The Detroit Red Wings are leaving a notable group of veterans without new deals, and the market around them hasn’t been much kinder.
When their contracts expired on July 1, Detroit chose not to retain unrestricted free agents James van Riemsdyk, Cam Talbot, Travis Hamonic, and David Perron. Since then, the rest of the league has mostly kept its distance, too. Across the NHL, 301 contracts have been signed since the UFA window opened, but only one player from last season’s Red Wings group has landed with a rival: Patrick Kane.
Kane, who signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, was also one of the players Detroit still wanted back. He, however, decided he was done with the Red Wings.
That leaves the others in an even tougher spot, especially with one league trend threatening to make it harder for veteran free agents to latch on. The professional tryout offer, or PTO, appears to be fading fast. It may not be gone completely, but it’s clearly hanging by a thread.
That matters because the NHL’s schedule changes are squeezing the preseason. The league is moving to an 84-game regular season in 2026-27 while cutting the preseason from eight games to four.
Those exhibition games were a key stage for PTO players, giving them a chance to show themselves to the team they were with and to other scouts around the league. With half as much preseason runway, the PTO route may be headed toward extinction.
There’s also a more specific case worth watching: Vladimir Tarasenko. After scoring 23 goals for the Minnesota Wild last season, and 11 for the Red Wings in 2024-25, he’s still without an NHL job this summer. The source lists Tarasenko as the top remaining available NHL UFA, yet he continues to draw no interest.
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For Edmonton, the challenge may be less about interest than about price. If Detroits internal valuation of DeBrincat is anywhere near the sentiment coming from its fan base, the Red Wings would likely need a much stronger package to even consider moving him. That creates a familiar trade-board problem for the Oilers and any other suitor, because the gap between what a team is willing to offer and what Detroit believes DeBrincat is worth could be the difference between a serious negotiation and a nonstarter. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Front Office Search Hints At A Bigger Reset
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The move fits a broader moment for the Red Wings, who remain in the middle of trying to build something more sustainable while keeping pace in a tough division. Around the league, cap pressure and contract negotiations are forcing teams to make careful long-term calls, and Detroit appears to be approaching its own off-ice decisions with that same kind of urgency. The next hire will not just matter for the front office chart - it could shape how the franchise resets the way it evaluates talent, priorities, and the next phase of its rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Moritz Seider Just Strengthened His Case As Detroits Next Franchise Leader
Moritz Seider added another major line to his resume this week, earning The Hockey News Rod Langway Award as the NHLs best defensive defenseman for the 2025-26 season. It is another reminder of how central he has become to the Red Wings, with Seider logging all 82 games, skating more than 25 minutes a night and taking on top competition all season long.
For Detroit, the honor only sharpens the conversation around where Seiders rise leads next. He is already being viewed as the kind of player who can anchor a blue line for years, and the bigger picture now includes a possible Norris Trophy down the road and, eventually, the possibility that he wears the captains C for the Red Wings. [Read more 🡒]