Ranking Red Wings' Five Most Important Players for the 2026-27 Season

The Red Wings have plenty of talent throughout the lineup, but these five players will have the biggest influence on whether Detroit returns to the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider celebrates a goal with teammates / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After another offseason spent building toward contention, the Detroit Red Wings enter the 2026-27 season with legitimate hopes to make the playoffs. While success will require contributions throughout the lineup, a handful of players stand above the rest in importance to the team’s fortunes.

This isn’t necessarily a ranking of Detroit’s five best players. Instead, it’s about who carries the most responsibility and whose performance could have the biggest impact on where the Red Wings finish in the standings.

5. Simon Edvinsson

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson (77) skates with the puck. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Edvinsson is not currently under contract with the Red Wings, he has steadily grown into one of the team’s most dependable young defensemen. This season will present another opportunity for him to establish himself as a true top-pair contributor.

With opposing teams placing so much attention on Moritz Seider, Edvinsson’s ability to handle difficult defensive situations while continuing to contribute offensively could make Detroit’s blue line far more difficult to play against. If he takes another step, Detroit will suddenly have one of the stronger young defensive pairings in the NHL.

4. Alex DeBrincat

Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex Debrincat (93) reacts after scoring a goal. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Red Wings know exactly what they’re getting from DeBrincat: goals.

Detroit’s offense is at its best when DeBrincat is finishing chances, especially on the power play. Few players on the roster possess his release or scoring instincts, and another 35-to-40-goal season would go a long way toward easing the offensive burden on the rest of the lineup.

Consistency will be key for DeBrincat; if he remains one of the league’s more reliable goal scorers, Detroit becomes a much tougher team to defend.

3. Dylan Larkin

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) warms up before a game. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Larkin starts the season in Detroit, he’ll continue to be one of the most important players on the Wings.

Larkin continues to drive play at both ends of the ice while matching up against opposing top lines on a nightly basis. His speed creates offense, his leadership sets the tone, and his all-around game makes him one of Detroit’s most valuable players.

For the Red Wings to return to the playoffs, they’ll need Larkin to continue playing heavy minutes in every situation while producing like a first-line center.

2. Lucas Raymond

Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond (23) waits for a face-off. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Raymond has transformed from a promising young winger into one of Detroit’s offensive cornerstones. Now comes the next challenge: becoming the player opposing teams game-plan to stop every night.

Whether he’s driving offense at five-on-five or quarterbacking the attack on the power play from the half wall, Raymond’s creativity fuels much of Detroit’s scoring. If he continues progressing into one of the NHL’s elite young forwards, the Red Wings’ ceiling rises dramatically. A career-best offensive season could be exactly what pushes Detroit over the playoff line.

1. Moritz Seider

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) waits for a face-off. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is arguably no player more important to Detroit’s success than Seider. The formerCalder Trophy winner logs massive minutes in every situation, regularly faces the opposition’s best forwards, kills penalties, quarterbacks the power play when needed, and provides the physical edge that every contender covets.

Simply put, Detroit goes as Seider goes. If he continues developing into one of the NHL’s premier two-way defensemen, the Red Wings become significantly harder to play against every night. His ability to control games from the back end affects every aspect of Detroit’s performance, from limiting scoring chances to jumpstarting the transition game.

There may be flashier scorers on the roster, but no player influences winning quite like Seider.

The Red Wings have built one of the NHL’s more balanced rosters, but playoff teams are almost always defined by their stars. Detroit doesn’t need these five players to be perfect every night, but it does need them to consistently lead the way.

If Seider anchors the defense, Raymond reaches another offensive level, Larkin continues setting the standard, DeBrincat delivers his trademark goal-scoring, and Edvinsson keeps progressing into a top-pair defenseman, the Red Wings should find themselves firmly in the playoff conversation throughout the 2026-27 season.