The Detroit Red Wings are a team with great historical roots that are up-and-coming in the league right now. In a way, that describes the roster as well with 14 of the 24 players to suit up for them being at least 35 years old or being 25 and under. There’s a deep history involved, Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk and Travis Hamonic all combine for over 3300 total games played in the NHL. However, there is also a ton of youth and energy in the lineup as well.
Related: 4 Red Wings Players Who Need to Step Up to Break Playoff Drought
In this two-part article, we’re going to take turns looking at what Detroit’s most experienced veterans have brought to the team this season and then next time we’ll look at what their youngest, brightest-eyed players have contributed.
Detroit has dressed four players aged 35 or older so far in the 2025-26 season, so let’s take a look at how they’ve performed and how important they are for the team’s playoff chase.
Cam Talbot – 37 Years Old
Cam Talbot has played 561 career games to this point, good enough for sixth among active goaltenders. In fact, he’s just one spot ahead of teammate John Gibson who has 548 games. Talbot was earning a pretty even deployment with Gibson early this season, but when Gibson’s play took off in December, Talbot has been left with a more traditional backup deployment. You can call him a 1B or a backup, whatever you want, but if the playoffs began today, Gibson would be in the crease for every game.
That’s not to say Talbot isn’t an option, as he has come in clutch as a reliever a few times, such as two games in just the past week or so where he played only the third period against Nashville and New Jersey when Gibson couldn’t complete those games. Talbot’s save percentage of .891% isn’t excellent, but ranks 46th in the league (min. 10 gp) which is roughly average for a backup. Detroit has a chance to win whenever Talbot is in the crease, though they haven’t been able to rely on him stealing games frequently. Not bad for a backup.
Patrick Kane – 37 Years Old
Patrick Kane’s career and resume speak for themselves, but he has had a really nice piece of his career in Hockey Town. He has scored at a 68-point pace (over 82 games) in parts of three seasons now for Detroit, making him one of their most consistently productive forwards. Kane’s chemistry with Alex DeBrincat is phenomenal, and he has been a huge part of making Detroit’s second line genuinely dangerous.
So far this year, Kane has 38 points in 52 games, which ranks fifth on the team, and he added 13 of those points on the power play where he has been a dynamic playmaking presence regardless of all the miles. Kane was shooting just 7.4% headed into last night’s game against the Florida Panthers so he’s probably owed a couple of goals considering he’s a 11.5% shooter over the course of his 1353-game career. Kane’s continued greatness means a ton for Detroit’s playoff chase and possible playoff run, both on and off the ice.
James van Riemsdyk – 36 Years Old
James van Riemsdyk’s (JVR) season has been really solid, with his 15 goals and 27 points rankings fourth and eighth on the Red Wings respectively. JVR was an affordable free agency add who looked destined to toil as an extra forward at the bottom of the lineup given all the young talent that made the opening night lineup.
JVR missed the first weeks of the season but hadn’t missed a beat the moment he arrived. He has been a reliable winger in the bottom half of the lineup, and one of the team’s most reliable goal scorers in a season where they’ve been desperate for anyone who can put the puck in the net. At a cap hit of $1M, JVR’s signing was an absolute win for Detroit this season.
Travis Hamonic – 35 Years Old
Travis Hamonic has had a rough season, and isn’t currently in Detroit’s lineup. Out of all Red Wings players who have dressed for at least 10 games this season, Hamonic has the lowest Corsi For Percentage, Shots For Percentage, and Expected Goals For Percentage.
Granted, he does have the second lowest offensive zone start rate on the team, but the player who starts the fewest shifts in the offensive zone is 22-year-old Simon Edvinsson who has had a largely successful season in brutally difficult minutes. Hamonic hasn’t played for Detroit since February 4 because Jacob Bernard-Docker and Axel Sandin Pellikka have both outplayed him, and with Justin Faulk’s addition to the lineup, I don’t expect to see Hamonic in the Winged Wheel again this season.
