{"id":620067,"date":"2026-07-11T09:12:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T09:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/620067\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T09:12:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T09:12:12","slug":"what-if-the-red-wings-had-made-the-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/620067\/","title":{"rendered":"What if the Red Wings Had Made the Playoffs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Suppose things had turned out differently for the Detroit<\/a> Red Wings last season? Instead of swooning, they had kept marching forward through March and April, on their way to a playoff appearance that seemed so certain entering the Olympic break.<\/p>\n

What if the Red Wings had made the Stanley Cup playoffs? How might the team\u2019s landscape look different today?<\/p>\n

Would captain Dylan Larkin<\/a> still have submitted his trade request to GM Steve Yzerman<\/a>? Is Patrick Kane\u2019s<\/a> name already on a Detroit contract, rather than the growing rumors that he\u2019s heading to the Buffalo Sabres<\/a>?<\/p>\n

The best American hockey player OAT Patrick Kane remains unsigned. I’ve seen 3 possible locations, his hometown team in the Sabres, where he made his legacy with the Blackhawks, and lastly resigning with the Red Wings. Where could you see Kane playing out his final years? pic.twitter.com\/vAjiwXw8tW<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Max Cook (@Maxwell_J_Cook) July 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Would there be more certainty about the team\u2019s future, instead of the complete uncertainty that has put the Red Wings into a stall?<\/p>\n

Playing the what if game is always a challenge. It\u2019s difficult to speculate on what might have happened in the future if something different had occurred in the past.<\/p>\n

Hindsight is always 20-20. And yet, there\u2019s some comfort in looking back and wondering, rather than looking ahead and worrying.<\/p>\n

Would Larkin Have Stayed With the Red Wings?<\/p>\n

Perhaps it wouldn\u2019t have mattered. It could be that the clash between Larkin and Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was too far gone to be patched up. Win or lose, he still might have asked out.<\/p>\n

LET’S WATCH: Dylan Larkin<\/p>\n

Larkin’s trade request (and short trade list) have been the story of the offseason. Here’s a game of his from December: pic.twitter.com\/YphQZzMpij<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Then again, if the season ended with a playoff appearance, if there was a sense that the future was looking brighter for Detroit, Larkin would\u2019ve had a hard time justifying his desire to leave what suddenly would have looked like a good thing.<\/p>\n

There was a sense all along that Kane\u2019s wish was to remain with the Red Wings. As with previous summers, it felt like his re-upping with the team was going to be a mere formality.<\/p>\n

Then the Larkin stuff hit the fan, and Kane\u2019s situation took a 180-degree turn for the worse as far as Detroit was concerned. <\/p>\n

Would both of these scenarios have turned out differently if the Red Wings\u2019 season had ended differently?<\/p>\n

When the Red Wings threw away a playoff spot this season, it was the most painful loss of all for the team.<\/p>\n

Three months later, the pain is worsening. And there\u2019s no sign of healing on the horizon.<\/p>\n