When it comes to their unrestricted free agents, the Red Wings have a puzzle on their hands. The time to put the pieces together is only decreasing as July 1 — tomorrow as of publication — steadily approaches.
After months of contract talks and trade rumors, Detroit now has less than a day before its UFAs hit the open market. And while that doesn’t preclude a late signing once other business falls into place, some of its stars are likely to fetch top dollar on the open market. Projected to spend up against the $88 million salary cap ceiling this upcoming season, the Red Wings have to balance their checkbook carefully.
With less than 24 hours remaining until free agency begins July 1 at noon ET, here is where each Red Wings UFA currently stands.
Patrick Kane, RW
Last contract: $2.75 million AAV for one year
Season stats: 50 games played, 20 goals, 27 assists, 56.4% on-ice expected goal share, 30.2% share of possible ice time
When it comes to the Red Wings’ forwards, Kane is potentially the biggest puzzle piece for the upcoming season. After joining Detroit midseason following a hip resurfacing surgery that had all but ended some other players’ career, Kane exploded for 47 points in 50 games. He was a big threat on the power play, where his half wall play was a part of why the Red Wings’ unit improved so much compared to 2022-23.
The Red Wings clearly want to bring Kane back, so long as the price tag makes sense. Kane wants a sizable raise after proving he’s still a gifted scorer, but Detroit’s other contracts — especially those for RFAs Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider — will tie up a lot of money. As of Saturday after the NHL Draft, Kane’s agent Pat Brisson told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston, “We’re still talking to Detroit. The intention is to try and work something out.” As of Sunday afternoon, the New York Post’s Larry Brooks reported that Kane was still weighing his options.
David Perron, RW/LW
Last contract: $4.75 million AAV for two years
Season stats: 76 games played, 17 goals, 30 assists, 55.9% on-ice expected goal share, 25.7% share of possible ice time
At his exit interview, Perron spoke of his desire to remain a Detroit Red Wing. It’s close to his home in Quebec, and his kids are starting to get accustomed to Detroit to the point where he doesn’t want to uproot them. But as an expiring UFA whose usage trended downward as his contract progressed, Perron’s on-ice fit with the organization is up in the air.
With Perron’s intention to stay, as well as his leadership within the Red Wings locker room as an alternate captain, there could still be a path to his staying in Detroit. While Kane and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere have absorbed a lot of the attention this free agent cycle, Perron is still intriguing given his versatility and the way he matches the style of play that head coach Derek Lalonde values. If Perron does stay, he’ll probably have to take a pay cut, potentially squeezing in a deal with the remaining cap space after Detroit's biggest signings.
Christian Fischer, RW/LW
Last contract: $1.125 million AAV for one year
Season stats: 79 games played, five goals, 14 assists, 45.7% on-ice expected goal share, 18.8% share of possible ice time
Fischer doesn’t bring much to the box score, but he’s a player who consistently battles and makes his linemates better. He was a third of a line with Michael Rasmussen and Andrew Copp that stood as one of Detroit’s best units. Of the Red Wings’ five lines to play more than 100 minutes together, the Rasmussen-Copp-Fischer line led all of them with a 51.9% expected goals share. Some of that had to do with the sheer will and want that Fischer brought to every shift. He also chipped in here and there on the penalty kill with the sixth-most 4-on-5 minutes among forwards.
With such a cheap contract, it’s a bit surprising that the Red Wings have not acted on extending Fischer. He’s not going to command much more money than he made last season, and he’s a known quantity instead of having to chase a free agent. If Detroit lets him walk, perhaps the open roster spot will help an incoming rookie get ice time, perhaps one of Marco Kasper or Carter Mazur, who should be vying for roster spots in training camp. Regardless, Fischer should be a relatively inexpensive role player for whoever signs him.
Daniel Sprong, RW/LW
Last contract: $2 million AAV for one year
Season stats: 76 games played, 18 goals, 25 assists, 55.8% on-ice expected goals, 19.8% share of possible ice time
If you take him for what he is — a bottom six sniper who struggles to defend — Sprong is a valuable role player. He was a great source of offensive depth for the Red Wings, especially on the power play where he scored 12 of his points. But with Sprong, there’s always the big what-if of the player he could be if he rounded out his game. At 27 years old, Sprong has the odds of doing that stacked against him.
That’s probably why Sprong is most likely to be a free agent. His scoring gives him bargaining power for a pay raise, but his prioritization of scoring is antithetical to the defensive responsibility that Detroit wants to emphasize in the future. And this future seemed all but decided when Lalonde scratched Sprong late in the season with playoff hopes on the line. If trust in Sprong is lacking, it’s safe to say he’ll be moving on to another team.
Shayne Gostisbehere, LD/RD
Last contract: $4.125 AAV million for one year
Seasons stats: 81 games played, 10 goals, 46 assists, 58.7% on-ice expected goal share, 31.4% share of possible ice time
While he wasn’t the only factor contributing to the success of Detroit’s power play, quarterback Gostisbehere helped guide the Red Wings’ man advantage from formerly the 17th best at 21.1% to the ninth best at 23.1%. Two percent is a substantial improvement, and it’s a credit to Gostisbehere’s dynamic playmaking at the blue line that such a surge came to be. He mostly played third pairing minutes, but he finished the season 14th in total scoring and ninth in power play scoring among NHL defensemen. Even if he was largely sheltered on the third pairing at even strength, his power play efficacy made him invaluable.
Such a career renaissance has Gostisbehere set to make a whole lot of money whether he sticks with the Red Wings or hits free agency. Detroit will have to pay up if it wants to retain its power play phenom, and these contract negotiations are one of the especially challenging ones Yzerman has to engage in.
James Reimer, G
Last contract: $1.5 million AAV for one year
Season stats: 20 starts, 11-8-2 record, 3.11 goals against average, .904 save percentage, -0.3 goals saved above expected
Reimer started the season inconsistent, but he became more and more dependable as the season progressed. During the final months of the season, he was Detroit’s most reliable goaltender as starter Alex Lyon went on a personal 10-game losing streak.
The Red Wings will want a third goalie for next season, but Yzerman said before the draft that their intention is to get someone that could play in Grand Rapids with prospect Sebastian Cossa. Any new contract would depend on Reimer’s desire to play in the minor leagues at 36 years old.
Zach Aston-Reese, LW/RW
Last contract: $775,000 AAV for one year
Season stats: 3 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, 50.4% on-ice expected goal share, 8.5% share of possible ice time
Aston-Reese didn’t get a whole lot of time in Detroit last season, and he was largely unremarkable. That’s what you expect out of a checking forward on a cheap contract. Any extension depends on his and Detroit’s mutual desire to keep that same role.
Austin Czarnik, C/RW
Last contract: $762,500 AAV for two years
Season stats: 34 games played, 0 goals, 1 assist, 43.6% on-ice expected goal share, 13.8% share of possible ice time
Czarnik’s impact was a lot more noticeable than one lonely assist on the scoresheet, but he had a turbulent go of it last season. His skating and playmaking made him a useful role player to fill in for injured teammates, such as when he centered Kane and Alex DeBrincat on the second line so that Detroit could assemble a shutdown line against Buffalo.
For the right price, Czarnik can bring veteran depth once again. There’s the chance he tries his luck elsewhere with a more guaranteed role, but the local product isn’t too expensive nor impactful to be a significant contract for Detroit..
Taro Hirose, LW
Last contract: $850,000 AAV for two years
Season stats: DNP
Hirose spent all of last season in Grand Rapids, his first year without at least a cup of coffee with the Detroit roster. This could be an incentive for him to explore options elsewhere, particularly with rebuilding teams who would have a spot for him.
A small note: With 308 professional games played between the AHL and NHL, Hirose has roughly one more season before he breaks the 321 game threshold that gives him AHL veteran status. That could limit the teams that could add him, given that teams can only dress six such veterans each night in the AHL.
Matt Luff, RW
Last contract: $775,000 AAV for one year
Season stats: DNP
Luff showed some grit in a 19-game call-up in 2022-23, but a training camp injury last season put him on the injured reserve list until February. Like many other veterans down in Grand Rapids, his role probably won’t change much next season with more players vying for NHL roster spots.
Michael Hutchinson, G
Last contract: $775,000 AAV for one year
Season stats: 1 start, 0-1-0 record, 3.11 goals against average, .917 save percentage, 0 goals saved above expected
If it weren’t for injuries putting Ville Husso and Alex Lyon out of commission back in December, Hutchinson wouldn’t be on the books. He was a late addition who spent most of the year with the Griffins, and it would be surprising if he got another contract given that Grand Rapids will have Carter Gylander competing for starts plus whoever the Red Wings might sign as their No. 3 NHL option..
Wyatt Newpower, RD
Last contract: $787,500 AAV for one year
Season stats: DNP
Newpower is a Group 6 UFA because he’s over 25 and hasn’t played more than 80 NHL games. He had lots of potential when he signed with Detroit out of AHL Cleveland, especially given his 6-foot-3 height. He used his size to be a dependable shutdown defender for the Griffins, but he’s got an uphill climb to get into NHL games if he stays in Detroit. For the Red Wings, moving on from Newpower could help unclog the logjam of defensemen in Grand Rapids.
