Red Wings could use a top-six boost
Ansar Khan of MLive: The Detroit Red Wings current second line consists of Valtteri Filppula, Robby Fabbri, and Filip Zadina. Michael Rasmussen and Evgeny Svechnikov could be an option for next season, and if they win the draft lottery, Alexis Lafreniere could join the mix.
The Red Wings could be in the market for a short-term boost to their top-six. A look at the top ten pending unrestricted free agent forwards.
1. Taylor Hall
2. Mike Hoffman
3. Evgenii Dadonov
4. Tyler Toffoli
5. Mikael Granlund
6. Craig Smith
7. Erik Haula
8. Vladislav Namestnikov
9. Alex Galchenyuk
10. Wayne Simmonds
Red Wings could be in the market for some blue line help
Ansar Khan of MLive: The Detroit Red Wings blue line will have different look next season. Jonathan Ericsson and Trevor Daley won’t be back with the Red Wings. 2019 first-round pick Moritz Seider should be ready to make the jump.
The Red Wings could sign restricted free agent defenseman Madison Bowey, but he could be an AHL option.
They could be in the market for a right and left-handed defenseman. Top 10 free agent defensemen that could be available when free agency opens.
1. Alex Pietrangelo – Right-handed
2. Torey Krug – Left-handed
3. Tyson Barrie – Right-handed
4. Kevin Shattenkirk – Right-handed
5. Sami Vatanen – Right-handed
6. T.J. Brodie – Left-handed
7. Erik Gustafsson – Left-handed
8. Justin Schultz – Right-handed
9. Travis Hamonic – Right-handed
10. Brenden Dillon – Left-handed
The Red Wings will need to find a backup goaltender
Ansar Khan of MLive: The Detroit Red Wings likely won’t re-sign goaltender Jimmy Howard. Jonathan Bernier is under contract, with Calvin Pickard likely not showing enough to be Bernier’s backup.
Most of the top 10 free agent goalies won’t be interested in being a backup next season.
1 Braden Holtby
2. Robin Lehner
3. Jakob Markstrom
4. Jaroslav Halak
5. Thomas Greiss
6. Corey Crawford
7. Anton Khudobin
8. Cam Talbot
9. Mike Smith
10. Aaron Dell
Will the Red Wings buy anyone out this offseason?
Ansar Khan of MLive: It is highly unlikely that the Detroit Red Wings would use a regular buyout on anyone this offseason as they don’t want to carry the extra salary for future years. They have the salary cap space to re-sign players, so they don’t really need the extra space.
A Justin Abdelkader buyout would carry a $1.8 million cap hit next year, $2.3 million for the following two seasons, and then three years of $1.05 million. An AHL demotion would be more likely.
A Frans Nielsen buyout would cost them a cap hit $3.4 million next year, $4.4 million the following year and two years of $667,000.