The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 3-2 to open the preseason ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season. The young Red Wings were impressive in their first action for the team as they try to crack the Red Wings’ roster. Forward Emmitt Finnie was particularly impressive in the game against the Blackhawks, scoring a goal and adding an assist. Will Finnie make the Red Wings’ opening night roster on October 9th against the Montreal Canadiens?
With the 201st overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the Red Wings selected Finne out of Lethbridge, Alberta. Finnie is yet another one of Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman’s draft picks who have a high motor. Yzerman has focused on drafting players who have a 200-foot game. While playing for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL in 2024, Finnie stood out as one of the more defensively responsible players on the team. This play led the Red Wings to give Finnie an entry-level contract.
Before the preseason opener, head coach of the Red Wings, Todd McLellan, implored Finne to continue to play “full on the gas.” McLellan said that he understood that young players may make mistakes sometimes, but the coaching staff would work with them to clean these up. Whether right or wrong, this was one perception of former head coach Derek Lalonde that was not always evident. The Red Wings’ players were almost afraid to make mistakes under Lalonde.
This is not unforeseen by other Red Wings on the roster. Dylan Larkin recently told FanDuel Sports Detroit Tigers host Jason Benetti, “We’re going to have some guys that are gonna come up and impress and hopefully solidify themselves for a bright future in their careers and for our team,” Larkin said. Larkin is going into his 11th season with the Red Wings. One thing that Larkin has not accomplished is getting the Red Wings into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Fellow young Red Wing Carter Mazur echoed these sentiments by saying that Finnie is an “unbelievable player.” Mazur is also looking to earn a spot on the Red Wings roster. During the offseason, Mazur rehabbed an upper-body injury that he suffered during his NHL debut during the 2024-25 season. “I would say the rehab part was really easy. It wasn’t actually that hard. I had the right people behind me. I would say the hardest part was the mental part,” said Mazur.
Yzerman has made no promises that any young player will be guaranteed a roster spot. This is a continuation of former general manager Ken Holland wanting prospects to be “overripe” by keeping them in the minor leagues for longer than any other franchise. “We’re still in a phase where we’re not prepared – I’m not prepared – to trade high picks or top prospects for guys that aren’t going to be here for a long time,” Yzerman said.
The Red Wings fired Lalonde and hired McLellan after the holiday break during the 2024-25 season, a season that saw the team miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the ninth consecutive year. McLellan is preparing for his first full season as the team’s head coach, having had the opportunity to see the players during training camp. Finnie and Mazur have shown well early in the preseason, which could lead to them making the opening night roster for the Red Wings.
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