{"id":645694,"date":"2026-08-19T15:42:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T15:42:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/645694\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T15:42:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T15:42:29","slug":"what-would-it-take-for-the-red-wings-to-make-the-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/645694\/","title":{"rendered":"What Would It Take for the Red Wings to Make the Playoffs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

About four Connor McDavids and one Quinn Hughes. The Red Wings, as it stands on paper are one of the worst teams in the NHL. This team missed the playoffs last year (despite leading the conference at times) and only incrementally improved by adding Justin Faulk and swapping Patrick Kane for Victor Arvidsson. Pair that with their number one center asking out meaning he will likely get scratched and ended the longest playoff drought in the NHL seems like a long shot. <\/p>\n

But before the season actually begins and the sadness of realism kicks in, let\u2019s take a minute to look at the hypothetical of getting this team into the playoffs. What needs to happen? What needs to change? Maybe most importantly, who needs to step up? <\/p>\n

Mend the Relationship with Dylan Larkin<\/p>\n

\"DylanRed Wings captain Dylan Larkin | (AP Photo\/Paul Sancya)<\/p>\n

You can hate it as much as I do but like it or not, this team needs Larkin if they want to see playoffs. While a trade should still be on the Red Wings mind, Dylan Larkin has not opened his trade list to enough teams to find a valid suitor. As it stands, if the Red Wings want to compete it needs to be with Larkin on the ice. <\/p>\n

Having Dylan Larkin buy into this team at the very least gets them back into the playoff mix. He\u2019s a perennial 30-goal scorer, an elite face-off man and the glue of their power play. He offers speed and offence, two things this team cannot stand to lose if they want to win games. <\/p>\n

This season would be the first since the arrival of Alex DeBrincat that Dylan Larkin would likely spend the season alongside him. Last season in the short stint together, the top line of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond were dominant. Per\/60 they averaged 5.90 goals for with a Corsi For of 62.8%. The three together would be surrounded by top end talent for the first time in their careers and huge numbers could follow. <\/p>\n

Flawed as he may be, both as a captain and as a player, the Red Wings can\u2019t stand to lose Larkin to the press box if they want to compete. They do not have a sure-fire answer down the middle aside from him. <\/p>\n

Marco Kasper Must Find His Game <\/p>\n

\"DetroitMarco Kasper for the Red Wings | AP Photo\/Duane Burleson<\/p>\n

Last season was brutal from Marco Kasper. Kasper struggled massively on the offensive side of the ice, struggling to generate points especially in the first half of the season. If that\u2019s a sophomore slump or a warning about his upside is yet to be determined, but if Detroit has playoff admiration\u2019s they need him to find his game. <\/p>\n

During his rookie season Marco Kasper was able to put up 55 point-pace after Todd McLellan took over in December. Later that year he would dominate for Austria in the World Championships putting up 4 goals and 3 assists in just 8 games without any NHL help. For a moment there, Kasper looked like he was going to be at very worst the 2C for the Red Wings. So much so I had him down for above 50-points. <\/p>\n

It never came and Andrew Copp took the second line centre spot from Kasper early on into the season and didn\u2019t look back. Kasper was stuck in Detroit\u2019s awful bottom six where he wasn\u2019t able to produce and that simply can\u2019t happen again this year. <\/p>\n

If Marco Kasper can find his game as a 40-60 point center with a scoring touch, that alone may push them into the playoffs. Even at his worst last season, Kasper was still solid defensively and physically. Pairing him with Victor Arvidsson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Emmitt Finnie or anyone they bring in could give Detroit a solid second line that doesn\u2019t need to be sheltered like Kane\u2019s did. <\/p>\n

Most importantly though, if Kasper can hold it down in the top six, the Red Wings will finally have competent depth. A third line of Emmitt Finnie, Andrew Copp and Nate Danielson sounds very solid. Even a fourth line of Carter Mazur, J.T. Compher and Keegan Kolesar has the chops to be good too. All of that though hinges on Marco Kasper not only finding his rookie form, but building onto it. <\/p>\n

Superstar Leaps<\/p>\n

\"RedLucas Raymond for the Red Wings | (AP Photo\/Paul Sancya)(APMedia)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve said it before and I\u2019ll say it again, the Red Wings need Lucas Raymond to be a 90 point player. This past season was a shortcoming from Raymond who has had a second consecutive poor finish to the season after international play. It\u2019s a similar note for Simon Edvinsson who really struggled after coming back from his injury. <\/p>\n

Starting with Raymond, the tools are there. The shot is elite, the playmaking is fantastic but the consistence simply isn\u2019t. This season assuming Larkin and DeBrincat are on his line (or at the very least Victor Arvidsson) quality line mates should help him see success. That\u2019s me giving the benefit of the doubt. The entire league knows Raymond can be a 35-goal, 90-point guy and the Red Wings need him to do it badly. <\/p>\n

The second is Simon Edvinsson. There\u2019s a good chance he is the Red Wings highest paid player by the time the season starts and if that\u2019s the case, he needs to be much better. While Seider and Edvinsson were excellent together, that was mostly Seider\u2019s doing. There are numerous analytics you can dig into but my favourite is Dom\u2019s model having Moritz Seider as the 2nd highest defensive net rating and Simon Edvinsson isn\u2019t in the top 100. <\/p>\n

Both players have serious work to do and they both need to take a big step. Lucas Raymond into one of the leagues most productive forwards and Simon Edvinsson into a legitimate number two defenceman. Pair that with elite play from Alex DeBrincat and Moritz Seider already and Detroit would certainly have the star power to get into the postseason. <\/p>\n

Truly Elite Breakout Season <\/p>\n

\"DetroitMichael Brandsegg-Nygard for Grand Rapids | Photo: Rick Crossman \u2013 Inside The Rink<\/p>\n

Sure, Emmitt Finnie\u2019s 30-point rookie season was nice and all but the Red Wings need an actual breakout from one of their young players. The Red Wings can\u2019t stand to have multiple guys who are excellent in small roles, they need at least one player to come onto the scene and kick the doors down. <\/p>\n

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has all the tools to be a 50-point guy in this top six. He now has the pro-experience as an all-star in Grand Rapids and being over a point-per-game at the World Championship for Norway. He\u2019s shown an elite shot and physical tools as well. The Red Wings need a top six forward in this lineup badly and Brandsegg-Nygard seems like the most natural man to step in. <\/p>\n

But it wouldn\u2019t be unheard of if Carter Bear comes onto the roster and produces well. Axel Sandin-Pellikka should be facing a more fair role with Faulk on the team, he should be free to put up some pretty huge offensive numbers. Hell, even Emmitt Finnie can take one more big step into being a legitimate threat every night. <\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t matter who, but the Red Wings need someone to step up and play like a legitimate top-six or top-four defenceman to get them over the hump. <\/p>\n

Wrapping Up<\/p>\n

There are alot of moving parts here. Obviously Raymond taking that superstar jump alongside Larkin and DeBrincat on that super-line would give the Red Wings the offensive punch they needed so badly in seasons past. Pairing that with Marco Kasper finding his game next to Arvidsson and breakout-level young talent and an improved Simon Edvinsson could certainly get Detroit in the playoffs. <\/p>\n

If those things happen, I genuinely do believe in this team\u2019s depth, I believe in their defence and goaltending as well. It\u2019s far from likely. I\u2019m not trying to conflate optimism with certitude right now, I\u2019m just saying if the Red Wings want to get back into the playoffs, this is what it\u2019ll take. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"About four Connor McDavids and one Quinn Hughes. 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