Red Wings Extend NHL's Longest Current Playoff Drought

Detroit's postseason drought has now stretched to a decade after another disappointing season.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 1:08am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a Red Wings hockey game, with the players and ice rink broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of red, white, and blue, conveying the frustration and disappointment of the team's prolonged playoff drought.The Red Wings' inability to end their decade-long playoff drought despite holding a postseason position for most of the season has left the team and its fans dejected.Today in Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings have extended the NHL's longest current playoff drought, which has now lasted for a full decade. Despite holding a playoff position for nearly 80% of the season, the Red Wings ultimately fell short, becoming the second team in NHL history to have at least 69 points in the first 53 games and miss the playoffs. The team's latest loss, in which they blew three separate leads, encapsulated their frustrating season and left players and fans dejected.

Why it matters

The Red Wings' prolonged playoff drought has become a major source of frustration for the hockey-crazed fans in Michigan. As one of the NHL's most storied franchises, the Red Wings' inability to return to the postseason has raised questions about the team's long-term direction under general manager Steve Yzerman.

The details

In their final home game of the season, the Red Wings blew three separate leads against the out-of-contention New Jersey Devils, eventually falling 5-3. Coach Todd McLellan called it a microcosm of their disappointing season, which saw the team hold a playoff position for nearly 80% of the year before ultimately falling short. The Red Wings became just the second team in NHL history to have at least 69 points in the first 53 games and still miss the playoffs, joining the 1969-70 Montreal Canadiens.

  • The Red Wings' latest loss on April 12, 2026 sealed their fate of missing the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.
  • Detroit held a playoff position for 148 days this season, according to Sportradar, raising expectations higher than they've been since the team's 25th straight postseason appearance in 2016.

The players

Dylan Larkin

The Red Wings' captain who expressed his disappointment after the team's latest defeat.

Todd McLellan

The Red Wings' head coach who acknowledged the team deserved the boos from the fans after the loss.

Lucas Raymond

A Red Wings winger who reflected on the team's inability to hold late leads throughout the season, saying they 'can't afford that at this time of the year.'

Steve Yzerman

The Red Wings' general manager who was brought in seven years ago to turn the team around, a task that has yet to be accomplished.

Jesper Bratt

The New Jersey Devils player who scored the go-ahead goal in the Red Wings' latest loss.

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What they’re saying

“'To hear that is very difficult. We're down. I'm as down as I could be right now.'”

— Dylan Larkin, Red Wings Captain

“'That's what we earned.'”

— Todd McLellan, Red Wings Head Coach

“'We put ourselves in a really good position coming out of the Olympic break, and we let it slip away from us. You look back in a lot of games where you lost late leads or came up flat, and you just can't afford that at this time of the year.'”

— Lucas Raymond, Red Wings Winger

What’s next

The Red Wings will now have to wait until next season to try and end their decade-long playoff drought, as they look to make significant improvements in the offseason under the guidance of general manager Steve Yzerman.

The takeaway

The Red Wings' inability to end their NHL-leading playoff drought, despite holding a postseason position for most of the season, has become a major source of frustration for the team and its passionate fan base. This latest disappointment raises further questions about the long-term direction of the franchise and the effectiveness of Yzerman's rebuilding efforts.