The Athletic’s Max Bultman pans the Red Wings’ opening-day-of-free-agency performance, suggesting that the team stagnated at the very best:
Did the Red Wings get better defensively? Not meaningfully, at least beyond the crease. As of this writing, the Red Wings haven’t added any new forwards, so thus far it looks lateral at best up front. On the blue line, Gustafsson might be a marginal upgrade on Gostisbehere in his own end, but his numbers playing next to Braden Schneider on the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers are not exactly reflective of what can be expected in Detroit. William Lagesson (who signed for one year at $775,000) gives them some defense-first depth on the left side, but he isn’t expected to be a significant contributor. He played 40 NHL games last season and has played in 100 total NHL games since 2019.
Did Detroit get harder to play against? No, and while the Red Wings still have some time, at this point they might have gone backward. I don’t think the Red Wings would have been wise to give David Perron the two-year, $4 million AAV deal he got in Ottawa, but that doesn’t change the fact the Red Wings just lost their best down-low and wall-playing piece from last season (and one of the best in the NHL). Perron’s feet were a concern, as were some of his penalties, but there was no doubting that he kept possessions alive for the Red Wings deep in the offensive zone, or that he made life tough on opponents. Now he’s playing for a division rival, and Detroit hasn’t replaced him with anyone.
Did the Red Wings at least maintain their offensive attack from last season? Also no, subtracting Perron’s 47 points and losing their 56-point power-play quarterback Gostisbehere, whose three-year contract in Carolina has an AAV just $1.2 million above his apparent replacement, Gustafsson. Gustafsson may get an opportunity to quarterback Detroit’s first power play and run with it, making that swap look fine in time — but is that possibility worth such a small difference in the contract between him and Gostisbehere? Consider: The deal Gostisbehere just signed in Carolina is less money (with the same term) than the one to which the Red Wings signed Justin Holl last July 1. They proceeded to scratch Holl for more than half the season.
Continued (paywall); I just can’t quite wrap my head around dooming the Red Wings to another year without playoff hockey (to quote John Buccigross at the draft) after one disappointing day, but that’s just me.
Update: Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin agrees with Bultman, calling the Wings free agency losers as well:
Detroit Red Wings: Similar to the [Jeff] Skinner buyout logic: If you’re going to ship out one of your top four blueliners in Jake Walman, plus a second-round pick, for nothing, it better be because you have grand plans. As Day 1 of free agency wraps up, Wings GM Steve Yzerman has retained Patrick Kane, but Cam Talbot, Erik Gustafsson, Christian Fischer, William Lagesson and Jack Campbell stand as the biggest additions to a team that missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season last year. How much longer can Yzerman dine out on his legendary status before the fans command more? Detroit’s offseason is simply nowhere near good enough unless a major trade is coming.
