The Detroit Red Wings are carrying the unbearable burden of a nine-season Stanley Cup Playoffs drought. Todd McLellan knows what Detroit expects of him during his first full NHL season as head coach. Patrick Kane and the rest of the team will have their work cut out for them—though an insider suggests the Red Wings may have mistakenly assembled the roster.
Albeit the Florida Panthers’ recent success may state otherwise, there’s no secret recipe in the NHL. The league is ever-shifting and what works now might not be useful in a season or two. This applies to coaches, players, and strategies. However, some actually manage to withstand the passing of time.
One of only six active NHL players with three or more Stanley Cups, Kane makes his presence felt night in and night out. However, it still hasn’t been enough for the Red Wings to even get a sniff of the postseason. Something must change for McLellan’s squad to finally break through.
Perhaps, as insider Frank Seravalli suggested, the Red Wings took the wrong approach when adding Kane to their equation. Detroit’s core shouldn’t revolve around ‘Showtime’, who will turn 37 in November.
Patrick Kane #88 of the Detroit Red Wings warms up prior to the 2025 NHL Stadium Series against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Ohio Stadium on March 01, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.
Where did it go wrong?
For a team already built to contend, Kane is more of a cherry on top. If Seravalli’s comments are accurate, the organization in Mo-Town learned a tough lesson: there are no shortcuts in the NHL. And in this case, the order of the factors does affect the outcome.
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“Kane and [Vladimir] Tarasenko. They’re nice pieces, but those are final pieces of the puzzle that you stamp in there to help get a team from the conference final to winning a Stanley Cup,” Frank Seravalli said on Wednesday’s Daily Faceoff Live. “They are not “drive you through the regular season and wedge you into the playoffs” players.“
Fine-tuning the engine
The Red Wings have been stuck in a Groundhog Day loop for the past decade in the NHL. Detroit always comes out of the offseason with high hopes, only to look crestfallen by the start of the new year. It feels like even the tiniest inconvenience is enough to throw a wrench into their plans—time and again.
“Beyond that, Detroit significantly needs upgrades on their defense,” Seravalli added. “They have to go out and fix that this summer or else you can cancel their playoff plans before the season even starts.”
Showtime must go on
While Detroit might be under-utilizing Kane, the three-time Stanley Cup champ has found a home in the 313. It looks like Kane is staying for a third season in town, hopefully to make the postseason.
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“I believe that the Red Wings would like to extend Patrick Kane, feels like they’ll probably get something done,” insider Darren Dreger said about Kane’s contract situation, via TSN 1050 Toronto.
