Detroit Red Wings enter 2025-26 season with long odds but offer quiet upside under new coach Todd McLellan.
The Detroit Red Wings enter the 2025-26 NHL season with cautious optimism as they aim to make the postseason for the first time in nine seasons.
They will be spearheaded by a new coaching staff led by veteran Todd McLellan, who has helped teams improve at every stop. After another year of development and rebuilding, Detroit still finds itself far from a betting favorites in almost every major award category and Stanley Cup futures.
But with some new up-and-coming players on the way and the potential of new blood through free agency, long-shot bettors can find upside value with the Red Wings’ current betting lines that offer a mix of potential breakout stories, award-winning seasons and comeback campaigns.
At +10000 to win the Stanley Cup, oddsmakers are signaling that the Red Wings are still in a rebuilding phrase and likely won't be in contention. The team still needs to make vast improvements in several areas, more importantly defence, depth scoring and a reliable number one goaltender.
Still, Detroit boasts a very young core, headlined by Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, with a lot of potential to break out in a big way. If Yzerman and management can go out and make significant improvements at weak spots coupled with McLellan's coaching, we can see a boost with a more sound defensive structure that could lead to wins and a potential wild card push.
It would be a massive surprise to see the Red Wings advance further than the first round in a best case scenario but history favours wild card teams.
All top seeds advanced to the second round over the past two seasons but before that at least one wild card team made the second round in eight of the prior ten seasons. If the Red Wings go on a run, anything is possible.
Kane won the Hart trophy a decade ago in 2015-16 but now finds himself with +50000 odds as more of a nostalgic nod than a realistic projection.
Now on the back nine of his 30s, Kane remains a very capable playmaker, contributing nearly 60 points last season. It would be a miraculous return to his prime form and would likely require a big ticket signing by the Red Wings like Mitch Marner, who could play on his line.
Kane hasn't topped 80 points since 2022, and although his presence is valuable in the locker room, the league's MVP award seems far beyond reach at this stage of his career.
Raymond also opens with +50000 odds to win the league MVP and presents one of the most intriguing cases in the league. The 23-year-old winger is coming off the best season of his career with 80 points and has improved every season.
If Detroit shocks the league with their free agent signings and a couple trades to improve weaker areas, they could find themselves in a position that leads to Raymond emerging as a 90+ point forward.
Like Kane, he would also need a superstar winger such as Marner on his line to elevate his game and become a contender for the Hart Trophy. Even then, the path to MVP remains steep in a league stacked with elite scorers on Cup-contending teams.
Like Raymond, DeBrincat also enters the season with +50000 odds for the Hart Trophy. The winger had stretches of elite play but has for the most part plateaued as a point scorer around the 70-80 point threshold.
To make any kind of Hart run, DeBrincat would need to hit career-highs across the board, which seems fairly unlikley. It's a high bar, which is why the odds are so distant.
Petr Mrazek, Cam Talbot, and Alex Lyon all share the same +25000 odds to win the Vezina Trophy, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding Detroit’s crease. We aren't sure who will get the most starts next season but the most likely leader seems to be Mrazek.
He returns to the organization that drafted him and could see a starter’s workload if healthy, but his best years are certainly behind him. Talbot, another veteran, finds himself in the same boat with his best days behind him and is better suited as a decent backup option.
Lyon, while serviceable last season and is the youngest of the bunch, remains unlikely to outshine top Vezina contenders like Igor Shesterkin or Juuse Saros.
At +50000 to win the Norris, Moritz Seider is clearly viewed as an outside candidate but probably has the best chance to win a player award on the team. The 24-year-old blueliner has all the tools like elite hockey IQ, two-way mobility, and has the ability to play heavy minutes.
He finds himself far behind the likes of recent Norris winners like Cale Makar or Roman Josi. However, Seider is very young and could be due for a massive breakout season especially with a defensive minded coach like McLellan.
For Seider to crash the top tier, he’ll need to significantly boost his offensive totals while remaining a defensive workhorse. It’s a tough bet to make in a loaded field but doable if the Red Wings as a whole take a big step next season.
New Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan is listed at +2300 in the Jack Adams market, placing him just outside the top contenders. If Detroit outperforms expectations and secures a playoff spot, McLellan would most certainly draw serious attention, especially if he establishes a stronger defensive structure.
Detroit management has been vocal about wanting to be aggressive in building a playoff caliber team for next season and if they succeed this could certainly put him in the picture and makes this the most exciting bet on the team.
