The Detroit Red Wings are heading into this week (March 16-22) coming off a rough week, both on and off the ice. In their three matchups last week (March 9-15), they only snagged one point and have seen injuries continue to pile up. This week will be a majorly important one for the Red Wings if they want to stay in a playoff spot, as they are playing two teams they are battling with for a spot in either the Atlantic Division (Montreal Canadiens) or the wild card race (Boston Bruins).
Red Wing fans did get some exciting news in the form of 2025 second-round pick Eddie Genborg signing his entry-level contract (ELC) on March 15. He will report to Grand Rapids (AHL) for the rest of the season, and his ELC begins next season.
Injury Updates
As the Red Wings continue to get hit with injuries at what may be the worst possible time, there have been some updates on that front heading into this week. Recently re-acquired winger David Perron was taken off the injured reserve (IR) before the matchup against the Dallas Stars on March 14 and made his season debut with the Red Wings. In his first action since Jan. 22, Perron played just under 14 minutes (13:46) on the second line and very well could be relied on to help keep the ship afloat until Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp return to the lineup.
With Larkin and Copp, head coach Todd McLellan did give an update on both of them, with Larkin still being two weeks away from being re-evaluated, while Copp was skating once again toward the end of last week. The absence of both of these players has meant the depth of the lineup has had to step up, and that is going to be the case even more with Michael Rasmussen ruled out week-to-week with an injury.
Depth Needs to Show Up
With the players the Red Wings are missing from their lineup, the team’s depth continues to be tested. In the three games last week, that depth did not help a ton in the goal-scoring department. The likes of Marco Kasper, JT Compher, and Emmitt Finnie have started to pick their games up a bit in terms of their offensive zone play, but the team needs even more.
The Red Wings also need James van Riemsdyk and the rest of the bottom-six of the lineup to step up. It may be a tall task with the shuffling of lines, but if they want to keep themselves in a good spot in the playoff race, the depth needs to show up and help carry the load while they await the return of the injured Copp and Larkin.
Big Week at Home to Keep Playoff Spot
As mentioned earlier, the Red Wings will be squaring off with two teams this week, with whom they are battling for a playoff spot, whether it is division-wise or for a wild-card spot. They will play all three games this week at Little Caesars Arena and will need to take full advantage of the home crowd and ice to keep themselves in a playoff spot.
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Throughout the season, the Red Wings have been solid at home, posting an 18-11-3 record, but will face a Canadiens team that thrives on the road. They have an 18-7-8 road record coming into this week and will not be an easy matchup for the Red Wings. On the flip side, the Bruins have struggled on the road, with a 12-4-5 record, and the Red Wings did win their only home matchup between the two on Dec. 2, but any time the two Original Six teams face-off it is a tight matchup.
With the tight race for a playoff spot, the three games at home are going to be pivotal for the Red Wings to take advantage of this week, and they will need to get at the very least a point in each game to keep themselves on track.
Red Wings Schedule March 16-22
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time | Game Notes |
| March 16 | vs. Calgary Flames | Little Caesars Arena | 7:00 p.m. (EST) | Second matchup vs. Calgary (4-3 win on Dec. 10) |
| March 19 | vs. Montreal Canadiens | Little Caesars Arena | 7:00 p.m. (EST) | Red Wings are currently sit two points behind Montreal in the Atlantic Division (March 15) |
| March 21 | vs. Boston Bruins | Little Caesars Arena | 8:00 p.m. (EST) | Red Wings are currently tied with Boston for a wild card spot (March 15) |
