Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings came within a whisker of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. This summer, Detroit has been trying to strengthen its roster for another shot at the postseason. The Red Wings extended Patrick Kane’s contract ahead of NHL free agency and also signed experienced winger Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year deal.
Whether these moves will pay off remains to be seen, of course. But Larkin is certainly happy with the moves his team has made. He spoke about Detroit’s NHL free agency activities at the Detroit Lions training camp on Sunday.
“Yeah, it’s huge. We built some momentum last year and there are expectations with that,” the Red Wings captain said, via WXYZ reporter Jeanna Trotman. “It’s a good thing. We learned a lot down the stretch. A lot of the younger players have made great strides. We’re having a tough first month with the teams we’re playing, but we’ve acquired a lot of good players that will help us.”
Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings want to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs
For 25 years, the Red Wings were considered the flagship franchise of the NHL. They began a quarter-century playoff streak in 1991 with a core of Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov. The team soon added future Hall of Famers such as Nick Lidstrom, Igor Larionov and Brendan Shanahan to the roster. Soon the core consisted of Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
However, the playoff streak ended in 2017. And in the last eight seasons, the Red Wings have failed to make it back to the playoffs. This eight-year playoff drought is also the longest in franchise history.
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This brings Detroit closer to playoff contention. Last season they scored over 90 points for the first time since 2015/16, when they last made the playoffs. The only reason they are not in the 2024 playoffs is a tiebreaker against the Washington Capitals.
The Red Wings believe they have the roster that can take them back to the postseason. Dylan Larkin is the heart and soul of the team as captain. Surrounding him are young cornerstones Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. Veterans like Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex DeBrincat also have a lot to offer.
The Red Wings have one of the best young players in the NHL. They also have what it takes to fight for a playoff spot as early as the 2024/25 season. It will certainly be interesting to see how Detroit fares in this season, which will be crucial for their rebuilding.
