Detroit Red Wings: Signing Gabriel Landeskog is a pipe dream
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Red Wings are continuing on with their offseason. Free agency is approaching, at the team may be poised for some spending. There is a big name that appears to not be heading towards an extension with the Colorado Avalanche.
Forward Gabriel Landeskog appears to be headed for open waters this summer when free agency opens up. The Avalanche certainly want to keep their captain in Colorado, but it seems that the two sides are far apart on the schematics of the deal. Cue the Detroit Red Wings; time to step in.
Landeskog has spent the entirety of his ten-year NHL career in an Avalanche jersey; it would frankly be weird to see him suit up in any other team’s colors. This may sound like a cardinal sin to some, but could the Red Wings be looking to sign Landeskog this offseason?
He would be the first big signing, signaling Yzerman investing in this team’s post-rebuild look. Landeskog, now 28 years old, is on the right-side of 30 and would not be bad for a shorter-term contract. The issue is, Landeskog’s interest in coming to Detroit is likely an astounding zero percent with the team not even being on his radar.
The Detroit Red Wings signing Gabriel Landeskog is a pipe dream.
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Landeskog is coming off of a seven-year, $39 million contract that ran out after the 2020-21 season. This makes him an unrestricted free agent who can sign anywhere.
His list of teams is mostly competitors, not the Red Wings, and he could very well end up back in Colorado, once again, not the Red Wings.
Taking the longstanding organizational hatred out of it, since I do not think Landeskog is a deep-rooted rival, it’s still improbable that he signs in Detroit.
He’s an incredibly talented player who has plenty to like, but it’s a pipe dream to think he would sign in Detroit.
Landeskog is a centerpiece of the Avalanche offense; they’re going to do everything they can to bring back their captain.
Even if Landeskog does not re-sign with the Avalanche, it’s a tough sell on the Red Wings. They have not turned the corner yet; they are still in that rebuild stage, and Landeskog is going to want to play somewhere he can win.
Over his ten-year NHL career, Landeskog has not won a Stanley Cup. He’s a two-time all-star and former Calder Trophy winner for his rookie performance but has not found playoff glory yet. The Swedish forward is better suited for a competing team.
He’s coming off of a 52 point season in the shortened year with fewer games; he logged 20 goals and 32 assists for his 52 total tallies. In 2019-20 before the shutdown, Landeskog only logged 54 games due to injuries; he had 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 total points.
It looks great on paper but seems nearly impossible the more you look into it. While the offseason trudges on, signing a big-name player sounds great, but it’s a less than likely concept given where the Red Wings are at in their rebuild. Soon enough, but they’re not quite there yet.
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So Detroit Red Wings fans who are expecting Gabriel Landeskog to be the team’s big signing this offseason should keep dreaming.