Does Detroit ‘take a step back’ this upcoming season?

The Athletic's Murat Ates identified the Detroit Red Wings as one of seven NHL teams likely to experience a decline in the upcoming 2026-27 season. Detroit finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 41-31-10 record and 92 points, but faces offensive concerns following the departures of Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk.

While Detroit signed Viktor Arvidsson and anticipates contributions from Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, depth scoring beyond stars Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond remains a key question. Writer George Malik expressed mixed feelings regarding the team's prospects, emphasizing that performance and injury luck will determine Detroit's season.