The Red Wings now hold the longest active Stanley Cup Playoffs drought in the NHL. A disheartening end to the 2025–26 campaign saw to that, as did the Buffalo Sabres finally making it to the postseason. Now, fans demand change—mostly at the front-office level. As for Kane, the jury is still out on whether Detroit wants him back. One thing was made clear, though: Kane still believes the 313 is where he wants to be.

“I’d love to be part of the solution that helps us get over the hump for sure,” Kane admitted during his exit press conference after the 2025-26 NHL season, via Detroit Free Press. “I think there is mutual interest to come back, continue my career here.”

Kane is interested despite rumors

Although names like Steve Yzerman, Todd McLellan, and many others are in the eye of the storm in Motor City, Kane still hopes to be back with the Red Wings during the 2026–27 campaign. The rumors around Little Caesars Arena in Hockeytown are loud, but Kane is playing deaf to them.

If Detroit indeed undergoes major structural changes, though, it remains to be seen whether a veteran like Kane would be highly regarded by a potential new front office and executive group. If it all stays the same, Red Wings fans may light their torches.

Kane was in this exact situation before

In more ways than one, fans in Detroit may start to believe they are living in a simulation. There must be a broken record somewhere, because the Red Wings are dealing with déjà vu time and again. In addition to gut-wrenching endings to seasons that leave them playoff-less, watching Kane sign a deal in the offseason has also become a yearly tradition in Detroit.

Kane signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings in 2025, ahead of the 2025–26 campaign. He signed a one-year deal with Detroit in 2024, too—and the year before that as well.

Kane’s potential next contract

Coming off a 57-point season and set to turn 38 midway through the upcoming campaign, Kane could be on track to sign a very similar deal to the one he put pen to paper on back in June 2025 (one-year, $3 million contract). All signs indicate Detroit will continue its trend of handing prove-it deals to Kane until the wheels come off or he calls it a career.

However, the Red Wings are in for another long offseason—one that hurts even more than in previous years. Much can change, and anything can happen. It’s trending in that direction, but “Showtime” is far from guaranteed to be a Red Wing in 2026–27.

As McLellan blamed Kane for the costly loss in Detroit, Kane knew he couldn’t turn a blind eye or act as if nothing had happened. Now, the American star has bitten the bullet, admitting his responsibility for the mistake that could put the Red Wings out of contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Maybe the worst I felt personally in my career. A lapse in judgement for sure,” Kane commented on his mistake against the Wild, via Detroit Free Press. “Obviously, didn’t mean to do that or take a penalty at that point in the game. Nonetheless, I take responsibility for what happened there.”

Red Wings must turn it around

Detroit has lost four of its last five games in the 2025–26 NHL season. Up next, the Red Wings will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets—the only team in the Eastern Conference playoff race with worse form than Detroit right now. As the Blue Jackets walk into Little Caesars Arena in the 313, they arrive mired in a six-game losing streak.

Still, the Red Wings can’t take them for granted. It’s not like they have looked much better in recent outings. Detroit has lost four straight at home. Its last victory in Motor City was on March 19 (3–1 vs. the Montreal Canadiens).

Playoff stakes at an all-time high

The Red Wings and Blue Jackets are tied in points (88) with the same number of games played (77), so their upcoming bout in Detroit will have all the ingredients of a playoff matchup. The winner could catch fire at the right time, while the loser may just go ahead and wave goodbye to the postseason.

The Red Wings must do everything in their power to avoid being on the wrong side of that equation. If they miss the playoffs for the 10th straight NHL season, fans in Michigan won’t take it lightly, and big changes may be on the horizon within the organization. In more ways than one, April 7’s game against Columbus has the feel of a win-or-go-home showdown.

Detroit’s last 5 games of 2025-26 NHL season

“It hurts to not get anything out of this game,” McLellan admitted, via NHL.com. “Especially on a penalty 150 feet from our net and away from the play.” McLellan’s comment was a clear shot at Kane‘s stick infraction that handed the Wild a late power play opportunity.

Being booed off the ice at the sound of the second-period horn certainly served as a wake-up call for the Red Wings. In the third period, they found their footing and tied the game at 4–4 after trailing 4–1. However, there was still time left for the Red Wings to trip over the same stone once again.

Kane had scored the equalizer, yet he followed it up by committing a nonsensical tripping penalty on a possession-less Quinn Hughes. Minnesota went on the man advantage, Kirill Kaprizov cashed in with 1:51 left in the game—and that was all she wrote for Detroit.

Playoff implications for Detroit

A win would’ve put the Red Wings in a playoff spot with five games left in the 2025–26 NHL season. Instead, they remain in the jam-packed fight for a wild-card spot. A divisional ticket is no longer available, as the loss to the Wild meant the Montreal Canadiens punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The only way into the postseason for Detroit is now through the wild card. However, there are six teams fighting for those two spots, so the Wings’ odds decrease tremendously.

Red Wings’ playoff drought

With the Buffalo Sabres clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2011, and snapping their 14-season playoff drought, the Red Wings could now carry the burden of the longest active playoff drought. For a franchise that once prided itself on making the postseason 25 years in a row, these are unforeseen levels of misery in Motor City. Detroit’s last playoff appearance was in 2016, and its last playoff series win came in 2013.

The Red Wings can still turn things around, but the loss against the Wild had the feel of a playoff-elimination defeat, even if it was in a regular-season outing. Needless to say, McLellan, Kane, and company can’t afford to point fingers around the locker room. Instead, they must figure out a way to make the postseason and avoid yet another heartbreaking end to the season.

“It was a great start. I think we were really focused on the start tonight, and that obviously put us in a great position. Second period wasn’t great, obviously, but we held down the fort. ‘Gibby’ made some huge saves. He was unbelievable for us tonight… Big team win,” Kane said after the game, according to NHL.com.

Detroit’s victory moved them one point behind the New York Islanders, who have played one more game, for the second Eastern wild card. Buffalo, meanwhile, has lost three straight games for the first time since December and remains two points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division.

Red Wings capitalize on early goals to set pace

Detroit struck early with two power-play goals in the first period. DeBrincat opened the scoring at 4:02, chipping a shot over Lyon’s pad after Seider set him up from the point. Lucas Raymond made it 2-0 at 9:11, finishing a wrist shot after a pass from Seider. Marco Kasper extended the lead to 3-0 later in the period.

Despite a stronger second period for Buffalo, including a goal by Tage Thompson, Detroit limited the damage and maintained control. The Red Wings’ disciplined approach and focus on strong starts proved crucial in keeping the Sabres at bay.

Strong start and team focus propel Red Wings

Detroit’s early goals and disciplined play set the tone for the game, helping them stay in control despite Buffalo’s late push. Capitalizing on power-play chances and limiting mistakes in critical moments demonstrated the team’s resilience.

Coach Todd McLellan praised his team’s approach, saying, “The opposition always has a say in the game. We’ll control as many variables as we can and try to get off to a good start again.” The win shows how Detroit’s focus on strong starts and teamwork can be a difference-maker as the playoffs approach.

“[Larkin] is MIA (Missing in Action),” McLellan jokingly said about Larkin, whose adventures with the gold medal have gone viral all over social media, during a press conference. “From what I understand, the POTUS has invited [Team USA] to Washington, and I believe that’s where they are at.

“If it all goes well—weather and flights cooperate—Larkin can sleep in his own bed late tonight. We will have him around the arena tomorrow. Not sure if he will skate, but we expect him to be on the plane and be a factor in Ottawa on Thursday.”

Larkin and Red Wings resume playoff push

As McLellan told reporters, Larkin will be back in the lineup when the Red Wings resume their 2025–26 NHL season against the Ottawa Senators. With him back on the ice, Kane and the rest of the Wings can resume their push to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2015–16 season.

Ten years later, Detroit is vying to snap its nine-season playoff drought. It is the second-longest active drought, only behind the Buffalo Sabres’ 14-year streak. As it stands, both franchises are set to snap those streaks.

Larkin and Kane’s numbers so far

So far in the 2025-26 NHL season, Larkin registers 51 points (26 goals and 25 assists) in 58 appearances. Meanwhile, Kane has put up 32 points (8 goals and 24 assists) in 43 outings.

Often considered the greatest American to ever play in the NHL, Kane’s absence from Team USA’s roster didn’t sit well with many around the league. With the likes of Auston Matthews and the Tkachuk and Hughes brothers leading the charge, Team USA was powered by a generation of players who grew up idolizing Patrick “Showtime” Kane. Had he been selected, it would have been a full-circle moment.

Still, Kane didn’t dwell on it. After Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk, and Auston Matthews won gold, he shared an honest message on social media, singling out a select group of players.

“Congrats, Dylan Larkin and USA Hockey! Jack and Quinn Hughes legends,” Kane wrote on his X account (@88PKane).

Reading between the lines on Kane’s message

The fact that he named Larkin—his teammate with the Detroit Red Wings—came as no surprise. However, his message for Jack and Quinn Hughes did raise some eyebrows.

All in all, it showed just how the entire country rallied behind Team USA. Kane’s words for the Hughes brothers captured how Americans felt about the siblings, who rose to the occasion during the team’s darkest moments in the Winter Olympics.

In full “Showtime” fashion, Quinn Hughes delivered the game-winner in overtime against Sweden in the quarterfinals. They say younger brothers always look up to their older siblings, and Jack Hughes proved that true by scoring the golden goal in the final against Canada. Now, the duo cemented its place in American hockey history.

Following the win against Team Canada in the championship game, Hughes, Tkachuk, Matthews, and Team USA can now hang a gold medal around their necks. Team USA has captured its first gold in men’s hockey since the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. However, the Americans have claimed other medals in the years in between.

As a result, Kane only has a silver medal to his name. He was a member of Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, when Canada defeated the Americans in sudden-death overtime. Kane also represented his country at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, but Team USA finished just outside the podium with a fourth-place result.

Team USA strikes gold once again

Though missing a true American hockey icon like Kane, Team USA stayed true to its identity and is now walking away from the 2026 Winter Olympics with a gold medal around its neck. Jack Hughes said it best after scoring the game-winning, medal-clinching goal in sudden death overtime.

As Hughes sent Canada and Team USA a bold message, he reminded everybody what USA Hockey is about. That, along with Johnny Gaudreau’s children joining the team for the title picture and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” blasting through the speakers best exemplify the American team’s culture.

Late in the game, with Detroit trailing New Jersey 4-3, Chiarot let his emotions get the better of him. During an after-the-whistle scrum, he drove the butt-end of his stick into Nemec’s midsection.

The aggression went unnoticed by the officials, leading to a candid outburst from head coach Sheldon Keefe and the rest of the Devils. However, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety has now addressed the incident with a severe punishment for the 34-year-old blueliner.

“Detroit’s Ben Chiarot has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for butt-ending New Jersey’s Simon Nemec,” the league announced on social media, via @NHLPlayerSafety on X.

Old incident resurfaces after Chiarot’s butt-end hit

It didn’t take long before fans across the NHL expressed their discomfort with Chiarot’s actions. Moreover, many pointed at one similar incident involving Chiarot during the 2017-18 season.

Almost a decade later, the former fourth-round selection became a repeat offender. They say old habits die hard, and that certainly seems to be the case for Chiarot and his post-whistle antics with the butt-end of his stick.

On November 24, 2017, Chiarot delivered a butt-end to the chin of Corey Perry during a matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks. On that occasion, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety issued him a maximum fine of $3,763. However, the league ruled the play did not warrant supplemental discipline or a suspension, citing Chiarot’s clean record. Now, much has changed, and further discipline could still be in the works for the 6’3″ blueliner.

Fans have been eager for news on the 1,300-game NHL veteran, who last played on October 17th. The absence of a star player of Kane’s caliber has been felt on the ice, making every update closely watched by the team and its supporters.

Head Coach Todd McLellan provided clarity on Kane’s progress during a Tuesday update, according to The Hockey News. “That is a sign that there’s a really good chance he could skate with us on Thursday,” McLellan said, signaling optimism about Kane joining the team’s practice sessions.

When could Patrick Kane return?

It appears that Kane is on track to practice with the team on November 6th, giving Red Wings fans hope for his eventual return to game action. “Again, we’re not there yet,” McLellan added. “But we’re getting feedback from some really important people, including Patrick, and we’re hoping that he can practice with us and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

The team has been monitoring his recovery closely, providing updates as it receives more information. After weeks on the sidelines, it seems Kane is finally overcoming the latest setback.

Kane’s impact

Patrick Kane has amassed 1,307 games and 1,348 points (494 goals, 854 assists) throughout his NHL career, split between the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings. Last season, Kane contributed 59 points (21 goals, 38 assists) on a Red Wings roster that narrowly missed the playoffs.

His return could provide a major boost for Detroit, who will be looking for his veteran leadership and scoring ability to help push the team further this NHL season.

McLellan and the Red Wings have dubbed Kane’s status as day-to-day, which sparks hope in Detroit. However, days have passed and not much progress has been made aside from the 36-year-old veteran being on the ice during some practices.

As the Red Wings close out their five-game road trip with a crucial showdown against the Vegas Golden Knights, an insider within the team announced Kane won’t be joining the team in Sin City.

“No, [Kane] will not join the Red Wings on this road trip,” Detroit’s beat writer for The Athletic, Max Bultman, reported on his X account (formerly Twitter).

Closing it out

With only one game left on the five-game excursion through the West Coast, the Red Wings vie for a win to close the road trip with a 4-1-0 mark. However, there are far easier tasks in the NHL than taking on the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

Coming off a 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the Knights will be eager to right their wrongs when the Kane-less Red Wings roll into Las Vegas. In the City of Lost Wages, Detroit hopes to strike gold with a statement victory.

In a true East-versus-West showdown, two starkly contrasting cities collide: the Motor City against the Entertainment Capital of the World, as the red-hot Red Wings face the golden-aged Golden Knights.

Kane hasn’t played since October 17, when he exited a matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to discomfort. What first seemed like a minor issue has now kept him out longer than expected. Before the setback, the 36-year-old winger had five points (two goals, three assists) in five games, offering steady production on Detroit’s top lines.

Despite Kane’s absence, the Red Wings have remained strong, holding a 7–3–0 record and sitting second in the Atlantic Division. Yet, his leadership and creativity remain difficult to replace — particularly as the team prepares to face two challenging opponents on consecutive nights.

How will Detroit adjust without Kane?

Head coach Todd McLelland is expected to rotate wingers within the top six, maintaining the club’s offensive balance until Kane’s return. The team will likely lean on Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond to carry the load on the wings as Detroit faces the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday and the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

Long-term picture for the Red Wings

Kane, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract this offseason, has become a key veteran presence in the locker room. The organization remains optimistic he’ll rejoin the lineup soon, but the timeline remains uncertain as the medical staff continues to monitor his recovery.