Wilmer Skoog didn’t need long to figure out where his first NHL points came from, and now he’s headed to the same place that helped create them.
The Swedish forward has signed a two-way contract with the Red Wings after reaching unrestricted free agency, and he’s eager for the next step. Skoog told Swedish website Hockey Sverige that Detroit stood out among the options he and his camp discussed.
“We talked about a few different options, but Detroit felt good, and I’m looking forward to it,” Wilmer Skoog told Swedish website Hockey Sverige.
Skoog’s NHL debut came late last season during his third pro year in the Florida Panthers organization in 2025-26. He appeared in three games for Florida and picked up his first NHL points in the season finale, an 8-1 win over the Red Wings, when he had two assists.
He believed that stretch had done enough to earn another deal from Florida. Instead, the Panthers did not issue a qualifying offer, and Skoog found himself on the market.
“It wasn’t disappointing, but I was a little surprised,” Skoog said. “I then mostly saw opportunities to talk to other teams and see where there was interest.”
Detroit’s pitch came with a clear opportunity, and Skoog is embracing it. He knows the Red Wings haven’t reached the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2016, and he wants to be part of the group that helps change that.
“These are new challenges, and I hope to be a part of and contribute to hopefully making it to the playoffs,” Skoog said. “It’s a process all the time, even for all the players.
“I think it’s more about where I see opportunities for myself. A little bit of what they say and what I myself think and believe. I think it feels like a good ‘fit’.”
Red Wings vice president of hockey operations Nicklas Lidstrom said it’s likely Skoog will start the 2026-27 season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. That wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory for the 26-year-old, who has posted 18- and 22-goal seasons in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers.
For now, Skoog isn’t looking too far ahead. He says the job is to perform and let the rest sort itself out.
“I expect to do my best,” Skoog said. “How it turns out is not something I think about.
It’s about my performance. Then I’ll see what happens.”
His NHL taste test was short, but it was enough to leave him wanting more.
“To continue to develop, have fun, hopefully get to play more NHL games, and do well” are the items on Skoog’s to-do list. “It was a lot of fun at the end of last season with Florida.”
And for a player who understands the Red Wings’ Swedish lineage, the fit feels even better. Skoog said he knows the history of Swedish players in Detroit and is excited to join that group.
“It’s crazy fun,” Skoog said. “Everyone knows there have been a lot of Swedes there, and there still are. I’m looking forward to being a part of it and getting to know the guys in the Detroit organization.
“I’ve always looked up to “Lidas” [Lidstrom] and all those guys. I’ve personally never had a favorite team in the NHL, but I know some friends have Detroit as their favorite team and walked around with caps and jerseys from there.
“They’re happy now. I sent a message when everything was done and only got happy faces in response.”
In Other News...
Red Wings Fans Just Got Another Reason To Doubt Larkin Pick Packages
Bill Armstrongs explanation for why Utah matched the Barrett Hayton offer sheet landed well beyond Salt Lake City, because it put a familiar NHL debate back in the spotlight: how much trust should a general manager place in draft picks when a proven center is on the table? For Red Wings fans, it is the same tension that always follows Dylan Larkin chatter. Steve Yzerman has been careful about the kind of return he would even consider, and the broader message from around the league is clear enough. Picks are useful, but they are far from sure things, especially when the player in question is already established.
The numbers only sharpen that caution. Second-round selections from 2011 to 2020 have turned into regular NHL players only about 30 to 34 percent of the time, while even late first-rounders are hardly locks. That is why teams keep treating premium centers like assets you do not replace with a stack of futures unless the offer is loaded with real certainty. For Detroit, it is another reminder that any Larkin package would have to be built around proven help, not just the promise of what might develop years down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face Growing Tension Around Simon Edvinsson's Future
Simon Edvinssons offseason has already become one of the more closely watched items on the Red Wings docket, even after a season that showed why Detroit wants him around. The young defenseman played 72 games and set career highs in goals and assists, giving the blue line the kind of two-way growth the organization has been building toward as it tries to keep its core intact.
Lucas Raymond, meanwhile, is moving into the third season of his eight-year extension and was recently seen alongside Edvinsson and Rasmus Dahlin at a Luke Combs concert, a reminder of how intertwined these young Swedish stars remain away from the rink. For Detroit, the bigger question is how quickly the Edvinsson situation settles, because every passing week keeps the focus on a player whose next step matters to the roster and to the teams long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Offseason Is Stuck On One Massive Unresolved Situation
Dylan Larkins situation has become the kind of offseason hold-up that can shape everything else around it. The Red Wings captain remains at the center of a trade discussion with Steve Yzerman, and until there is clarity on where that goes, Detroits roster picture stays a little blurry. It is the sort of unresolved business that hangs over a teams summer, especially when the player involved is still under contract and the front office is trying to map out the next step without forcing the issue.
Yzerman does have time to work through it, with months still left to find a deal that makes sense for the organization. The wrinkle is that Detroit is not approaching this like a standard futures swap, which narrows the field and makes the negotiation more delicate. If nothing comes together, Larkin could still be on the roster when the season opens, a possibility that keeps this from being a clean break and leaves the Red Wings waiting on a decision that could define the direction of the whole offseason. [Read more 🡒]