News Summary
As the Detroit Red Wings prepare for the upcoming season, notable performances from players like Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat stand out. Their contributions helped the team rank highly in offensive metrics, including a strong power-play percentage. The new goaltender John Gibson brings fresh hope, while emerging talent offers promise for future growth. The team aims to refine strategies and leverage player strengths for improved competitiveness in the coming season.
Detroit, MI — Key Player Highlights and Prospects Ahead of the 2025-26 Season
The Detroit Red Wings showed notable statistical performances last season, with several players standing out in various advanced metrics. As the team prepares for the upcoming 2025-26 season, these insights provide a clearer picture of the strengths and areas for improvement within the roster.
Team Goals and Power-Play Performance
Last season, the Red Wings ranked tied for fourth in the NHL for midrange goals, scoring a total of 88. Midrange goals typically refer to shots taken from the neutral zone or from an intermediate distance – a key metric indicating offensive efficiency. Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat contributed significantly to this tally, with Raymond tied for fourth in midrange goals with 17 and DeBrincat close behind with 15, tied for ninth overall.
Under new head coach Todd McLellan, who took charge on December 26, the team achieved an impressive power-play percentage of 30.2%, which ranked as the best in the league following the coaching change. This underscores a marked improvement in special teams performance, partly driven by the offensive capabilities of key forwards.
Individual Offensive Leaders
Lucas Raymond emerged as a leading scorer with a career-high 80 points. His performance was bolstered by strong underlying metrics, including an offensive time percentage of 45.6%, which placed him in the 89th percentile league-wide. Additionally, Raymond excelled on the power play, with a 64.9% success rate in power-play offensive time, landing him in the 97th percentile.
Alex DeBrincat led the team in total goals scored last season with 39 goals. He also contributed 13 power-play goals, tying this figure with team captain Dylan Larkin. DeBrincat’s scoring ability on the power play was a key asset for Detroit’s offensive strategy.
Similarly, Larkin delivered 13 power-play goals and displayed significant individual metrics: he registered 234 bursts of speeds exceeding 20 mph, placing him in the 97th percentile. His total skating distance was approximately 274.26 miles, ranking fifth among NHL forwards with a 99th percentile score. Larkin also created high-danger scoring opportunities, with 80 shots on goal (95th percentile) and 21 high-danger goals (97th percentile), close to top-ranked players league-wide.
Goaltending and Defensive Contributions
The Red Wings acquired John Gibson as a new goaltender, who posted a .912 save percentage over 29 games last season. Notably, Gibson ranked second among NHL goaltenders in long-range save percentage at .990, trailing only Jeremy Swayman. Gibson aims to satisfy areas of improvement after posting a sub-.900 save percentage over the prior two seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.
Defensive standout Moritz Seider demonstrated elite performance metrics, ranking in the 80th percentile or higher in eight key categories. His top skating speed reached 22.88 mph (90th percentile), while his total skating distance was approximately 291.30 miles (99th percentile), making him the fifth highest among all NHL players. Seider’s shot speed reached 95.54 mph (81st percentile), and he contributed to the team’s offensive zone control with a 62.7% power-play offensive zone time percentage (94th percentile). His shot and goal metrics in midrange and long-range scenarios were also notable, with midrange goals and shots ranking in the 89th and 91st percentiles, respectively.
Depth Players and Areas for Improvement
Mid-tier players like Justin Holl played a significant role, appearing in 73 games and accumulating over 1,070 minutes of ice time. Holl contributed defensively with 35 hits and 78 blocked shots, ranking him fifth on the team in those categories. However, turnovers remain a concern, as Holl recorded 66 giveaways, leading to a minus-20 goal differential.
Emerging and Young Players to Watch
Besides established stars, younger players like Marco Kasper and others showcased promising performances. Raymond, Seider, and Kasper were identified as some of the team’s most effective performers, paving the way for future growth. The team’s focus moving forward will be on leveraging the contributions from its younger roster while addressing the inconsistency of veteran players.
Summary and Outlook
The Detroit Red Wings demonstrated strong offensive metrics and significant individual performances last season, setting a foundation for the upcoming season. Key players such as Raymond, DeBrincat, Larkin, and Seider have shown they can anchor the team’s offensive and defensive efforts. The team will aim to build upon this by refining special teams, minimizing turnovers, and developing younger talent to improve overall competitiveness heading into the 2025-26 NHL season.
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Additional Resources
- NHL: Red Wings NHL Edge Stats
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Sidney Crosby
- The Hockey Writers: Player Grades
- Google Search: Detroit Red Wings
- NHL: Impact of Coaching Change
- New York Times: Derek Lalonde
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