For the last 22 years (13 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 23rd annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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For full team breakdowns, projections, category-specific options, and a whole lot more, pick up a copy of the 2025-26 Dobber Hockey Fantasy Guide today! It will be updated all through the offseason and training camps, and is available now in the Dobber Shop.

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Gone: Vladimir Tarasenko, Jeff Petry, Tyler Motte, Petr Mrazek, Alex Lyon

Incoming: James van Riemsdyk, Craig Smith, Mason Appleton, Travis Hamonic, Ian Mitchell, Jacob Bernard-Docker, John Gibson

Impact of Changes: The big change is in net thanks to the John Gibson trade. The last time Detroit had a goalie make 40 starts and post a .905 save percentage was Jonathan Bernier in 2019-20. If Gibson can stay healthy, he stands a good chance of doing just that. There is a lot made about Gibson’s downturn prior to 2024-25, but from 2020-2024, he faced 9.8 high-danger shots per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (per Natural Stat Trick), and no other goalie was higher than 9.2. Anaheim also gave up the third-most power plays in that span. Gibson had possibly the worst environment for a goalie, so while it'd be more comforting if he had done a bit better, it's understandable that he didn't. If Gibson can make 50 starts (the Fantasy Guide has him with 44 appearances) and performs like he did in 2024-25, the Red Wings will have their best goalie since the 2013 lockout. But he needs to stay healthy, first and foremost.

Detroit's forward depth saw a bit of a shakeup, too, and they needed it. The Red Wings were outscored 94-78 at even strength last year with Dylan Larkin and Marco Kasper off the ice. For reference, the Ottawa Senators were a Wild Card playoff team and were just minus-4 with Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux off the ice. While none of van Riemsdyk, Appleton, or Smith are game-breakers, they are all above-average as depth options, and those incremental improvements matter over an 82-game regular season. It doesn't change much fantasy-wise for the skaters, but a deeper forward group does help the goaltenders.

(Editor’s Note: As pointed out by a reader, Smith was acquired a the Trade Deadline and was not an offseason acquisition.)

Ready for Full Time: None

Defenceman Axel Sandin-Pellikka is likely Detroit's best prospect, but the team has seven NHL defencemen signed. Sandin-Pellikka should get some NHL games, whether at the start or end of the season, or as an injury call-up, but a full year is unlikely unless he really forces the hand of the coaching staff in October. All of Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl, Erik Gustafsson, and Hamonic are free agents next summer, so a full-time role in 2026-27 after a season in the AHL appears likely. Ditto for William Wallinder.

Detroit's next-best prospects are probably goalies Trey Augustine and Sebastian Cossa, but with the Gibson trade and Cam Talbot signed for another year, they are both on the same 2026-27 timeline as Sandin-Pellikka and Wallinder.

Fantasy Outlook: A healthy and effective Gibson is a difference-maker in net for Detroit. While they won't be an elite defensive team at even strength, the Red Wings gave up the third-fewest power plays last year and sixth-fewest over the last two seasons. For comparison, Anaheim gave up 43 more power plays than the next-closest team from 2023-2025. Seeing nearly one less power play opportunity against per game will help Gibson's ratios in and of themselves, so he is in a much better spot now than he was 10 months ago.

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Under new coach Todd McLellan, Detroit improved from 29^th in scoring before Christmas to 15^th after Christmas. A lot of it came from the power play, but they did jump from last in even strength goal scoring to 21^st. While some improvements to the forward depth this offseason will help the team (and goalies) in general, further scoring improvements under McLellan's guidance will be more important for fantasy-relevant options like Larkin, Kasper, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane, Moritz Seider, and Simon Edvinsson.

Detroit doesn't have any super-elite fantasy options, but all of Larkin, DeBrincat, Raymond, and Seider can be top-100 skaters, and Gibson can be a top-10 goalie. If one of those names were to become a top-5 fantasy option at their position, it is Seider. Holding a top PP role on a great unit, earning a pile of ice time, and amassing huge peripherals gives him nearly all he needs to have a career year. The missing ingredient is a better offensive team at even strength to push him past the 50-point mark, and that's where the second-half improvements under McLellan really matter.

Fantasy Grade: B (last year was B)

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These offseason fantasy grades are done in alphabetical order and all of the completed teams thus far can be viewed here.