Red Wings miss Stanley Cup Playoffs for 9th straight season

The Detroit Red Wings failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, extending the longest drought in the team’s 98-season history.

The Red Wings (37-35-7) were eliminated from contention when the Montreal Canadiens got one point against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

This is the first step back since general manager Steve Yzerman's first season. After bottoming out at .275 in 2019-20, Detroit's points percentage improved steadily each of the next four seasons -- .429, .451, .488, .555. It has dipped to .513 this season.

Here's a look at what happened in the 2024-25 season for the Red Wings and why things could be better next season.

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Patrick Kane, F; William Lagesson, D; Alex Lyon, G; Tyler Motte, F; Jeff Petry, D; Craig Smith, F

Potential restricted free agents: Jonatan Berggren, F; Albert Johansson, D; Elmer Soderblom, F

Potential 2025 Draft picks: 9

What went wrong

New coach, similar pattern: The Red Wings were 13-17-4 and eight points out of a playoff spot when they hired coach Todd McLellan on Dec. 26. They went 17-5-2 from Dec. 27-Feb. 25, with their .750 points percentage during that stretch tied with the Washington Capitals for second in the NHL (Winnipeg Jets, .775) and climbing into the first wild card in the Eastern Conference. Then they lost six straight in regulation, fell out of the playoff picture and failed to come back. They did much the same under coach Derek Lalonde last season, starting 17-16-4, going 16-4-2 from Jan. 2-Feb. 27, then losing seven straight in regulation and falling short afterward.

Too much reliance on the power play: Detroit is clicking at 27.2 percent on the power play, fourth in the NHL. That’s the best the Red Wings have had since the League started tracking the statistic in 1977-78. But they've scored 134 5-on-5 goals, fourth fewest in the League, and are averaging 2.80 goals per game, 24th in the League. Forward Vladimir Tarasenko has scored 10 goals, including nine at even strength, in 77 games after signing a two-year, $9.5 million contract ($4.75 million average annual value) on July 3. He scored 23 goals, including 20 at even strength, in 76 games with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers last season. Forward J.T. Compher has 10 goals, including five at even strength, in 73 games after scoring 19, including 12 at even strength, in 77 games for Detroit last season.

Poor penalty kill: The penalty kill is at the opposite end of the special-teams spectrum. Detroit is at 69.5 percent, last in the NHL. That’s worst the Red Wings have had since the League started tracking the stat in 1977-78, and the third worst single-season total among all teams.

Reasons for optimism

McLellan and the Yzerplan: When the Red Wings hired McLellan, Yzerman made it clear it wasn't just for this season. Yzerman also said he would continue to do everything he could to build a Stanley Cup contender, even though he was unhappy with the team's performance and respected those who felt the process was taking too long. McLellan injected life into a moribund team. He has 622 wins, fifth among active coaches. With a full offseason and training camp, perhaps he can get more out of the roster as Yzerman keeps working to improve it.

Young players: Forward Lucas Raymond, 23, leads the Red Wings with 75 points (26 goals, 49 assists), an NHL career high. Defenseman Moritz Seider, 24, leads them in average ice time (25:08). Other young players have claimed bigger roles, especially defensemen Simon Edvinsson, 22, and Albert Johansson, 24, and forwards Marco Kasper, 21, and Elmer Soderblom, 23. Kasper has 16 goals in 42 games since Jan. 1, which leads all NHL rookies in that span.

Prospects: The Red Wings have promising prospects on the way, such as center Nate Danielson and defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Danielson, the No. 9 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, has 39 points (13 goals, 27 assists) in 68 games as a 20-year-old rookie with Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League. Sandin-Pellikka, the No. 17 pick of the 2023 draft, starred for Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games and he was named the tournament's best defenseman. He also was named Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year after he had 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 46 regular-season games as a 20-year-old with Skelleftea of the Swedish Hockey League. Sandin-Pellikka’s team has been eliminated from the SHL playoffs. He finished with eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 11 playoff games.