The Red Wings have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth straight season. The Red Wings avoided elimination with a win over the Lightning in their last contest. However, it was too little, too late. This extends a franchise record. And it puts them on the brink of going an entire decade without postseason hockey.
This is unheard of in Red Wings history. Detroit is the most decorated American franchise in the NHL. Their 11 Stanley Cup championships trail only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens all-time. As mentioned, they are in a franchise-record postseason drought. Even the “Dead Things” of the 1970s didn’t experience this sort of futility.
The Red Wings made a coaching change midseason to try and salvage the season. To some extent, they did. Detroit was 13-17-4 at the time Derek Lalonde was fired as bench boss. At that pace, they would have ended the season with around 70 points.
However, Detroit caught fire under new head coach Todd McLellan. And at one point, they were the top Wild Card team in the East. They were even within striking distance of the third seed in the Atlantic Division.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. A brutal month of March condemned this team to another year without postseason hockey. Changes are likely coming in the Motor City this summer. With that in mind, here are two early Red Wings trade candidates to keep an eye on.
Vladimir Tarasenko is a Red Wings trade candidate
Detroit Red Wings right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (11) skates with the puck as Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde (37) defends during the third period at Amalie Arena. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Vladimir Tarasenko is certainly no stranger to trade rumors. The veteran Red Wings forward was on the trade market before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. He signed a two-year contract in Detroit before the 2024-25 season. But things never worked out for him in Hockeytown.
Tarasenko had one of the worst offensive seasons of his career this year. The Russian winger has 10 goals and 31 points through 77 games while shooting a career-low 7.8%. Moreover, he had a -2.2 Expected Offensive Goals Above Replacement this season, according to Evolving Hockey.
Trade proposals involving Tarasenko have already begun propping up. Whether the veteran winger actually leaves town remains to be seen. In any event, it’s hard to ignore his trade candidacy this summer.
Ben Chiarot will be a pending UFA
The Red Wings signed defenseman Ben Chiarot before the 2022-23 campaign. He signed a four-year contract that seemed rather questionable at the time. Despite the logic of the contract terms, bringing Chiarot in made some sense. He was a physical shutdown defenseman on a team needing that sort of play on the back end.
Chiarot’s time in Hockeytown has been rather hit or miss. At times, he has looked like the shutdown defender the Red Wings wanted when they signed him. Other times, he has essentially been a pylon who will occasionally score a random goal or throw a hit.
The 2024-25 campaign for Chiarot was certainly a mixed bag. The veteran defenseman started the season off well enough. But it’s been quite downhill since that impressive beginning.
Fans tend to undervalue players like Chiarot, and it makes sense. However, what some fail to understand is that, no matter what, players like the Red Wings defenseman are coveted by NHL teams. That’s why the New York Rangers got assets in return for Jacob Trouba earlier this season.
Chiarot has not had the struggles that Trouba did during the end of his tenure in New York. But he is a free agent after next season. As a result, don’t be surprised if the Red Wings explore the trade market and see what the 33-year-old may fetch in a deal.
