Welcome back to Red Wings Weekly! In this weekly column, we like to take a look at the Red Wings’ most-recent week of play, identify any players and/or trends that stood out, and then look ahead and find out what the next week may have in store for the team from Hockeytown. As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section down below.
What a difference a week makes. After being blown out in embarrassing fashion in their season opener at home, the Detroit Red Wings have been on a roll against difficult Atlantic Division opponents. In the 2024-25 season, Detroit went 11-13-2 against their own division, which made it tough to make up ground against their direct competitors for a wildcard playoff spot like the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators. Early this season, Detroit is already sitting at 4-1-0 against divisional rivals, putting them in a much better place when the margins get slim in the Spring (via. Natural Hat Trick).
So how did they get here? Let’s take a look at their games this week and some takeaways from an excellent week of Red Wings hockey.
Mason Appleton, First Liner?
Oct. 13 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1 Victory
Red Wings fans don’t get to hear this often so enjoy this. Detroit just goalie’d the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The flip side is that the only times you really need your goalie to stand on their head like Cam Talbot did in this game is when you’re being outplayed. Detroit wasn’t the better team, but winning games when you’re outmatched and your best winger goes down with an upper body injury is a sign of a level of resilience and fight that this team hasn’t shown much in the past decade.
Related: Red Wings Weekly #1 – Dubious Debuts
Lucas Raymond’s injury isn’t considered serious and the team viewed it as day-to-day before returning him to the lineup on Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers. As soon as he went down in this game, Detroit elevated Mason Appleton to the top line, which was initially a bit of a surprise but his performance there has made it clear that he can handle the increased responsibility in short bursts. In fact, Appleton scored the game winner, breaking a late tie in the final minute of the third period to leave Toronto with two points.
Cam Talbot for Vezina
Oct. 15 vs. Florida Panthers, 4-1 Victory
In his first full game as a member of Detroit’s first line, Appleton looked strong, scoring two goals that displayed his hustle and solid positioning. This game was a lot closer than the score indicates, with Detroit putting the game away late on the backs of two empty net goals. Regardless, Detroit hung around with the two-time reigning champs despite significant injuries on both sides.
This was another phenomenal game for Talbot who appears to be establishing himself as the 1A tandem starter early on, saving a ridiculous 3.4 goals above expected (via. Natural Stat Trick). Simon Edvinsson also had an excellent showing, making it more and more likely that he will start the 2026-27 season as the Red Wings’ highest paid player. One last note is that Detroit’s penalty kill has looked good through early goings, and fought off a massive penalty in the third period when Detroit was still leading by just one goal.
Going Streaking
Oct. 17 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1 OT Victory
The winning streak reaches four games! Detroit took charge early on and dictated the pace of this game for the first 40 minutes. In the final frame, the Lightning turned up the pressure and made John Gibson work for his first win with the Red Wings, but he was up to the task, making several big stops as the third period wound on, giving Detroit a chance to win in overtime.
Unsurprisingly, Dylan Larkin was the man for the job, scoring the overtime winner on a breakaway against Andrei Vasilevskiy. Axel Sandin Pellikka had a notable night, scoring his first career NHL goal and even being put out to start the overtime period. Emmitt Finnie also had his best game of the season so far, killing penalties with authority and causing trouble for Tampa Bay on the forecheck. Detroit’s penalty kill was excellent once again, holding the Lightning without a single shot through three power play opportunities.
3 Takeaways From the Week – Overreactions Edition
Mason Appleton – First Line Forward?
Since being elevated to Detroit’s first line, Appleton has scored three goals and added an assist in two and a half games. Could he be a fit at left wing on Detroit’s first line if the team feels that Finnie needs a different development path, either in the AHL or as a center lower in the lineup? He’s scoring on over 40% of his shots so far this year so that’s certainly going to regress, but he could still be an effective first line player if that lands above 10% going forward.
Patrick Kane is Going to Make Team USA
It’s showtime in Milan.
Patrick Kane is looking the best he ever has in a Red Wings uniform, winning foot faces, making plays, and scoring goals at a strong rate with Detroit’s second line. He currently has two goals and five points through as many games, which might just open the door to some conversations with USA Hockey.
Firstly, Kane would be a massive leader for Team USA, considering both his Olympic experiences back in 2010 and 2014 as well as his NHL experience that totals over 1300 games played and nearly double the career points of the next highest scoring active American player in the NHL. Secondly, Kane is still an effective playmaker, especially on the power play, who has come to terms with no longer being the focal point of his team’s offense. I think he would slide in well to Team USA’s third line as a depth scorer, or he could be their 13th/14th forward and provide his leadership in more of an off-ice capacity.
Todd McLellan is an Early Jack Adams Contender
It’s been established in the past that a coach who gets a massive turnaround from his team typically gets a few votes for the Jack Adams Award as the league’s most impactful head coach. It’s also common to see the coach of a team that makes the playoffs despite low expectations can win a ton of votes. If those are some of the typical qualifiers for this award, then Todd McLellan has to be a (very) early favorite. Detroit had their slump and a big blowup from the coach after just one game (record time!) and they’ve won four games since, all against teams who made the playoffs last year.
3 Stars of the Week
- Dylan Larkin – 2G, 3A in 3GP
- Cam Talbot – 3 GA and 61 saves – .950 sv% 2 wins
- Mason Appleton – 3G, 1G in 3GP
Prospect to Watch
Jesse Kiiskinen, RW, HPK (Liiga)
After scoring 14 goals in 46 Liiga games last season, Jesse Kiiskinen is off to a hot start this year. After scoring a hat trick this week he sits at five goals in 14 games, a 21-goal pace over a full season not interrupted by a break for the World Junior Championship (since he’s no longer eligible).
Related: Red Wings Notebook – Observations on Sandin Pellikka, Special Teams & More
Kiiskinen is looking like one of the best young players in Liiga once again, leading all U21 players in goals and sitting second in the league in U21 points. He’s certainly going to remain on my radar this season and should be a candidate to join the Grand Rapids Griffins next spring since he’s already under contract with Detroit.
Upcoming Games
Sunday, October 19 – 3 PM ET vs. Edmonton Oilers
Wednesday, October 22 – 7:30 PM ET @ Buffalo Sabres
Thursday, October 23 – 7 PM ET @ New York Islanders
Saturday, October 25 – 7 PM ET vs. St. Louis Blues
Contract Comparisons
Last week, Lane Hutson signed a contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens that will provide both sides with another comparable contract when negotiations resume on a Simon Edvinsson extension. Hutson’s new deal will pay him $8.85M per season for eight years, slightly less than Luke Hughes and Jackson LaCombe both recently extended for (each of them earned $9M per season for eight years on their extensions).
Edvinsson is the most impactful defensive player of that group, but has the least impressive offensive numbers with his minimal power play time taking a further hit with ASP taking over the second power play unit. While Edvinsson and Hutson couldn’t be much more different physically or stylistically, this new contract is just another data point to go with the many U23 defenders signing massive extensions recently that should end with Edvinsson surpassing Larkin ($8.7M per year) as Detroit’s highest paid player this time next season.
In Other News
Devin Little:
Simon Edvinsson’s Development is Key to Detroit Red Wings’ Success
Nicholas Gionnone:
Cam Talbot Emerging as Red Wings’ Starter Over John Gibson
Evan Sabourin:
Grading Steve Yzerman’s Free Agency Signings as Red Wings’ GM
Tony Wolak:
Top 5 Swedes in Red Wings History
