Should the Detroit Red Wings sign Torey Krug or Alex Pietrangelo?

By Tyler Kotila | Apr 16, 2020

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

The Detroit Red Wings will have some decisions to make in Free Agency, one of the most important will be which defenseman to sign; Torey Krug or Alex Pietrangelo.

This offseason, the Detroit Red Wings should go out and make a splash in the free-agent market and sign a big name. They should seek out an impact defenseman to be the head man on the blueline for the next couple of years. The easy answer lies with the Red Wings poaching Torey Krug or Alex Pietrangelo.

The debated between the two has pros and cons both ways, and neither one of these players will be cheap. Ideally, Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman can make a reasonable offer and an excellent pitch to these guys and get one of them to be a part of this Red Wings team.

Keep in mind, the Red Wings have a ton of cap room going into next season and can definitely add a big contract to the books and be okay. Yzerman should expedite the rebuild and bring in an impact-free agent this offseason.

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Torey Krug

First up is Torey Krug, the defender from the Boston Bruins, who are trying to keep him around, but the price tag might be too much.

Back in 2016, the Bruins gave Krug a four-year, $21 million contract, carrying a $5.25 million Average Annual Value (AAV) that ends this season.

He has expressed that he would like to stay with the Bruins, but they may not have the payroll space to offer him the money he feels he is worth as a top blueliner. Krug would put up nine goals and 40 assists in 2019-20 over 61 games in this postponed season.

Krug has been a staple of the Bruins blueline for the last five-ish years, is a nine-year veteran of the National Hockey League. The offensive defender would be a perfect fit for the Red Wings blueline, adding a scoring presence.

Not to mention, Yzerman has the bargaining piece of getting the Livonia native to “come home” to Michigan. Hopefully, the Bruins blueliner would like to switch up his scenery and come home to see the rebuild through.

Krug would add some offense to a blueline that has not had in years, possibly even since the time of Nicklas Lidstrom. If he has the chance, Yzerman should go all out and offer Krug a real nice contract to “bring him home.”

Alex Pietrangelo

The St. Louis Blue captain, Alex Pietrangelo, will hit the open market this offseason unless the Blues can find a way to bring him back. The Blues have very little cap space but may have enough money from Jay Bouwmeester, becoming a free agent to give him a minor raise.

Pietrangelo is currently on a seven-year, $45 million contract, with a $6.5 million AAV due for a raise even a minute one. Last season, Pietrangelo put up 16 goals and 36 assists for 52 total points on the season through 70 games for the Blues.

It seems like a compelling idea to bring in Pietrangelo, a steady defender who plays solid defense and is a fantastic leader for the Blues. He seems that he would most likely stay with the 2018-19 Stanley Cup Champion Blues as their captain.

If Pietrangelo does move on to test the open market, it seems that Yzerman could try and make a compelling offer that might win over Pietrangelo. The two-way defenseman has proven that he can be a force in the offensive zone as much as in the defensive zone.

All-in-all, either defenseman would be a phenomenal add in free agency; however, the offensive upside of Krug is something the Red Wings have not seen in quite some time. With any luck, the Red Wings will have a new member on the blueline going into next season.

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This summer, Yzerman needs to make some good pitches to these free agents, and defenseman Torey Krug might be the best name for the Detroit Red Wings to scoop up.

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