If you walked into Little Caesars Arena in mid-October, you would have seen a team that looked ready to finally turn the corner. The Red Wings started 5-1-0, playing with pace and purpose. But as we settle into December, that optimism feels like a distant memory.
The Wings have dropped four straight, sliding to a 13-11-2 record that feels even heavier than the standings suggest. This isn’t just a bad bounce here or there; it’s a systemic failure that has exposed the fragile architecture of this roster. Coach Todd McLellan isn’t mincing words, and frankly, neither should we. The honeymoon phase of the 2025-26 season is over, and the reality check has arrived.
The Gamble in the Crease Has Backfired
Let’s address the elephant in the room first: the goaltending. The acquisition of John Gibson in the offseason was supposed to be the stabilizer — the veteran presence that would calm the waters. Instead, he has been the anchor dragging the ship down.
With 13 games so far this season, Gibson is posting a .865 save percentage. In a league where .900 is the basement for acceptability, that number is catastrophic. But the advanced metrics paint an even grimmer picture. Gibson currently ranks third-worst in the NHL for goals saved above average (GSAA) at negative-10.4.
In layman’s terms, Gibson has allowed nearly ten more goals than a league-average goaltender would have faced with the same workload. That is the difference between winning a 3-2 game and losing 4-3.
Cam Talbot has been serviceable, but he is 38 years old. You cannot ride a 38-year-old goaltender for 60 games and expect him to hold up in March. Talbot is a safety valve, not an engine.
A System Out of Sync
Goaltending doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and the defense in front of Gibson has been porous at best. The Red Wings currently hold a negative-12 goal differential, ranking 27th in the league. They are surrendering 3.38 goals per game, a recipe for disaster in the modern NHL.
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Coach McLellan recently highlighted a “disconnect between forwards and defensemen,” and if you watch the tape of the recent loss to Nashville, it’s glaring. The Predators — ranked as the worst team in the league at the time — put six past Detroit.
The issue isn’t lack of skill; it’s lack of cohesion. McLellan criticized the team’s “casual” approach to puck management. There is often too much space between the defensive line and the forwards on the breakout, leading to “horrendous” passing and turnovers in the neutral zone that come right back down the throat of the defense.
When the forwards don’t track back and the defense can’t move the puck cleanly, you get what we’re seeing now: a team that spends way too much time chasing the game in their own end.
The Identity Crisis: Percussion vs. Strings
We are a quarter of the way through the season, and this team still doesn’t know what it is. Are they a high-octane rush team? A grinding forecheck team? Right now, they are neither.
McLellan admitted the team is “still trying to look for” its identity. The coaching staff is clearly frustrated by a roster that hasn’t learned to value checking. In the NHL, “checking” doesn’t just mean hitting; it means taking away time and space, angling opponents into bad ice, and winning stick battles. The Red Wings are oscillating between high-energy nights where they look dangerous and nights where they look completely disinterested in the hard work required to win.
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To borrow a metaphor, this team currently resembles an orchestra where the percussion (defense) and strings (offense) are following different conductors. The offense is trying to play jazz while the defense is stuck in a disjointed ballad. Until they find a shared rhythm, the performance will remain unsuccessful.
The Cossa Conundrum
The one name on everyone’s lips is Sebastian Cossa. The top prospect is currently tearing up the American Hockey League (AHL) with a .942 save percentage. It is incredibly tempting to look at those numbers and scream for a call-up.
However, roster management is rarely that simple. Carrying three goaltenders is a logistical nightmare that kills practice reps and rhythm for everyone involved. Bringing Cossa up now, into a defensive environment that is currently hanging its goalies out to dry, runs the risk of shattering the confidence of your future franchise starter. It’s a delicate balance between saving the current season and protecting the future asset.
Silver Linings in the Fog
It’s not all doom and gloom. Captain Dylan Larkin continues to drive the bus, recently extending his point streak to four games. He is doing his part. The team also showed some spine by salvaging a point against the Boston Bruins after trailing late, proving they can fight back when desperation sets in.
But desperation is not a strategy. As McLellan noted, the team “has it in them,” but potential doesn’t put points in the bank. The Red Wings have the pieces to be better than this, but right now, the sum of the parts is a negative number.
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