Yzerman, McLellan analyze 2025-26 season and areas of improvement for Red Wings moving forward

DETROIT -- Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman as well as head coach Todd McLellan held their combined end-of-season media session at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday morning, both answering questions that either prompted reflection on the 2025-26 campaign or thoughts about what areas the Detroit Red Wings must improve on to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“We sit here today a week after the end of the regular season and see how the season unfolded,” Yzerman said. “I think we're all kind of emotional about this, need to take a little time to analyze it, not forget about all of the positive things that are going on here and then try to address how we move forward."

Detroit went 41-31-10 (92 points) in McLellan’s first full campaign behind the bench, finishing sixth in a highly competitive Atlantic Division, where the top five clubs all qualified for the postseason and each recorded at least 99 points.

McLellan said the three season-long goals his players set out to achieve when they first gathered for Training Camp in September -- get physically stronger in all areas of the game, build mental toughness and have better game management -- were largely met but then slipped down the stretch.

Splitting the season into two parts, the Red Wings reached the start of the NHL’s Olympic Break on Feb. 6 tied for second in the Atlantic at 33-19-6 (72 points) then went 8-12-4 (20 points) after play resumed on Feb. 25.

Yzerman acknowledged that Detroit’s position in the standings before the home stretch really got going, especially when it was tied with the Carolina Hurricanes atop the Eastern Conference in late January, masked some underlying concerns.

“Todd and I talked about it…We as a staff, we’re winning games,” Yzerman said. “We see the deficiencies, the areas that we need to improve upon – that probably goes for every team. You’re never totally comfortable, regardless of where you’re at…At one point in the season, Kris [Draper] and I were talking and we were third overall or something, and we’re like, ‘Let’s be realistic. I don’t think we’re as good as our record at the time, but we are winning games and we are where we are.’ And at the Deadline, we were where we were.”

One of the Red Wings’ biggest goals this offseason, according to Yzerman, is determining how to strengthen their 5-on-5 offense. He said they’ll “look at any way we can to improve our team to take that next step, so to speak.”

“Obviously, we used a first-round pick and a good prospect to acquire a defenseman that helps us for the foreseeable future, and we’re prepared to do that,” Yzerman said. “Free agency, with a 32-team League and the salary cap going up, teams whereas in the past weren’t able to re-sign their free agents. They’re all getting re-signed, so that free-agent market is thinner. So ultimately, you’re drafting or looking at really trading to do that.”

But, perhaps first and foremost, there must be internal improvement.     

“I expect a lot more,” Yzerman said. “You know, some players had very good seasons here and some that even had good seasons I expect more from, and to make the adjustment to playing not just down the stretch but playoff-type hockey. Again, I went through this as a player myself. The ups and the downs. The failures, the disappointments. And you have to learn from it. You have to adjust and you have to be mentally tough enough to get through it. And that’s a challenge for a lot of our guys. But ultimately, it’s up to Todd and myself and our staffs to make these players better, prepare them better, make them harder and also to improve the talent around them.”

Turn the clock back seven years ago, when he re-joined Detroit as its GM, Yzerman outlined his mission of building his former team back into a consistent contender. And while that goal remains true to this day, he feels a slight philosophical shift in terms of how the Red Wings’ lineup is configured could prove valuable.

“Now, as we’re close to being a playoff team or fighting for a playoff spot, yes, the focus will be more on how do we get this lineup over the edge,” Yzerman said. “The edge being become a playoff team. But, the reality is we need to score more 5-on-5, so that requires talent and scoring ability. We need to be a harder team to play against.”

In looking at what else is in store for Detroit’s front office this summer, there’s the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, which will take place at KeyBank Center on June 26 and 27, and Free Agency, which kicks off at Noon ET on July 1, among other important dates that will come with equally important decisions.

“We need to change some things, but we’re not going to just go and get rid of everyone,” Yzerman emphasized. “There needs to be some very blunt conversations with some of our players and challenge them to do more and be better to get there. But ultimately, again, we need to surround them with more talent. And having said that, we still need more from some of our very key players.”