The Detroit Red Wings wanted nothing more than puck drop on a new season, a chance to turn the page on a tumultuous offseason. Captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade in June and was stripped of the captaincy, Steve Yzerman abruptly stepped down as general manager in July, and restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson remained unsigned. The team didn't name an interim general manager, Shawn Horcoff, until two days before training camp opened in late September.
Despite these distractions, the Red Wings entered the season with a sense of unity. Defenseman Moritz Seider said the team felt like an "us against the rest of the world" group, arguing that the front office's situation changed little on the ice. Still, the crowd at Little Caesars Arena greeted Larkin with boos during his pregame recognition, a sign of the frustration among fans. Many were already dissatisfied with management after the team failed to lock in Alex De Brincat to a long-term extension and let fan favorite Patrick Kane leave for Chicago in free agency.
Detroit did sign De Brincat to a seven-year, $91 million deal, but the on-ice results offered little relief. The Red Wings started the season with a 1-3-2 record and lost their home opener 2-0 to New York. Midway through the game, fans chanted "sell the team" from the stands. The team had missed the playoffs for a tenth straight year in 2025-26, and the early struggles only deepened the sense that the franchise was facing death by a thousand cuts.
The Red Wings now need results to match the optimism of their locker room. Their chances of quieting the noise depend on whether the players can translate their talk of brotherhood into wins.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing