Sometimes, when things look darkest, the best we can do is look for the light. In the case of the Detroit Red Wings, things appear quite dark. The Red Wings now hold the longest playoff drought in the NHL. From underperforming depth to underwhelming sophomore seasons, there's a lot to complain about with this organization.
But there's a lot to be excited about, as well.
Throughout the season, these three players continued to hone their game and evolve. Rarely, if ever, did they take off shifts. No matter the adversity they faced, they found a way to take the next leap forward. From standout rookies to superstar defenders, these three players rose above the rest for the Red Wings this season.
Emmitt Finnie: An impressive rookie debut
The most pleasant surprise of the season goes to Emmitt Finnie. Few, if any, knew what the flashy forward could do. Even fewer expected him to make the leap to the NHL. Now, Finnie's a regular up and down the lineup. In 80 games, Finnie put up 30 points. As far as rookies go, that's a fantastic start to his career.
Finnie is just one of 30 seventh round picks to play in the NHL this season. He's already 20th in games played among all active seventh round picks and 12th in scoring. This is extremely impressive when you note that players ahead of him like Ondrej Palat have nearly 1,000 NHL games to their names.
Of all the players expected to take a big leap this offseason, Finnie's would be instrumental towards this team's success.
Albert Johansson: Better with each passing game
Albert Johansson might be the most underrated defenseman in the NHL. There's an old adage about NHL defensemen being effective when they aren't noticeable. This case absolutely applies to Johansson, who anchors the team's bottom pairing with a quiet efficiency.
There are times where Johansson seems to turn on the jets and take over a game. He's a mercenary for the roster, playing more shifts on the fly than any other defenseman on the roster. This means the Red Wings trust him to improvise or fill in the blanks where needed. Rarely, if ever, does he make a mistake, and when he does, he's back at it with a new attittude and better perspective shortly after.
Johansson isn't the kind of player that's going to be the best defenseman on a roster. He's a complementary piece -- and the perfect fit for what the Red Wings need from him.
Moritz Seider: Somehow better than before
No player has taken a bigger leap than Moritz Seider. He went from overworked top-pairing defenseman to bona fide Norris Trophy contender in a matter of months. From shutting down Nathan MacKinnon to a five-point night against the Philadelphia Flyers, this has been the best season of Seider's career by a wide margin.
pic.twitter.com/hUT6fdE5Sq Seider HUMILIATED MacKinnon last night wow
February 3, 2026If this is what Seider can do with the remarkably low scoring the Red Wings have right now, the sky's the limit for the defender. A Norris Trophy seems practically inevitable.