OctoPulse: Taking the pulse of the Red Wings rebuild

Episode 149 of The Detroit News' OctoPulse podcast takes the pulse of Steve Yzerman's rebuild for the last time under Yzerman's watch.

The Red Wings GM stepped down on Wednesday morning, leaving the team on thin ice as owner Chris Ilitch looks for his replacement.

On episode 148 of The Detroit News' OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look a the odds of Dylan Larkin winning a Stanley Cup before the Red Wings do.

Larkin, who made the playoffs only once in 11 years in Detroit, requested a trade on June 4 to three Stanley Cup contenders: Florida, Vegas and Minnesota.

Who will win a Stanley Cup first? Larkin or the Wings? Leave your comments in the comment section on this story and we'll publish the results next podcast.

On the eve of the NHL Draft in Buffalo, the Red Wings are rumored to be in the running for former Little Caesars forward Jason Robertson.

Robertson is a 45-goal scorer for the Dallas Stars, who weren't on Dylan Larkin's original list of teams but are perennial contenders.

The big drawback?

The Northville native is reportedly targeting a $14 million per year contract, equaling the deal by Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.

"He (Robertson) isn't a great skater but he has that Alex DeBrincat knack for scoring goals," Red Wings beat reporter Ted Kulfan said on the "OctoPulse" podcast. "He also plays with better talent and that always scares me when a guy like that comes to a lesser team. Sometimes that doesn't work out to well.

"I don't know if that's an exact fit. I think Dallas might want a little more than Dylan Larkin from what I've heard. Would Robertson be thrilled about coming to Detroit? I don't see Steve Yzerman paying $13 or $14 million dollars a year to a player. That seems a little far-fetched right now in my humble opinion."

Could a Dylan Larkin trade put the Red Wings into the 2027 NHL Draft Lottery?

"Without a doubt," Ted Kulfan said on OctoPulse, the Detroit News-Detroit Red Wings podcast. "As we sit here today and who knows what the return package will be, how do you become a better team losing Dylan Larkin?"

Would you trade Detroit Red Wings star Lucas Raymond, who finished second in team scoring this year with 25 goals and a team-leading 51 assists for 76 points?

In this week's edition of The Detroit News/Red Wings podcast, beat reporter Ted Kulfan and host Mark Falkner discuss the possibility of a specific Raymond trade.

In this edition of The Detroit News' OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' final four games of the regular season and the declining odds of making the playoffs.

In this edition of The Detroit News' OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings' 4-2 win in Philadelphia and the odds of making the playoffs with seven games remaining.

In this special edition of The Detroit News' OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings huge win over the Canadiens on Thursday and how they may need at least 100 points to get into the playoffs.

The Wing have 84 points and are tied for the Eastern Conference wild-card position with the Boston Bruins. The Wings and Bruins will meet Saturday at Little Caesars Arena (8 p.m., ABC).

It's been four years since all eight playoff teams in the East needed 100 wins for the playoffs. In 2021-22, Detroit had only 74 points in Jeff Blashill's final season as coach in Detroit.

In this special edition of The Detroit News' OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at the Red Wings after the trade deadline with Justin Faulk in the lineup and Dylan Larkin sidelined against the Devils.

In this special edition of The Detroit News' OctoPulse podcast, Ted Kulfan takes a look at Team USA's 2-1 OT victory over Canada in the men's Olympic final Sunday and also Megan Keller's game-winning goal in the women's gold-medal victory on Thursday.