The Detroit Red Wings forwards saw some good, bad, and ugly play during the 2025-26 season, and it’s one reason they missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Detroit needed more consistency with its seasoned veterans. And when you look at these rankings, you’ll see why they underperformed as a unit.

Over-26 Years-of-Age Veteran Detroit Red Wings Forwards Top-Heavy Throughout 2025-26

Despite the group’s shortcomings, there is good news. Two players listed below are entrenched in their respective primes. Meanwhile, there are plenty of guys in this group who may have played their final shift with the Wings.

Which over-26 forwards helped put the Wings in contention of that elusive playoff berth this past season? And who might get sent packing before camp begins in September?

Credit Image: © Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune via ZUMA Press Wire

10 – David Perron

When the Red Wings traded for David Perron, they thought they had a reliable depth point-producer. They were wrong. Perron put up just three points (all goals) in 16 contests. He played with edge, logging 26 hits. But the Wings needed someone on those lower lines to produce and fare better defensively.

Perron may not be back next season, and going into his age-38 campaign, he will likely sign with a contender and potentially move into a part-time role. If the Wings surprised everyone and brought back Perron, expect him to play only when they need to inject more edge into the lineup.

9 – Dominik Shine

Dominik Shine is better known as your classic “never give up on your dreams” story. He scored his first career goal at age 32, and potted two more. But he’s mainly organizational depth who saw 18 games in Detroit because of injuries.

Chances are, you won’t see Shine play too many games for the Red Wings in 2026-27 unless injuries strike again. But he provides value as a mentor to younger players in Grand Rapids while playing a handful of minutes when needed to give seasoned vets a break with the big club. He epitomizes organizational depth that teams want.

8 – Michael Rasmussen

Michael Rasmussen is just about out of chances. At 6’6″ and 222 lbs, he was supposed to be the one to inject physical play into the Red Wings lower lines. Instead, he averaged one hit per game, 64 total. Low for a player of his calibre. His compete level was inconsistent all season. He also finished the year with just 14 points, the second-lowest total of his seven seasons in Hockeytown.

Rasmussen still has two years remaining on his deal, but if the Red Wings are serious about retooling their bottom six, they may dump him to a team not expecting to contend next season. That would save them a salary cap hit of $3.2 million over the next two seasons, which they can use to acquire better fits. Preferably, they would find someone willing to lay more consistent body checks.

7 – J.T. Compher

Few players have been bigger disappointments in Hockeytown than J.T. Compher. While he was reliable on the face-off dot, Compher ended the year with just 28 points and 11 goals across 82 games. That’s an unacceptable mark for a player who carries a $5.1 million cap hit and a modified no-trade clause over the next two seasons.

Compher is another player on this list whose time in Detroit may be finished if the Wings can find a taker for his contract. But his 10-team no-trade list poses a problem, as Compher can block a trade to a bad team if the Wings try to move him. He may be end up as a strong buy out candidate if they can’t find a trade partner.

6 – Mason Appleton

Mason Appleton showed more grit than Rasmussen. He logged 89 hits and helped the Wings improve on the penalty kill. He showed up defensively, even if his offensive numbers were identical to Rasmussen’s with 14 points in 65 games.

Appleton is signed to another season in Detroit, and is the kind of seasoned veteran you want to see on Detroit’s fourth line. One major drawback this season is that he saw nearly 45 percent of his starts come in the offensive zone, when that number should have been much lower. During his last two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, Appleton’s offensive zone starting percentages sat at 37.1 and 29.5, respectively. That’s what it must look like in Detroit.

5 – James van Riemsdyk

James van Riemsdyk’s value went underappreciated this season. He put up 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games across 11:45 of average total ice time. And this came after he missed time in camp and in the preseason. That said, his time in Detroit is likely over, as he signed on for just a one-year deal in July 2025.

Should van Riemsdyk walk, the Wings must replace him with a strong glue player who can be a respected voice in the locker room when things get tough. Judging from yet another March collapse, they didn’t have enough of those voices. If van Riemsdyk returns, he would be a late-summer addition if nobody else picked him up.

5 – Andrew Copp

Fans have mixed opinions on Andrew Copp. For a player who’s better off on the bottom six of a playoff team, he held his own in the top six. Copp had 43 points and nine goals, and he was a fair playmaker on a line that featured high-producing forwards Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat.

Copp also had a 51.0 Corsi For at even strength, and he contributed well on special teams. You can’t root for the front office to move a player like him, and they won’t. Next season, Copp will return to Detroit, preferably in a bottom-six role.

4 – Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane just doesn’t stop producing. Kane isn’t a point-per-game player these days, but his playmaking skills remain near the top of the NHL. He finished with 57 points and 16 goals in 67 games, with 17:42 of average total ice time. While he’s shown he can still play regular top-six minutes, Kane would ideally finish his career in the bottom six as a depth scorer.

If he stays with the Red Wings in 2026-27, the best situation would have Detroit inserting either proven players or prospects ready to make the jump into the top six. That will keep Kane fresh, where he could do some damage between 13 and 14 minutes per game.

2 – Dylan Larkin

Fans have also been split on Dylan Larkin, but he’s still one of the Red Wings most productive forwards. Larkin hit a career-high with 34 goals this season and ended the year with 67 points. But his overall toughness showed us why he’s still the undisputed captain of this team.

Larkin battled injuries and did all he could to help keep the Wings relevant before sitting out the season finale. He was on the ice for 60 goals at even strength, and just 56 against. The latter was his lowest since the truncated 2020-21 season. Next year, expect the same output from Larkin. If he stays healthy, you could see the best version of him yet.

1 – Alex DeBrincat

Nobody deserves the top spot more than Alex DeBrincat, who notched a career-high 85 points and tied his career-high in goals with 41. He was a true playmaker, scorer, and three-zone player who more than showed he’s worthy of a massive contract extension this summer despite his Olympic snub.

Whether the Wings extend DeBrincat this summer is irrelevant. He’ll play a similar brand of hockey in 2026-27. Don’t be surprised if he exceeds 19 minutes of average total ice time per game or even encroaches 20 minutes, like he did during his days in Ottawa and Chicago.

Main Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images