The first week of NHL free agency has come and gone, and the market has been slow to move for the Red Wings’ former UFAs. Of the six ex-Detroit players who appeared at the NHL level for the club last season, only Erik Gustafsson has landed a new deal so far.
That leaves Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk, David Perron, Travis Hamonic and Cam Talbot still sitting unsigned as the offseason drags on. For that group, the wait has turned into a test of patience, with the market not exactly rushing to make a call.
Kane is the biggest name still out there. Now in his age-37 season, he arrived in Detroit after hip resurfacing surgery and was looking to chase a Cup. Instead, the Red Wings have gone through three March collapses and missed the playoffs, while his hometown Buffalo Sabres finally snapped a 14-year playoff drought.
Kane said he wanted to return to Detroit in his postseason press conferences, but that was before Dylan Larkin’s trade request became public. A new deal with the Wings would mean more playoff misses, and Kane is also fighting the simple reality of age and health.
Injuries held him to 67 games, but he still finished with 57 points and reached the 500-goal mark for his career. There should be interest in him somewhere; for now, though, he appears content to let the market settle before making his next move.
Perron, van Riemsdyk and Talbot look like the other veterans most likely to find NHL homes at some point this summer. They’re all deep into the back end of their careers, with Talbot now the oldest active goaltender after Jonathan Quick’s retirement earlier this year.
The league may not be eager to commit to a goalie who played in fewer than 10 games after the Olympic break. Still, Talbot opened the season well and handled most of the net for Detroit before John Gibson got up to speed in December.
Perron and van Riemsdyk are both nearing 40, but each still produced enough in bottom-six roles to keep themselves in the conversation. Perron was limited by injuries to 65 games and posted 13 goals and 15 assists, while van Riemsdyk played in 72 games and scored three more goals.
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Red Wings Just Added A New Name Fans Will Want To Know
A new depth piece is on the way for Detroit after the club added an unrestricted free agent on a two-way deal, giving the Red Wings another name to track as they sort out the edges of the roster. The move fits the kind of low-risk, organizational signing teams make when they want more options up front and a player who can move between Detroit and Grand Rapids as needed.
There is also a little bit of familiarity here, because the forward already crossed paths with the Red Wings during his NHL debut with Florida, when he picked up two assists against them. For now, the expectation is that he will open next season with the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, which makes this less about an immediate lineup shakeup and more about adding another layer of depth the organization can develop. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Face A Serious Threat To Simon Edvinsson
Simon Edvinssons next contract has quickly become one of the more delicate issues on Detroits summer board, with the young defenseman still unsigned as a restricted free agent and the market around him starting to take shape. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that another club has at least kicked the tires on the idea of a major offer sheet, which is the kind of pressure point that can turn a routine negotiation into a franchise decision.
For the Red Wings, the concern is not just losing a promising blue-liner, but losing a player who has grown into a key part of their future on defense. Any aggressive outside bid would force Detroit to weigh the cost of matching against the risk of letting a core piece walk, and the compensation rules only add to the stakes if the number climbs high enough. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Look Like A Real Threat In Major Kraken Deal
Seattles offseason chatter has started to turn into something more tangible, and it has Detroit fans paying attention. On Elliotte Friedmans 32 Thoughts podcast, the Kraken were framed as a team that could listen on pieces like Jared McCann and Vince Dunn as both players near the end of their contracts, which immediately puts the Red Wings in the conversation as a club with the kind of prospect depth that can make a deal work.
For Detroit, the appeal is obvious: adding established help without having to strip the roster bare. McCann would bring scoring punch, while Dunn would give the blue line a puck-moving boost, and the Wings have enough young talent to at least explore whether a match makes sense. Nothing is imminent, but when a team with Seattles kind of names comes into play, Detroit has to be ready to see how far its prospect pool can carry it. [Read more 🡒]