Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings McLellan Intends to Empty Tanks of His Players
Detroit coach can shorten his bench
With only four games remaining before the Olympic break, Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLellan can basically treat his team as if they were in a playoff series.
He can shorten his bench and overplay his core players, knowing that the vast majority will soon be enjoying some in-season R&R.
“We can run the engine dry for 20 players, 20 of the 23 players,” McLellan said. “And I think pushing them to the limit is a good thing for us right now.”
Todd McLellan acknowledged the lack of offense after last night’s game against the Kings.#LGRW pic.twitter.com/jALH0vNN48
— FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (@FanDuelSN_DET) January 28, 2026
Such an approach was evident in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. For much of the second half of the second period, McLellan went with four defensemen.
Travis Hamonic sat for the last 7:20 of the second period. Axel Sandin-Pellikka didn’t play during the final 6:34 of the frame, albeit for a three-second shift on the power play.
Expect a similar approach on Thursday as the Red Wings play host to the Washington Capitals. McLellan will also look to rely more on his core players in a home-and-home set against the Colorado Avalanche, and in Wednesday’s game at Utah.
After that, the Red Wings won’t play another game for 22 days. On February 26, they visit Ottawa to face the Senators.
“We can probably start out (Andrew) Copp’s line or (Dylan) Larkin’s line a little bit more faceoff-wise back to back, maybe one after another more than I have in the past,” McLellan said. “So we can do that, and we likely will.”
Plenty of Down Time For Red Wings
Other than captain Larkin (USA), Lucas Raymond (Sweden), and Moritz Seider (Germany), who are heading to the Milan/Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy, every other Detroit player will be offered a long rest to heal their various bumps and bruises.
Of all the former Sharks coaches I remain fond of, Todd McLellan is easily atop the list. Was always kind, professional, and insightful to be around. Gave me a lot of access back then, to better understand the inner-workings of an NHL team. Glad to have him turning the (Eastern… pic.twitter.com/znc9XcXLRa
— Brodie Brazil (@BrodieBz) January 17, 2026
“When that last buzzer goes off in wherever we are, Utah, they should feel exhausted, that they’ve given everything they absolutely have, because that time frame of recovery is long enough,” McLellan said. “They’re going to get it all back.
“The three Olympians, we’ll have to deal with them. We’ll have to be concerned about where they’re at when they come back, not necessarily when they leave, but we can coach that way.”
