Due to the holidays the D-Brief was on a temporary break, but is now back ready to inform what exactly is going on in the Motor City as we head into 2026.

Wings, Red

Happy New Year! The Wings are still atop the Atlantic Division despite having a negative goal differential of -3 which is very odd to me. We’ve won seven of our last ten, but don’t let this hot streak fool you.

Don’t get me wrong: I have a lot of faith in this Wings squad. Especially on the young defensive side in Edvinsson and Seider. We know Seider is legit, taking home the Calder in the 2021-22 season and improving ever since. But Edvinsson has yet to break out. Granted, Edvinsson is only 22, but he’s still showing amazing signs and improving with every game. Seider has a +12 plus-minus on the year, and Edvinsson a +8. That stat basically means that the Wings have a large positive goal differential when those two are on the ice. They lead the team.

Edvinsson had a great OT winner the other night, and along with his freighting ability to jump in front of any shot, continues to improve offensively. This team is great, but I still think we need to trade for a piece at the deadline.

I’m just worried that Stevie will see this hot streak and podium and think we’re fine. We’re doing amazing right now yes, but come March and dare I say the playoffs and we’ll be looking at the trade deadline like a missed opportunity. 

Number one, besides Kane, we’re amazingly healthy right now. One injury is all it takes to send the team down a spiral, and even a veteran signing like Ryan O’Riley (my ideal trade candidate) who would provide a great two way line addition would make me feel a lot better about the Wings headed into 2026.

We can see if this John Gib-sanity thing will still play out in January, I wouldn’t bet on it, but I hope he does continue to impress on the net. If not thought, another goalie would always be welcome. If only we had an amazing goalie prospect waiting to come up in Grand Rapids who just got another shutout. That would be ideal.

Motor City Kitties

Not a lot going on this week in Tigers baseball besides some of the looming trade targets and free agents, but I’ll do my best to entertain the masses. Here is part one of my 2026 opening day lineup, given the current roster and predictions on what will happen.

Batting first, I will take the center fielder,  Parker Meadows. I’m still a believer in Meadows, even with his bitter cold finish to the season offensively last year, but he was hurt and coming back from injury. He’s still probably the fastest player on the team, and if you look at the majority of Hinch’s lineups, the fastest player typically leads off in an ideal situation. Which is a smart thing to do, but Parker couldn’t really hit the ball in September which is why he didn’t

leadoff in the end of the season. But give him a full offseason and I think he’ll be the one to keep an eye on this year.

Batting second I will take the second baseman, Mr. Gleyber Torres. Again, as stated in previous issues, I think when Torres is healthy, he’s our best contact hitter. He’s got a great eye and provides another early baserunning opportunity in the lineup. We haven’t seen him at full strength since like July, so an opportunity to rest and get healthier will hopefully put him back in the 

Batting third I will take the left fielder, Kerry Carpenter. Don’t overthink this one. This guy’s a lock in left field, no debate on that, and when healthy, our best power hitter. I’d take him over Riley. Riles is really hit or miss with runners in scoring position, due to his unparalleled ability to strike out swinging and negative clutch factor. Kerry just does better in high pressure scenarios which is why I’d take him over Riles. He played his most games this year and hit his most home runs. And I have so much confidence in him to improve.

Parts two and three will come in weeks to come, so try and hold your horses. As of right now the lineup is: 1. Parker Meadows (CF) 2. Gleyber Torres (2B) 3. Kerry Carpenter (RF)

The ‘Stons

The Pistons had a pretty bad loss to the Clippers due to Kawhi Leonard turning back the clock and dropping a career high 55 points, but other than that the Pistons have been cruising through the east. 

Our schedule gets a lot tougher in 2026, but I’m not too particularly worried about it. What matters at this point is getting to the playoffs healthy. We’ve got the 2nd best defense in the league and the best coach. JB gives off some Chuck Daly combined with a Nick Saban-esque fury that makes him the ideal face of the new bad boys. Our aggressiveness on defense is unparalleled in the league. In the paint, we’re better than the Thunder. Sure, the numbers say otherwise, but if you doubt me, just look at a picture of Jalen Duren, and then look at a picture of Chet Holmgren. And then tell me who of those two you think is easier to score on. Nuff said.

Bickerstaff’s no holes barred fiery coaching is the perfect fit for the Pistons. Throughout history, the aggressive and controversial physicality of play has been a staple in the Motor City. History repeats itself again. Rick Mahorn evolved into Ben Wallace who then evolved into Isaiah ‘Beef Stew’ Stewart. The fearless leadership of Isiah Thomas turned into Chauncy ‘Hellmuth’ Billups (pre illegal poker) who then passed the torch to Cade Cunningham. These teams only come around once every so often, and we’re just getting started. 

JB is the face of it all. I love it when he screams at the refs who have a clear misreading of the situation. I loved it when he defended Ausar when he got ejected. He’s the perfect combo of a great locker room guy, and a pretty decent tactician. He is going to be the one that takes us to the promised land. He is our guy.

Los Lions

Well, a lot has happened since the last Lions update. 

The elephant in the room is the Lions being eliminated from the playoffs. It’s over. First the infuriating loss to Rodgers and the Steelers, then the embarrassment on primetime television by Max Brosmer. So how exactly did we lose? Well contrary to popular, idiotic belief, it was not the fault of Jared Goff. He took eight combined sacks, threw two interceptions, and fumbled three times. So the stats will tell you it’s all his fault and we need to move on from him. This, however, is not the case.

Anyone who even glanced at the two games can tell you that the O-line was in shambles. Anyone who didn’t know Kingsley Eguakun was our starting center can’t be blamed either. I don’t like to be mean, but this guy was atrocious. Multiple botched snaps leading to turnovers, multiple missed assignments leading to sacks, and probably multiple protection calls messed up. Again, don’t like to be mean, but this guy was terrible. But the O-line woes don’t stop there. Decker, Mahogany, Glasgow, and Manu (all offensive linemen) were all on the injury report sometime last week and this week. Sewell left the Minnesota game because of injury which didn’t help, and Brian Flores’ defense isn’t one that is particularly easy to play against. We always struggle against him due to how much he blitzes and how much Goff is like a deer in the headlights in the pocket sometimes (though he has been getting somewhat better at that), but it’s still inexcusable to lose to a team that had THREE PASSING YARDS. I don’t break out the bold italics often but they’re coming out today. 

So, recap, it’s not Goff’s fault, and we got matched up against bad defenses. But we cannot dwell on the past for too long.

I really don’t care between the 14th pick and the 17th pick that much, I would much rather beat Ben Johnson any day of the week. I’m happy for Ben and glad to see him doing well in Chicago, but I still want to beat the brakes off the Bears of Chicago. Who are a much better team than when we played them before. Caleb looks back, the defense looks legit, and we are pretty much the opposite. All time good vibes in the windy city, all time bad vibes in the windy city. But we’ve seen what Dan can do in these emotional games. He can find a way, even through the toughest of storms. And this storm’s going to be tough.

The game doesn’t matter in a playoff perspective. But it may be the biggest game of the season for Dan.

Gimme the Lions by a game winning field goal.