It's been nine seasons since the Detroit Red Wings qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The last nine years have been a dark time for one of the most storied and successful franchises in the NHL. The Red Wings have the second-longest current playoff drought among NHL teams, with the Buffalo Sabers having the longest at 14.
Many Red Wings have expressed their frustration with one of their most iconic players and now general manager Steve Yzerman for not producing better results in free agency, which has led to the team not winning on the ice.
Yzerman was hired as the general manager of the Red Wings in 2019, and the closest the franchise has come to reaching the playoffs came in 2024 when Detroit lost the tiebreaker to the Washington Capitals for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
While Yzerman inherited a tough rebuild from former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, you would think that in year six of his tenure that Detroit would at least be in the playoffs. With that being said, Yzerman is under intense pressure from the Red Wings fanbase heading into Year 7 as GM.
The latest trade for Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson has the Red Wings hopeful that they can get to the playoffs in 2025-26.
Red Wings current troubles with goaltending
The Red Wings finished the 2024-25 season with 86 points and a 39-35-8 record. One of Detroit's biggest problems last season was its goaltending. The Red Wings played five different goaltenders last season and never could find a rhythm with any one of them. The list includes Cam Talbot, Alex Lyon, Ville Husso, Petr Mrazek, and Sebastian Cossa.
Talbot and Lyon earned most of the starting time for the Red Wings. Between the two, Talbot had the most wins with 21 on the season, and Lyon had the better goals allowed average (GAA), allowing 2.81 goals per game. Detroit was 21st in the NHL in goals allowed per game, allowing on average 3.16.
How John Gibson can help the Red Wings
The Red Wings traded Petr Mrazek, a future second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to acquire John Gibson from Anaheim. Gibson had an 11-11-2 record last season with the Ducks and allowed on average 2.77 goals per game. Gibson recorded a .912 save percentage, which is better than any goaltender who played for the Red Wings last season.
While these statistics might not seem that impressive for some, Gibson performed like this on a Ducks team that finished the season with the fifth-worst record in the Western Conference with 80 points and a 35-37-10 record. Now, imagine what Gibson can do on a Red Wings team that has been on the brink of the playoffs the last two seasons by the narrowest of margins?
The biggest problem for the Red Wings with Gibson, however, is how competitive the Eastern Conference was last season, top to bottom. Gibson will need to help the Red Wings get off to a strong start to the season, which will help Detroit avoid having to catch up in the standings later on. Gibson must have a winning record as a goaltender next season to help the Red Wings reach that 90-point regular season mark, which has proven key to getting into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.