For the last few years, the month of December has not been kind to the Detroit Red Wings. This has typically been the time of year when the team falls back to Earth after a strong start.
Not this year, though. After a 2-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets on New Year’s Eve, the Red Wings finished the month with a 11-3-1 record, improving their overall record to 24-14-3. Incredibly, Detroit sits atop of the Atlantic Division with 51 points.
Given their current place in the standings, it’s reasonable to wonder if this is finally the year the Red Wings snap their playoff drought. Today, we’ll take a look at the data to see what needs to be done to ensure Detroit’s first half success continues on into 2026.
2025-26 Red Wings By the Numbers
Here’s a snapshot of how the Red Wings have performed during the first 41 games of the season. Note that the offense- and defense-specific metrics are at five on five.
Overall Performance
| Metric | Value | Rank |
| Points Percentage | .622 | 6 |
| Goals For/Game | 3.05 | 18 |
| Goals Against/Game | 3.12 | 19 |
| Power Play | 25.2% | 4 |
| Penalty Kill | 80.6% | 15 |
Red Wings 5-on-5 Offense
| Metric | Value | Rank |
| CF/60 | 58.3 | 14 |
| GF/60 | 2.25 | 25 |
| xGF/60 | 2.74 | 10 |
| HDCF/60 | 11.36 | 16 |
Red Wings 5-on-5 Defense
| Metric | Value | Rank |
| CA/60 | 59.59 | 24 |
| GA/60 | 2.64 | 19 |
| xGA/60 | 2.73 | 22 |
| HDCA/60 | 11.99 | 25 |
Key Takeaways
- Detroit’s goaltending has rebounded after a brutal start; there’s regression risk, though, given the high amount of high-danger chances allowed per game.
- Defensemen not named Moritz Seider or Simon Edvinsson have struggled to prevent high-danger chances; remedying this should be a priority as the trade deadline approaches.
- On a positive note, Seider and Edvinsson are thriving against elite competition and putting up impressive offensive numbers.
- In general, team defense needs to improve; eventually, more of these scoring chances and high-danger chances will hit the back of the net unless preventative measures are taken by the coaching staff and/or management team.
- Offensively, there’s a lot to like about what the Red Wings have done so far; their 10th-best xGF/60 suggests that more goals are coming.
- Since Dec. 1, Detroit’s 2.47 GF/60 at five on five ranks 14th in the league; this is more in line with their xGF/60 production when compared with their season-long scoring totals.
- Detroit has drawn the sixth-most penalties this season, which, of course, bodes well for their top-notch power play.
- On the other side of things, there’s room for improvement with regard to taking penalties, where the Red Wings are currently a middle-of-the-pack team; they were one of the least-penalized teams last year.
- Per Tankathon, the Red Wings have the most difficult schedule remaining. Several important matchups lie ahead, including three games against the Florida Panthers and two versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Red Wings’ Second Half Objectives
Even with Seider and Edvinsson playing at an elite level, Detroit’s team defense is the biggest risk heading into 2026. If the Red Wings want to reach the playoffs, they cannot sit on their hands here. Adding a defenseman to improve their depth needs to be a top priority.
In addition, the Red Wings need to cut down on the amount of penalties they’re taking and adjust their penalty kill strategy and/or personnel to improve their kill rate.
Adding scoring depth would be nice, too, but shouldn’t be prioritized over defensive improvements.
Related: Grading Red Wings’ Rookies Through First Half of 2025-26 Season
If Steve Yzerman, Todd McLellan, and the Red Wings can accomplish these objectives they’ll put themselves in a great position to finish the year strong, reach the postseason, and make some noise once the playoffs begin.
Data courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, Puck IQ, and NHL.com.
