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Detroit Red Wings: No solutions coming in free agency

By Ash Thompson

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 16: Johan Franzen #93 of the Detroit Red Wings lays on the ice after Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks scored a short-handed goal in the third period at the United Center on March 16, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings 4-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 16: Johan Franzen #93 of the Detroit Red Wings lays on the ice after Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks scored a short-handed goal in the third period at the United Center on March 16, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Red Wings 4-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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Free agency in the NHL involves paying players too much money for achievements they had with other franchises. The Detroit Red Wings cannot afford that.

The Detroit Red Wings have a problem. That problem, as anyone who watched them play last season saw, is that their roster is not very good. There are good pieces on the roster, but to characterize it as a group of old men with terrible contracts is accurate. The league is moving toward a younger roster and a faster pace. The Red Wings have an old and tired roster.

Frans Nielsen is 34 years old and has four seasons left on his contract. He has a modified no trade, no move clause for this offseason. Jonathan Ericsson is 34 with two years left, as is Trevor Daley. Ericcson has a modified no-trade clause, and Daley a full NTC.

Johan Franzen is 38 years old with two years left on his deal. He may never play again due to concussion problems. The team could place him on LTIR and get some cap relief, but the moment he is medically able to play: he hits their salary cap in full. If he recovers during the season and the team has used his cap space they would immediately have to become cap compliant. Unless he has no interest in returning, that is a risky play.

The Red Wings have just under $17.4 million in salary cap space right now.  With that money, they have to sign or replace seven players. Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha, the team’s number one and three point producers, will likely command most of that money, leaving only enough for replacement level players and promoted prospects.

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Free agency involves overpaying players. The Red Wings are not in a position to have to sell off assets. Neither are they in a place where they can spend freely, however. Minor moves, and retaining promising young players will be GM Ken Holland‘s methodology in the 2018 offseason. The Wings have seven picks in the first three rounds of the draft. This year they will invest in the future.

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