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Red Wings schedule after Olympics, trade deadline needs, playoff odds
It’s right back to action for the Detroit Red Wings after the Olympics, as Todd McLellan’s squad has a playoff drought to end.
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The 2026 Milano Winter Olympics are in the books, which means the NHL schedule can finally return to action.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin had a dream Olympic break, helping lead Team USA to a gold medal and was even on the ice when Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal vs. Canada on Sunday, Feb. 22.
But Larkin and the rest of the Olympians won’t have much time off, as there are eight games on the schedule for Wednesday, Feb. 25.
The Red Wings, who had three players (Larkin, Lucas Raymond for Sweden and Moritz Seider for Germany) playing in the Olympics, will return to the ice on Thursday, when they face the Ottawa Senators on the road at 7 p.m.
It has been a long break for the Wings, who last played Feb. 4 against the Utah Mammoth, a 4-1 loss on the road, but the first 58 games of the season have been undeniably a success.
Here’s where the Red Wings stand with the Olympic break completed and 24 games to play:
How Red Wings players fared in Olympics
Before we look ahead, let’s look back at how the three Wings did in the Olympic games in Milan.
It’s no secret that Larkin had the memorable Olympics, winning the gold medal and scoring two goals and adding an assist in his six games, but he wasn’t even close to the most productive.
That honor goes to Sweden forward Lucas Raymond, who had nine points in just five games, which included just one goal and eight assists. His final assist came in his final game, an overtime loss in the quarterfinals to the United States. He finished third in the tournament in points, behind only Canadian stars Macklin Celebrini and Connor McDavid.
Defenseman Moritz Seider and his Germany squad ended the tournament on a rough note, a 6-2 loss to Slovakia in the quarterfinals, but Seider helped the team advance out of the group stage and had two assists in the tournament.
After a strong start to the season, the Red Wings have 72 points in 58 games and are tied for second place in the Atlantic Division and tied for third in the Eastern Conference.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes both have 78 points to lead their respective divisions, and the Montreal Canadiens also have 72 points, the same as the Wings, but have a game in hand.
Detroit Red Wings playoff odds
Can the Wings finally make the playoffs for the first time under general manager Steve Yzerman and snap a nine-year playoff drought?
If you ask the predictive models, the answer is yes.
MoneyPuck.com gives the Red Wings a 77.8% chance of making the playoffs, which is the fifth highest in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit Red Wings remaining strength of schedule
Returning to the playoffs will not be easy for the Wings, even if the odds are pretty good.
According to Tankathon, the Red Wings have the fifth-toughest remaining schedule, which is as Tankathon points out, is good for teams trying to tank their way to a top pick, but not so good for teams trying to end playoff droughts.
The Red Wings’ toughest remaining opponents are the Tampa Bay Lightning (twice), Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The good news for the Wings? Many of the teams they’re competing with for playoff spots also have tough remaining schedules, with the Penguins, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres and Canadiens all in the top-10 for the toughest schedules left.
Detroit Red Wings at the NHL trade deadline
The Wings have just 24 games left, but the trade deadline has not passed yet.
That won’t happen until 3 p.m. on Friday, March 6.
Will the Wings be a big player at the deadline? That might depend on how they play over the next couple weeks. Last year, the Wings stayed quiet at the deadline, which was a point of contention between Larkin and Yzerman.
The Wings have the most current cap space of any NHL team ($46.15 million), according to PuckPedia, their first-round picks in the next three drafts and prospects to deal. The question is if Yzerman likes any deal enough to pull the trigger to add more top-end talent.
Detroit Red Wings schedule, next five games
- Thursday, Feb. 26: at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (FSND).
- Saturday, Feb. 28: at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (FSND).
- Monday, March 2: at Nashville Predators, 2 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (FSND).
- Wednesday, March 4: vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (FSND).
- Friday, March 6: vs. Florida Panthers, 7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (FSND).
Andrew Birkle is an assistant sports editor for the Free Press. Contact him via email at abirkle@freepress.com.