The newest member of the team just spent the spring in a place that the Detroit Red Wings so desperately want to go.

That would be the NHL playoffs.

Last season, defenseman Travis Hamonic was part of an Ottawa Senators team that leapfrogged over Detroit and into the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

“It had been a little while,” Hamonic said.

Travis Hamonic, signed 1x$1M by DET, is a veteran defenceman whose name is an anagram for Harmonic Vista pic.twitter.com/4ddpxXKNg2

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 15, 2025

Hamonic signed as a UFA with Detroit earlier this month. The Red Wings haven’t made it to the postseason since 2015-16.

Can Hamonic offer the Wings any insight into how to get it done and end that drought?

He certainly intends to provide as much intel as he possibly can.

Hamonic’s message to his new teammates is to simplify their outlook.

“For the team in Detroit, for us as a group, I think we just obviously want to get off to a good start, as does every other team in the league,” Hamonic said. “And then just keep building throughout the season.

“I think you just keep that singular focus of just building week by week or game by game, from Game 1 to Game 82. Keep breaking it down in segments and put your best foot forward every single day in practice and in games.”

Red Wings Need To Stay In The Moment

Forget about the big picture. Focus on right now.

“I think the overall picture will take care of itself if you’re doing the right things day to day, and you will continue to grow,” Hamonic said.

Last season was his second in Ottawa. He watched as the nucleus of young talent – players like Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto, and Ridly Greig – took a significant step forward and became not only contributors, but leaders on the ice.

Matthew Schaefer today on who he tries to model his game after the NHL:

His answer? Travis Hamonic. pic.twitter.com/sJcgnPcJyM

— Liam (@_LiamLiamLiam) June 9, 2025

“In the last year or so, just the growth of some of the young players, the maturity of some of the young players, they all seem to really take another step forward in their career and their development and their responsibilities on the ice,” Hamonic said. “They kind of drove the team forward last year.

“As we came down the stretch, they played a huge impact on the team, pushing us to make the playoffs.”

Similarities Between Rosters Are Apparent

Hamonic looks at the core of young talent in Detroit – such as Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, Albert Johansson, Elmer Soderblom, and Jonatan Berggren – and doesn’t see why a similar evolution can’t take place.

Overall, he views many factors in common between what unfolded in Ottawa and what could come to be in Detroit.

“I think a lot of similarities,” Hamonic said. “The fan base in Ottawa at the time was very eager to make the playoffs. In this league, the teams, everyone is really close. Everyone’s right there. And sometimes the littlest detail, the littlest thing, goes right for a team, and the team catches fire at the right time.

“I think that is all that’s needed sometimes. It seems like the group is really ready for that challenge and that opportunity, and I think the fan base is very hungry for it as well.

“I’m really excited to be a part of that.”