Let's fix the Detroit Red Wings
Three forwards, two defenseman, one dream: building a contender.
The 2025-26 NHL season starts in three months. The first two days of free agency came to an end with a handful of safe, if not underwhelming signings: James van Riemsdyk, Mason Appleton, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and a mishmash of minor league deals. It’s kinda like ordering a side salad instead of fries: probably better for you in the long run, but man do fries sound good right now. (Can you tell I haven’t eaten today?)
Once the dust settles on free agency, teams start to determine the odd man (or men) out. This is the ideal timeframe for general manager Steve Yzerman to get weird with it. As of right now, the Wings have all of their draft picks (and an additional 7th rounder) in the 2026 draft. The prospect pool is loaded. There’s a major need for a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman. To top it all off, fans are getting a little impatient — some more than others.
Why not get a little creative and see what happens?
Top-six forward: Hail Marys and hometown heroes
The last time the Wings scored a top-six forward, they traded a first round pick and Dominik Kubalik to the Ottawa Senators for Alex DeBrincat. In just two seasons, DeBrincat has compiled 66 goals and 137 points in 164 games, third in team scoring in that timeframe. Detroit’s top-six, as it stands, is comprised of Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Marco Kasper, and…according to Daily Faceoff, James van Riemsdyk.
Relying on a 36-year-old as an offensive catalyst is a disaster waiting to happen. There’s a clear hole in the lineup, and a solution will have to manifest itself in trades or training camp. Relying on the latter is wishful thinking at best, but depending on the former is a gamble. Is Steve Yzerman a betting man? Here’s who I’d put my chips on:
Marco Rossi: A center with high hopes
The player: Marco Rossi is the de facto second line center for the Wild. Last season, the 23-year-old put up a fantastic 24-goal, 60-point campaign moving up and down the lineup. Rossi and the Wild don’t appear to be close to a contract extension, leaving the opportunity for an offer sheet or trade on the table. Rossi has been rumored more than a handful of times as a player Yzerman is considering for a trade. Should he pull the trigger, the Wings can solve their top-six woes with ease.
What he brings to the Wings: Smaller forwards take longer to develop. If Rossi’s sophomore season is any indication, 60 points might very well be his floor. Hockey Prospecting has compared him to Daniel Briere, another 5-foot-9 forward who had a breakout season in the second year after his draft. Putting a guy like Rossi between DeBrincat and Kane could dramatically change the team’s offensive outlook.
The cost: Unfortunately, 23-year-old centers don’t grow on trees. The Wild won’t let a guy like Rossi go without a hefty payment in exchange. We’re talking picks and prospects here. A first round pick seems inevitable. A guy like Michael Brandseg-Nygaard added to the mix is entirely possible. The good news is that Rossi and the Wild aren’t close to an agreement. The bad news is that the Wild have all the leverage in the negotiations. Maybe Wild GM Bill Guerin will wear down later this offseason.
Or maybe he’ll remember his “jaw-dropping move” and do the Wings a favor.
Bryan Rust: Another Michigan boy
The player: If they made signing players from Michigan illegal, Steve Yzerman would spend the rest of his life in prison. Dylan Larkin, Andrew Copp, Carter Mazur, and Alex DeBrincat are just a few of the handful of Michiganders that fit Yzerman’s mold. Why not add one more? Bryan Rust, Pontiac’s own, has three years left on his deal with the Penguins. The Pens are in a pinch: they’re too talented to tank, but too old to contend. Something’s gotta give.
What he brings to the Wings: Bryan Rust was a key fixture for the Pens in their 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup victories. He consistently hovers around the 45-65-point range, ending last season with 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games. While he is 33 years old, he’s shown he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank. To top it off, according to our friends at Benchrates, Rust’s production outweighs his salary cap hit by over $2M:
The cost: This is where things will get a little tricky. The Penguins are about to start a big rebuild. They' need all the prospects and picks they can get. Unfortunately, Rust’s production means that they’ll command a higher price. Quite a few trade proposals show Rust going for as much as a first round pick and a few young players. If the Wings hope to be suitors in the Rust sweepstakes, they’ll need to cough up a similar price with either their 2026 or 2027 first round pick and a player like Jonatan Berggren.
A third idea: Isaac Howard
The player: Howard, a 21-year-old Hobey Baker-winning forward for Michigan State, has just 13 months to go before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. If the Tampa Bay Lightning can’t work out a deal, the high-flying winger will hit the market next offseason. This will ultimately depend on the Lightning’s willingness to make room for him or make a trade. But, as of right now, it doesn’t look likely they’ll sign him.
What he brings to the Wings: Howard is a goal-scoring winger with a wicked shot and the vision of a hawk. In 37 games with Michigan State, Howard compiled an impressive 52 points, leading the team in goals and points. Adding a goal-scorer like Howard to the lineup would work wonders for the team’s brutal -21 goal differential.
The cost: Here’s the thing: Tampa’s got time. They have until August of 2026 to sign Howard. If I’m general manager Julien BriseBois, I’m standing pat until a team is desperate enough to overpay. But, if I’m Steve Yzerman, and a 21-year-old NHL-ready forward is there, I’m pulling out all the stops I can to secure him. The asking price, according to Frank Seravalli, seems to be a first-round pick. If the Edmonton Oilers almost got him for their late first-rounder, Detroit’s mid-first seems like a no-brainer.
Other ideas: Bargain bin hunting
Just because we’ve made it through a week of free agency doesn’t mean there aren’t still candidates out there. Jack Roslovic, a 28-year-old center, just put together a decent 39-point campaign for the Carolina Hurricanes. Victor Olofsson is 29 years old and could serve as a cheap middle-six option. It’s highly unlikely that he returns to his 28-goal form, but if you’re looking for help in free agency, these are your two best bets.
Top-four defenseman: Something old, something new
While we’ve already explored the idea of an Erik Karlsson trade, he’s not the only big-ticket defenseman on the market. But, before you start drawing up Pepe Silvia-style trades for, say, Quinn Hughes, it’s important to stay realistic. Getting a guy like Hughes without emptying the prospect pool is like saying you can fix the girl from Gone Girl. It’s just out of the question. Having said that, though, there are still several difference-makers on defense the Wings could acquire:
Rasmus Andersson: On the right side of history
Is it just me, or do the Red Wings like Swedish defensemen? Niklas Kronwall, Nick Lidstrom, Jonathan Ericsson, Simon Edvinsson…I’m starting to notice a pattern here.
The player: Anyway, Andersson is a right-shot defenseman from the Calgary Flames in search of a new home. He’s got a year left on his current deal at $4.55M and doesn’t seem keen on signing an extension with the Flames. While, yes, he’s been linked to the Vegas Golden Knights…who hasn’t? If I were a hockey player I’d move mountains to play for Vegas or Florida. So, with that said, what can the Wings do to secure him? And - more importantly - what does he bring to the table?
What he brings to the Wings: Andersson has spent the last few years as the Flames’ top-pairing right-shot defenseman. On the Wings, he’d immediately stabilize the team’s second pairing, taking a lions’ share of the work off a younger defenseman like Albert Johansson or (maybe) Axel Sandin-Pellikka. If you’re looking for a runner-up prize to the Vladislav Gavrikov sweepstakes, Andersson’s just the guy for the job.
The cost: You’re looking at a first round pick and a prospect at minimum. Noticing a pattern here? There’s a reason for that: if you want to make a big upgrade, it won’t come cheap. In this instance, it might be a good idea to look at moving a defensive prospect. Would the Flames go for a guy like William Wallinder, or would they have their eyes set on someone else? The question might even land on a bigger name. Would you part ways with Dmitri Buchelnikov if it meant you could unequivocally upgrade your team’s defense?
Carson Soucy: Bargain bin big boy
The player: A solid, serviceable 6’5” defenseman seems almost too close to Yzerman’s archetype for comfort. But Carson Soucy fits the bill with aplomb. He’s got a year left on his deal at $3.25M and, by all accounts, appears to be the odd man out with the New York Rangers. Soucy’s an aggressive, physical defenseman known for his work on the penalty kill.
What he brings to the Wings: Soucy will not be the best, nor the second best defenseman on the team. He will, however, take a lot of the workload off the rest of the lineup. No longer do you have to worry about your hair turning grey seeing Justin Holl on the lineup. You can rest easy knowing Ben Chiarot won’t have to shoulder a huge defensive burden. Adding Soucy to the lineup would immediately upgrade the team’s penalty kill (which, need I remind you, was ranked 32nd out of 32 teams last season).
The cost: The best part about this? Soucy comes cheap! The Rangers are looking to free up some room on their roster. They have less than $1M available in cap space, and, if they hope to make a big splash this season, they’ll need to free up that room. At the absolute most, they may request a second-round pick, but the Wings may be able to talk them down.
How would you fix the Red Wings?