Next to signing no-name AHL depth, the Detroit Red Wings did a whole lot of nothing for the first two hours of free agency. After showing interest in K'Andre Miller, they sat and watched as he went to the Carolina Hurricanes, something fans could not have been too happy about.
So, that leaves me to guess that Steve Yzerman will keep sticking to a plan that's given his team exactly zero playoff berths to date. Can't help but say I'm not surprised, even if I'm disappointed in Yzerman once again.
Especially after he traded for John Gibson, which foreshadowed a few more big moves. Unfortunately, that doesn't look like it's happening as of right now. But, we still got a long way to go, so maybe I'm wrong and Yzerman will surprise us with a big trade.
Plus, when I started writing this piece, it came across the wire that Jacob Bernard-Docker signed, and that's a sneaky-good move. So, maybe not all hope is lost.
That said, sometimes doing nothing at all and letting another team make the mistake will work in your favor. And that's what the Seattle Kraken did earlier when they inked Ryan Lindgren to an unnecessary deal. And trust me. I'll take Bernard-Docker over Lindgren any day.
Seattle Kraken saved the Red Wings and 30 other franchises from an ill-fated mistake
The deal for Lindgren, who spent time with the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche last season, will be in the Emerald City for four seasons on a $4.5 million AAV. While Lindgren's had his moments, he's also had a rough time staying healthy and he ended up recording fringe second-pairing ice time with the Avs.
While some of his numbers themselves weren't bad - 128 blocks, and a 90.6 on-ice save percentage at even strength, that's about as good as it got for him last season. Lindgren's on-ice shooting percentage at even strength dipped to 9.4, his lowest since 2021-22.
He also watched a career-high 56 shots go into his team's net, a culmination of his time in Manhattan and Denver. So, overall, at least Yzerman's more conservative approach didn't bring in someone who may not average over 19 minutes per game on the blue line at a $4.5 million AAV.
Red Wings don't need another Justin Holl
The Red Wings and their fans have had to deal with the disaster that was Justin Holl over the past two seasons. Detroit brought Holl in for the 2023-24 season, signing him to a $3.4 million AAV, and getting nowhere close to a return on their investment.
So, for a team that just inked a player who could already be declining to a $4.5 million AAV, they may've just made a deal worse that the one Yzerman made with Holl. But then again, it's not like Lindgren's been a bad player in this league, so there's always a chance he can bounce back.
Either way, it's something those in Hockeytown hoping Yzerman's few signings will get the Wings to the playoffs don't need to worry about. So, like I said earlier in this piece, sometimes doing nothing is the smartest move you can make.
