Detroit Red Wings
You’re Right . . . Red Wings DeBrincat Does Miss The Net a Lot
Detroit winger has fired 106 missed shots this season
Boy, Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat sure seems to miss the net a lot.
We’ll bet you’ve said that at some point this season.
Well, you know what? You’re right.
Missed shots are a stat that the NHL tracks, and as the Red Wings head into the Olympic break following Wednesday’s 4-1 road loss to the Utah Mammoth, no player in the league has accounted for more missed shots than Detroit winger DeBrincat.
DeBrincat has accounted for 106 missed shots through 58 games. He’s missed the target on 26.4% of the shots he’s taken.
DeBrincat has shot wide 66 times and put an additional 27 shots over the net. He’s also had 22.9% of his shots blocked (92 in total).
Now, before you think about taking DeBrincat to task over these numbers, you might want to think again. He’s leading the Red Wings this season with 30 goals. DeBrincat has put 50.6% of his shots on goal (203 out of 401).
Alex DeBrincat says hi to the kiddos before the game! 🥹
📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/shg1Onv6JN
— NHL (@NHL) January 31, 2026
A team wants its scorers to be shooting the puck. Red Wings coach Todd McLellan cited Lucas Raymond as an example.
I view Razor as a 35, 45-goal scorer,” McLellan said. “But without shooting the puck, he’s not going to get there.”
DeBrincat is also keeping some pretty impressive company at the top of the missed shots leaderboard. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild are also sitting on 106 missed shots. Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Timo Meier of the New Jersey Devils show 106 missed shots in their stat lines.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who has scored more regular-season goals than anyone in the history of the league, is at 104 missed shots.
Larkin Is The Red Wings’ Iron Man
It also seems as though DeBrincat hits the post a lot, and that he does. DeBrincat has cranked the puck off the goal post nine times this season. However, that doesn’t lead the team.
The thing about a Dylan Larkin commercial is that his monotone yet earnest delivery will make it funny every time pic.twitter.com/9sHalhyDoy
— riley (@moreitscider) January 28, 2026
It’s Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin who is the champion of hitting the iron. According to data compiled by the website Dobber Prospects, Larkin has hit the post 11 times this season.
Only Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who’s hit the post 13 times this season, ranks ahead of Larkin.
Larkin has fired 102 shots this season that have missed the net. Detroit is the only team with multiple representatives among the eight NHL players who’ve tallied 100+ missed shots during the 2025-26 campaign.
I’m sure his missed shots would go way down if he shot for the middle of the net but of course your odds of scoring go way down the Cat is shooting for the corner where there is a much better percentages of getting the puck past the goalie.
Playing for the tip in.
At least he is shooting and scoring something you can’t say for others.
Cat loves to take the big swing as he drops to a knee. It looks spectacular when he scores, but I’m guessing those types of shots account for a fair number of his misses.
Its a pretty simple formula, shoot a lot, score a lot. I wish all the Wings would try it.
He has 30 goals. He can shoot as much as he wants.
Exactly!!!