{"id":556391,"date":"2026-04-20T00:12:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T00:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/556391\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T00:12:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T00:12:44","slug":"red-wings-top-veteran-forward-in-2025-26-stared-down-adversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/556391\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Wings Top Veteran Forward in 2025-26 Stared Down Adversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Red Wings forwards saw some good, bad, and ugly play during the 2025-26 season, and it\u2019s one reason they missed the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs<\/a>. Detroit needed more consistency with its seasoned veterans. And when you look at these rankings, you\u2019ll see why they underperformed as a unit.<\/p>\n

Over-26 Years-of-Age Veteran Detroit Red Wings Forwards Top-Heavy Throughout 2025-26<\/p>\n

Despite the group\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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?<\/p>\n

Credit Image: \u00a9 Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune via ZUMA Press Wire<\/p>\n

10 \u2013 David Perron<\/p>\n

When the Red Wings traded for David Perron<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

9 \u2013 Dominik Shine<\/p>\n

Dominik Shine<\/a> is better known as your classic \u201cnever give up on your dreams\u201d story. He scored his first career goal at age 32, and potted two more. But he\u2019s mainly organizational depth who saw 18 games in Detroit because of injuries.<\/p>\n

Chances are, you won\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

8 \u2013 Michael Rasmussen<\/p>\n

Michael Rasmussen<\/a> is just about out of chances. At 6\u20196\u2033 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

7 \u2013 J.T. Compher<\/p>\n

Few players have been bigger disappointments in Hockeytown than J.T. Compher<\/a>. While he was reliable on the face-off dot, Compher ended the year with just 28 points and 11 goals across 82 games. That\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t find a trade partner.<\/p>\n

6 \u2013 Mason Appleton<\/p>\n

Mason Appleton<\/a> 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\u2019s with 14 points in 65 games.<\/p>\n

Appleton is signed to another season in Detroit, and is the kind of seasoned veteran you want to see on Detroit\u2019s 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\u2019s offensive zone starting percentages sat at 37.1 and 29.5, respectively. That\u2019s what it must look like in Detroit.<\/p>\n

5 \u2013 James van Riemsdyk<\/p>\n

James van Riemsdyk<\/a>\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t have enough of those voices. If van Riemsdyk returns, he would be a late-summer addition if nobody else picked him up.<\/p>\n

5 \u2013 Andrew Copp<\/p>\n

Fans have mixed opinions on Andrew Copp<\/a>. For a player who\u2019s 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<\/a> and Alex DeBrincat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copp also had a 51.0 Corsi For at even strength, and he contributed well on special teams. You can\u2019t root for the front office to move a player like him, and they won\u2019t. Next season, Copp will return to Detroit, preferably in a bottom-six role.<\/p>\n

4 \u2013 Patrick Kane<\/p>\n

Patrick Kane just doesn\u2019t stop producing<\/a>. Kane isn\u2019t 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\u2019s shown he can still play regular top-six minutes, Kane would ideally finish his career in the bottom six as a depth scorer.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

2 \u2013 Dylan Larkin<\/p>\n

Fans have also been split on Dylan Larkin, but he\u2019s still one of the Red Wings most productive forwards<\/a>. 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\u2019s still the undisputed captain of this team.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

1 \u2013 Alex DeBrincat<\/p>\n

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\u2019s worthy of a massive contract extension<\/a> this summer despite his Olympic snub.<\/p>\n

Whether the Wings extend DeBrincat this summer is irrelevant. He\u2019ll play a similar brand of hockey in 2026-27. Don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Detroit Red Wings forwards saw some good, bad, and ugly play during the 2025-26 season, and it\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556392,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5101],"tags":[6017,599,93,5137,595,5,62834,4,2821,3358,5138],"class_list":{"0":"post-556391","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-detroit-red-wings","8":"tag-alex-debrincat","9":"tag-detroit","10":"tag-detroit-red-wings","11":"tag-detroitredwings","12":"tag-dylan-larkin","13":"tag-hockey","14":"tag-james-van-reimsdyk","15":"tag-nhl","16":"tag-patrick-kane","17":"tag-red-wings","18":"tag-redwings"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116434143970310834","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}