The Detroit Red Wings are headed into NHL free agency with a roster that could look a lot different by the time the dust settles.
At the center of the uncertainty is star captain Dylan Larkin, the Michigan native who has asked for a trade from the only NHL team he has played for over his 11-year career. But that is only part of the picture for general manager Steve Yzerman, who has other business to handle when the market opens Wednesday, July 1, at noon Eastern.
Detroit has room to maneuver. The Wings enter the offseason with about $29 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia as of Tuesday, June 30, and roughly $75 million committed to 19 players. That gives them flexibility to make roster upgrades whether or not a Larkin deal happens.
There are also several notable players set to hit the market or need new contracts. The Red Wings’ free-agent list includes Patrick Kane, Simon Edvinsson, James van Riemsdyk, David Perron and Cam Talbot. Kane, Perron and van Riemsdyk are unrestricted free agents, Edvinsson is restricted, and Talbot is also unrestricted.
Detroit is trying to end a playoff drought that has now reached 10 years, the longest active streak in the NHL. After coming up just short last season, the Wings could either make significant changes or bring back much of the same core.
For now, the biggest question is how much reshaping comes in the first wave of free agency - and whether Larkin is still part of the picture when it’s over.
The Red Wings also added to their pipeline in the 2026 draft. Their class includes first-round forward J.P. Hurlbert from Kamloops of the WHL, second-round forward Victor Plante from Minnesota Duluth, third-round goalie Michael Orsulak from Prince Albert, fourth-round forward Adam Levac from Peterborough, fifth-round forward Beckham Edwards from Sarnia and sixth-round forward Luka Arkko from the Pelicans in Finland.
In Other News...
This Free Agent Could Fix A Red Wings Problem Fast
With cap space to work with, the Red Wings are in position to chase a roster upgrade when free agency opens, and one name to keep an eye on is a winger who has quietly built a reputation as a reliable two-way piece. He has turned in solid offensive production in recent seasons while also handling the defensive side of the job, which makes him a tidy fit for a team that wants more balance without sacrificing structure.
For Detroit, the appeal is obvious because the move would not require a top-line role to make sense. A player like this could slide into the bottom six and help on the penalty kill, giving the club a clearer answer in areas that have needed reinforcement. The catch is that if he reaches the market, he should have no shortage of suitors, so the Red Wings may need to move quickly to turn interest into a deal. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Just Lost A Center Option Fans Were Watching
Detroits search for a center option took another hit when Nashville swooped in and landed Mavrik Bourque from Dallas, a move that also sent Ilya Lyubushkin to the Predators for two second-round picks. Bourque had been the kind of young, productive target that could have fit what the Red Wings have been trying to line up as they keep looking for help down the middle.
For a team still sorting through its center picture, the loss matters because the market is already narrowing. Elias Pettersson has been mentioned as a possibility, though he would come at a steep price, and the idea of using future assets from a Dylan Larkin deal to chase younger names like Shane Wright or Matty Beniers may be part of the long game. For now, though, one of the more appealing options is gone, and Detroit keeps having to move on to the next possibility. [Read more 🡒]
Yzerman Just Made A Forward Move Red Wings Fans Will Debate
Steve Yzerman keeps looking for ways to thicken the Red Wings forward group, and this latest move fits that pattern. Detroit added Keegan Kolesar from the Vegas Golden Knights, a depth winger who has spent his entire NHL career in one uniform and arrives with two years left on his contract at a $2.5 million cap hit.
The price was a 2029 third-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick, the kind of cost that suggests the Wings see a useful fit rather than a splashy swing. Kolesar has been a reliable bottom-six presence for Vegas, which is exactly the sort of profile that can divide a fan base: some will see a practical addition to the roster, while others will wonder whether Detroit has spent draft capital on a player whose ceiling is already well defined. [Read more 🡒]