Here’s how the Red Wings fared in each of their free agency moves
Here’s how the Red Wings fared in each of their free agency moves
For the first time in NHL history, players signed more than $1 billion in contracts July 1. By far the biggest free agency day since at least the 2016 offseason, an expanded salary cap and a number of active teams made for an exciting day. Signing seven players for $17.225 million in contracts — including the June 30 contract retaining Patrick Kane — you can count the Detroit Red Wings among them,
So how did the Red Wings fare in their free agent moves? How do they play into Detroit's short- and long-term futures? Here are contract grades for each of the Red Wings additions.
Patrick Kane, RW
Contract: 1 year, $4 million + potential $2.5 million in performance bonuses
Grade: A
Put an asterisk on this one because technically it came to be in the late hours of June 30. But, the Red Wings started their free agency cycle off strong by signing Patrick Kane the night before he went to market. There’s a lot to like in this deal, especially how flexible it is by making use of the 35+ contract rules that allow such high performance bonuses. Kane’s $4 million dollar cap hit — plus how much of his signing bonus applies to take Detroit to the cap ceiling — is a smart way to retain a star without sacrificing the future. Getting Kane to drop term with another one-year rental gives Detroit so much room to work with next season. Overall, this is a really smart deal to keep an important scorer.
Christian Fischer, RW
Contract: 1 year, $1.125 million
Grade: B
Fischer is a heart-and-soul player whose value doesn’t translate into points. While the ideal world for Detroit is that a rookie like Carter Mazur can inherit Fischer’s role down the line, keeping Fischer for the same cap hit as last season is a smart move to add depth to next season’s roster. He was great on the third line with Michael Rasmussen and Andrew Copp. For what Fischer is — a proven, albeit limited, contributor — this is a good contract for a guy that fans and players love.
Erik Gustafsson, LD
Contract: 2 years, $2 million
Grade: B-
You can judge this contract from the lens that Shayne Gostisbehere — who Gustafsson is meant to replace — signed for just $1.2 million more that Gustafsson on the open market. But, there’s a chance those weren’t the terms available to Detroit. Viewed by its lonesome, there’s a lot to like in this Gustafsson deal given the upside he could provide. He played on the second unit behind Adam Fox for New York last year, and he’s a good skater with high speed. In a No. 1 power play role, perhaps he could blossom into something even greater. In the realm of the theoretical, I wonder if the idea here might also be that Moritz Seider can take over the top unit — especially since Detroit won’t have to pay extra for it — and Gustafsson remains a second-unit QB. That’s conjecture, but a $2 million cap hit isn’t so high that Detroit would feel bad about lower usage.
Jack Campbell, G
Contract: 1 year, $775,000
Grade: B-
This Campbell signing is most likely meant to bring him in as the second punch of a Grand Rapids tandem with Sebastian Cossa. While I like that Campbell can share the lessons of his up-and-down, journeyman career with Cossa as a mentor, Yzerman’s approach to goaltending lacks clear direction. The Red Wings didn’t really get better by bringing Campbell and Cam Talbot into the fold, and they’re probably going to have to trade one of Ville Husso or Alex Lyon or otherwise risk losing them on waivers. Instead of going out and getting a better goalie, the Red Wings just gave themselves more flawed pieces to work with.
Cam Talbot, G
Contract: $2.5 million x 2 years
Grade: B-
The same as Campbell, Talbot is part of the rudderless solution in net. Instead of going out with some aggression and getting a guy that can be an X-factor — even if it takes assets to get the four year or more guy that Yzerman wanted — the Red Wings got more of the same. Talbot was one of the lead dogs of this free agent goalie class, but he’s going to be 37 in a few days and he’s not the biggest upgrade from one of Husso or Lyon. This could be proven wrong. Talbot could be a big contributor like he was in L.A., when he played 54 games and saved 16.2 goals above expected according to Moneypuck. But, Talbot is not the star that Detroit could benefit from.
Sheldon Dries, C
Contract: 2 years, $775,000
Grade: C
It’s not a particularly interesting signing, but Detroit shored up its NHL/AHL depth with a AAAA player in Dries. He’s a local guy, and I love seeing players sign with their hometown team. He’ll be a good boost for a Grand Rapids team that could lose some leading scorers to the Red Wings roster in Jonatan Berggren, Carter Mazur and Marco Kasper. It’s neither a big positive or a big detriment.
Joe Snively, C
Contract: 1 year, two-way deal
Grade: C
The Red Wings stocked the roster in Grand Rapids by signing Snively, a back-to-back Calder Cup Champion with the Hershey Bears (notably, coached by former Griffins coach Todd Nelson). Again, with Berggren and potentially Mazur and Kasper off the roster, he'll maintain scoring depth for the Griffins. He also brings some championship pedigree that could mentor his teammates.
William Lagesson, LD
Contract: 1 year, $775,000
Grade: D+
There’s virtually no risk in signing Lagesson, and he’s probably meant more to shore up a Grand Rapids roster than will fully lose Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson. My issue with this contract is the way that it makes playing time that much sparser for prospects such as William Wallinder, Shai Buium and Albert Johansson among others. If you’re going to create a logjam, at least sign someone with a little more upside.
Overall Free Agency Grade: B-
The Red Wings didn’t land a big splash in free agency, unless you count retaining Kane as such a move. Most of their moves shores up the existing team instead of the ambitious moves one could expect of a team that sniffed playoff contention until the final seconds of the season. With two big RFAs to sign in Seider and Lucas Raymond, this patience is understandable.
Perhaps the Red Wings expect internal improvements from rookies, player development and health to help them climb the Eastern Conference standings. At the very least, Detroit didn’t tie itself to any long term deals or overpays that could come back to bite it later on. The moves it made were useful, even if they weren’t splashy.
Editor's Note: This article was updated to include the signing of Joe Snively.
Also from THN Detroit
Red Wings UFA Shayne Gostisbehere Signs 3-year, $9.6 Million Contract with Hurricanes
Christian Fischer Signs One-Year Deal to Remain a Red Wing
Red Wings Sign Ex-Oilers Goaltender Campbell. Is a Lyon or Husso Trade to Follow?
Red Wings Sign Local Product, Depth Forward Sheldon Dries
Red Wings Sign Power Play Specialist Gustafsson to Two-Year Deal
Cam Talbot joins Detroit Red Wings for two years, $2.5 million
Around the League: Former Red Wing Tyler Bertuzzi Signs with Chicago