Red Wings opens with packed slate
Detroit Red Wings prospects will see a smaller preseason tourney again this year. The main roster, however will start the season with an aggressive schedule. The NHL released the regular season schedule on Wednesday (July 16), and there are some interesting adjustments due to a three-week Olympic break.
The regular season will start with six games every other night from the 9th to the 19th. The first five will be against Atlantic Divisional opponents. The season opens against Montreal at Little Caesar’s arena. The team will then play a home and away set against Toronto on the 11th and 13th. Games against Tampa Bay and Floridafollow on the 15th and 17th.
Detroit needs to start strong and stay healthy in what may the most difficult division in the NHL. On the 19th, Edmonton will come to town to cap off the first stretch. The Red Wings will see both teams from the Stanley Cup finals for the past two years in that set. All five teams were in the post season last year.
Staying healthy is as important to stay competitive
The Red Wings will play 12 games in 23 days to start the season. Six games will be in Detroit, and five of the final six games will be on the road. The month will end with the team playing in St. Louis and California for three games.
The schedule through December sees a fairly consistent trend of games nearly every other night. This season could provide an enormous opportunity for players in the AHL to see time in the NHL. Steve Yzerman may do well to retain some of the 12 million dollars in cap space for call ups from Grand Rapids.
Nine of the 14 games in November will be played in Detroit. That may help greatly to reduce wear and tear on the roster. December will see 15 games played and eight of those will be on home ice. The 24th and 25th appear to be off for the holiday break. Rest is not going to come easily for a team anxious to make the playoffs.
Red Wings face heightened pressure in 2025-26
The schedule is almost relentless up until the Olympic break. Detroit will play on February fourth and not again until February 26th. Players not going to the Olympics will have 22 days to rest, while the roster’s top stars head to Milan, Italy.
All of the league will have to deal with the compacted schedule. For Detroit, avoiding a tenth straight year of missing the post season is going to see a lot of challenges. The Atlantic Division (and specifically the state of Florida) has won four of the past six Stanley Cups. Those teams have also played in the Cup Finals for six straight years (three apiece).
It will take very careful planning by the coaching staff to balance rest with practices. There aren’t any major lulls in the schedule, and any injuries could see players miss a significant amount of game time. Luck, in terms of health, may ultimately decide who will play after game 82 this season.
Hey Jeremy! I’m probably in the minority, but I think Yzerman makes a major move this Summer. He’s never wasted anything close to 12M in cap space in previous seasons. Now that Byram has signed in Buffalo, I wonder if Power may be available? He’d make an ideal eventual partner for ASP on the 2nd pairing. Signed long term but coming off an injury; maybe Johansson, Berggren and our 2027 1st would get it done. Thoughts?? Great to see you back Jeremy!
Hey Todd! Never say never, but I don’t think Power is available at all. Byram signed a 2 year, Buffalo didn’t want to do that because it walks him to UFA. This gives them 2 years to get the deal they want for him. I keep hoping to see Yzerman make a move, but it isn’t materializing. That 12 million, cut about 4 or 5 out for call ups. The scheduling is brutal with the Olympic break. I have no idea what the year will look like, but injuries could factor in big.
As for any trade for a Byram (or a Power). Detroit is exceptionally limited in the value that those deals would seek. Kasper was the asking price last year, I assume he is again. Buffalo has a 14 year playoff drought and futures mean less than a solid top six forward. That would mean Larkin, Kasper, Raymond, Debrincat. I don’t see Detroit parting with those at this point. The scoring was down last year, and three of those players are around the 30 goal mark (Raymond under, Larkin pretty much right at 30, Debrincat over). The Karlsson rumors have quieted down. Realistically, short of internal improvements from Kasper/Seider/Edvinsson, Gibson is the biggest upgrade right now. The team didn’t address the top 4 defensive needs or the top 6 forward need. The market was thin, maybe we’ll hear how close they got. For now, Buffalo can wait until they get what they’re asking for on Byram, but I think he’ll finish his current deal somewhere else once they get it.
Good thoughts Jeremy. I continue to believe Yzerman will utilize the cap space, the question is where? Granted, the Power projection was mostly a shot in the dark. I think he’d be the better fit, but I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to adding Byram. I agree Yzerman is very unlikely to give up a member of the young core. Maybe he picks up a significant veteran or two for a lesser price? I hear there’s a fire sale in Pittsburgh.
I’m definitely hoping for a significant add. Was really bummed they couldn’t get Miller out of New York. I see a couple people posting rumors about offer sheets, but it’s not getting confirmed by other sources. Speculation running rampant. Would love to see it transform into something.