There’s not enough time in the day to discuss all the issues that led to the Detroit Red Wings’ downfall this season. Having said that, there are a few key culprits that stick out from the rest. One of the largest (and most infamous) is Detroit’s even-strength scoring — or lack thereof. The Red Wings ranked 30th out of 32 in 5v5 scoring this season, just 11 goals ahead of the last-place Vancouver Canucks.
In order to build a contending roster, scoring needs to come from more than just the power play. It needs to be everywhere: even strength, power play and even shorthanded goals need to come into play. Alleviating that deficit, however, is another issue entirely. Even-strength scoring isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for, say, the Colorado Avalanche might not work for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It’s up to the Red Wings to explore every solution they can to address their problem. These three tactics provide the Red Wings with something fresh to solve the problem:
Tactic 1: Rework in-game strategies
This option is the most immediate and requires the least amount of outside involvement. That said, it does require a serious reworking of the Red Wings’ current play mechanics. When the pressure gets high, the Red Wings tend to regress to Derek Lalonde-era dump and chase style hockey. While dump and chase can be effective in certain situations, it requires the team dumping the puck to chse after said puck. More often than not, they tend to go on autopilot when this happens.
One of the best (and most effective) ways the Red Wings can fix 5v5 scoring across the board is to adjust their in-game schema. They need more creativity with playmaking. Positioning should be dynamic. It needs to be adjustable under a variety of situations. If the opposing team knows you’re just going to pass the puck around until Alex DeBrincat fires it, they’ll simply guard DeBrincat and break up any hope of a play.
It’s on head coach Todd McLellan and the rest of the coaching staff to come up with some fresh ideas for this roster.
Tactic 2: Let the kids cook
Out of all three tactics, this is among the riskiest of options. The margin of error rises exponentially when you let rookies and young guns take the reins. Still, isn’t that the point of a rebuild? Sooner or later, the youth movement needs a chance to take over. They can’t do that if the Red Wings don’t offer them the opportunity.
By bringing in younger players, the Red Wings add some youthful vigor to the roster. These players can utilize the outside knowledge they’ve gathered from their entire careers to better the team. Take a look at Porter Martone of the Philadelphia Flyers, for example. Martone joined the Flyers late, but, since then, he’s looked every part the elite player he was when they drafted him.
A big reason why he’s successful is because the Flyers trust him to be successful.
Apr 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Porter Martone (94) celebrates his goal against the Montréal Canadiens during the first period at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Red Wings rookies are on a tighter leash than just about any other franchise in the league. Something as simple as a tough turnover can result in a player being benched or playing 11 minutes a night. That kind of mentality needs to change if the Red Wings hope to bring out even-strength scoring.
When the veterans aren’t showing up, someone has to step up to the plate. Why not let it be the kids who take it on?
Tactic 3: Bring in outside help
The last (and likeliest) tactic the Red Wings should deploy is to bring in outside help. If they can’t find a solution from within, sometimes an outside voice can do the trick. This can come in a few different forms: coaching, scouting and even roster players can be the difference-makers with a team scraping the bottom of the barrel for 5v5 goals.
On the coaching front, McLellan can bring in a talented new assistant coach to help bring some fresh ideas to the table. This way, the coaching staff isn’t just an echo chamber. A new scouting staff (specifically at the pro scouting level) can help monitor and spot available talent the Red Wings could use. While the pro scouting staff hasn’t lived up to expectations in the past, a fresh face could be all the difference they need to find their savior(s).
Last, but certainly not least, there are always solutions present on the free agency front. Whether the Red Wings choose to target Anthony Mantha or they go all-in on Alex Tuch, there are several players worth pursuing that can help alleviate the even-strength scoring drought.
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