Welcome to this edition of The Hockey News' Detroit Red Wings mailbag, looking at the start of the 2026-27 campaign amidst a cloud of uncertainty.
The Detroit Red Wings officially open the 2026-27 NHL season on Friday evening against the visiting New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena, and continue to face more questions than answers.
Former captain Dylan Larkin hasn't rescinded his trade request (at least, not publicly) and defenseman Simon Edvinsson returned to Sweden while his representation tries to hammer out a deal with interim GM Shawn Horcoff.
Additionally, the Red Wings lost a key source of offense during the summer with the departure of Patrick Kane, and also remain in a holding pattern with regard to who will permanently fill the role vacated by Steve Yzerman in mid-July.
In this piece, we answer the questions submitted over the last few weeks, looking ahead to the club's 101st NHL season.
Q: When will the DRW announce who the new GM is?
A: Right now, that's still completely up in the air. The role currently belongs to Shawn Horcoff on an interim basis, and the organization indicated that he'll have a chance to essentially audition for the full-time role.
Right now, I don't realistically see a permanent GM being hired by the club until after the 2026-27 campaign, and I'd expect Horcoff to carry the interim tag for the duration of the campaign.
Q: Will this year be another close but no cigar year? Or will they be the worst team in the East?
A: It goes without saying that the Red Wings play in hockey's toughest division. The Atlantic is a gauntlet. The Canadiens are on the rise, the Maple Leafs made significant upgrades during the summer, the Panthers are far healthier than last season, and the Lightning still have no shortage of star power.
Right now, it remains to be seen whether clubs like the Bruins, Sabres and Senators can remain consistent enough to make a return trip to the postseason.
For the Red Wings to have a realistic shot at ending their playoff drought, a lot is going to have to go right.
They can't afford another slow start from goaltender John Gibson. Viktor Arvidsson will need to provide an offensive boost to help offset the loss of Kane, while the defense will have to tighten up.
Not having Larkin for the first two games or Edvinsson due to his contract stalemate are both considerable setbacks. However, seven of Detroit's first eight games are at home. If the Red Wings can get off to a strong start, the club—which didn't experience any major roster turnover over the summer—could potentially resemble the team that held a playoff spot for most of last season.
Naturally, it will all come down to how they perform when the going gets tough in the spring.
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Q: Will Larkin be a DRW all season long, or a trade candidate at the deadline?
A: This remains to be seen. During his press conference in September on the opening day of Training Camp, Larkin declined to answer whether his trade request was still in effect.
He also suffered an off-ice training injury before Camp, limiting his availability; he's already confirmed as being unavailable for at least the first two games of the season.
Larkin will not be paid by the club if he refuses to practice or play, the situation that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck finds himself in.
The Red Wings won't trade Larkin for pennies on the dollar, or simply just for the sake of moving on from him. He could very well be with the club for the entire season, but it's also conceivable that he could be on the block at the Trade Deadline, especially if reports that he's expanded his trade list prove true.
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