The Detroit Red Wings and the rest of the NHL are currently on their annual February break ,but instead of it being for the NHL All-Star Game, it’s for the Winter Olympics — the first time the league is allowing its players to compete for the gold medal since 2014. For the Red Wings, they can take solace in knowing that the Olympics could give them an advantage for the rest of the season.

The Detroit Red Wings are set to be well represented in the Winter Games. They may not have the amount of players being sent to Milan, Italy such as the Tampa Bay Lightning (nine), Colorado Avalanche (eight), Dallas Stars (seven), and Boston Bruins (seven), but they have their main stars set to compete. Team captain Dylan Larkin is set to represent Team USA. Defenseman Moritz Seider is competing for Germany. Lucas Raymond made the cut on the stacked roster of Sweden. Finally, Red Wings prospect Eduards Tralmaks is playing for Latvia.

Red Wings can use 2026 Winter Olympics to their advantage for rest of season

Just imagine, their top players getting significant reps in world competition before making a return for the rest of the regular season. Surely, that will give them a significant advantage.

The Red Wings are near the top of the Atlantic Division, and look destined to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Given that, they will need their top players available to them. The best ability is availability. Other teams in the playoff race will obviously be hoping that none of their top players get banged up or injured during the international competition. Teams like the Lightning, Bruins, Avalanche, and Stars that have a significant chunk of their roster competing will be at a higher risk of losing an impact player.

The Olympic Games gives these players the chance to get in some meaningful games before returning for their playoff push at the end of the month. Larkin on Team USA, and Raymond on a stacked team Sweden both stand a great chance to compete for the gold. Those are going to be some meaningful games, and will provide them playoff-style matchups and high-stakes games in February, a full two months before the start of the postseason. Oh, and Seider is going to be the top defender for Germany in the same group as Larkin and Team USA. Tralmaks and Latvia are in that same group as well, but probably will not be in the medal conversation.

The Red Wings are in good position to make the playoffs. Sure, they may be six points back of the Lightning, but they are seven points ahead of the first team outside of the Wild Card chase. Plus, who knows what General Manager Steve Yzerman has in store for the trade deadline, as he has the chance to bolster the roster.

The men’s hockey games officially start on Wednesday, Feb. 11, and Red Wings fans can watch Raymond and Sweden take on Italy at 3:00 p.m. ET.