DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have officially returned to training camp at Traverse City’s Centre Ice Arena.
As the team prepares for the 2025-2026 season, General Manager Steve Yzerman shared his thoughts on the players, this season’s playoff chances, and more.
Here are four key takeaways from Yzerman’s pre-camp press conference:
Playoff hopes
In the 2024-25 season, the Wings finished with a 39-35-8 record, earning 86 points.
That placed them sixth in the Atlantic Division and five points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot.
Now, like all 32 NHL teams, the Red Wings are looking forward to a fresh start. Yzerman believes the team will improve, but won’t speculate on how much.
Yzerman stresses that the team is focused on improving every year, but added that competing for the Stanley Cup isn’t possible without first making the playoffs.
He also acknowledges the urgency fans feel to build a playoff contender.
“These rebuilds take time,” he said. “How much time? I can’t really predict. Everyone is different. Where you finish, what happens in the [draft] lottery, who is available in the draft in a particular year -- those things are somewhat out of our control. We’ll try to continue to run a good program and try to improve each season with the goal of becoming a playoff team and a team that eventually competes for a Stanley Cup.”
Player injuries
Yzerman said the only player not ready to practice at camp is defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
“[He] is dealing with a lower-body injury -- we’ll have him ready to go sometime around the start of the regular season,” he said.
Yzerman added that rookie Carter Bear, who didn’t play in last weekend’s prospect games due to an Achilles injury, will be skating in camp.
Head coach Todd McLellan
Todd McLellan became the Red Wings’ head coach in December last year.
Now in his first full season, Yzerman believes the team is more comfortable with McLellan’s leadership.
“I think coaching the second half of the season gave [McLellan] a really good opportunity, even down the stretch, to get to really know the players on and off the ice as well as how they react in all different situations,” Yzerman said. “I think that will be helpful for him going into the season to maximize all the players’ abilities.”
Yzerman believes McLellan and his coaching staff will push the players hard this season to help them reach their full potential.
“I know this group of players is motivated,” he said. “They have a lot of pride and are driven to make the playoffs as bad as you all want them to do that as well. With more time to prepare, I think it’ll help Todd and the team.”
2025-2026 Final roster
Yzerman was also asked whether he sees a path for winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka to make the 23-man opening night roster.
“There’s a path for anybody who makes us better,” Yzerman said. “If somebody makes us better and forces their way into the lineup, and they’re too good to take out, they’re in. It’s not that complicated. We’ll figure out what we do if that’s the case with any of them.”
The Red Wings begin their season on Oct. 9.
They will play the Montreal Canadians at Little Caesars Arena at 7:00 p.m.