The skinny
Potential unrestricted free agents: Patrick Kane, F; David Perron, F; James van Riemsdyk, F; Travis Hamonic, D; Cam Talbot, G
Potential restricted free agents: Carter Mazur, F; Simon Edvinsson, D
Potential 2026 Draft picks: 6
What went wrong
Same story: For the third straight season, the Red Wings struggled down the stretch and fell out of a playoff spot. This time, they were tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for first in the Eastern Conference and had a 12-point playoff cushion on Jan. 24, then went 9-14-4. They let too many points slip away. They blew a 3-1 third-period lead and lost to the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime March 4. They blew a 3-2 lead with 1:30 left in the third and lost to the Florida Panthers 4-3 on March 10. After rallying from a 4-1 deficit to tie the Minnesota Wild 4-4 in the third on April 5, they gave up a goal with 1:51 to go and lost 5-4. They blew a 3-2 lead with 16.2 seconds left in regulation and lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in a shootout April 7. Then they blew a 3-2 third-period lead against the Devils on Saturday.
Scoring woes: Since Jan. 24, the Red Wings have averaged 2.59 goals per game, 30th in the NHL, and scored 41 5-on-5 goals, last in the League. Too many veteran forwards have contributed too little offensively in this stretch. Andrew Copp has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 24 games. J.T. Compher has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 27 games. Van Riemsdyk has six points (one goal, five assists) in 26 games. Mason Appleton has three points (one goal, two assists) in 22 games. Perron, acquired from the Ottawa Senators prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6, when he was still recovering from sports hernia surgery, has two goals in 14 games. Michael Rasmussen has no points in 16 games.
Mental toughness: Coach Todd McLellan said improving mental toughness was a goal in training camp. Still, too often the players were flat, fragile or both. McLellan had to challenge the players after the season opener on Oct. 9, a sloppy 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The problem resurfaced late in the season when Detroit started slipping and the pressure was on to make the playoffs. Unsolicited, players brought up how they needed to tune out “outside noise” and how they didn’t care what the media said. McLellan often talked about how they needed to embrace opportunity instead of fear failure, and how they would sag after something negative happened.
