Young Detroit Red Wings are Alright

With nine points in the last five games, Raymond was named the second star of the week in the NHL. When being interviewed by Daniella Bruce and Larry Murphy of FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, Raymond said, “Coulda had two, but Cat’s quick.” Raymond has scored six goals and added 16 assists in 18 games played so far this season. These 22 points are two behind Dylan Larkin.

Fellow winger Alex DeBrincat has recorded six points in his last three games. Five of these were goals. This is despite not scoring for a large stretch of the season. In 19 games played so far this season, DeBrincat has scored only nine goals. One thing is certain about DeBrincat: when he scores, he scores in bunches. This may be a welcome sign for the Red Wings’ top six, whose scoring has been lacking as of late.

In the Red Wings’ latest win against the Seattle Kraken, Larkin scored the 600^th goal of his career. The Waterford, Michigan, native has played his entire career with the Red Wings and has led the team through its rebuild. The next thing for Larkin to do is to lead the team to the Stanley Cup playoffs. With the win against the Kraken, the Red Wings moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with 25 points. This is the best start the Red Wings have had since the 2011-2012 season. That season, they finished in third place in the Central Division with 102 points.

Young center Emmitt Finnie ended his scoring drought against the Kraken with a power-play goal. This is a welcome sight as Finnie is mired in a slump. This is to be expected for a 20-year-old making his way in the NHL. During a post-game media interview, Finnie admitted that “it’s been difficult.” One thing that should put Finnie’s mind at ease is the fact that McLellan has trusted not only him but also the other young players on the roster.

At the end of the 2024-25 season, McLellan was critical of the Red Wings, saying that the team. “We pissed away points” that caused them to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for a ninth season in a row. This message is a familiar one. After the first game of the 2025-26 season, McLellan said, “Are we tired of this yet?” McLellan asked the leaders on the team. The Red Wings took this message to heart, winning five games in a row after the opening-night loss.

If the Red Wings are going to make it back to the Stanley Cup playoffs, they will need to lean on the young players on the team like Raymond, Finnie, and DeBrincat. Whether or not this happens this season, one thing is certain: the kids are alright.