The 2020–21 Detroit Red Wings season was the 95th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on September 25, 1926. It was the Red Wings' fourth season at Little Caesars Arena.

On December 20, 2020, the league temporarily realigned into four divisions with no conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing closure of the Canada–United States border. As a result of this realignment the Red Wings returned to the Central Division for the first time since 2012–13 and only played games against the other teams in their new division during the regular season.

On April 26, the Red Wings were eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth consecutive season for the first time since the 1978–79 season and the 1982–83 season, after the Nashville Predators defeated the Florida Panthers.

Standings

Divisional standings

Schedule and results

Regular season 2020–21 game log 19–27–10 (Home: 12–11–5; Road: 7–16–5)January: 2–6–2 (Home: 2–3–1; Road: 0–3–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 1 January 14 Carolina 3–0 Detroit Greiss 0 0–1–0 0 2 January 16 Carolina 2–4 Detroit Bernier 0 1–1–0 2 3 January 18 Columbus 3–2 Detroit Greiss 0 1–2–0 2 4 January 19 Columbus 2–3 Detroit OT Bernier 0 2–2–0 4 5 January 22 Detroit 1–4 Chicago Greiss 0 2–3–0 4 6 January 24 Detroit 2–6 Chicago Bernier 0 2–4–0 4 7 January 26 Detroit 1–2 Dallas OT Greiss 4,109 2–4–1 5 8 January 28 Detroit 3–7 Dallas Greiss 4,214 2–5–1 5 9 January 30 Florida 3–2 Detroit OT Greiss 0 2–5–2 6 10 January 31 Florida 3–2 Detroit Greiss 0 2–6–2 6 February: 5–8–1 (Home: 2–3–1; Road: 3–5–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 11 February 3 Detroit 1–5 Tampa Bay Greiss 0 2–7–2 6 12 February 5 Detroit 1–3 Tampa Bay Greiss 0 2–8–2 6 13 February 7 Detroit 4–1 Florida Greiss 3,706 3–8–2 8 14 February 9 Detroit 1–2 Florida Greiss 3,477 3–9–2 8 15 February 11 Detroit 2–3 Nashville Greiss 0 3–10–2 8 16 February 13 Detroit 4–2 Nashville Bernier 0 4–10–2 10 17 February 15 Chicago 3–2 Detroit OT Greiss 0 4–10–3 11 18 February 17 Chicago 2–0 Detroit Bernier 0 4–11–3 11 19 February 19 Florida 7–2 Detroit Greiss 0 4–12–3 11 20 February 20 Florida 1–2 Detroit Bernier 0 5–12–3 13 21 February 23 Nashville 2–0 Detroit Bernier 0 5–13–3 13 22 February 25 Nashville 2–5 Detroit Bernier 0 6–13–3 15 23 February 27 Detroit 5–3 Chicago Bernier 0 7–13–3 17 24 February 28 Detroit 2–7 Chicago Greiss 0 7–14–3 17 March: 5–7–1 (Home: 5–2–1; Road: 0–5–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 25 March 2 Detroit 1–4 Columbus Bernier 1,953 7–15–3 17 26 March 4 Detroit 2–5 Carolina Bernier 2,924 7–16–3 17 27 March 9 Tampa Bay 4–3 Detroit OT Greiss 0 7–16–4 18 28 March 11 Tampa Bay 4–6 Detroit Bernier 0 8–16–4 20 29 March 14 Carolina 2–1 Detroit Bernier 0 8–17–4 20 30 March 16 Carolina 2–4 Detroit Bernier 0 9–17–4 22 31 March 18 Dallas 2–3 Detroit Greiss 0 10–17–4 24 32 March 20 Dallas 3–0 Detroit Greiss 0 10–18–4 24 33 March 23 Detroit 0–2 Nashville Greiss — 10–19–4 24 34 March 25 Detroit 1–7 Nashville Pickard — 10–20–4 24 35 March 27 Columbus 1–3 Detroit Pickard 0 11–20–4 26 36 March 28 Columbus 1–4 Detroit Pickard 0 12–20–4 28 37 March 30 Detroit 1–4 Florida Pickard 4,321 12–21–4 28 April: 5–5–5 (Home: 2–2–2; Road: 3–3–3) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 38 April 1 Detroit 2–3 Florida OT Greiss 4,359 12–21–5 29 39 April 3 Detroit 1–2 Tampa Bay Greiss 3,800 12–22–5 29 40 April 4 Detroit 5–1 Tampa Bay Greiss 3,800 13–22–5 31 41 April 6 Nashville 3–2 Detroit SO Greiss 0 13–22–6 32 42 April 8 Nashville 7–1 Detroit Bernier 0 13–23–6 32 43 April 10 Detroit 5–4 Carolina SO Greiss 4,987 14–23–6 34 44 April 12 Detroit 3–1 Carolina Bernier 4,987 15–23–6 36 45 April 15 Chicago 1–4 Detroit Greiss 0 16–23–6 38 46 April 17 Chicago 4–0 Detroit Bernier 0 16–24–6 38 47 April 19 Detroit 2–3 Dallas SO Greiss 4,812 16–24–7 39 48 April 20 Detroit 2–5 Dallas Bernier 5,148 16–25–7 39 49 April 22 Dallas 3–7 Detroit Greiss 0 17–25–7 41 50 April 24 Dallas 2–1 Detroit OT Bernier 0 17–25–8 42 51 April 27 Detroit 0–1 Columbus SO Greiss 4,316 17–25–9 43 52 April 29 Detroit 1–3 Carolina Bernier 4,987 17–26–9 43 May: 2–1–1 (Home: 1–1–0; Road: 1–0–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 53 May 1 Tampa Bay 0–1 Detroit SO Greiss 0 18–26–9 45 54 May 2 Tampa Bay 2–1 Detroit Bernier 0 18–27–9 45 55 May 7 Detroit 5–2 Columbus Greiss 4,402 19–27–9 47 56 May 8 Detroit 4–5 Columbus OT Pickard 4,493 19–27–10 48 Legend:

Awards and honours Awards

Regular season Player Award Awarded NHL First Star of the Week May 3, 2021

Milestones

Regular season Player Milestone Reached 200th career NHL game January 14, 2021 900th career NHL game January 22, 2021 900th career NHL game January 28, 2021 700th career NHL game January 30, 2021 400th career NHL game February 3, 2021 300th career NHL game February 9, 2021 300th career NHL assist March 11, 2021 300th career NHL game March 18, 2021 300th career NHL game April 8, 2021 100th career NHL assist April 15, 2021

Transactions The Red Wings have been involved in the following transactions during the 2020–21 season.

Trades Date Details Ref To New York IslandersDmytro TimashovTo Detroit Red WingsFuture considerations To Colorado AvalanchePatrik NemethTo Detroit Red Wings4th-round pick in 2022 To Columbus Blue JacketsBrian LashoffTo Detroit Red WingsDavid Savard To Tampa Bay LightningDavid SavardTo Detroit Red Wings4th-round pick in 2021 To Montreal CanadiensJon MerrillTo Detroit Red WingsHayden Verbeek5th-round pick in 2021 To Washington CapitalsAnthony ManthaTo Detroit Red WingsRichard PanikJakub Vrana1st-round pick in 20212nd-round pick in 2022

Free agents Date Player Team Contract term Ref Bobby Ryan from Ottawa Senators 1-year Jon Merrill from Vegas Golden Knights 1-year Riley Barber from Pittsburgh Penguins 2-year Kevin Boyle from Anaheim Ducks 1-year Kyle Criscuolo from Anaheim Ducks 1-year Thomas Greiss from New York Islanders 2-year Troy Stecher from Vancouver Canucks 2-year Vladislav Namestnikov from Colorado Avalanche 2-year

Contract terminations Date Player Via Ref Justin Abdelkader Unconditional waivers

Retirement Date Player Ref Trevor Daley

Signings Date Player Contract term Ref Tyler Bertuzzi 1-year Anthony Mantha 4-year

Draft picks

Below are the Detroit Red Wings' selections at the 2020 NHL entry draft, which was held on October 6 and 7, 2020, via video conference call due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Round # Player Pos Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)14 Lucas Raymond LW Frölunda HC (SHL)232 William Wallinder D Modo J20 (J20 SuperElit)251 Theodor Niederbach C Frölunda J20 (J20 SuperElit)255 Cross Hanas LW Portland Winterhawks (WHL)363 Donovan Sebrango D Kitchener Rangers (OHL)370 Eemil Viro D TPS (Liiga)497 Sam Stange RW Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)41071 Jan Bednar G HC Baník Sokolov (Czech 2.liga)5132 Alex Cotton D Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)6156 Kyle Aucoin D Tri-City Storm (USHL)7187 Kienan Draper RW Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)7203 Chase Bradley LW Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) Notes: The Edmonton Oilers' fourth-round pick went to the Detroit Red Wings as the result of a trade on February 23, 2020, that sent Mike Green to Edmonton in exchange for Kyle Brodziak and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).

References