Red Wings 2026 April Game Thread

[lordstanley]

And since Raymond seems reluctant to shoot during regular play, why was he leading off the shootout?

[Jason_R]

In 2019-20, the Wings had 39 points, 0.275 points percentage. In 20-21, the Covid season, they had 48 points (0.429). In 21-22, 74 points (0.451). In 22-23, 80 points (0.488). In 23-24, 91 points (0.555). In 24-25, back down to  86 points (0.524). This season, with four games left, they are at 89 points (0.571).

As disappointing as the end of this season has been, they are likely to finish this season with their best record since their last playoff season. 

As disappointing as it was not to get a big trade at the deadline, Faulk’s return last night is a reminder that he is a significant upgrade on the second pair over ASP. If we had Faulk all this season it seems pretty easy to say this team would have made the playoffs. He will let the team play ASP on the third pairing and pp2 while he develops  

I think Steve was looking to make a big deal at the deadline for a top forward and I expect him to fill that gap this summer. I also expect we will see the team move on from at least one under-performing vet. 

[1984Echoes]

19 minutes ago, Jason_R said:

... If we had Faulk all this season it seems pretty easy to say this team would have made the playoffs. He will let the team play ASP on the third pairing and pp2 while he develops  ... I think Steve was ...

This is just my opinion...

But if we had had Sebastian Cossa as 2nd goalie behind Gibson all year, instead of Talbot...

We'd be in the playoffs right now.

I also believe Gibson would have played less the past month or so... in which McLellan has simply worn him down by overplaying him (Talbot started ONCE in March...), and BOTH: Gibson would be sharper in the games he has played... and Cossa would have won a couple games that Gibson got blown out in...

I think he would have been worth 5 more outright wins for the Wings.

IMO.

[gehringer_2]

16 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

This is just my opinion...

But if we had had Sebastian Cossa as 2nd goalie behind Gibson all year, instead of Talbot...

We'd be in the playoffs right now.

I also believe Gibson would have played less the past month or so... in which McLellan has simply worn him down by overplaying him (Talbot started ONCE in March...), and BOTH: Gibson would be sharper in the games he has played... and Cossa would have won a couple games that Gibson got blown out in...

I think he would have been worth 5 more outright wins for the Wings.

IMO.

I think this is a good take. Talbot was pretty useless this season and we knew from the beginning that a lot of the team's early success was Gibson and the temptation would be there to burn him out. I just don't get this reluctance to see what a guy can do, what the worst that can happen - he shows he's not ready? It's not like you'd be sitting prime career D. Hasek to look at him,  he would be stepping in for just barely there Talbot. 

[lordstanley]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

I think this is a good take. Talbot was pretty useless this season and we knew from the beginning that a lot of the team's early success was Gibson and the temptation would be there to burn him out. I just don't get this reluctance to see what a guy can do, what the worst that can happen - he shows he's not ready? It's not like you'd be sitting prime career D. Hasek to look at him,  he would be stepping in for just barely there Talbot. 

The Habs have three goalies - Montembault, Dobes and Fowler - and will get rid of one. Dobes is a 24 year old 5th rounder and Fowler is a 21 year old 3rd rounder. Fowler and Dobes both have trade value because both have been allowed to build up a portfolio of NHL starts. 16 games for Fowler this season, 40 games for Dobes this season after Fowler last season. Cossa could have played 20 games this season instead of Talbot, sink or swim.  If Yzerman and McLelland suspected he would fail, let's stop pretending and ditch him on someone before the rest of the NHL finds out, if they haven't already.

[1984Echoes]

7 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

The Habs have three goalies - Montembault, Dobes and Fowler - and will get rid of one. Dobes is a 24 year old 5th rounder and Fowler is a 21 year old 3rd rounder. Fowler and Dobes both have trade value because both have been allowed to build up a portfolio of NHL starts. 16 games for Fowler this season, 40 games for Dobes this season after Fowler last season. Cossa could have played 20 games this season instead of ...

Cossa could have easily played 30-40 games this year, with Talbot used only during injuries/ emergencies or an occasional start on a back-to-back (or 3 games in 4 nights...) or a bad game by Cossa or Gibson (IE: coming in the 2nd period after the starter gives up 5 goals...).

IMO.

[buddha]

2 hours ago, Jason_R said:

 

I think Steve was looking to make a big deal at the deadline for a top forward and I expect him to fill that gap this summer. I also expect we will see the team move on from at least one under-performing vet. 

we all said the same thing last summer and we signed mason appleton and JVR.

[buddha]

21 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

The Habs have three goalies - Montembault, Dobes and Fowler - and will get rid of one. Dobes is a 24 year old 5th rounder and Fowler is a 21 year old 3rd rounder. Fowler and Dobes both have trade value because both have been allowed to build up a portfolio of NHL starts. 16 games for Fowler this season, 40 games for Dobes this season after Fowler last season. Cossa could have played 20 games this season instead of Talbot, sink or swim.  If Yzerman and McLelland suspected he would fail, let's stop pretending and ditch him on someone before the rest of the NHL finds out, if they haven't already.

we all said the same thing about asp and danielson and they both kind of sucked at the nhl level.

i'm down on stevie right now but i'm not sure bringing up the rookies would have made a positive difference this year.

[lordstanley]

We also cringed when word was Yzerman was interested in Stamkos - I know I did - but here he is with a 39 goal season. 

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, buddha said:

we all said the same thing about asp and danielson and they both kind of sucked at the nhl level.

i'm down on stevie right now but i'm not sure bringing up the rookies would have made a positive difference this year.

I'll grant Cossa has been inconsistent, but he was simply outstanding for a long stretch in GR, there is some kind of talent there. Maybe playing 2nd string would have been exactly how to break him in successfully. But we'll never know.

[Jason_R]

1 hour ago, buddha said:

we all said the same thing last summer and we signed mason appleton and JVR.

There was enough smoke around him being involved in conversations about trades for a couple of high end forwards that I believe he was trying to pull off something big. I don’t expect he will be a big player in FA until he gets Copp/Compher/ Rasmussen off the books. But I expect he will revisit potential trades over the summer and I don’t rule out the possibility that he could surprise us. 

[1984Echoes]

40 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'll grant Cossa has been inconsistent, but he was simply outstanding for a long stretch in GR, there is some kind of talent there. Maybe playing 2nd string would have been exactly how to break him in successfully. But we'll never know.

I think that has shown up the past month but isn't half of Grand Rapids playing in Detroit the past month?

I don't want to use that as an excuse...

But...

As to your 2nd string comment... Additionally, who would I want as a mentor for Cossa as he broke into the NHL...? Maybe...

John Gibson?

[buddha]

34 minutes ago, Jason_R said:

There was enough smoke around him being involved in conversations about trades for a couple of high end forwards that I believe he was trying to pull off something big. I don’t expect he will be a big player in FA until he gets Copp/Compher/ Rasmussen off the books. But I expect he will revisit potential trades over the summer and I don’t rule out the possibility that he could surprise us. 

sure.  but he didnt pull it off.  that's the point.

[buddha]

45 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

I'll grant Cossa has been inconsistent, but he was simply outstanding for a long stretch in GR, there is some kind of talent there. Maybe playing 2nd string would have been exactly how to break him in successfully. But we'll never know.

every goalie in grand rapids has been amazing.  so do his numbers say cossa is amazing, or that grand rapids defense is amazing?

i would love to see cossa in detroit.  unless they trade him, he WILL be in detroit next year.  

it could be yzerman being too conservative, or it could be that - like danielson, and like asp - he's not ready or not that good.

[Jason_R]

1 hour ago, buddha said:

sure.  but he didnt pull it off.  that's the point.

I get it but his timeline is not the fan timeline. That is the real point. 

I believe his timeline (and Ilitch’s) is when C/C/R come off the books.

[buddha]

37 minutes ago, Jason_R said:

I get it but his timeline is not the fan timeline. That is the real point. 

I believe his timeline (and Ilitch’s) is when C/C/R come off the books.

compher isnt coming off the books for another 2 years. 

so we continue to dabble around the margins until larkin is 31?

[buddha]

i understand the argument jason is making and that potential timeline, but if that IS the timeline, i dont think theyre actually on it.

seider is an all star.  raymond is close.  edvinsson has potential.

but kasper?  danielson?  asp?  cossa?  are they on that kind of track?  if not, its not going to matter when compher comes off the books if youre just replacing him with compher 2.0.

and if that WAS the timeline, then why did they trade for perron a few years ago and aign gosthisbere?  those guys were old then.  then they let them go and tried to replace them and failed.

i think yzerman is on a seider/raymond timeline, not a larkin timeline.  but seider/raymond's clock has started and he didnt do anything this year to help move it along.

the more worrying part is kasper and danielson (and they already complained about lack of 2nd round hits when you had 6 chances).  those guys have to hit.  they HAVE to.  and they have looked like average players so far.  if they are, this rebuild goes nowhere.