Author: George Malik

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn offers a list of NHL teams’ “contract efficiencies” this morning, and given that the Red Wings finished 24th overall a season ago, the Wings’ status as 13th overall feels like a relief.

Luszczyszyn makes sure to suggest that the players’ present contract values are what matters–what happened in the past in terms of player performance does not count to him–so this is a ranking of 32 teams’ present contract values.

13. Detroit Red Wings

Last season: 24th

Copyright Dom Luszczyszyn and The Athletic

Things are finally starting to trend in the right direction for Detroit and that’s in large part thanks to the team locking up Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider long-term last year. While both entered each deal with some question marks, they proved themselves worthy of future franchise status, offering immense future value. Raymond is on one of the league’s best contracts and Seider’s deal has potential to be just as strong. I’d imagine both Marco Kasper and Simon Edvinsson will only add to this in the future.

As for Detroit’s problem contracts, many of them are thankfully ending soon. Ben Chiarot and Justin Holl only have one year left, while Andrew Copp only has two. The rest are manageable, and it’s what has Detroit’s future looking brighter.

Continued (paywall); here’s hoping that the Red Wings’ management avoids “problem contracts” in the present and future…

Though I’m going to admit that I don’t understand why DeBrincat, Johansson or Gibson’s contracts have “negative values.”

Red Wings defenseman Erik Gustafsson is 33 and is in the last year of his 2-year, $4 million contract. He’s training with Djurgardens IF of the SHL this August, and HockeyNews.se’s Uffe Bodin offers a paywalled article in which Gustafsson’s picture is prominently placed, with a bit of a tabloid-y “lede” included:

When Djurgården started its ice training in earnest for the season, Detroit and World Championship-defenseman Erik Gustafsson was involved.

And of course Djurgården hopes for his return.

“We try to keep as close contact with them as possible,” sports director Niklas Wikegård told Hockeynews.

If I had a dollar for every time that a European sports publication hinted that so-and-so would return home to play for their former sports team in the twilight days of their pro careers, I’d have at least several hundred dollars.

I don’t know whether Erik Gustafsson’s future plans involve a “return home,” but this is the kind of talk that sells paywalled articles.

Kirk Maltby speaks with Chris Osgood and John Keating this week:

Later this morning, Red Wings forward James van Riemsdyk will be speaking with Daily Faceoff’s “Morning Cuppa Hockey” on YouTube.

The teaser says:

Jonny and Colby are joined by James van Riemsdyk to discuss this past season in Columbus, why he chose the Detroit Red Wings, playing for Team USA at the Olympics, and his thoughts on the 84-game schedule coming in the new CBA.

Meanwhile, in Central Europe…

1. The Adler Mannheim’s Instagram account posted a picture of Moritz Seider playing golf in his hometown, as noted by NHL.com/de on Twitter…

Sorgt auch auf dem Golfplatz für Freude: Moritz Seider! 😁

(📸 @adlermannheim) | #LGRW | @detroitredwings | #Seider pic.twitter.com/hLsfCJqcRp

— NHL Deutsch (@NHLde) August 3, 2025

2. And if you find yourself in Carinth, Austria between now and early September, Krone.at reports that Marco Kasper will be training on the ice with EC-KAC Klagenfurt of the ICE Hockey League at the Heidi Horten Arena, starting with the team’s on-ice premiere on Wednesday.

Kasper’s slated to skate with the “Rotjacken” (Red Jackets) for three weeks, and coach Kirk Furey is quoted as saying:

“Marco has a great attitude, brings a high level and always gives 100%,” emphasizes coach Kirk Furey. “Especially our young players can learn a lot from him.”

On Tuesday afternoon, MLive’s Ansar Khan discussed several remaining unrestricted free agents who the Red Wings could target with their $12 million in salary cap space, and I’d only take a look at two or three of Khan’s listed names:

Forwards (with position, age, 2024-25 cap hit)

Jack Roslovic, C, 28, $2.8 million: He’s probably the best player available after equaling a career-high with 22 goals and tallying 39 points for Carolina. He must score to be effective because he’s not a checker or defensive player.

Max Pacioretty, LW, 36, $873,000: He turns 37 in November and his play has declined the past three seasons due to age and multiple injuries. He had five goals and eight assists in 37 games with Toronto but elevated his game in the playoffs (eight points in 11 games).

Defensemen (age, 2024-25 cap hit)

Matt Grzelcyk, 31, $2.75 million: The longtime Boston Bruin tallied a career-high 40 points (including 39 assists) while playing 82 games for the first time with Pittsburgh. He had 15 assists on the power play.

I’m not interested in a reunion with Robby Fabbri or Andreas Athanasiou; Victor Olofsson is injured too regularly, and on defense, Jan Rutta‘s a “meh” candidate, and David Savard retired.

I know that Roslovic, Grzelcyk and even Pacioretty have their fits of the litter, so to speak, in terms of remaining teams interested, but it would be encouraging to see the Wings snag one of the aformentioned players.

NHL.com dropped this little ditty overnight, suggesting that Lucas Raymond might eventually be one of 20 young wingers who could join the NHL Network’s Top 20 Wingers at some point in the future. Why “at some point?”

NHL Network will reveal its list of the top 20 wings in the League right now Wednesday when the first of a nine-part series debuts (NHLN, 6 p.m. ET).

While we wait for that much-discussed annual list, NHL.com asked a panel of its writers to identify players who could join the top 20 list next season.

Here is the NHL.com list:

It’s an honor just being mentioned, I suppose…

Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings

Selected by the Red Wings with the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Raymond quickly is developing into an elite offensive forward and soon could be considered one of the top 20 wings in the League. Raymond led Detroit last season with 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists) in 82 games. The Red Wings have not qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2015-16 and will be counting heavily on Raymond to help end the drought this season. The 23-year-old has continued his steady progression since he had 57 points (23 goals, 34 assists) in 82 games as a rookie in 2021-22. With his prime years still in front of him, it’s reasonable to believe Raymond could push for the 100-point plateau. Detroit has not had a 100-point player since Sergei Fedorov had 107 points (39 goals, 68 assists) in 78 games in 1995-96. — Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Continued…Maybe next year…

Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson posted a list of every NHL team’s “Mt. Rushmore of the 21st Century” (thus far), and Richardson leaned heavily upon the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup-winning teams in making his list:

Detroit Red Wings

Nicklas Lidström, Defense

Steve Yzerman, Center

Pavel Datsyuk, Center

Henrik Zetterberg, Center

Lidström won the James Norris Memorial Trophy seven times from 2000-01 to 2010-11 and was the first European to captain an NHL team to the Stanley Cup (2008). Yzerman is the franchise assist leader (1,063) and captained the Wings to three Stanley Cups, including his last in 2002. Both are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Datsyuk is also in the Hall of Fame, winning four Lady Byng Memorial Trophies and three Frank J. Selke Trophies between 2005-06 and 2009-10. Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2008 and is fifth among the franchise leaders with 337 goals, 623 assists and 960 points.

Continued; I’m of a mind to suggest that, going forward, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond will be on the team’s Mount Rushmore, but that’s educated guessing at this point.

TSN’s Travis Yost ranked the NHL’s 32 teams’ respective netminding talents into “goaltending tiers,” and he suggests that Detroit’s in tier 4 out of 5:

Detroit Red Wings (T4) – It’s desperation time for the Red Wings organization, and Steve Yzerman decided to take a big swing on the talented but inconsistent John Gibson via trade this summer. Gibson’s inconsistency, a combination of roller-coaster play and injuries, chilled what was once a pricey trade market for one of the league’s big names. Gibson did look better last season after several discouraging years, but again, his 91.2 per cent stop rate came in just 29 games. Detroit will be looking for substantially more playing time. 

Continued; Gibson is definitely a gamble, but if he does stay healthy, he’s one of the league’s better goaltenders…And streaky Cam Talbot will be backing him up.

That’s not a goaltending tandem that’s going to leave opponents shaking in fear, but it should be adequate to help the Wings improve this upcoming season.

The fundraising news for the $477 server bill and $137 personal bill is going pretty well, all things considered. We’ve raised $97, which is a good start, but given that these bills are due by the 17th of the month…

I still need to post fundraising requests until we are able to raise sufficient funds to pay for the server, at the very least. Again, this blog doesn’t have ads, we don’t sell your information, and we try keep your reading experience as clean and as predatory-script free as possible.

If you’re willing to lend a hand, no donation is too small. I just need to ask for your support right now.