By George B. Eichorn
As the curtain lifts on a new Detroit Red Wings season there are plenty of question marks hovering over Hockeytown.
Two unexpected scenarios played out in the off season as captain Dylan Larkin asked to be traded despite having grown up here, played for the University of Michigan Wolverines, and won a gold medal for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy.
Then came the surprise decision involving Wings Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman as he was removed as the club’s top executive soon after the NHL Draft and free agency.
Larkin is still on the team as a trade has yet to be worked out and Yzerman is now a consultant to owner Chris Ilitch as Shawn Horcuff was named interim GM. Opening night with all its festivities is Friday, October 2 as the New York Rangers are hosted by the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena at 6:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV and WXYT-FM 97.1.
Coach Todd McLellan, in his second full season behind the bench, has a club that narrowly missed the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs the last two seasons. With a chaotic offseason in mind experts forecast an 11th consecutive Wings season without making the playoffs. I won’t go so far as to write the Wings off before the puck is dropped on Detroit’s 101st NHL season.
Forwards entering the new campaign: Larkin, injured in an off-ice workout and is day-to-day, leading scorer Alex DeBrincat, Andrew Copp, Lucas Raymond, Marco Kasper, Viktor Arvidsson, Emmitt Finnie, J.T. Compher, Keegan Kolesar, Nate Danielson, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Carter Mazur, Michael Rasmussen and Mason Appleton. Finnie was Detroit Sports Media’s rookie of the year in 2025-26.
On defense the Wings have Norris Trophy contender Moritz Seider, Ben Chiarot, Justin Faulk, Albert Johansson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Anton Johannson and William Wallinder. Top defenseman Simon Edvinsson is yet to be signed to a new contract.
In goal, the Wings have veteran John Gibson and Russian newcomer Daniil Tarasov. Other goalies in Detroit’s system are Carter Gylander, Trey Augustine and Michal Postava. It sure has been too long for a drafted goaltender to claim top billing on Detroit’s roster (think Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard).
The Wings scrapped their annual Traverse City training camp this season opting for the practice facility at LCA instead. The exhibition season was cut from eight to four games as the NHL is adding two more regular season games to the schedule. Strangely, the Wings open with four straight home games. After the Rangers, the Winnipeg Jets (Oct. 3), Ottawa Senator (Oct. 6) and Seattle Kraken (Oct. 9) visit Detroit. The first road game is at the Montreal Canadiens Oct. 10.
Introduced earlier this year in partnership with Major League Baseball, Detroit SportsNet serves as the year-round local television home for Red Wings hockey and Tigers baseball. Aside from games selected for national telecasts, games of both teams previously carried by FanDuel Sports Network Detroit can now be watched on DSN. Streaming is also available.
Ken Daniels (play-by-play and in his 30th season), Mickey Redmond (30th) and Stu Grimson (analysis) call the action. Daniella Bruce, Trevor Thompson, Logan Reever, Chris Osgood and Larry Murphy offer pregame, in-game and postgame reporting. Radio accounts from Ken Kal won’t be the same without 40-year analyst Paul Woods who retired. Rotating analysts are Murphy, Osgood and Grimson. Ex-Wing Justin Abdelkader was given an on-air tryout during the final preseason broadcast.
The Wings moved the traditional New Year’s Eve night game to the afternoon hosting Cup Champion Carolina Panthers. Other feature games are on Halloween vs. St. Louis and the day before Thanksgiving vs. Vancouver. Door giveaways include Scotty Bowman, Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov bobbleheads, military appreciation hats, salt & pepper shakers and Moritz Seider steins.
Eichorn prediction: Red Wings 43 wins and the last Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Reach him at geichorn@yahoo.com or X/Twitter at sandgsports99.
