Examining how many wins the Detroit Red Wings will need to make the playoffs during the 2025-26 season.
The Detroit Red Wings have one thing on their collective minds as an organization and that is to snap the franchise's nine-year playoff drought. Fans and media alike like to focus on what the team adds or subtracts but not what they need to accomplish. Typically to make the postseason, Detroit would need to record 95 points as the competition in the East is tighter than ever.
In 2023–24, Detroit finished with 91 points and missed the playoffs by a single point and over the past decade, 95 points has consistently been the number that gives teams a reliable shot at a wild-card spot.
To get to that number, the Red Wings will need roughly 45 to 48 wins, depending on how many overtime losses they pick up along the way. Wins are worth two points, while extra time losses in overtime or shootout are worth one.
The benchmark is 95 and according to Tankathon, the Red Wings have the third-easiest schedule this season and should give them a leg up when it comes to making the playoffs.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Detroit will need to win against bad teams and pull off some shocking upsets against good teams. Their roster makeup should give them a chance as they are establishing better roles for players in the lineup like their top six scoring units with the likes of Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat.
Divisional Focus: Red Wings Eye Key Wins Over Sabres
The Red Wings aim to win three crucial divisional games over the Buffalo Sabres next season
They built up more depth with pieces like James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton, who both can play a physical brand of hockey while consistently producing 30-40 points per season. This will hopefully help lift the Red Wings out of their offence that ranks bottom 11 in goals per game with a 2.87 average.
Defence has also been an issue and they looked to solve that as well by adding their best goaltender in over a decade with former all-star John Gibson and bringing in a former first round pick in defenceman Jacob Benard-Docker.
The overall improvements on the backend will need to sustain a better goals against average than this past season at 3.16 which ranked bottom 12 in the NHL.
Full Detroit Red Wings 2025-26 NHL Season Schedule Released
It won't be long before the Detroit Red Wings hit the ice for what will be their centennial season in the National Hockey League, a full 100 years.
Hoping that the team can turn things around and improve in both these metrics, they ultimately need to keep the vibes high as it was noted by several of the players in the season ending press conferences that the team would go through too many ups and downs.
The new veteran adds in van Riemsdyk and Appleton should help alleviate this and keep the team more on track after going through a ruts like their 5-9-1 record this past December or their 3-9-2 record in March.
If they can stay on course and take Detroit on a very doable path towards 45-48 wins, then we could be watching Red Wings hockey next May. With the task being as difficult as it is, Detroit could at least look at the numbers and come up with strategic plans to get the wins they need and get the job done.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!