The offseason has started to loosen up at last, and that gives the Red Wings at least a little breathing room as training camp gets closer. The free-agent market has been thinning out piece by piece, with the biggest names already gone and a few late-summer surprises now off the board as well.
One of those was Anthony Mantha, who finally landed with New Jersey earlier this week. The former Red Wings forward had been aiming for a deal with a high AAV, but ended up taking a two-year, $3.75 million contract from the Devils instead.
Detroit, according to the reporting, had been in the mix for him until negotiations stalled after former GM Steve Yzerman stepped aside. Without a clear answer in the executive chair, the Red Wings could have a tougher time drawing outside free agents.
There was at least one move on the Detroit side of things. The club re-signed restricted free agent goalie Carter Gylander, who spent time with the organization’s ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye, and was also called up for several games in Grand Rapids last season. The 25-year-old posted a 7-0-1 record with a 1.62 GAA and a .942 save percentage, along with one shutout, in eight games with the Griffins.
Another goalie note came with Michael Hutchinson, who has now joined Jack Campbell on the list of netminders to sign what appears to be their final NHL contract before retirement with the Red Wings this offseason. Hutchinson appeared in one NHL game for Detroit in 2023-24 and spent most of that season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he played 32 games. After his time with the Griffins, he signed in Finland’s Liiga for 2024-25.
There was also a setback for fans hoping to see Russian forward Yegor Vinogradov in the system. The 23-year-old center re-signed with KHL club Torpedo Novgorod earlier this morning, meaning those waiting on him will have to keep waiting a while longer. Vinogradov did show up at Red Wings prospect development camp this year, but he appears to have chosen the security of a contract close to home.
Elsewhere, there’s more on who will be in charge going forward, plus a look at a former Detroit forward trying to make one more run.
In Other News...
Red Wings Finally Made The Draft Swing Fans Have Wanted
The Red Wings finally took the kind of draft swing their fans have been waiting for, turning a goaltending prospect into a chance to add a high-end skater to the pipeline. With the 24th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in hand, Detroit made its move on J.P. Hurlbert, a skilled forward out of the Kamloops Blazers who brings a different kind of upside than the usual draft-day safe play.
Hurlberts path has already been a little unusual, and it is about to get even more interesting. After leaving the USNTDP early and spending a year in the CHL, he is expected to head to the University of Michigan next season, giving the Red Wings a prospect whose development will be watched closely on both sides of the college-hockey divide. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Face A Massive DeBrincat Decision
The market around top-end talent keeps getting louder, and that only sharpens the focus on Alex DeBrincat in Detroit. With San Jose locking up Macklin Celebrini on a massive extension and other star negotiations beginning to take shape across the league, the Red Wings are staring at the kind of decision that can shape a roster for years. DeBrincat has been at the center of trade chatter, but the latest read out of Detroit is that the club remains confident he stays put and that he is happy there.
What makes the situation so interesting is where the next contract could land if the sides do decide to keep building together. DeBrincat is already one of the most important offensive pieces on the roster, and the price of keeping a scorer like that only rises in a market this aggressive. For a front office trying to balance present urgency with long-term flexibility, the question is no longer whether DeBrincat matters. It is how far Detroit is willing to go to make sure he remains part of the plan. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Just Reopened A Goalie Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Red Wings have kept another goaltending piece in the fold, signing Gylander to a one-year, two-way deal for the 2026-27 season. It is the latest reminder that Detroit is still sorting through its crease pipeline, and Gylander remains part of that picture after first joining the organization as a draft pick in 2019.
What makes his situation worth watching is the uncertainty around where he fits next fall. Gylander has spent most of his time with the clubs AHL and ECHL affiliates, but the Red Wings also have other young netminders in the mix, which leaves his starting point for the season unsettled for now. [Read more 🡒]