If the Detroit Red Wings are going to finally bust through their playoff drought, they must respond to head coach Todd McLellan’s concern heading into the season.
McLellan recently spoke about Saturday’s preseason finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he zeroed in on Detroit’s passing.
McLellan told NHL.com, “I’ll take you back to the game we played (on Saturday night) against Columbus. We did like a lot of the things we did, but I thought our passing and receiving – quarterback, receiver, whatever you want to call it – was very erratic. A lot of pucks thrown in skates, pucks thrown two or three feet behind, the passing and the rhythm was off. We’ve got to get that quickly.”
McLellan wasn’t wrong. Detroit found itself in a 3-0 deficit on Saturday before they finally scored two goals in the third period. While the Red Wings had 33 shots on goal, they still left a lot on the table. If fans are keeping track, it sounds like an eerily similar story to last season.
Red Wings Struggled Through Offensive Woes in 2025-26
Detroit scored just 239 times last season, good for 22nd in the league. Fans, though, will remember the Red Wings’ uninspiring play at 5-on-5. And a lot of that led to such a pedestrian goal-scoring total.
The Red Wings converted just 7.5 percent of their shots at 5-on-5, finishing the year with 143 goals. As for high-danger chances, they were successful a measly 6.5 percent of the time. Compare that to the rest of the league, which converted an average of 8.7 percent of their shots into goals. The league, on average, also scored 168 goals at 5-on-5 and converted 8.8 percent of high-danger chances.
Detroit’s power play kept the situation from getting out of hand. On the man advantage, the Wings scored 56 power-play goals and were successful on 22.58 percent of their opportunities. The last thing the Wings need is for the power-play unit to bail out their 5-on-5 woes again in a tough Atlantic Division.
There Are Reasons For Optimism That Detroit Will Overcome McLellan’s Concern
For one, the Red Wings are getting reinforcements from their younger and brighter stars. While there are still a few days for the Wings to make moves before the puck drops vs. the New York Rangers, Detroit’s initial 23-man lineup signals a major youth movement.
There is also no need to panic in late September. All 32 teams will have to work out a few issues before they get into midseason form. The Red Wings are no different, and from a points and win-loss perspective, they have seen the highest of highs before collapsing down the stretch.
Finally, they are entering their third season and second full season with Todd McLellan at the helm. Plenty of players, including Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp, Moritz Seider, and Simon Edvinsson (should he eventually sign), now have multiple years of experience under McLellan.
While the Wings may still be erratic offensively heading into the season and could display some rust, it doesn’t mean it will be a season-long issue like it was in 2025-26. It will, however, be something to keep an eye on.
Todd McLellan Flags Red Wings Concern Days Before Opening Night