Detroit Red Wings
McLellan Challenges Red Wings to Dare to be Great
Detroit is 3-1 on five-game road trip
Among the many qualities that Todd McLellan brings to his post as coach of the Detroit Red Wings is a definitive certainty that complacency is not going to be permitted to take up residence inside his team’s psyche.
It’s been a solid road trip for the club. Four games into this five-game sojourn, Detroit is 3-1.
At 9-4 on the season, you might think that the Red Wings have every reason to feel good about themselves. However, if you are in fact one of the Red Wings, your coach has a message for you.
Think again.
Monday work. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/MaNUaXijOO
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 3, 2025
“The trip’s not over,” McLellan told reporters following Monday’s practice. “It’s like we’re putting a bow on it, and there’s nothing worse than that.
“You classify it as a successful trip to this point, but there’s a lot of teams in the league that will go 3-2 on a five-game road trip. You just become average if you just blend in.”
 Measuring Stick Game For The Red Wings
We folks in the media like to talk about measuring stick games. Often it’s conjecture, a way to create a storyline on a slow news day.
In this instance, though, it isn’t. Detroit’s opponent on Tuesday is the Vegas Golden Knights. They’re a powerhouse club, a legit Stanley Cup contender.
The kind of team the Red Wings used to be when every NHL team sought to measure itself against Detroit.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 3, 2025
“I would view Vegas as one of the top teams in the league,” McLellan said. “Certainly, for years, they seem to make moves in the summer that keep them relevant.
“Mitch Marner is a huge addition to them, but prior to that, they added Thomas Hertl. They’ve got some size, they play a well-rounded game. They don’t give up much at all. So you really got to earn your offensive opportunities, and you better be alert defensively.
“In my mind, they’re one of the teams that could hoist the Cup at the end of the year.”
His players don’t dispute that notion at all.
“I’m excited that it wraps up in Vegas against a team like this,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said of the road trip. “It’s going to be a huge test.”
A big test, and a significant chance to show the hockey world who they really are.
“It’s hard to win on the road in this league,” center JT Compher said. “We have another big opportunity (on Tuesday) to keep building points on this road trip.”
And to keep building their reputation as a team that’s turned the corner.
McLellan’s message to his team is to dare to be great. Allow yourself to think big.
“We’re going to challenge the guys to come up with their best (Tuesday), and we’ll see what happens,” McLellan said.
Arriving at the rink on Tuesday, the Red Wings have a choice. They can settle for being happy just to be part of it all in the world’s fastest game. Or they can opt to dive into the deep waters and prove to everyone that they can swim with the big fish.
…McLellan said. “Certainly, for years, they seem to make moves in the summer that keep them relevant.”
As Duff noted, Vegas has found a way to bring in guys like Eichel, Marner and Hertl. During that same time period, Yzerman has brought in guys like Tarasenko, Compher, and Copp. Huge difference.
Hertl, for instance, makes about a million more per year than Copp. Last year he had 32 goals in 73 games (a 36-goal pace). Copp had 10 goals in 56 games (a 15-goal pace). This year, Hertl is on a pace to score 37 goals. Copp is on a pace to score, wait for it, a whopping six goals. That’s just pathetic.
Yzerman has made some outstanding first-round picks in his seven drafts, especially considering their rotten draft luck. But other than Kane, he’s been downright abysmal at bringing in guys through trades and free-agent signings.
I think the Toddfather is an outstanding head coach, with a great group of assistants. But he can’t turn water into wine (or a Copp into a Hertl). Only Yzerman can make something like that happen.
You don’t think that will change when the Wings start making noise in the playoffs?
It helps being a destination where players want to play. Detroit will be once we start winning again. HUGE difference.
I’ve been saying this on here for weeks now. Detroit has bad management. They have been leaped frogged by Montreal, Ottawa etc because they have better management. Qttawa stole Cousins right from under Yzerman’s nose as well as Montreal with Dobson. Hughes wasn’t afraid to take chances with Laine for example. They got rid of Petry for Matterson ( great trade) and the Y ends up with Petry. As for Kane that had mostly to do with The Cat being in Detroit. As for bad luck in the draft lottery, we were lucky that we lost the first overall a few years back. We ended up with probably the best of that draft, Raymond. Who knows who Yzerman would have picked.
Why is Ottawa good? Might it not be the top picks of Brady T and Stutzle? The same can go for Montreal. Not the same by any means.
Well at least they made it to post season last year. Both teams were in the off season then out and back in before Detroit. Look no one can make a case for Yzerman. He has been bad in most all areas ( trades-Signings-coaching choice of Lalond). I know all the Yzerman lickers don’t like what I post They vote it down all the time. But if they think they can drive me out of here with red #’s they better think again. As others have posted his great first rounders with the exception of Sider you could have made yourself by going to the National League Scouting Bureau. They were just 1’st round lay downs. Whatever magic he had in Tampa remained there. Had we got a good GM after Holland we would have been in the post season 2 yr ago.
Whatever magic he had in Tampa remained with the staff. It is now evident that Yzerman was just a figurehead.
not true at all.
Did it?
Your mostly right but u forget about Debrincat. That’s his best trade for a forwarding his prime
The Debrincat trade had much more to do with The Cat himself than Yzerman. At the time Elliot Freedman of Sportsnet reported that the Ducks had made a much better offer to Ottawa than Yzerman with the condition that the Cat sign long term with them. He refused saying he would sign only with The Wings or play out his contract and become a free agent giving Ottawa nothing in return. He handcuffed the Senators. This trade could have been done by anyone.
McLellan mentioned a few games ago that he’s having to refocus or energize the team when they start slipping, and he wanted the players to start doing that for themselves. Having the coach lead the locker room isn’t a long term solution, but for now, McLellan is doing a stellar job. Let’s see how the guys respond.