Okay, the Red Wings traded for and then signed goaltender Ville Husso this morning.
Here’s confirmation from MLive’s Ansar Khan…
The Red Wings then signed Husso, 27, to a three-year contract worth $4.75 million a season. The native of Helsinki, Finland, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.
Husso (6-3, 209) joins Alex Nedeljkovic, 26, to form what should be a solid goaltending combination. General manager Steve Yzerman also acquired Nedeljkovic for a third-round selection last year.
Husso went 25-7-6, with a 2.56 goals-against average and .919 save percentage last season for the Blues. He wasn’t as effective in the playoffs, however, going 2-5 with a 3.67 GAA and .890 save percentage.
As does the Free Press’s Helene St. James…
The Red Wings then signed Husso for three years, $14.25 million, or a $4.75 million annual salary cap hit.
The Wings needed someone to fill out the tandem with Alex Nedeljkovic, who was acquired last offseason.
Husso, 27, has a 2.74 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 57 career NHL games.
Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen…
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting he will get a three-year deal worth $4.75 million. Alex Nedeljkovic was the presumptive starter before this deal was made. The Red Wings also signed Finnish goalie Jussi Olkinuora who played last season in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Cossa, their prize prospect goalie, will be headed to Grand Rapids this start to launch his professional career.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas also confirms…
On Friday morning, the team announced it was trading Husso to the Red Wings in exchange for the No. 73 overall pick – a third-rounder – in this year’s draft. In turn, the Red Wings have signed Husso to a three-year, $4.75 million contract according to multiple reports.
All along, Husso was expected to get north of $4 million a year had he reached the free-agent market, which was too rich for the Blues since they already have $6 million a year invested in Jordan Binnington.
So getting a third-rounder for Husso was a shrewd move by general manager Doug Armstrong and the Blues, who would’ve have gotten nothing for him had Husso hit the market as a free agent on Wednesday. And for Detroit, they get Husso before he would’ve reached the market for the price of one draft pick.
And the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan rounds out the article confirmation:
Husso was a 2014 fourth-round pick of the Blues, and the Blues would have liked to keep Husso in a perfect world, but the salary cap prevented that.
Husso, who can be an unrestricted free agent, had an outstanding first half of the season for the Blues, with a 2.03 GAA and .935 SVS, matching the statistics at that point of Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin.
But Husso slumped the second half, with a bulky 3.04 GAA and .904 SVS in his final 20 games, then playing poorly in the playoffs.
Husso will compete with Alex Nedeljkovic for the bulk of the Wings’ playing time in net.
Update: Here’s more from Max Bultman and Jeremy Rutherford of the Athletic:
What does Husso bring to Detroit?
Max Bultman, Red Wings beat writer: The Red Wings’ team defense had a rocky season last year, and goaltending was certainly a part of that.
After Alex Nedeljkovic was excellent for the better part of his first three months in Detroit, both he and Thomas Greiss went through a prolonged, months-long stretch of struggles that coincided with the Red Wings’ crash back to earth in the second half.
It remains to be seen which version of Nedeljkovic is closer to reality, but by adding Husso, Detroit gets a netminder capable of either sharing the net or carrying the load if needed. His .919 save percentage this past season was excellent — though, as Detroit just saw with Nedeljkovic, it will get tougher as he leaves a contender.
Other roster needs for the Red Wings
Bultman: The Red Wings’ main needs now are two-fold: they need to remake the left side of their blue line, and they ideally could use an upgrade at the second-line center. The latter is more negotiable, as they do have enough centers to fill out a lineup.
But to take a meaningful step forward — let alone challenge for the playoffs — they need an upgrade behind Dylan Larkin. Meanwhile, on defense, the Red Wings need to make a decision on Marc Staal, but even then they’ll likely need a veteran capable of playing in the top four.
