Alex DeBrincat’s 2024-25 season didn’t break his single-season goal-scoring record, which was 41. But after tallying just 54 goals (27 each) between 2022-23 and 2023-24, DeBrincat rediscovered his offensive prowess in 2024-25, scoring 39 times and accruing 70 points.
With the Red Wings scoring being more ticky-tacky this past season, DeBrincat was a beacon of light. An undersized, yet gritty winger, he’ll force opponents to account for him more often while his career in Hockeytown continues.
While his defensive play wasn’t as impressive, DeBrincat still showed enough offensively that you didn’t look too closely at his shortcomings. Yeah, we’d like to see better defense next season, but DeBrincat helped make the Red Wings scoring somewhat relevant.
Grade: A-minus - DeBrincat’s 39 goals and 70 points alone give him a positive grade. But his ability to score in multiple situations and bolster a Red Wings team that lost its rhythm various times during the season warrants a low A.
Alex DeBrincat’s 2024-25 season solidified his spot in the Red Wings core
Players who rise through the system, like Lucas Raymond and Marco Kasper, are shoo-ins to stick around the core. Players like DeBrincat, despite the hefty price general manager Steve Yzerman paid to bring him in, is more of an enigma. He was still outside talent coming in, and regardless of how good a player is, it’s always a risk to bring them in to see how they fare from a chemistry standpoint.
Still, DeBrincat’s safe after that 39-goal, 70-point season. That said, I would’ve liked to have seen a more physical game from DeBrincat, who recorded just 33 hits this season. That’s half of what he gave us in 2023-24 (66), and a fraction of the body checks he landed during his lone season in Ottawa (109).
But as I implied earlier, who’s complaining? I’m not, considering his scoring value and the fact he’s got playmakers like Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, and Patrick Kane, who can feed almost anyone the puck. Plus, he’s a bit of a playmaker, himself.
Expect Alex DeBrincat to threaten his single-season best in goals scored in 2025-26
Hey, why not? In 2025-26, the Red Wings have no choice but to get better, and Steve Yzerman knows it. Plus, with the chemistry that DeBrincat’s built throughout the last two seasons with this core, oh, I’m sensing a 40-goal season. Plus, he’s heading into his age-28 campaign, meaning DeBrincat’s in the thick of his prime and has quite a few good seasons left.
That said, the urgency for this Red Wings team must pick up, and that means more physical play. DeBrincat’s shown he can land body check after body check when he feels like it, so I’m banking on him to bring that old, rugged style of play back outta the woodwork.
Overall, I’ll call his 2024-25 season as good as it could’ve gotten, but it needs to be great. We’ll see if he steps up to the challenge in 2025-26.
