On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings face off against the Vancouver Canucks at Little Caesars Arena. The two teams meeting this week is good timing – the Red Wings reportedly have interest in a Canucks forward.
In the meantime, get caught up on the latest Red Wings news, and rumors, including the upcoming Olympic Games, lineup changes, and a potential promotion in Detroit’s front office.
Red Wings Connected to Two Western Conference Wingers
Given Detroit’s place in the standings, it’s possible that Steve Yzerman buys at the trade deadline for the first time as the Red Wings’ general manager. And they’ve reportedly reached out about Vancouver’s Kiefer Sherwood and Edmonton’s Andrew Mangiapane.
Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood checks Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)
While I can see Sherwood as a fit, I can’t say the same for Mangiapane. The 28-year-old forward has struggled mightily after signing a two-year, $3.6 million AAV contract with the Oilers this summer. His effort would be appreciated in Detroit, but, otherwise, he doesn’t move the needle much, especially if the offense isn’t there.
Sherwood, on the other hand, could bring a physical, sandpaper element sorely lacking among Detroit’s forwards. Plus, he’s versatile enough to play anywhere in the lineup – including the top line. He leads the Canucks in goal scoring with 17 tallies and hits everything in sight.
There’s risk that his career-high 16.5 percent shooting percentage could drop off, though. Plus, he’s 30 and is a pending unrestricted free agent. But given the fact that the Red Wings have no one on their roster like him, Sherwood is worth pursuing – and even extending for a couple years if acquired. Of course, this comes with the usual disclaimer that the cost needs to be reasonable. It’s a seller’s market right now and Sherwood is one of the better players on the trade block. The one thing working in Detroit’s favor, though, is that Sherwood doesn’t play a premium position like center or right defense – wingers typically cost less.
With the recent influx of Red Wings draft picks joining the NHL roster, we’re now seeing the fruits of Detroit’s laborious rebuild. It may be time to reward one of its architects, too.
Assistant general manager Kris Draper has served as Detroit’s director of amateur scouting since 2019. He has overseen the development of the Red Wings’ prospect pool and watched his draft picks—most recently Emmitt Finnie, Nate Danielson, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka—become NHL regulars. Perhaps addition by subtraction is in order.
Kris Draper during his playing days with the Red Wings. (Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images)
Detroit doesn’t have a director of pro scouting – an area that has received much scrutiny in recent years. Why not remove the “amateur” part from Draper’s title and promote him to a role that oversees all scouting, including the professional ranks? He has clearly proved himself as a capable talent evaluator and has experience with pro scouting dating back to his time as assistant to the general manager.
In this role, Draper could have a greater influence on talent evaluation related to potential trades and free agent signings, plus advance scouting for game plan development. This wouldn’t be putting more on Draper‘s plate from a scouting perspective – just more oversight responsibilities.
Related: Red Wings Need to Accomplish These Objectives to Reach Playoffs
Motivation from DeBrincat, Edvinsson Olympic Snubs
When Bill Guerin revealed Team USA’s Olympic roster for the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, Alex DeBrincat was left off the list. The same happened with Simon Edvinsson and Sweden.
DeBrincat’s 22 goals ranks third among American skaters. He and Jason Robertson—who has 25 goals—were passed over, though, in favor of players who the Team USA management group believes are better fits for specific roles.
Alex DeBrincat after scoring a goal for the Red Wings (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
It’s true that DeBrincat doesn’t come up in Selke Trophy conversations. It’s also fair to point out that he isn’t involved in the penalty kill and the United States has plenty of firepower elsewhere. But could he contribute more than J.T. Miller and Brock Nelson? Probably. In addition to being a talented goal scorer, DeBrincat is also a strong forechecker and creator of rush chances.
As for Edvinsson, his exclusion and the inclusion of Philip Broberg and Oliver Ekman-Larsson is one giant head-scratcher. Edvinsson has been a dominant force on Detroit’s blue line this season alongside Moritz Seider – the two have a 60 percent goal share playing against elite competition night after night.
Ultimately, DeBrincat and Edvinsson’s snubs could and should be used as motivation once NHL action resumes following the Olympic break. Not only is it a chance for the two to show the world that they should have been in Italy, but the Red Wings may need to rely upon them to carry the team down the stretch.
Following the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond slumped a bit when they returned to Detroit – no doubt fatigued/banged up from the tournament. Those two, along with Seider, will be playing critical roles for their respective countries at the Winter Games, and a similar post-Olympics slump should be expected. That’s when the Red Wings will need DeBrincat and Edvinsson to step up.
Red Wings Give Kasper Big Opportunity
I’m curious to see how Marco Kasper fares on Dylan Larkin‘s wing over the next few games. It was here—and around this time last year—where he emerged as a potential top-six talent. His stellar play earned him enough trust from the coaching staff to later center the second line alongside Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane.
This season has not started off well for Kasper. Through the team’s first 44 games, he only has three goals and six points to his name. Then again, he started out slow last year, too, before taking off in January.
If the Red Wings are serious about making the playoffs, they need everyone to pull their weight and contribute offensively. Kasper has provided some jam and effort in limited minutes so far, but needs to do more from an offensive standpoint. Detroit may need to rely upon him—just like DeBrincat and Edvinsson—following the Olympic break should their stars need time to acclimate and/or recover from the Winter Games.
More Red Wings News & Rumors
Detroit assigned rookie forward Nate Danielson to Grand Rapids, where he’ll get big minutes and the opportunity to rediscover his offensive touch.
Griffins forward Eduards Tralmaks was named to Latvia’s Olympic team, joining Larkin (USA), Raymond (Sweden), and Seider (Germany) at the 2026 Winter Games.
Detroit activated Shai Buium from injured reserve and assigned him to Grand Rapids; he has yet to appear in a game at any level this season.
Tony Wolak identified what the Red Wings must do in order to solidify a playoff spot.
Devin Little shared his midseason review of Detroit’s forward prospects.