The Detroit Red Wings will hold their end-of-season media availability on Thursday, with team president Steve Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan expected to address a season that ended in disappointment for the organization.
The availability comes after the Red Wings missed the playoffs for a tenth straight season, despite spending much of the year in strong position to end that drought. For large stretches, the team looked like a legitimate postseason contender as Detroit surged out of the gate and held the third-best record in the NHL at 32-16-5 through 53 games.
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However, the season unraveled in the final stretch as they would go 9-13-4 over their last 26 games, a slide that steadily erased their standing in the playoff picture and ultimately ended their postseason hopes.
The collapse also placed Detroit in an unusual spot in NHL history. The club became the first team to record at least 69 points through its first 53 games and still miss the playoffs, a mark not seen since the 1969–70 Montreal Canadiens.
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The Red Wings face a number of significant roster decisions, including pending unrestricted free agents Patrick Kane, David Perron, James van Riemsdyk, Travis Hamonic, Erik Gustafsson, and Cam Talbot. Restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson also looms as a key negotiation, with expectations of a substantial new contract.
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With so many storylines converging, Thursday’s availability is expected to be one of the most closely watched end-of-season press conferences in recent franchise history as Detroit looks to regroup after another missed opportunity.
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