The Red Wings are back in first place in the Atlantic — but the path there hasn’t been clean.

This week on Red Wings Rant, we break down a wildly successful West Coast road trip, including shutout wins in Vancouver and Chicago, a statement victory over the Islanders, and why the Utah Mammoth loss looks more like a fatigue-driven anomaly than a warning sign.

December has quietly become Detroit’s regression-to-the-mean month, with top-tier PDO, shooting percentage, and goaltending metrics finally catching up to the underlying play. But the biggest conversation looms larger than any single game.

Did the Red Wings miss a once-in-a-decade opportunity by not landing Quinn Hughes?

Using reporting from Max Bultman, Sean Shapiro, Elliotte Friedman, and Pierre LeBrun, we dive into what the Hughes non-trade says about Steve Yzerman’s risk tolerance, the value of elite stars versus prospect depth, and whether Detroit is doing enough to capitalize on Dylan Larkin’s prime years.

This is the most honest Red Wings conversation yet — the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable middle.

Red Wings Rant: Where tirades and impassioned pleas about your Detroit Red Wings finally have a home. 

JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rd2RUDkzuS

Let’s have fun!

Sponsored by Draft Kings!

Find us on your favorite Podcast App by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/redwingsrant

Episode sponsored by Draft Kings. Use promo code 'THPN' to unlock exclusive offers when you sign up!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.