Coach Todd McLellan’s advice to his Detroit Red Wings players regarding the NHL standings is simple.

Don’t look. At least not yet.

Boys are in Boston 📍 pic.twitter.com/gaB6iC5JJX

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 13, 2026

“We have to look at it day to day,” McLellan told reporters following Tuesday’s 3-0 road loss to the Boston Bruins. “Not get caught up in looking at the standings.

“Right now, it’s a waste of time.”

Well, let’s take a look anyway, shall we?

Entering play Wednesday night, the Red Wings sit second in the Atlantic Division with 60 points. That’s one point behind the leading Tampa Bay Lightning, but eight points clear of being out of the playoffs.

Bottom line? It’s a good spot to be in for Detroit.

Of the 16 teams in the Eastern Conference, all but the bottom-placed New York Rangers are playing better than .500 hockey.

“Obviously, it’s great whenever it’s really tight, and you want to be chased,” Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider said. “I think it’s a fun time to be in our division.

“Obviously, a lot of winning teams, and it just shows how tight and how good of a division it is. And yeah, I think it’s pretty fun.”

Red Wings Are The NHL’s Busiest Team

Of concern, perhaps, is that the Red Wings have already played an NHL-high 48 games. Data suggests that they are also facing the toughest finishing schedule of any NHL team.

Strength of schedule pic.twitter.com/ff902MTsBO

— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) January 14, 2026

However, the fact that they are positioned where they are in the standings makes this one of those classic chicken-and-egg debates.

If they had played the most games and were much lower in the overall picture, that would certainly be cause for concern. However, they are making the most of their opportunity.

Detroit’s .625 points percentage is fourth-best in the East. And in a season so compacted due to next month’s Olympic break, this is certainly a season in which having the points in the bank is probably better than holding games in hand.

Doing the math, eighth-placed Toronto is on pace for 95 points. If we are to assume that 95 points is the likely playoff line for being in or out, then the Red Wings are in a good spot. With 34 games remaining, if they play just a touch over .500 the rest of the way, a postseason position should be theirs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

“Through 48 games, we have put ourselves in a spot where we can’t be satisfied, we can’t be comfortable,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. “But, you know, it helps to be in our position.”

Ultimately, when it comes to the standings, whether to look or not is a personal decision. What is definitely noteworthy is that if you are looking at the NHL standings today, things are looking pretty good for the Red Wings.