Exploring buyout options for the Red Wings heading into offseason window
The NHL's buyout window is approaching and this gives teams a chance to free up some much needed cap space and try to disperse some of their contracts that have become an albatross.
For the Detroit Red Wings, this offseason is significant as they find themselves on the verge of a playoff spot and will be looking to make some big moves to get over the hump.
There's several notable contracts on the team that have been highly speculated about as potential buy-out opportunities and if Detroit wants to do so, they will have to come to a decision soon.
The two most notable tough decisions are forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenceman Justin Holl. Both present challenges as they are in key areas of the Red Wings' roster that needs to be improved.
Defensively, their blueline struggled, as they ranked in the bottom 12 for goals against average last season. Offensively, they weren’t much better, finishing with the 11th-lowest goals-per-game average. Buying out both players may give the team a chance to go out with more money in cap space and sign more effective players at those positions.
The 33-year-old veteran has contributed very little in terms of production on the scoresheet with just 13 points through 111 games since joining Detroit. His defensive numbers aren't particularly impressive either. During his time in Detroit, he's averaged just around 15 minutes of ice time per game and sees limited action on the penalty kill, ranking sixth among Red Wings defensemen in shorthanded minutes.
Holl is also fifth in hits with only 94 and sixth in blocked shots with 117. Perhaps the most telling indicator of his underwhelming impact is that he trails Jake Walman in nearly every key defensive category, despite Walman playing 48 fewer games and maintaining a sizeable lead in all counting stats.
A Holl buyout would help save the Red Wings $2.27 million this season and $1.13 million on the cap next season or waiving Holl would save $1.15 million this season, according to Ryan Hana of The Winged Wheel Podcast.
This money could be used to go out and get a far more effective blueliner like Stanley Cup champion Nate Schmidt, who would likely sign for around the amount freed up by a Holl buyout. They could also use the extra cash to go out and have a leg up over others in acquiring top end defenceman like Aaron Ekblad or Vladislav Gavrikov.
The expectations for the Russian winger and former superstar was a modest 40-60 point scorer that could ride off the success of a Stanley Cup in 2024, where he recorded five goals and four assists for nine points through 24 playoff games.
This didn't happen however as the NHL 17 cover athlete fell flat and struggled to fit in Detroit's system. Through an almost full season with 80 games played, he recorded career-worst numbers like 11 goals and 22 assists for just 33 points as a top six forward.
Tarasenko finished with the seventh-most forward minutes on the team with an average of 14 per game as well as the fifth-most powerplay minutes as part of the second unit. He had the fourth-worst shooting percentage for a forward on the team with his numbers being in the same conversation as fourth lines like Tyler Motte or injured players like Craig Smith.
His numbers indicate that it's simply not a fit in Detroit and to get out of his $4.75 million cap hit next season would be ideal as it would free up roughly $3.16 million in cap space and could go a long way.
The Red Wings could use the money towards acquiring a true top six forward, which there are many available this upcoming summer like Mikael Granlund, Nikolaj Ehlers or Brock Boeser.
