DobberProspects’ Nick Richard assesses the Red Wings’ offseason roster moves and draft machinations this morning, recapping Detroit’s trade and free agency moves before moving on to capsule discussions of each and every one of the Wings’ 2020 draft picks:
Steve Yzerman got to work shaping the 2020-2021 Red Wings’ roster in August, signing restricted free agent Robby Fabbri to a two-year contract carrying a cap hit of $2.95 million. The 24-year-old Fabbri put up 31 points in 52 games after being acquired from St. Louis last season, and Detroit will once again look for him to contribute as a secondary scorer. The team also retained Sam Gagner on a one-year deal worth $850k and he will compete for a depth spot in the lineup when training camp opens.
The team made another pair of moves prior to the draft, acquiring veteran defenceman Marc Staal, along with a 2021 second-round pick from the New York Rangers in exchange for future considerations, while also buying out the remaining three years of Justin Abdelkader’s contract. The Red Wings also decided not to tender qualifying offers to Madison Bowey, Brendan Perlini, and Christopher Ehn, allowing them to become unrestricted free agents.
On the opening day of free agency, the Red Wings signed reigning Masterson Trophy winner Bobby Ryan to a one-year, one-million-dollar contract after he was bought out by the Ottawa Senators. It has been a rough few years for the former second overall pick, but a rebuilding team like the Wings seems like a good fit for a player who is trying to revive his career. They also added some defensive depth by bringing in Jon Merrill on a one-year, $925k contract. The additions of Staal and Merrill should make up for some of the experience lost with the departure of long-serving Red Wing Jonathan Ericsson, and the retirement of Trevor Daley.
Those moves were followed by the signings of Troy Stecher, Thomas Greiss, and Vladislav Namestnikov. Stecher, 26, was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Vancouver Canucks, allowing Detroit to sign him to a two-year deal as an unrestricted free agent. He will have an opportunity to earn top-four minutes and perhaps some second unit power play time on a team that is short on blue line options. The signing of Greiss to a two-year deal was the final nail in the coffin for the Jimmy Howard era in Detroit, and he will form a tandem with the returning Jonathan Bernier. Namestnikov is a solid addition on a short-term deal that carries a cap hit of just $2 million, and he will provide versatility to a Red Wings lineup that will be looking to integrate some of their younger forwards into the NHL lineup.
After retaining restricted free agents Taro Hirose and Adam Erne, the Red Wings also had a pair of key players in Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha file for salary arbitration this offseason. Bertuzzi went through the arbitration process and was awarded a one-year contract worth $3.5 million, while the team managed to settle with Anthony Mantha on a four-year deal worth $5.7 million per year prior to his hearing. Both players will be looked to as key contributors for the Red Wings this coming season and beyond.
