Kulfan and Khan’s free agency update: Green to re-sign, Bernier to sign, and Wings have interest in a ‘veteran forward’

The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan provides a Red Wings free agency update, starting with confirmation that Mike Green will re-sign:

The veteran defensemen is expected to forego unrestricted free agency and remain with the Wings on a 2-year contract worth $10.75 million (a $5.375 salary cap hit per year).

Green, 33, had 33 points (8 goals, 25 assists) in 66 games last season. He is proficient on the power play, and were Green to leave, the Wings don’t have anyone readily available to replace him.

With the start of unrestricted free agency Sunday, the Wings are also on the verge of adding goaltender Jonathan Bernier. In Colorado last season, Bernier, 29, was 19-13-3 with a 2.85 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.

Bernier is expected to sign with the Wings for 3 years, at $3 million per season ($9 million total).

The Wings would also like to add a veteran forward Sunday.  Thomas Vanek and Valtteri Filppula, both of whom have played in the organization, have been linked to the Wings.

Update: MLive’s Ansar Khan confirms:

The club is expected to sign Jonathan Bernier to a three-year contract worth approximately $3 million per season.

Bernier, who turns 30 on Aug. 7, went 19-13-3 last season with Colorado, posting a 2.85 goals-against average and .913 save percentage while earning $2.75 million on a one-year deal. He previously played for Anaheim, Toronto and Los Angeles and has a career record of 128-108-30, with a 2.68 GAA and .914 save percentage.

Detroit also will be looking to sign a forward, with a couple of former Red Wings at the top of their list — right wing Thomas Vanek and center/wing Valtteri Filppula.

The club is concerned that Henrik Zetterberg’s troublesome back might prevent him from playing this season and force him to go on long-term injured reserve. Zetterberg has appeared in all 82 games in each of the past three seasons. He turns 38 on Oct. 9.

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, when MLive hired me to work their SlapShots blog, and I joined Kukla's Korner in 2011 as The Malik Report. I'm starting The Malik Report as a stand-alone site, hoping that having my readers fund the website is indeed the way to go to build a better community and create better content.