Is this the year the Red Wings finally end their playoff drought?

The Detroit Red Wings are pushing to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. If they’re going to finish as one of the top-five teams in the Atlantic Division, they’re going to need consistent offensive production from their top line, which consists of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane. 

The three of them found some strong chemistry in the second half of last season and have really relished their time playing together. Of course, Kane and DeBrincat have a pre-existing history, but you can tell Kane is truly enjoying himself as a part of this Red Wings group.

“[DeBrincat] is probably one of the bigger reasons why I came back [to Detroit],” Kane told Daily Faceoff. “Just being with the whole group last year, you become close with a lot of the guys and develop chemistry on the ice — you know, Larks [Larkin], Alex, Razor [Lucas Raymond], and [Moritz] Seider — guys like that, that you enjoy being around every day.”

Entering what is now his 18th campaign in the NHL, Kane is emphasizing enjoying the day-to-day of the 82-game season.

“You want to make it fun, you want to enjoy it — being around your teammates and having fun out there. I think we do that a lot in practice and try to get the best out of each other too.” 

While having fun is important, guys like DeBrincat and especially captain Larkin, who has been in Detroit quite a bit longer, understand the outside noise and frustrations about the team’s playoff drought. The Wings last saw playoff hockey eight years ago, when they bowed out in Round 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. For context, Little Caesars Arena, the Red Wings’ upgraded home, has yet to see a playoff game since its opening in September of 2017 — those passionate fans are starving for hockey in the spring.

There’s been a narrative around the league for the past two to three seasons that it’s time for the Buffalo Sabres, Red Wings and Ottawa Senators – who, in that order, have the three longest active playoff droughts in the NHL – to take a big step and get into the dance. The players hear it, they’re aware of it, but they understand how much of a battle their division is. 

“I understand why we’re in that position. All three teams are trying to get better,” Larkin said. “What doesn’t get talked about enough is just how competitive our division is. There have been the big teams in our division — then there are the teams fighting and now you look at Montreal and they look promising as well. Everyone in our division is competitive and I don’t foresee that changing for a while.”

“Each night in our division is a tough battle,” DeBrincat told Daily Faceoff. He’s now in his second season with the Red Wings, but his third year in the division and he learned last year how critical each point can be for the playoff picture. DeBrincat played a critical role in what felt like a potentially magical run toward the end of the season.

“The end of the year was good for us — we played a lot of meaningful games and now we know how to compete with that much pressure,” he said. “I think it’s good that you have this many teams that are trying to go for it and not necessarily in a rebuild — so it’s fun to play those games and I think it’s time for someone to take those spots — and hopefully it’s us.”

Even if this is Kane’s first full season with this group, as a longtime Chicago Blackhawks legend, he understands the pressure of trying to make the playoffs in an Original Six market. Kane admitted to hearing the outside noise surrounding the Red Wings missing out on hockey in the springtime for the past eight years. 

“Yeah, you hear it. One of the teams probably has to take the next step eventually, right?” Kane said. “You go through a rebuild for six, seven, eight years — all of a sudden it’s time to take that next step. I guess we’ll see which one does it.” 

Kane hasn’t gotten off to his hottest start this season. Through the team’s first three games, he has no goals and one assist, but that doesn’t seem to be a concern for his linemates.

“With him [Kane], I don’t know if his confidence ever goes down,” DeBrincat said. “He’s always ready to play and it really helps the group and obviously myself. You see he’s so dialed in, so he makes me and Dylan that much better.” 

It’s very early in the season still, but with the Red Wings’ 1-2-0 start, a lot of work still needs to be done if they want to finally break through and end the drought.