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Last Word On Hockey‘s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2026-27 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2026-27 Detroit Red Wings. 2026-27 Detroit Red Wings 2025-26 Season The Detroit Red Wings season was certainly a frustrating one for the organization and its fans. They showed so much promise during the first half, often occupying the top seed in the Atlantic Division. They held onto the top seed after 53 games with a record of 32-16-5 and were tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the top seed in the entire Eastern Conference. However, after the Olympic break, everything fell apart for the Red Wings. The Red Wings closed out the season with a 9-15-5 record in the final 29 games of the season, dropping out of the playoff race and finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference, ultimately missing the playoffs for a 10th-consecutive season. 2026 Offseason The offseason hasn’t brought much hope to the organization for the upcoming 2026-27 season. They made one notable signing, inking Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year deal worth $10 million. Arvidsson had a solid season with the Bruins last season, scoring 25 goals and 54 points in 69 games. The only other addition the Red Wings made to the forward group was a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights to bring Keegan Kolesar to the fold. Kolesar will slot into the Wings’ bottom six and add a much-needed physical presence to the roster. They also made another minor signing, bringing in Daniil Tarasov to back up John Gibson next season. One major move that’s worth noting was the decision to trade former first-round selection Sebastian Cossa to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for the 23rd-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The Red Wings used the pick to draft J.P. Hurlbert. Dylan Larkin Rumours Still Swirling Despite the additions, the biggest piece of news during the Red Wings offseason hasn’t quite happened yet. Dylan Larkin, who has requested a trade from the organization, still remains with the team at this time. The captain is under contract until 2031, and there is no reason for the Red Wings to rush to move him just because he has made the request. However, the longer it drags on, the worse of a return the Red Wings could potentially get for the forward, and surely they don’t want to have someone around the group that doesn’t want to be there. Specifically someone who is supposed to be leading the club. We’d expect this to be addressed prior to the season starting, as long as it doesn’t set the Red Wings back further than they already are. Lineup Projections Emmitt Finnie-Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond Alex Debrincat-Andrew Copp-Viktor Arvidsson Michael Brandsegg-Nygard-Marco Kasper-Mason Appleton Carter Mazur-J.T. Compher-Keegan Kolesar Top Six The Red Wings top-six could be very potent offensively, but the Larkin rumours make everything questionable for the group moving forward. Raymond and Alex DeBrincat lead the way for the Wings while newcomer Arvidsson will look to build off his solid 2025-26 season. The Wings will hope Marco Kasper can take the next step in his development and replace Andrew Copp in the top six. Emmitt Finnie will get a chance with the top line after the former seventh-round pick finished with 13 goals and 30 points in his rookie season. Bottom Six The bottom six will feature the aforementioned Kasper, as well as one of their top prospects, Brandsegg-Nygard. Brandsegg-Nygard appeared in 14 games last season and only posted one assist before heading back to the AHL, where he scored 20 goals and 44 points in 60 games. The promising Norwegian will certainly get another shot to become a regular fixture in the lineup this season. Defence Pairings Simon Edvidsson-Moritz Seider Ben Chiarot-Justin Faulk Albert Johansson-Axel Sandin Pellikka Top Four The defence of the Detroit Red Wings should prove to be a bright spot for the club this season. The top pairing of Simon Edvidsson and Moritz Seider could become one of the best duos in the entire NHL if Edvidsson can take the next step this season, while Chiarot and Faulk should prove to be a very steady pairing for the club as well. Bottom Pairing The third pair of Johansson and Sandin Pellikka should also prove to be an excellent pair for the Red Wings as well. Johansson is your typical, stay-at-home defenceman who will complement the offensively gifted Sandin Pellikka perfectly. Johansson’s reliable defensive ability will allow for Sandin Pellikka to get comfortable playing his game and taking chances to be creative offensively. This pairing is a very underrated duo for the Red Wings and could earn themselves a promotion to the top four as the season progresses. Goalies John Gibson Daniil Tarasov Gibson posted a very solid season for the Red Wings last season, posting a record of 29-22-4 with a 2.72 goals-against-average and a .901 save percentage. Solid numbers for his first full season in Detroit. Gibson should be ready to be the workhorse for the Red Wings this season, as backup Tarasov has a career 3.39 goals-against-average and an .897 save percentage in 98 career games. He’s not the most experienced netminder, and if the Red Wings want to have any chance of making the postseason, they’ll need to rely heavily on Gibson. Players to Watch Marco Kasper Marco Kasper might just be one of the Red Wings’ most important players entering the 2026-27 season. The 22-year-old was drafted eighth overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and is entering the final year of his entry-level contract. Kasper took a step back in his sophomore season, seeing his goal total drop by 10 and his overall points by 18. Entering a contract year, as well as a season with so much uncertainty at the centre position with the looming Larkin trade rumours, it’s time for Kasper to take the next step for the Red Wings and secure himself a nice contract for next season. The Red Wings will be heavily relying on him to slot in as a top two centre. Not just this season, but for years to come. Simon Edvidsson Though Simon Edvidsson has yet to re-sign with the club, he certainly will ink a new deal prior to the start of the regular season. The Red Wings drafted the 23-year-old with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Signing his new deal with the club will bring some added responsibilities for the young defenceman as he will be expected to solidify himself as a true top-pairing defenceman alongside Moritz Seider. His production may have slightly dipped last season, it was in fewer games. Edvidsson projects as a 30-40 point defender with an outstanding two-way game and penalty killer. Expect him to be up to the task and solidify the Red Wings’ top pairing moving forward. Prediction for the 2026-27 Detroit Red Wings With the status of their captain Larkin still up in the air and the lack of meaningful additions made by the club, we fully expect the Red Wings to be in for a long year during the 2026-27 season. While there are still solid parts in the organization, such as Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, the Atlantic Division is just far too deep for the Red Wings to compete this season. Expect them to be a lottery team at season’s end. Main Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Related NHL Content: Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Dallas Stars Puck Drop Preview: 2026-27 Chicago Blackhawks