Red Wings Report Card: Who Stays, Who Goes, And Who They’d Like to be Gone
TL;DR
The Red Wings' report card evaluates player retention and departures, highlighting who the team wants to keep and who they wish to move on from.
Key points
- Red Wings evaluate player retention and departures
- Management discusses who to keep and who to trade
- Factors influencing decisions include performance and contracts
- Report card impacts future roster decisions
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The post Red Wings Report Card: Who Stays, Who Goes, And Who They’d Like to be Gone appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Rick Osentoski-Imagn ImagesRick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Another season without playoff hockey has concluded for the Detroit Red Wings, and to put it bluntly, the natives are restless. They want changes galore.
Some want to see a massive roster overhaul. Others think it’s time to revamp the front office. A few even ponder whether a coaching change is required.
Today, through our Red Wings report card, Detroit Hockey is assessing which players will be staying, which will be going, and who’s on the naughty list of players that the majority simply wish would go away for good.
And if you’re keeping score at home, 13 players skated in a game for the Wings this season who weren’t on the roster during the 2024-25 campaign.
These Red Wings Are Staying
Dylan Larkin, C
There are some among the Red Wings faithful who think the team should trade the captain. Not gonna happen. Beyond his no-movement clause, Larkin is from Waterford. He doesn’t want to leave. He wants to be part of the solution. And he scored 30+ goals for the fifth straight season, netting a career-high 34 times.
Lucas Raymond, RW
Raymond topped 70 points for the third successive season and 50 assists for the second straight season.
He’s scored 83 goals over the past three seasons.
Seider A Monster On Red Wings Blueline
Moritz Seider, D
Setting a career-high with 60 points, Seider was the first Red Wings defenseman to have a five-point game since Reed Larson. He’s moving up the rankings among the elite NHL defenders. Seider won’t win the Norris this season. Remember, though, it wasn’t until his 10th NHL season that Nicklas Lidstrom won the first of his seven Norris Trophies.
John Gibson, G
From December onward, Gibson played like a Vezina Trophy contender. He was a big reason why the team vaulted to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Gibson’s 29 wins were the most by a Detroit goalie since Jimmy Howard won 35 in 2011-12.
Alex DeBrincat, LW
DeBrincat tied a career high with 41 goals and led the team with a career-best 85 points. He’s also a strong 5-on-5 performer on a team that isn’t.
Patrick Kane, RW
If Kane wants to be back, he’ll be back. The veteran forward and impending UFA was one of the club’s most reliable contributors during the latter part of the season.
With such limited scoring options, the Wings can ill-afford to allow Showtime to perform elsewhere.
Kasper Regressed Significantly
Marco Kasper, C/LW
Will the real Marco Kasper please stand up? Coming off a 19-goal rookie campaign, Kasper’s second NHL season was the epitome of the sophomore jinx. He struggled to fill every role that was handed to him. Kasper finished with nine goals and 19 points and a minus-20 rating that was the worst of any Detroit forward.
Emmitt Finnie, C/LW
Jumping straight into the NHL from the junior ranks, Finnie finished sixth on the team in goals (13) and eighth in points (30). He shouldn’t be playing a top-six role. As the third-line forward, he’ll be dynamic with his speed, tenacity, and decent offensive upside.
Paired with Seider, they’ve given the Wings a top tandem that’s as reliable as any in the league. The only issue that Edvinsson seems to have is staying healthy.
Ben Chiarot, D
Inked to a two-year contract extension toward the end of the campaign, Chiarot brings the physical element that so few Red Wings do. He’ll be the stay-at-home option in the second pairing, enabling Justin Faulk to join the rush.
Red Wings Getting Their Money’s Worth From Faulk
Justin Faulk, D
Faulk scored five goals after arriving from St. Louis in a deadline deal. He gives the team the top-four defender that was so desperately needed.
He was signed to a two-year contract extension late in the season. There’s nothing flashy about Bernard-Docker, but he competes and blocks plenty of shots. The Wings may see him as the ideal No. 7 defenseman in the rotation.
Certainly, there were growing pains, but in his rookie NHL season, Sandin-Pellikka showed a tremendous skating ability and an improving offensive upside. Like all young defenders, he needs to work on the defensive side of the game. Could that mean ASP starts next season in Grand Rapids? Possibly. Still, that would seem a step back for someone who spent almost this entire season in the show.
Undersized, Johansson plays a smart positional game, so size doesn’t always matter. He is also equipped with a sneaky skill level. He probably deserves a bigger role than he gets from the Red Wings coaches.
These Wings Are Gone For Sure
It was interesting that none of the impending UFAs for the Red Wings were included among the players made available to the media on locker cleanout day. That pretty much summed up the chance each has of still playing for Detroit in 2026-27.
The veteran defenseman was a healthy scratch for 23 of Detroit’s final 24 games. In reality, he hasn’t been a part of the team for quite some time.
Cam Talbot, G
Talbot was better than his numbers showed this season. He filled his role as a backup goalie in a very professional manner. However, room must be made on the roster for goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa.
On paper, the 15 goals contributed by the veteran forward look to be a solid output. If you dig deeper, van Riemsdyk only scored once in his last 29 games. When the Wings needed him most, JVR vanished.
David Perron, LW
The second coming off Perron in Hockeytown wasn’t worth the price of admission. He scored three goals in 16 games and didn’t give the anticipated bump to the club’s bottom-six forwards.
Red Wings The Fan Base Wishes Were Gone
As much as this group often causes venom to spurt forth from the faithful, the harsh reality is that as much as you might want them gone, making that wish come true will be easier said than done.
In past seasons, Rasmussen did a lot of the little things for the team that don’t show up on a stats sheet. But that wasn’t the case this season. Rasmussen didn’t bring a physical presence and didn’t come close to his usual output of double digits in goals. Trying to trade him has proven difficult in the past, and it won’t be any easier this summer. Maybe give the Canucks a call to see if they have any interest in adding a big forward who’s from B.C. And if they are, take whatever Vancouver offers in return.
JT Compher, C
Compher will go down in the annals of Red Wings history as Yzerman’s worst UFA signing. He was miscast as a second-line center, and during his Detroit tenure has even looked out of place as a third-line center. Compher delivers occasional offence, but he’s just as likely to miss an empty net as he is to shoot the puck into the 4-by-6. But he’s got two years left on his deal, so the Wings are stuck with him.
Andrew Copp, C
The hatred for Copp wouldn’t be warranted if the Red Wings weren’t consistently trying to make him into something that he isn’t. You don’t want Copp as your No. 2 center. However, you love him as a No. 3 center. He shouldn’t be playing between DeBrincat and Kane.
A puzzling signing when the Wings added him as a UFA on a two-year deal last summer. Yes, he can kill penalties. But what else does he do for your team? Appleton scored one goal in 2026.
The post Red Wings Report Card: Who Stays, Who Goes, And Who They’d Like to be Gone appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Q&A
Which players are likely to stay with the Red Wings?
The report card discusses specific players the Red Wings management is inclined to retain for the upcoming season.
Who are the players the Red Wings want to trade or let go?
The article identifies players that the Red Wings would prefer to part ways with as part of their roster changes.
What factors influence the Red Wings' decisions on player retention?
Factors include player performance, contract situations, and team needs as assessed by management.
How does the Red Wings' report card impact their future roster?
The report card provides insight into the team's strategic direction and potential trades or signings that could reshape the roster.