The Central Division contains a nice mixture of high-end and depth players, meaning the Detroit Red Wings can go in several different directions if they sign anyone from their former division rivals. As with the Atlantic and Metro Divisions, not every player listed below will be major points producers, but each would play an important role if they landed in Hockeytown.
Still, it doesn’t mean we don’t have a few obvious names below, even if some of them will likely re-sign with their current teams. But until that happens, there’s still a chance they can end up in the Motor City.
Ryan Donato, Chicago Blackhawks
If the Blackhawks don’t re-sign Ryan Donato about 20 minutes after you read this, I’ll be surprised. But if they let him test the market, the Red Wings must at least make a strong push. Donato probably won’t be the 31-goal, 62-point producer he was last season, but he’d give the Wings a real scoring threat on the third line.
Jonathan Drouin, Colorado Avalanche
Jonathan Drouin could be a godsend if he hits free agency. He put up 56 points and 19 goals with the Avalanche in 79 games in 2023-24, and followed that up with 37 points and 11 goals in 43 games, putting him on a near point-per-game trajectory.
He’ll be heading into his age-30 season, so it’s fair to question how many more good years he has. But Drouin at least showed us in 2024-25 that he’s still in the thick of his prime. He wouldn’t help the Red Wings win in the physicality department, but he’ll solidify the top six.
Cody Ceci, Dallas Stars
If the Red Wings wanted someone reliable to step in and play third-pairing minutes, Cody Ceci’s their guy. He’s not a game-changer, nor is he going to bring anything more than moderate physical play and a ton of blocked shots - but the Wings need more blueliners unafraid to get in front of pucks. That said, if Ceci’s cool with low-second or high-nd third-pairing minutes, Hockeytown would make an incredible landing spot.
Justin Brazeau, Minnesota Wild
You know why Justin Brazeau’s listed here, I’m sure. Somebody needs to give the Wings an imposing player willing to knock opponents around. Yeah, Elmer Soderblom can fill this role, but so can a player with a little more experience who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work.
Luke Evangelista, Nashville Predators
Alright, on to a restricted free agent Steve Yzerman can bring over in Doug Armstrong fashion, Luke Evangelista doesn’t look like he’ll find the net often, with a shooting percentage under 10 percent over the past two seasons. But he’s a potential playmaker on the middle six and could evolve into a 40 or 50-point producer.
Radek Faksa, St. Louis Blues
One of my favorite underrated players in the game, Radek Faksa, like Evangelista, isn’t scoring often. But he’ll win a plethora of defensive-zone face-offs, and set up sequences. Whether he stays in St. Louis remains to be seen, but if he tests the market, the Wings could bring him in, giving themselves both a champion at the face-off dot and a proven, physical player.
Nick Bjugstad, Utah Mammoth
At this stage in his career, Nick Bjugstad’s a likely fourth-line center who can perform moderately well in the face-off circle, and land body checks. If the Wings are looking to upgrade the position on the lower lines and couldn’t land someone like Faksa, Bjugstad’s a good consolation.
Haydn Fleury, Winnipeg Jets
He’s an imposing defenseman who can fill adequate depth as a seventh blueliner if his team needs more physical play and a shot blocker. While Fleury wouldn’t contribute a ton, he’d more than make his presence known when facing offensive-minded opponents.
