Red Wings' Decade-Long Playoff Drought Is Now the NHL's Worst

Detroit has missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons, putting the once-proud franchise in a spot fans didn't think was possible.

Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If you had said back in 2008 when the Red Wings won their last Stanley Cup they would start a ten-year playoff drought eight years later, I don't think many people would have believed you. Especially Red Wings fans.

But here we are 18 years later, and the Wings are in the throes of one of the longest playoff droughts in NHL history. They are tied for second all-time with the Flordia Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. The Buffalo Sabres lead the way with 14, which they finally snapped this past season.

While the Sabres own the longest drought in NHL history, the Red Wings now can claim they have the longest active drought in the NHL.

The Good Ol' Days

For 25 consecutive seasons, the Red Wings were as automatic to make the playoffs as Steve Yzerman was to a slap shot over Jon Casey's shoulder in a second round game seven playoff series.

The Wings went to six Stanley Cup Finals over those 25 seasons, while taking home four Stanley Cup championships. Unfortunately, the days of Yzerman Fedorov, Lidstrom, Shanahan, Konstantinov, Hasek, Hull, Dastyuk, Zetterberg, and company are completely gone from the rearview mirror.

A Decade Without Playoff Hockey

Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Red Wings' last playoff appearance was in 2016, when they lost in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was Pavel Datsyuk's farewell to the NHL.

Henrik Zetterberg played two more seasons with the Wings before hanging up the skates at the end of 2017-18. Dylan Larkin was a rookie and the Red Wings were still playing at Joe Louis Arena.

Detroit is still waiting for the day when Little Caesars Arena gets christened with a Stanley Cup Playoff game.

How Did the Red Wings Get Here?

For years, the Red Wings had a foundation that could pass the baton to the next generation in order to keep the train running smoothly. When Datsyuk and Zetterberg retired, that left the Wings looking at a complete rebuild. They had a pit crew in place, but no race car drivers.

Larkin was a start, but after nine years on the outside looking in, he now wants out of Hockeytown.

The Red Wings have other pieces such as Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Moritz Seider, and Simon Edvinsson, but what they miss most right now is goaltending. The team hasn't had a bona fide number one since Jimmy Howard.

Goaltender Sebastian Cossa, who was once considered the future starter, was traded to the Utah Mammoth in a draft-day deal that landed the Wings the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. They used the selection to choose left winger Jeffrey Hurlbert.

Trey Augustine, who the Wings took in the second round of the 2023 draft, is the reason they dealt Cossa. Augustine had a tremendous year at Michigan State, posting a 24-9-1 record with a 2.11 GAA and a .929 SV. He could be the answer. Time will tell.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ending the drought wouldn't merely mean Detroit finally made the playoffs. It would close out one for the strangest chapters in the history of one of the NHL's most successful franchises.

The Red Wings once went a quarter-century without experiencing a spring without playoff hockey. Now, they have spent a decade trying to get back.

Eventually, the drought will end. The question entering 2026-27 is whether the Red Wings are finally ready to make sure it doesn't reach Year 11.