Now 5-1-0 through six games, the Detroit Red Wings are off until Wednesday, when they visit Buffalo to take on the Sabres.
Until then, get caught up on the latest Red Wings news and rumors, including early-season trade talk, returns from injury, and a star getting the credit they deserve.
Red Wings Reportedly On Trade Block
During Monday’s episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman noted that Steve Yzerman could look to move a few players.
“Detroit has extra players now,” Friedman shared. “They have Erik Gustafsson in the American Hockey League – he’s not an AHL player. They’ve also got Justin Holl, who they’ve been trying to move for a bit, but he’s there, too.
“It’ll be interesting to see what Yzerman decides to do there. Does he keep them there?”
Friedman’s observation didn’t feature just AHL players. He also mentioned Jonatan Berggren, who has only dressed for two games so far.
“Some of these guys are making such an impact that I think other guys—like Berggren, too—could be available. … I think that Yzerman’s got some players he’s trying to move, just because suddenly he’s got too many of them, or a lot of the same of them.”
None of this should be surprising. Yzerman dealt from depth last year when he moved Olli Maatta to the Utah Mammoth for a third-round pick. Gustafsson and Holl are in a similar position.
Frankly, this is a good problem to have. The Red Wings have a surplus of NHL players and haven’t been hampered too badly by injuries. They have depth – other teams aren’t as fortunate.
So if the Red Wings can acquire a mid-round pick for Gustafsson, for example, that pick could be of value down the line toward the trade deadline.
Related: Red Wings Scoring Projections for 2025-26
As for Berggren, I would hold onto him for now, unless another team has interest in a one-for-one, change-of-scenery trade. (Lukas Reichel, perhaps?) There’s value in having quality depth at the NHL level – every player knows their spot in the lineup isn’t guaranteed. That internal competition spills out onto the ice as motivation to go above-and-beyond each night.
Larkin Named NHL’s First Star
On Monday, the NHL announced their three stars of the week, and Detroit’s captain took home the top honor.
Dylan Larkin, Jack Eichel and Scott Wedgewood have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Oct. 19.
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) October 20, 2025
3 Stars of the Week presented by @GEICO#NHLStats: https://t.co/7u3grxaHPF pic.twitter.com/JmS2iXg9L3
Through six games, Larkin has five goals and 11 points. And, as of Sunday night, he ranked third in the NHL in scoring behind Jack Eichel and Mark Stone – both of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Larkin has been a constant force during Detroit’s five-game winning streak. His game against the Edmonton Oilers was especially impressive – not only did he record four points, but Larkin also shut down the league’s best player in Connor McDavid.
Red Wings Survive Without Raymond
Detroit’s Sunday matinee against the Oilers also marked the return of star forward Lucas Raymond, who missed the previous two games with an upper-body injury.
Fortunately, the Red Wings won both of their games while Raymond was sidelined. How? Contributions up and down the lineup.
Mason Appleton, in particular, stepped up in Raymond’s absence – both literally and figuratively. After being elevated to the top line, Appleton scored three goals for the Red Wings and played a tight-checking game alongside Larkin and Emmitt Finnie.
In addition, Detroit’s fourth line—James van Riemsdyk, Michael Rasmussen, and Elmer Soderblom—had an outstanding outing against the Florida Panthers. They dominated zone time and played a physical brand of hockey.
Detroit’s resilience without Raymond speaks to the improved character of the team, plus their ability to win multiple ways. There’s a new attitude – greater confidence that they’ll find a way to win, regardless of the circumstances that they face. Winning two of two games without their top offensive player is a prime example of that.
Danielson Returns to Practice
More good news – Red Wings prospect Nate Danielson is back on the ice. He suffered an upper-body injury during the preseason and has yet to appear in a regular season game at any level.
Nate Danielson was on the ice practicing with the Griffins this morning in the red non contact jersey
— Hockeytown West Podcast (@HockeytownWpod) October 16, 2025
He was participating in most of the drills.#GoGRG #LGRW https://t.co/NaNqaaFi1V
Before the injury, Danielson reportedly had a good chance to make the opening night roster. He stood out in the preseason, performing well against varying degrees of competition.
The next step for Danielson is to work his way back into game shape, and then prove to the organization that he shouldn’t be in Grand Rapids. I wouldn’t expect a call-up in the near future – it’ll take time to get back to 100 percent.
More Red Wings News & Rumors
- During Sunday’s game, Larkin tried to convince the referees that Finnie tipped in Detroit’s third goal. His empty-netter would have given the rookie a hat trick if Larkin’s pleas prevailed.
- Red Wings prospect Brent Solomon was named one of the USHL’s players of the week; he has 15 points in 10 games so far this season.
- Logan Horn recapped Detroit’s recent games and highlighted his stars from last week.
- Devin LIttle spoke to the importance of Simon Edvinsson on Detroit’s blue line.
- Jim Parsons tapped the Red Wings as an early-season buyer given their recent success and available cap space.
