Wings’ free agents: Who should stay and who should go?
A house visit took care of one piece of business for general manager Steve Yzerman, but multiple Detroit Red Wings players ended the season without a new contract.
The biggest deal Yzerman handled in-season was inking captain Dylan Larkin to an eight-year, $69.6 million extension, the richest contract Yzerman has authored since being named Wings GM in April 2019. The paperwork was sealed when Yzerman went to Larkin’s home on March 1.
The month before, Yzerman signed defensemen Jake Walman (three years, $10.2 million) and Olli Määttä (two years, $6 million) to extensions. All three players had been eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.
Tyler Bertuzzi, another player on an expiring contract, was moved at the trade deadline after no common ground emerged on extension talks.
Bertuzzi is jamming away in the playoffs (six points in four games) with the Boston Bruins; Yzerman and his staff are planning how to use the 2024 first-round (top 10 protected) pick and the 2025 fourth-round pick they got in return.
That left 10 players who finished the season with the Wings on expiring contracts. Here is a look at each one, and whether it makes sense for them to stay or to go:
F Alex Chiasson
The 32-year-old signed a pro-rated contract for $750,000 on the afternoon of the trade deadline, the week the Wings lost three forwards to trades and one to injury. Chiasson was a boon on the power play, where he notched five of his six goals and seven of his nine points. Worth keeping on another shortterm deal.
F Adam Erne
He’s coming off a two-year, $4.2 million contract. Had eight goals this season, six the first year. He was placed on waivers in February, and recalled after the deadline when the Wings needed bodies. Best to part ways with
him and see if 6-foot-6 prospect Elmer Söderblom can take that spot.
D Robert Hägg
He was signed to a one-year, $800,000 deal after Mark Pysyk incurred an Achilles injury shortly after he was signed for depth. (Pysyk skated a couple of times, but setbacks prevented him from ever suiting up.) Hägg, 28, had two goals and five assists in 38 games, and played with some bite. Could end up being another one-year depth signing.
G Magnus Hellberg
Hellberg is 32, has started 16 and appeared in 23 career NHL games, with a 7-8-1 record. He lets in too many soft goals to chance another season as a backup.
D Gustav Lindström
The 24-year-old was signed to a two-year, $1.7 million contract in 2021. He keeps his game pretty simple, but the lack of physical assertiveness is a key drawback. Easy enough to qualify the pending restricted free agent based on his $850,000 cap hit and, if he doesn’t earn a spot at next year’s camp, put him on waivers.
F Matt Luff
He’s eligible for restricted free agency. He’s a minor-leaguer who appeared in 19 games, and worth keeping in the organization. He’s a good fit for the Grand Rapids Griffins, where his role could include being a good mentor for young prospects, and be available to the Wings when low on regulars.
G Alex Nedeljkovic
He’s a pending UFA coming off a two-year, $6 million deal. He struggled in his second season (5-7-2, 3.53 goals-against average, .895 save percentage), forcing the Wings to give Hellberg a try. Nedeljkovic, 27, did show better late in the season, so maybe if he is willing to take a significantly lower salary for one year, there’s a path where he could get a chance to earn the backup role and, if that doesn’t work, he would be OK with playing in Grand Rapids.
D Jordan Oesterle
He’s a pending UFA coming off a two-year, $2.7 million contract. Appeared in 52 games. Not much physicality to his game, so for a third-pairing guy, Wings should be able to find an upgrade.
Next up: The lottery What: 2023 NHL draft lottery; the NHL will draw for the top two spots in June’s draft, with the remaining positions determined by record.
When/where: 7 p.m. May 8; Secaucus, New Jersey.
The Red Wings’ pick? The Wings finished with the league’s ninth-worst record (35-37-10), keeping them in contention for No. 1 overall. (Only the bottom 11 teams in the league have a chance at the No. 1 pick.) The Wings have a 5% chance at No. 1 (projected to be WHL star Connor Bedard), a 5.4% chance at No. 2 (likely Michigan’s Adam Fantilli) and a 64.4% chance of staying at No. 9. They can fall no farther than 11th, with a 1.7% chance of that and a 23.5% chance of falling to No. 10.
F Pius Suter
He was brought in on a two-year, $6 million contract with a mindset towards centering the second line and helping stoke offense. Suter scored 15 goals his first season, 14 this past season. He’s not a second-line center but he is a solid third- or fourth-line pivot, who can fill in on the wing in the top six if needed. Suter’s strength is his defensive play — he keeps it simple and smart, and he’s a good skater with a knack for breaking away with the puck especially on penalty kills. He turns 27 in May, so age-wise he fits right in with “older” rebuilding group. If Suter can be had for less money, he’d be worth bringing back on a short-term deal.
F Joe Veleno
The No. 30 pick from 2018 is a pending restricted free agent. Veleno, 23, hasn’t brought much offense (nine goals this season, eight last year) but he’s a good skater who is still figuring out his game. Makes sense to keep him in the fold and give him more time to develop.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com . Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames .
Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.