1 Free Agent Target for Red Wings at Every Position

The Detroit Red Wings missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth straight season in 2024-25. This has continued a franchise-record playoff drought. And it has created a lot more pressure on general manager Steve Yzerman to get this team into the postseason.

The Red Wings have a lot going for them, to be fair. They have a young core locked up for the foreseeable future. Lucas Raymond is one of the best young forwards in the game. Defenseman Moritz Seider had a true breakout this past campaign. Marco Kasper looks like he could become a star, as well.

This team also has a fair few veterans who make an impact, as well. Alex DeBrincat scored nearly 40 goals in 2024-25. Patrick Kane remains one of the best playmakers in the NHL. Captain Dylan Larkin has served as the heart and soul of this team for multiple years at this point.

However, this team is far from perfect, and they know it. Yzerman mentioned potentially making some major moves in the offseason at his end-of-season press conference. It is unlikely Detroit signs every single one of these players. But with Yzerman’s comments in mind, here is one free agent target for the Red Wings at every position.

Center: Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers

Sam Bennett is making headlines this postseason for extremely unfortunate reasons. This is certainly not the first time Bennett has made waves for the physical aspects of his game. Especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Bennett and the Florida Panthers trail the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 in their second-round series. If Florida loses this series, their attention would turn to Bennett. The veteran center is a free agent at the end of this season. And for a multitude of reasons, he would be a good fit for the Red Wings.

Bennett plays with an edge and makes his teams hard to play against. Detroit has been pushed around by other teams quite a bit over the last few years. Bennett’s physicality plus his ability to score 40-50 points per season make him a fantastic fit in Hockeytown.

Winger: Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets also advanced in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. They lost Game 1 to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night. But they have a ton of talent on their roster, including winger Nikolaj Ehlers.

Ehlers has only played in a handful of playoff games following a late-season injury. The Jets forward is one of their better point producers when on the ice, however. He has recorded back-to-back 60+ point seasons and is fifth among active Jets players in terms of WAR since 2023-24, according to Evolving Hockey.

Ehlers is a legitimate top-six point producer who has one of the more underrated shots in the league. The Jets star should make a pretty penny on the open market. But the Red Wings should have the financial capability to bring him to town.

Defenseman: Vladislav Gavrikov, Los Angeles Kings

The Red Wings have long sought to upgrade their defense over the last few seasons. For a while, the team lacked depth on the right side. With Seider being the team’s No. 1 and prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka on the way, though, the focus is turning to the left.

Albert Johansson showed promise in 2024-25, but he should not be on the second pairing regularly in 2025-26. Veteran Ben Chiarot is also better suited for a role down the lineup. With this in mind, Los Angeles Kings defender Vladislav Gavrikov makes sense as a free agency addition.

Gavrikov would vastly improve the team’s defense. He finished the 2024-25 regular season with the ninth-best five-on-five goals against numbers (1.61 GA/60) and the best expected goals against numbers at five-on-five (1.81 xGA/60), according to Evolving Hockey. The veteran rearguard won’t be a bargain buy, but he would be a smart addition for the Red Wings.

Goalie: Ilya Samsonov, Vegas Golden Knights

It’s hard to imagine the Red Wings targeting a goalie. Detroit has Cam Talbot and Petr Mrazek under contract for next season. However, they have carried three goalies over the last few seasons. Vegas Golden Knights goalie Ilya Samsonov could fill in the third slot if they decided to do it again.

Samsonov wasn’t anything special this past year, posting an .891 save percentage in 29 games. The Golden Knights puck stopper did save 1.61 goals above expected this year, according to Evolving Hockey. He won’t take the world by storm, but the former first-round pick could give Detroit some solid goaltending in a pinch next season.