Red Wings Could’ve Fixed Their Goaltending Issues in 2012

The Detroit Red Wings (16-11-3) are the only team in the Eastern Conference with a trio of 30+ point scorers (Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat). Players like defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Patrick Kane have been major contributors, and overall, the Red Wings are 10th in the league in goals. As a result, they’re above the playoff line and are third in the Atlantic Division.

However, goaltending has been their Achilles’ heel. Detroit has struggled to find a quality goaltender since Jimmy Howard retired in 2021. They took a big swing this offseason, acquiring John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks for Petr Mrazek, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick. Unfortunately, Gibson has regressed in Detroit, going from a .911 save percentage in 2024-25 to a .869 SV% in 2025-26.

The Red Wings have dealt with goaltending issues for several years. They have the fifth-worst save percentage since 2020 (.891), yet they could have acquired one of the best goaltenders in the NHL over a decade ago. Unfortunately, they traded his draft pick for Kyle Quincey.

Detroit Red Wings trade for Kyle Quincey

On Feb. 21, 2012, the Red Wings were in the midst of a strong season. They had a 41-18-2 record and stayed above .500 in every month of the campaign. They were on their way to clinching another playoff berth – extending a postseason streak that began in 1990-91.

However, the team had massive flaws. Their penalty kill (81.75%) and power play percentages (16.11%) were both below league average. Their core defense was aging, as well; Nicklas Lidström was 40 and would retire at the end of the season, while Niklas Kronwall was 31. Ian White and Jonathan Ericsson looked like strong defensemen for the future, but general manager Ken Holland needed at least one more defenseman to shore up their blueline depth.

The 26-year-old defenseman Kyle Quincey was drafted by Detroit in 2003 and was a member of the 2007-08 team that won the Stanley Cup. However, when he could no longer be sent to the minors, management placed him on waivers, where he was claimed by the Los Angeles Kings.

Quincey was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2009 and became a good top-four defenseman, averaging over four goals and 23 points a season from 2008-09 on. He was set to become a restricted free agent after the 2011-12 season, and was considered a solid player for a team gearing for a Stanley Cup run. If the Red Wings could work out an extension with him as well, that would be a bonus.

Holland organized a three-team trade with the Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning to reacquire Quincey. Colorado received Tampa Bay winger Steve Downie, Tampa Bay acquired Detroit prospect Sébastien Piché and the Red Wings’ first-round pick in the 2012 NHL draft, and Detroit got Quincey back.

Red Wings Aftermath

Quincey faltered with the Red Wings in the 2011-12 season. He had just two goals and an assist over 18 games, with a minus-4 plus-minus. The Red Wings would end up with a 48-28-6 record, with a rough 7-10-4 stretch since the trade. As a result, they finished third in the Central Division. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Detroit faltered, losing to the Nashville Predators (48-26-8) in the first round.

The Red Wings extended Quincey, and he stayed with the team until the end of the 2015-16 season. However, he never reached the level he played with the Avalanche, never scoring over 20 points in a season again. He scored just 14 goals and 34 points through 256 games in his second stint in Detroit. He left the NHL in 2018, signing with HIFK in the Finnish Liiga.

Detroit’s consecutive playoff appearances ended after 25 seasons in 2016-17, and they haven’t made the playoffs since, even after poaching general manager Steve Yzerman from the Lightning.

Lightning Aftermath

After the Red Wings’ early exit from the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tampa Bay acquired the No. 19 pick from Detroit. That pick became goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.