Will The Detroit Red Wings Make The Playoffs For The First Time Since 2016?

The Detroit Red Wings have been one of the most successful franchises in NHL history.

They have won 11 Stanley Cups, the third most of any NHL franchise, and most by any American NHL team.

Only the Montreal Canadiens (23) and Toronto Maple Leafs (13) have won more Stanley Cups than the Detroit Red Wings.

Despite having a lot of success, the Detroit Red Wings have struggled in recent years. They have not been to the playoffs since 2016.

On April 19, 2019, Steven Yzerman was announced as the Detroit Red Wings’ general manager and executive vice president. Things got off to a rocky start. On February 21, 2020, the Red Wings became the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention before the trade deadline since the 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Things have slowly improved for the Red Wings since. Last year, they were very close to making the postseason. The Red Wings finished the 2023–24 season with a 41–32–9 record. However, they were eliminated from playoff contention for the eighth consecutive season via tiebreaker on April 16, 2024, after the Washington Capitals defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2–1.

We take a look at if the Detroit Red Wings have a good enough team to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Will The Detroit Red Wings Make The Playoffs For The First Time Since 2016?

Steve Yzerman has done a good job of improving the Detroit Red Wings’ roster over the last few years.

The offense was excellent for Detroit last year but their defense and goaltending held them back.

Can The Red Wings Continue To Perform On Offense?

Last year, the Detroit Red Wings ranked ninth in goals per game.

The star of the team is captain Dylan Larkin. He recorded 69 points in 68 games played last season. Lucas Raymond recently signed an eight-year, $64.6 million deal with Detroit. Raymond is only 22 and he is a potential star in the making. He played in all 82 games last year for Detroit and recorded 72 points.

Another player who has helped the Detroit Red Wings on offense is 26-year-old Alex DeBrincat. He also played in all 82 games last year and recorded 67 points.

The Detroit Red Wings made further moves this offseason by signing forward Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year $9.5 million deal. Tarasenko is 32 years old and will be a nice addition to the second line. Veteran Patrick Kane is still playing at a high level, recording 47 points in 50 games played last year for the Detroit Red Wings. Kane could play alongside Tarasenko on the second line.

Offensively, Detroit will be just as good, if not better than last year.

However, their defense and goaltending held them back last year.

Will Defense & Goaltending Prevent The Red Wings From Making The Playoffs?

Last year, the Detroit Red Wings were very close to making the playoffs but defense and goaltending held them back.

They allowed 3.33 goals per game, which ranked in the bottom 10 in the league. Detroit allowed the seventh most shots per game last year.

The Detroit Red Wings signed Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract in the offseason. He is only 23 years old and the Red Wings expect big things from him. Seider will need to help improve a defense that lacked last season. He has played in all 82 games in three straight seasons for Detroit. Seider along with Raymond each got massive deals from the Red Wings as they made sure they have them locked up for a long time.

Cam Talbot was signed in the offseason to become the new starting goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings. Talbot is a good veteran goaltender who is coming off a good season for the Los Angeles Kings. He started in 52 games last year and made 54 total appearances. Talbot had a 27-20-6 record last year with a 2.50 GAA. The Kings have a better defense than the Detroit Red Wings, so Talbot’s GAA may go up this year. However, he is a solid goalie and a nice boost. Alex Lyon will backup Talbot. Lyon started in 43 games and made 44 total appearances for Detroit last year and had a 21-18-5 record with a 3.03 GAA. Lyon is better suited as a backup.

With the addition of Talbot as the new starting netminder and with Seider entering his fourth season and getting a long-term contract, expect the defense and Detroit’s goaltending to be slightly improved this year.

With a slightly improved defense and a veteran starting netminder, to go along with a top 10 offense, the Detroit Red Wings will make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2016.