Detroit Red Wings: Who should stay and who should go this offseason
By Jacob Rivard
With a plethora of restricted and unrestricted free agents, who will Detroit Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman re-sign versus release?
For the 30 teams that didn’t win the coveted Stanley Cup, the end of the playoffs signifies one thing: the start of the offseason, even though the Detroit Red Wings have been off the ice since March.
General managers throughout the league have begun the process of roster reconstruction. Their goal? To determine which potential free agents work on their roster and which roles can be filled by someone else.
The Red Wings have a lot of work to do before the start of the 2020-2021 season themselves; today, the organization has twelve potential restricted and unrestricted free agents on their roster.
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Take a closer look at which of these 12 players should stay and which may need to find a home outside of Hockeytown.
Detroit Red Wings departures that have already been announced:
Jonathan Ericsson: Following the Red Wings’ trade for New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman announced on a press conference that long-time defenseman Jonathan Ericsson will not be returning.
The Swedish blueliner ended his time in Detroit with 680 games under his belt over 13-year tenure with the organization.
Trevor Daley: Trevor Daley was another name mentioned by Yzerman as a player that would be parting ways with the Red Wings. In 164 games with the Red Wings, Daley amassed 31 points.
Jimmy Howard: While it’s not necessarily a guarantee yet, veteran goaltender Jimmy Howard announced that he would “probably not” return to Hockeytown this upcoming season. Howard, who has spent his entire career in Detroit, will exit with 543 games played and a 246-196 record.
Who the Detroit Red Wings should keep around:
Anthony Mantha: It’s almost a 100% guarantee that Mantha will re-sign in Detroit. The towering forward ended last season with .88 points-per-game, remaining third on the roster in scoring despite an injury-shortened season. A long-term contract with the Red Wings is inevitable.
Tyler Bertuzzi: In a similar boat to Mantha, Bertuzzi’s retention in Detroit is more of a when than an if. Bertuzzi’s scrappy playstyle, coupled with his subtle ability to amass points, makes him a key component in the Red Wings’ rebuild. He’ll likely serve on the top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha for years to come.
Dmytro Timashov: While he only played a couple of games for the Red Wings near the end of the season, Timashov is 23 years old and shows a lot of potential. Yzerman will likely offer him a short-term “prove it” deal to see if he’s got what it takes to see his way through the rebuild. Expect to see Timashov slot on the Red Wings’ bottom-six in the 2020-2021 season.
Madison Bowey: Bowey is a bit of an enigma in Detroit. He’ll steal a game one day and come up wildly inconsistent the next. Having said that, he’s still very young, and Detroit is waiting for players like future star Moritz Seider to claim their full-time positions on the roster. Bowey will serve as an excellent if inconsistent stopgap in the meantime.
Christoffer Ehn: While Ehn’s stats don’t leap off the page, he’s proven that he is a capable bottom-six player in the NHL. If prospects like Givani Smith push for a roster spot, Ehn will likely serve as the 13th forward on the roster, replacing any potentially injured players throughout the season. He’s a solid surplus forward that will probably sign a flexible deal.
Brendan Perlini: With just four points in 40 games, Perlini’s previous season left a lot to be desired. At only 24 years of age, Perlini will need to prove he’s got what it takes to continue playing in Detroit. He’ll likely sign a two-way contract that will see him depart to the Grand Rapids Griffins if his play remains at its pace.
Who needs to go from this Detroit Red Wings roster:
Cody Goloubef: While he wasn’t provided many opportunities in Detroit, Goloubef’s spot on the roster would, unfortunately, take up another space that a younger player like Dennis Cholowski — or potentially Moritz Seider — could use. At 30 years old, he’ll find a team-friendly contract with another roster.
Adam Erne: The writing appears to be on the wall for Erne. With five points in 53 games with the Red Wings, Erne has yet to leap off the page statistically by any metric. One of Perlini or Erne will be kept, but with age on his side, it appears more likely that Perlini will get the edge.
Kyle Brodziak: Brodziak was part of the return on the Mike Green trade to the Edmonton Oilers. He spent the last season on long-term injured reserve, and at 36 years of age, it’s unlikely that he will lace up for the Red Wings.
Trending. Red Wings need to capitalize on loaded goaltending free agent pool. light
Based on this, Yzerman will have his hands full with the Detroit Red Wings and all of the unrestricted free agents this offseason. Fans will have to sit back and see which ones are kept around and which ones go.