PREVIEW: Red Wings welcome Sabres for exhibition play on Thursday

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings will take the ice for the second straight time at home as they continue their 2025-26 preseason schedule with an Atlantic Division matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.

Detroit and Buffalo will drop the puck at 7 p.m., with streaming available on DetroitRedWings.com and the Red Wings Mobile App. The Red Wings Radio Network (WWJ Newsradio 950 in Detroit) will also carry Thursday’s exhibition matchup, which serves as another good opportunity for this group to knock the summer rust off.

“Just get right into it, get bumped around a little bit and feel the ice,” Moritz Seider said about the importance of the preseason. “Overall, just try to get into game shape as much as possible. Obviously, over the summer you kind of miss those little things like being in the right spots all the time or picking up the right guy. I think those will be key things to work on and look out for in the preseason.”

On Tuesday, the Red Wings dressed five of their own former first-round picks as part of a youthful lineup that earned a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena. In front of goalie Sebastian Cossa, who made 15 saves, Emmit Finnie scored the go-ahead goal and had an assist while Michael Brandsegg-Nygård dished out a pair of helpers.

“They all looked good,” captain Dylan Larkin said of Detroit’s younger players. “They all looked like they can think, skate well and have the raw attributes that make someone a good hockey player.”

There are elements to preseason games that Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan can’t normally get from his players during practice. And having coached his share of exhibition contests, McLellan said the way in which he evaluates youngsters who are pushing for Opening Night roster spots has evolved over the years.

“As we get further into our career, we’re maybe more trusting of some of the younger players,” McLellan said. “We’re willing to maybe give them a little more leash and not look for perfection right off the bat. At least I feel like that – I can’t speak for all the older coaches. For me, I pay attention to them a little bit more now than I did…I feel better about paying more attention to them and still get to the, for lack of a better term, big boys. They’ll get my attention, but I look and maybe spend more time with them.”

As players both young and old keep working towards Opening Night (Oct. 9), Seider said improving in the defensive zone will go a long way for Detroit in its Centennial season.

“We can’t allow that many goals,” Seider said. “If you want to be a playoff team, you got to find a way to stop pucks. Box outs are very important in that. You need to let the goalie see the puck. Just try to sweep around the crease and do as much work there. Avoid dangerous chances against.”

Mentality, Larkin emphasized, is and will also be crucial.

“It’s time to put ourselves in a position that we’ve been putting ourselves in for the last few years and to stick,” Larkin said. “And not just be satisfied with that. We got to make it and start to make noise in the playoffs.”