I don’t like being the harbinger of bad news, and sorry if that sounds redundant. But it needs to be said: The Red Wings rebuild is in trouble. Why is this? Just look at the team from last season and compare them to what they gave us this year.
Yeah, the Wings faltered when the stakes rose in 2023-24, but they still finished one spot outside the playoffs, with only a tiebreaker keeping them out. Following last season, we went into the offseason thinking the Wings were going to add another asset or two who would get them to the next level.
And they did, bringing in experience like Vladimir Tarasenko, Erik Gustafsson, and Cam Talbot. With the core another year older and more experienced, we all but knew this was the year, right? Not when Derek Lalonde is your head coach. So, general manager Steve Yzerman did the rational thing and fired Lalonde, putting Todd McLellan in his place.
Red Wings rebuild looked ready for the next step under Todd McLellan
McLellan put the Wings through a pair of seven-game winning streaks, and it was a done deal. The Wings were going to the playoffs after a long layoff and their 2024-25 season was a far cry from the building team we saw last year. They took the next step…until they didn’t. No, correction: they took at least one step back.
And that’s where things stand. The Wings took a step (or two) back, and it’s only right to call into question whether this rebuild’s working in their favor anymore. Josh Beneteau of Sportsnet said, “As players, coaches and GM Steve Yzerman reflect on this disappointing season, doom is settling in with a fan base that is grappling with the reality that these Red Wings, as constructed, may have already peaked as a group.”
Hey, Yzerman’s had half a decade to build this group up the right way, and despite the talent he unearthed, you’d have thought they’d have at least made a postseason appearance. Beneteau also hit a home run when he said, “Detroit lacks true, elite, superstar power.”
And he’s right, indicating that this latest rebuild has been worthless. It’s not much different from what we’ve seen over in Buffalo, where the Red Wings division rivals are going through the same torment. This means Detroit’s rebuild could be in a lot of trouble if they can’t land a viable star, because neither Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, nor Marco Kasper are it.
A strong but unspectacular core won’t cut it for the Red Wings
You couldn’t ask for a better core in Hockeytown, but without that surefire star, it’s a half-empty rebuild. Considering where the Red Wings stand now, there’s no way they’re landing one in the NHL Draft unless someone slips through the cracks and Steve Yzerman scoops them up. But the odds of that happening are next to none.
Luckily for the Wings, this rebuild doesn’t need to have the phrase ‘Game Over’ attached to it. Not even four years ago, the Vegas Golden Knights traded for a star player in Jack Eichel, and the Florida Panthers did the same when they brought Matthew Tkachuk to Sunrise. Both players ended up winning Stanley Cups in their new cities, and it’s an approach Yzerman must take.
This group allowed the Red Wings to compete, but with no real elite player in the lineup, this team will struggle to make the playoffs unless they overachieve. Instead of rolling with the same team next season and adding utility assets, go for a potential star who may be on the trade block.
Should that occur, the Red Wings punch their ticket into more than just a playoff appearance in 2025-26. But Yzerman must realize that his rebuild is in trouble and his current team has a limited ceiling. One big trade for that missing piece has worked in the past, so maybe he can learn from recent history.
