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Detroit Red Wings goalies Cam Talbot and John Gibson (Gerry Angus-Imagn Images)

Dear Santa: Red Wings’ 2025 Wish List

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Devin Little | Last updated Dec 2, 2025 10:55 AM ET

With Thanksgiving come and gone and the calendar flipping over to December, the season of wish lists and gift-giving is upon us. Just as every child is assembling their wish lists to send off to Santa, the 32 teams of the NHL are taking note of their areas of need as well as areas where an upgrade would be nice.

The Detroit Red Wings find themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture nearly a third of the way through the 2025-26 NHL season. They have enjoyed stretches of success, but have failed to consistently build on it and their record reflects the up and down nature of their season so far.

Given the organization’s desire to take the next step as playoff contenders, the items on their wish list aim to steady the ship and help the team bank points for the remainder of the season.

Consistency From Gibson (And Talbot)

There was a renewed sense of confidence in the Red Wings’ goaltending situation after they brought in John Gibson, formerly of the Anaheim Ducks, in the offseason. Gibson had been the Ducks’ starter for almost a full decade, and his experience in that role, as well as veteran Cam Talbot’s presence as the “1B” in goal, was supposed to stabilize Detroit’s crease for the first time since Jimmy Howard was the team’s incumbent starter.

Instead, Gibson has been one of the biggest letdowns through the first two months of the season. While he has certainly flashed the talent that has kept him in the league since he debuted in 2014, this season has the potential to be the worst of his career. Through 13 starts, he has a quality start percentage (QS%) of just .308, meaning the Red Wings are receiving average or above average goaltending from him in just under 31 percent of his starts.

To his credit, Talbot is holding up his end of the bargain as he holds a QS% of .615 through 13 starts. If he cannot maintain that pace in the back half of the season, the question becomes can Gibson settle in and deliver the caliber of goaltending the Red Wings paid of second and fourth round pick for back in June?

That’s why this item may be the most important of all the things on the Red Wings’ wish list.

A Resurgence From Marco Kasper

Marco Kasper entered this season with the wind at his back after a solid rookie campaign in 2024-25. Over the course of last season, he worked his way up the lineup and eventually settled in behind Dylan Larkin as the Red Wings’ second line center. Entering this season, Kasper was in the same spot, centering the second line with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat on his wings.

Despite favorable conditions, Kasper is fighting the dreaded sophmore slump, totaling just three points (all goals) in 26 games this season. At his worst, he has been nearly invisible, generating very little on either side of the puck. He’s a player that is at his best when he is engaged in all facets of the game, but his lack of production has led to a lack of confidence in seemingly every area of his game.

Recently, Kasper looks to have made some progress from a process stand point. He has started to earn some of his minutes back, and he looks to be regaining some of the confidence he lost along the way as well. A lot of the Red Wings’ hopes this season hinged on the 21-year-old being a capable second line center, so it’s no wonder the team feels incomplete while his struggles continue.

If Kasper can enjoy a resurgence in the new year, the Red Wings’ offense will start to look the way it was meant to look.

Help on Defense

As December snow passes through the midwest, the hot topic in Detroit is Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and his potential fit with the Red Wings. The 26-year-old is known across the state of Michigan as “the guy the Red Wings should have drafted at sixth overall back in 2018”, and speculation is swirling that the Canucks may need to move him before his contracts concludes in 2027.

"Detroit's gotta be in the mix"

Pierre McGuire and @JeffMarek dig into the possibility of Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings taking a serious run at Quinn Hughes

Presented by @SportsOnPrimeCA #LGRW #TheSheet pic.twitter.com/GsjTp8PkCP
— The Sheet with Jeff Marek (@thesheethockey) December 1, 2025

Whether it’s an all-world talent like Hughes or not, the topic itself speaks to a real need on the Red Wings’ roster: a difference-maker on defense.

Despite the ever-sturdy Moritz Seider as well as an improved season from Ben Chiarot, the Red Wings’ defensemen have been far too inconsistent this season. Axel Sandin Pellikka made noise after making the roster as a 20-year-old rookie, and has endured the ups and downs of a normal rookie campaign. Simon Edvinsson has fought through inconsistency and penalty trouble (he leads the team with 40 penalty minutes) this season, and Detroit’s third pairing has rarely been a source of strength for the team.

The Red Wings have a young blue line with a ton of potential, but there’s no question that it could use a significant injection of talent in its present form. While the team would like to get more out of their goaltending tandem, their defensemen and overall defensive play stand as the most pressing needs on the team’s wish list.

If Santa leaves just two of these items in the Red Wings’ stockings, they’ll be in great shape heading into the second half of the season. If Santa leaves all three, then they may be able to deliver what fans want most of all this holiday season: playoff hockey at Little Caesars Arena.