How the lineup shakes out from here
With the dust settling on those summer deals, the Red Wings would get back into the first round in this year’s draft. They would hold three 2027 first-round picks and two 2028 first-round picks while adding young center talent in Bourque and Misa along with a young defenseman in Dickinson who could be molded into a strong top-four defender. They also would have Faulk and Copp in tow on expiring deals, with both representing the exact type of player that gets dealt for decent returns (Faulk could conceivably net a first).
Additionally, if Seguin returns from yet another injury as a productive player looking for one more Stanley Cup, Detroit would be in position to deal him at the deadline for some more assets provided they retain a good amount of his exorbitant salary. If Nurse were traded to Detroit at full salary, he could also have value as a trade deadline target provided Detroit were willing to retain salary.
The lineup the Red Wings would have would lose a lot of games, especially if they break in both Cossa and Augustine in the NHL crease simultaneously as rookies. However, they would get a better picture of who is worth hanging onto in the organization and offer the possibility to get an impact day-one prospect like Landon DuPont onto the 2027-28 roster. We saw the impact that can make with Schaefer bringing the Islanders to the playoffs right away this season. While that is a lot to expect, there is a reason DuPont is already the consensus top pick in 2027.
Despite all the signings and moves of varying success, the Detroit Red Wings continue to miss the playoffs. Rather than spin the wheels again by tweaking or convincing themselves they are one big move away from breaking through, it’s time to be realistic that this current group has peaked and to make moves that open a window of contention in another year or two.
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