At several points down the stretch of the regular season, Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan decried what he viewed as "jerseys" on the ice. Which players are most under the microscope after the latest late-season unraveling?
For the 10th consecutive season, the Detroit Red Wings are watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs from home.
Their fate was officially sealed after yet another late-season collapse, in which a once-comfortable lead above the playoff cut line vanished, culminating in a disappointing 5–3 loss and a chorus of boos from frustrated fans at Little Caesars Arena on April 11.
Down the stretch, it was McLellan who repeatedly decried what he viewed as "jerseys" on the ice, or players who weren't making a difference and weren't giving a complete, total effort.
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In Part 1 of our series of the players he was likely referring to, we explored the struggles of former first-round draft selection Michael Rasmussen, who experienced the second-lowest point total of his career by registering just 14 points in 64 games (his previous career-low was 12 points in 40 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season)
Jersey No. 2: J.T. Compher
During the 2023 offseason, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman sought to upgrade his club's center depth by snagging former Stanley Cup-winning forward J.T. Compher, who had spent the first portion of his career with the Colorado Avalanche.
Compher, who had been coming off a career-best 52 points in 2022-23, had a good first campaign with the Red Wings, during which he reached a new career-high in goals with 19.
However, his second season saw his point total drop to 32 points in 76 games played, a 16-point drop.
Despite playing in all 82 games in 2025-26, Compher's point total decreased even further, as he scored just 11 goals with 17 assists while posting a minus-13.
Perhaps an even more alarming stat is that Compher dished out exactly 22 hits during the season. While Compher isn't known for physical play, he's expected to make a difference on the ice away from the puck, given what he's being paid.
Overall, Compher's production in the last two seasons, especially the recently completed 2025-26 campaign, hasn't come close to matching his $5.1 million yearly salary cap hit.
Before the season, we listed Compher as a player to watch and whose performance needed to be elevated for Detroit to have a chance at the playoffs. Not only did Detroit miss the playoffs for the 10th straight year, but Compher's overall performance was nothing short of disappointing.
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