The Detroit Red Wings Can’t Afford Another Step Back
Seattle Kraken players during a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings on February 18, 2023. Photo credit: Jenn G.
Written by Gina Anton
The Detroit Red Wings have reached a point where another season outside the playoffs would be more than a disappointment. With the franchise facing a potential 11th consecutive postseason absence, uncertainty in the front office and questions surrounding captain Dylan Larkin, Detroit enters 2026-27 with little room for another year of waiting.
For years, the Red Wings have asked their fans to trust the process. That patience is becoming harder to justify. Detroit has shown flashes of progress, but the next step has to come in the standings.
Detroit Has a New Decision-Maker
Steve Yzerman's decision to step away from the general manager role has added another layer of uncertainty. After seven seasons without a playoff appearance, Yzerman is moving into a senior advisory role while the organization searches for its next hockey executive.
That transition comes at an especially important time. Detroit doesn't just need another voice in the front office; it needs a clear plan for a roster that has spent years trying to escape the middle of the NHL.
The next general manager will also inherit the franchise's biggest unresolved issue: Larkin's future.
Larkin's Future Changes the Equation
Larkin's trade request puts Detroit's direction under an even brighter spotlight. The captain has spent his entire NHL career with the Red Wings, making the possibility of his departure about more than losing a top-line center.
Yzerman first addressed the situation publicly after the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, confirming that Larkin's agent had contacted him shortly after the season.
“Shortly after the season, I received a phone call from Dylan Larkin’s agent, informing me that Dylan would like to be traded,” Yzerman said. “A week or so after that, Dylan’s agent followed up with a short list of teams that Dylan would consider waiving his no-trade (clause) to go to.”
Yzerman declined to take questions about Larkin during the video conference, leaving the organization with more questions than answers surrounding its captain.
That uncertainty matters. Larkin isn't simply another player who could be moved for assets. He's Detroit's captain and one of the franchise's most important players. His desire to explore other options raises a difficult question about whether he still believes the Red Wings are moving toward contention.
If Larkin remains, Detroit needs to show him that staying is worth it. If he leaves, the Red Wings lose a foundational piece while a new front-office regime attempts to reshape the team.
Either way, the situation demands a response.
The Excuses Are Running Out
Detroit doesn't need to become a Stanley Cup favorite overnight. It does need to look meaningfully different.
The young core has to develop. Established players need to produce. The new front office needs to make decisive moves. Most importantly, the Red Wings need to enter the playoff race with legitimate staying power rather than spend another spring explaining why next season could be different.
That's what makes 2026-27 so important.
An 11th straight season without playoff hockey would force the organization to confront a difficult reality: the rebuild may not simply need another piece or two. It may need another direction.
Detroit's fan base has waited long enough. The Red Wings don't have to win the Stanley Cup this season, but they do have to prove they are finally building toward one.
