and they will be serious playoff contenders if they learn from early-season growing pains that will come with adding three new players to the lineup.
What you see in the Panthers, Maple Leafs, and Lightning is what the Red Wings will look like once this core builds chemistry and gets used to playing alongside one another for a year. Even if the Wings fall short of the playoffs in 2026, it doesn't mean the Yzerplan is doomed.
If they fall short again in 2026, the vibe heading into the summer should be completely different. One that says, "The pieces are in place. They just need a little more experience."