The Detroit Red Wings’ disappointing 2025-26 season came to an even more disappointing end on Saturday night, as a regulation loss to the New Jersey Devils mathematically eliminated them from playoff contention for the 10th consecutive year.
As a result, not only was the team booed off the ice by their own fans, but the first-round pick they traded to acquire a defenseman that could help with their playoff run now becomes a draft lottery eligible selection.
With the 5-3 loss, the Red Wings could no longer catch the Ottawa Senators or other Eastern Conference wild-card hopefuls, even with wins in their remaining games. The elimination caps a late-season collapse in which Detroit squandered a strong position and fell out of the mix.
“There’s been some great years here, and they want us back to that, and that’s what they expect here,” said Dylan Larkin after being asked what it felt like to be booed off the ice. Head coach Todd McLellan added, “Well, this is Detroit—this is Hockeytown. I’ve been lucky enough to be on the other side of it when they couldn’t stop cheering for this team. And they’re dying for that—they crave it. That’s what they want.” He added:
“I don’t even know if they want a Stanley Cup championship anymore—they just want a team that’s going to come and give them something to cheer about. And this ‘outside noise’ stuff, or whatever—that’s inside noise. Those are fans in our building, and they pay to watch us play.
We get paid well to perform for them, and they’re fully entitled to their opinion. And we deserve their opinion—there’s no other way to sugarcoat it. That’s what we’ve earned.”
The Draft Pick Becomes Lottery-Eligible
Missing the playoffs will sting twice this season. At the March 6 trade deadline, the Red Wings made a move acquiring veteran defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Dmitri Buchelnikov, defenseman Justin Holl, a 2026 third-round pick (via San Jose), and—most notably—Detroit’s own 2026 first-round selection.
Because Detroit missed the playoffs, that first-round pick, which was not protected, now becomes lottery-eligible. The Blues will now control Detroit’s pick and stand to benefit from the weighted lottery draw scheduled for May.
At the time of the trade, many expected the pick to land in the mid-to-late first round if Detroit made the postseason. It appeared they were well on their way. Now that the Red Wings collapsed, the Blues could jump into the top 10—or even higher—thanks to Detroit’s miss. This adds another high-upside asset alongside their own selections.
For Detroit fans, the elimination is a blow after years of near misses and high expectations that this would be the season they finally made a push. General Manager Steve Yzerman banked on it when he acquired Faulk, and he now faces another off-season of tough decisions as the franchise seeks to break its playoff drought in 2026-27.
Next: Canadiens Prospect Michael Hage Returning to Michigan: Now What?
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