Red Wings open 2024 Training Camp with optimism and raised expectations carried over from last season

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- The Detroit Red Wings assembled at Centre ICE Arena for Day 1 of Training Camp on Thursday morning, marking the start of a new chapter for a club that’s looking to build on the strides it made last season.

Detroit’s Training Camp roster this year features 68 players, including 37 forwards, 22 defensemen and nine goalies. With several key pieces returning, along with a mix of faces young and new, captain Dylan Larkin said everyone’s excited to get back to work.

“It’s like the first day of school,” Larkin said. “There are some jitters, but it was good to get on the ice up here. Some guys are feeling it out, but I was very impressed with the intensity and thought the older guys – Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry, myself, Lucas [Raymond], Alex [DeBrincat] – trying to push the battle and intensity a little higher than what we’ve had in the past.”

Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said it was important theveterans set the tone with a competitive practice to kick offTraining Camp.

“Our core is growing together,” Lalonde said. “I felt I’ve grown with this core a little bit too. This was their opportunity to set the tone. We keep talking about putting some of these words into action. It’s the first opportunity for action and was a good step on Day 1, but that’s all it was. I’d like to keep pushing this going forward, but it’s going to have to come from that leadership group.”

That leadership group is headlined by Larkin, who said missing out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season was a tough pill to swallow.

“It was extremely hard to get over that,” Larkin said. “We found out what we had in our room with our guys. We battled hard, but we came up short by one point. You learn how valuable every point is. Sometimes when you’re not feeling your best on the road, a long trip or whatever it is, we showed through adversity what winning hockey looks like for us.”

Set to enter his 10th NHL season with the only organization he’s ever known, Larkin has his sights set on elevating his game this season. In 2023-24, Larkin scored a career-high 33 goals in 68 contests and averaged over a point per game (69 points) for the first time in his career.

“Still pushing myself,” Larkin said. “I know I have a next level and I would like to see what I can do. I would like to be a dominant player, like I have been when I’m healthy. That’s a big thing for me, is staying healthy this year. Trying to dominate, just play my game and be a good playmaker.”

New long-term contract extensions for Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider were also topics of conversation that added to the positive energy inside Centre ICE Arena. Raymond re-signed for eight years on Monday, while Seider put pen to paper on a seven-year pact on Thursday afternoon.

“Both [Raymond and Seider] are tremendous players, some of the best players on our team,” Patrick Kane said. “Obviously huge to have them on our side. Both are so deserving as well of their new contracts. Both work so hard. They want to be Red Wings, do well for the city and for the organization. Happy for both those guys and the team as well.”

Kane then discussed internal expectations, pointing out how it will be up to the players to stay in the moment and work hard to achieve their goals this season.

“We have a new season and we’re not going to be guaranteed to be in the playoff race,” Kane said. “We have to work for it.”