The Detroit Red Wings (16-11-3) are the only team in the Eastern Conference with a trio of 30-plus points (Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat). Players like defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Patrick Kane have contributed greatly, and overall the Red Wings rank tenth in the league in goals scored. As a result, they are above the playoff line and third in the Atlantic Division.
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However, goalkeeping was their Achilles heel. Detroit has struggled to find a quality goaltender since Jimmy Howard retired in 2021. They made a big move this offseason by acquiring John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks for Petr Mrazek, a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-round pick in 2026. Unfortunately, Gibson has regressed in Detroit, going from a .911 save percentage in 2024-25 to a .869 SV percentage in 2025-26.
The Red Wings have been dealing with goaltending issues for several years. They have the fifth-worst save percentage since 2020 (.891), yet they could have recruited one of the best goaltenders in the NHL more than a decade ago. Unfortunately, they traded his draft pick for Kyle Quincey.
Detroit Red Wings trade for Kyle Quincey
On February 21, 2012, the Red Wings were in the midst of a strong season. They had a record of 41-18-2 and stayed above .500 in every month of the campaign. They were on their way to clinching another playoff berth, continuing a postseason streak that began in 1990–91.
However, the team had huge flaws. Their penalty kill (81.75%) and power play percentages (16.11%) were both below league average. Their core defenses were also aging; Nicklas Lidström was 40 and would retire at the end of the season, while Niklas Kronwall was 31. Ian White and Jonathan Ericsson looked like strong defensemen going forward, but general manager Ken Holland needed at least one more defenseman to bolster their blueline depth.
26-year-old defenseman Kyle Quincey was drafted by Detroit in 2003 and was part of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2007-08. However, when he could no longer be sent to the minors, management placed him on waivers, where he was claimed by the Los Angeles Kings.
Quincey was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2009 and became a quality top-four defenseman, averaging over four goals and 23 points per season from 2008-09. He would become a restricted free agent after the 2011-12 season and was considered a solid player for a team gearing up for a Stanley Cup run. If the Red Wings could also reach an extension with him, that would be a bonus.
The Netherlands organized one trade with three teams with the Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning to re-acquire Quincey. Colorado received Tampa Bay winger Steve Downie, Tampa Bay acquired Detroit prospect Sébastien Piché and the Red Wings’ first-round pick in the 2012 NHL draft, and Detroit got Quincey back.
The Aftermath of Red Wings
Quincey faltered in the 2011-2012 season with the Red Wings. He had just two goals and an assist over 18 games, with a minus-4 plus-minus. The Red Wings would finish with a record of 48-28-6, with a rugged 7-10-4 streak since the trade. As a result, they finished third in the Central Division. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Detroit faltered, losing in the first round to the Nashville Predators (48-26-8).
The Red Wings extended Quincey and he remained with the team until the end of the 2015-16 season. However, he never reached the level he played with the Avalanche and never scored more than 20 points in a season. He scored just 14 goals and 34 points in 256 games in his second stint in Detroit. He left the NHL in 2018 and signed with HIFK in the Finnish Liiga.
Detroit’s back-to-back playoff appearances ended after 25 seasons in 2016-17, and they haven’t made the playoffs since, even after poaching general manager Steve Yzerman from the Lightning.
Lightning aftermath
Following the Red Wings’ early exit from the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tampa Bay acquired the No. 19 pick from Detroit. That choice was goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Vasilevskiy has been one of the most reliable goaltenders in the NHL since his debut. He has a career percentage of .917, a record of 342-169-37 and 155.7 goals saved above average, ranked 18th among all NHL goaltenders. He is a five-time Vezina Trophy finalist, winning it in 2018-2019. As a result, the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21, and Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2020-21. He will end his career in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Since Vasilevskiy’s debut in 2014-15, the Lightning have had a .908 save percentage. fifth among all non-expansion teams in that time frame. Meanwhile, the Red Wings have an .898 SV%, and only the San Jose Sharks (.896) and Philadelphia Flyers (.896) have a worse savings rate among non-expansion teams during that period.
Goaltending key to the Red Wings’ future
The Red Wings have seen greatness in net from goaltenders like Terry Sawchuk, Chris Osgood, Dominik Hasek and Jimmy Howard. Apart from the weak defensive structure, goalkeeping has been the biggest blow to the “Yzerplan” so far. If Gibson can’t regain his old form in net this season, the Red Wings will remain an exciting but flawed team that won’t reach the postseason.
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