When Steve Yzerman took over as the lead man for the Detroit Red Wings back in April 2019, he made it clear that a rebuild and return to the glory days that he spearheaded as the captain would not happen overnight and would take time. While fans have gotten a bit restless with the fact that six years later the Red Wings have still not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the start that the 2025-26 Red Wings have had, led by a handful of younger players, has started to show true signs that his ultimate plan has started to come to fruition.
Younger Players Become the Vets
In Yzerman’s first draft back with the Red Wings, he made the surprise selection of Moritz Seider with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 Draft. That pick has turned out great, with Seider becoming one of the league’s most exciting young defensemen and has turned into a strong all-around player. On top of that, Albert Johansson was part of that draft class.
The following year, Lucas Raymond was the Red Wings’ selection and is on the verge of becoming a superstar in the NHL. Both of these players have become veterans on the Red Wings’ roster while still at a young age. Their maturation started early on in their careers, and were early signs of what could happen for the Red Wings’ future.
Strong Drafts Lead to More Youth Infusion
Since taking over, Yzerman has seen at least one of his first-round selections make their NHL debuts and become fixtures in the lineup (excluding the 2025 Draft). Whether it is Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper, who became full-time NHL players last season and have been impactful players for the Red Wings, or Axel Sandin Pellikka, Emmitt Finnie, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, who all have made their NHL debuts this season, there has been success through the draft every step of the way.
Related: Consolidated Red Wings Prospect Rankings Entering 2025-26
The aforementioned three players who have made their debuts this season have made impacts on the lineup in different aspects. Finnie is the biggest surprise out of the three and is one of the biggest surprises across the league with his play so far. The 2023 seventh-round pick has done nothing but produce and prove he is an NHL player with his all-around play to start his NHL career, and has been a bright spot in the top six of the forward grouping. Sandin-Pellikka has had a few growing pains to start the season, but has brought a solid all-around game to go along with his offensive prowess, which he has been touted for since being drafted in the first round of the 2023 Draft.
Lastly, while being sent back to Grand Rapids to play in the American Hockey League (AHL), Brandsegg-Nygård showed flashes of his upside and was one of the Red Wings’ most consistent defensive players before being sent down. His return to Grand Rapids can be spun as a positive move for the young Swedish-born winger, where he should get more playing time and get his game going before hopefully being brought back up at some point this season.
More Prospects on the Way
On top of the players at the NHL level, the Red Wings have plenty of prospects who are performing strongly at their respective levels of hockey. After being injured during the preseason, Nate Danielson has returned from injury and looked strong in his first couple of games with the Grand Rapids Griffins and should push for a call-up at some point this season. The same can be said about Carter Mazur, who made his NHL debut and has looked great for the Griffins early on (but he is out due to injury). While the goaltender position is set this season (barring injuries), Sebastian Cossa continues to show why he was a first-round pick in the 2023 Draft. They also have Trey Augustine at Michigan State University, who should be making the jump to the professional ranks next season.
Across the pond, they have players like Dmitri Buchelnikov, Eddie Genborg, among others, who have had strong starts and have promising futures within the organization.
Red Wings Returning to Organizational Success
Outside of a few games lately, the Red Wings have shown that they very well could be turning the corner from being a playoff contender into an actual playoff team, and a lot of that can be attributed to the fact that the infusion of youth into the lineup has paid off to this point. While it is early on, the results have been good for the organization and are really beginning to show signs that the long-term plan that Yzerman has had for the team is getting to where the fan base and the organization itself have hoped it would get. No matter what way you look at it, the current roster gives plenty of hope, and the prospects in the pipeline further that hope and excitement, and it is all led by the youth.
