This season has brought challenges for the Detroit Red Wings, but the rapid development of second-year forward Emmitt Finnie is giving the team options.
Early Season Roster Disruption
The story of the Red Wings’ season has been that two of their best players are out of the lineup. Former captain Dylan Larkin demanded a trade in the offseason and a deal has yet to be completed.
Larkin had been playing for the Red Wings, contributing six points with 32 shots on goal in 10 games. However, the Red Wings have decided that they will hold Larkin out of the lineup until they can make a deal.
The other player that the Red Wings have been missing is defenseman Simon Edvinsson, a restricted free agent who has yet to come to terms on a new contract. Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff has been more adamant that the Red Wings intend to keep Edvinsson. However, the longer he remains out of the lineup, the more likely that a trade could occur.
Considering the rest of Detroit’s roster, they are hardly in position to undergo a rebuild, so they need more immediate help if they are going to move Larkin or Edvinsson.
Emmitt Finnie Moves to Center
A seventh-round pick of the Red Wings in 2023, Finnie earned a spot on the Detroit roster last season. He produced 13 goals and 17 assists in 82 games, playing primarily with Larkin and Lucas Raymond. That’s a solid rookie season for a promising young player.
One of the concerns about the Red Wings trading Larkin is that they did not appear to have a viable No. 1 center available to take his place. The players behind Larkin on the center depth chart were Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher, Marco Kasper, and Michael Rasmussen, none of which have the offensive game to play a top line role.
That left the Red Wings with an expectation that they would need to get a first-line center in any Larkin deal, which complicated matters. Teams that have bona fide first-line centers tend not to trade them.
Emmitt Finnie Adapting Well
Perhaps anticipating those challenges, the Red Wings started giving Emmitt Finnie reps down the middle of the ice. He has responded wonderfully, tallying five goals and three assists with 24 shots on goal through 12 games.
More importantly, Finnie has started to get acclimated to taking faceoffs. In the first six games of the season, Finnie had won just 39.3 percent of his faceoffs. In the past six games, he was won 54.9 percent of his draws.
Finnie is also playing a sound defensive game, indicating that he can handle the added responsibility of playing center. The Red Wings are outscoring opponents 11-4 during 5-on-5 play with Finnie on the ice. He has a Corsi percentage of 54.1 percent and an expected goals percentage of 58.1 percent.
All of this is to say that Finnie is showing that he can fill a significant role down the middle of the ice for Detroit. He may not score at the level of Larkin just yet, but he’s only 21 years old. Given time, with this sound foundation, Finnie could be a long-term answer down the middle of the ice.
Change in Approach
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, that Detroit may be more inclined to take a younger center. “Detroit, whatever they’re considering out there, whether it’s Larkin or Edvinsson … but the one thing I think they are doing, and I’ve heard this a little bit, is they’re starting to ask about young centres. And maybe some guys who are top prospects who aren’t in the NHL yet.”
If Finnie is a legitimate top two center for the Red Wings, they are not quite as desperate to get a center in trade. They still could, of course, but Finnie’s emergence at an important position allows the Red Wings to consider more possibilities.
What Does This Mean For the Red Wings?
Look at how it worked for the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes last season. When they traded right winger Mikko Rantanen to the Dallas Stars in 2024-2025, one of the pieces coming back was young forward Logan Stankoven. In 102 games with the Stars, Stankoven had taken a total of 210 faceoffs, so had played some center. It was also not his primary position.
The Hurricanes were looking for a second-line center last season and decided to give Stankoven the opportunity. He took to the role and was a huge contributor to a championship team.
Whether the championship follows or not, the Red Wings could have a similar path with Emmitt Finnie, who has quickly shown that he can adapt to the new position and it gives Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff more options when he does decide to make a deal.
Emergence of Emmitt Finnie Gives Red Wings Options