The Athletic’s Max Bultman discusses the Red Wings’ options to improve the team’s roster after striking out (for the most part) in the free agent marketplace:
In [John] Gibson, Detroit got around a barren free-agent goalie market by trading for a proven starter with real upside even if he also has some question marks. But the Red Wings still could really use a top-four defenseman and a top-line left wing, and barring a stunning push for Ehlers, a trade now looks like their only path.
The trade market, of course, has started to thin out as well. Miller was arguably the best possible fit for Detroit due to his age and profile. Vegas’ Nic Hague looked like a good candidate, too, before he was dealt to Nashville ahead of the Marner trade. The pipe-dream option, Noah Dobson, already moved as well, going from the New York Islanders to Montreal.
There aren’t many obvious names that remain, especially on defense. Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson and Buffalo’s Bowen Byram are the two clear impact defensemen still thought to be in play.
Both come with their own challenges. Can Detroit find an offer Buffalo will accept, as a team also looking to improve now? Would it be able to get Andersson (set to be a UFA one year from now) to extend?
Up front, there are perhaps more plausible targets, such as Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust, Dallas’ Jason Robertson or Nashville’s Jonathan Marchessault, whose first year with the Predators was a rocky one for the team.
But whether it’s those players or someone else, what’s become clear is that the simplest avenues are no longer available — if, frankly, they were ever available, for a team that increasingly feels stuck.
Continued (paywall)
