Early look · NHL 2026-27

Detroit Red Wings at Florida Panthers: game preview

DetroitRed Wings2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 41-31-10 · 92 pts · 16that

FloridaPanthers2026-27: 2-0-2 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 40-38-4 · 84 pts · 25th

Puck drop12 Nov · 7:30 PM ET

VenueAmerant Bank Arena

All-time meetings78 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Eight points apart last season

Detroit finished last season 16th in the league on 92 points. Florida finished 25th on 84, and the 2025-26 season series went FLA 3-1-0.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 79

Across 78 completed games, Florida lead the head-to-head 46-22-10.

All-time record46-22-10Florida's record in the series

Meetings played78This is number 79

2025-26 seriesFLA 3-1-0

Last 54-1Florida

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

15 Apr 2026DET 1 – FLA 8——FLA

10 Mar 2026DET 3 – FLA 4——FLA

6 Mar 2026FLA 3 – DET 1——FLA

15 Oct 2025FLA 1 – DET 4——DET

10 Apr 2025DET 1 – FLA 4——FLA

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateDetroitFlorida

15 Oct 20253-1-0 · 6 pts4th3-2-0 · 6 pts9th

6 Mar 202632-16-5 · 69 pts4th28-20-3 · 59 pts14th

10 Mar 202636-22-7 · 79 pts9th32-29-3 · 67 pts21st

15 Apr 202641-31-10 · 92 pts15th40-38-4 · 84 pts25th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 15 Oct 2025, Detroit were 4th in the league and Florida 9th. By 15 Apr 2026 it was 15th and 25th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Detroit out-attempted Florida 237 to 226

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Detroit Red Wings

237 att · 108 on goal · 9 G · 8.3%

Crease21 att · 2 G

Slot84 att · 3 G

Wing90 att · 3 G

Point37 att · 1 G

Neutral zone5 att · 0 G

Florida Panthers

226 att · 100 on goal · 16 G · 16.0%

Crease18 att · 2 G

Slot81 att · 7 G

Wing93 att · 4 G

Point32 att · 2 G

Neutral zone2 att · 1 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Florida have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

DetroitFlorida

3.23xG for per game3.01

2.85xG against per game2.34

53.1%xG share56.3%

−2.7FinishingGoals minus expected goals−4.0

+0.6GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+1.4

This season: 3 games for Detroit, 4 for Florida. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Detroit

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2725.0%

Power play · 2025-2622.6% · 12th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2761.5%

Penalty kill · 2025-2677.1% · 23rd

Faceoffs · 2026-2753.6% · 97/181

Drawn · 2026-2712 (4.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2713 (4.33/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Florida

Small sample

Power play · 2026-274.3%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 19th

Power play · last 5 meetings—

Penalty kill · 2026-2778.9%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.0% · 9th

Faceoffs · 2026-2750.2% · 115/229

Drawn · 2026-2723 (5.75/gm)

Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2719 (4.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Detroit

Expected starter after their game on 10 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Florida

Expected starter after their game on 10 Nov: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Detroit crease

DET · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Nov

John Gibson.9033 GP · 1-2-0 · GSAx +0.4

No appearances against Florida in the last meetings.

Florida crease

FLA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 9 Nov

Jacob Markstrom.9273 GP · 2-0-1 · GSAx +3.2

Akira Schmid.8751 GP · 0-0-1 · GSAx −1.0

No appearances against Detroit in the last meetings.

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 5.9 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

15 Apr 20269 · DET 1–8 FLA

10 Mar 20267 · DET 3–4 FLA

6 Mar 20264 · FLA 3–1 DET

15 Oct 20255 · FLA 1–4 DET

10 Apr 20255 · DET 1–4 FLA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Detroit2.332.672.943.15

Florida2.002.003.063.37

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest5.9Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.0Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

12 on the injury lists

Detroit · injuries

Carter BearUpper BodyIRReturn10 Oct

Chase StillmanUndisclosedIRReturn9 Oct

J.T. CompherUndisclosedOutReturn9 Oct

Jacob Bernard-DockerUpper BodyIRReturn9 Oct

Marco KasperUpper BodyIRReturn20 Oct

Mason AppletonUndisclosedIRReturn13 Oct

Simon EdvinssonContract DisputeOutReturn10 Oct

Florida · injuries

Aaron EkbladPersonalOutReturn10 Oct

Aleksander BarkovLower BodyIRReturn27 Nov

Brad MarchandLegDay-to-dayReturn10 Oct

Jonah GadjovichUpper BodyIRReturn17 Oct

MacKenzie EntwistleUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

2 Oct · DET

Placed F Dylan Larkin on the non-roster injured reserve.

25 Sep · DET

Assigned Fs Ondrej Becher, Cameron Butler, Sheldon Dries, Noah Dower Nilsson, Dylan James, Jesse Kiiskinen, John Leonard, Sutter Muzzatti, Theo Rochette, Dominik Shine and Wilmer Skoog, Ds Ronnie Attard, Jacob Bryson, Shai Buium and William Lagesson and Gs Trey Augustine and Michal Postava to Grand Rapids (AHL).

20 Aug 2026 · DET

Acquired F Sutter Muzzatti from Nashville Predators for future considerations.

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve. Called up D Alexander Petrovic from Charlotte (AHL).

3 Oct · FLA

Placed C Aleksander Barkov on long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · FLA

Placed RW/C Cole Schwindt, RD Alexander Petrovic, LD Donovan Sebrango, LW Kai Schwindt, LW Cole Reinhardt, RW Sam Lafferty and C/LW John Beecher on waivers. Agreed to terms with RW Nathan Bastian on a 1-year, two-way contract.

Injury report

Detroit · 2026 draft

See all: Detroit · 2026 draft →

#23Jeffrey (JP) HurlbertRound 1 · KamloopsLW

#47Victor PlanteRound 2 · Usa U-18LW

#79Michal OrsulakRound 3 · Prince AlbertG

#108Adam LevacRound 4 · PeterboroughC

Full draft

Florida · 2026 draft

See all: Florida · 2026 draft →

#40Simas IgnataviciusRound 2 · GeneveRW

#48Ryder CaliRound 2 · North BayC

#98Jonas KempsRound 4 · ChicagoD

#168Vilho VanhataloRound 6 · Tappara Jr.RW

Full draft

Thursday 12 November · the full slate

See all: Thursday 12 November · the full slate →

FLAThis game 8:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Detroit Red Wings at Florida Panthers: game preview

Eight points apart last season

Meeting number 79

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Detroit out-attempted Florida 237 to 226

Detroit Red Wings

Florida Panthers

Florida have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Detroit

Florida

Skaters to watch

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

Who has stopped this matchup

Detroit crease

Florida crease

Scoring rates point to about 5.9 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

12 on the injury lists

Detroit · injuries

Florida · injuries

Latest moves

Detroit · 2026 draft

Florida · 2026 draft

Thursday 12 November · the full slate