Detroit Red Wings: 6 Free Agent forwards to strongly consider signing

The Detroit Red Wings should consider re-signing center Luke Glendening.

The Detroit Red Wings will certainly consider re-signing a few of their own.

I would not be shocked to see veteran forward Luke Glendening be a priority of Yzerman this offseason.

Glendening is a valuable fourth-line center who can shift to the wing if needed after winning the draw.  The 32-year old won a stellar 60.9% of his faceoff attempts last season, which set a new career-high for Glendening.  Over his career, he’s averaged a remarkable 55% win rate in the circle.

Glendening is a valuable bottom-six forward who not only wins faceoffs but is a regular penalty-killing forward.

Glendening’s name surfaces around the trade deadline year after year, but the Red Wings under Ken Holland and Yzerman have been reluctant to move the centerman.  That should tell you something; either the rumors were all false, the asking price was too high, or the acting GM feels Glendening is simply too valuable to part with.

Glendening should see a raise from his $1.8 million average annual salary; the Red Wings have money to spend should be willing to pay the alternate captain somewhere around $2.5 million per season on a multi-year deal, but hopefully no more than a three-year term.