9:30 AM: The Red Wings have announced (via Twitter) that Green has signed his two-year deal.
7:36 AM: Craig Custance of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Vanek has agreed to a one-year, $3MM deal with Detroit.
Saturday: While the Red Wings are believed to be in rebuilding mode, it doesn’t appear that this is stopping them from being active in free agency. On top of being expected to add goalie Jonathan Bernier tomorrow, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that defenseman Mike Green is staying put and that winger Thomas Vanek is also considering a return to Detroit as well.
Green remaining in Detroit isn’t a huge surprise as the team has been actively trying to re-sign him over the past week or so, offering multiple contracts of varying term and money. It was reported earlier this week that the team was hopeful that they could lock him up on a two-year pact. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports (via Twitter) that the deal will carry a $5.375MM AAV.
His re-signing would take arguably the most prominent defenseman off the market before the market even opens up. Green ranked eighth on PHR’s Top 50 UFA list, one of only two rearguards in the top-10. He gives Detroit back their top offensive threat from the back end; he has led the team in scoring by a defender in each of his three seasons with the Red Wings, averaging 35 points per season.
As for Vanek, he is quietly one of the highest scoring players in free agency this summer as his 56 points in 2017-18 rank third among all unrestricted free agents. That helped earn him the #14 ranking on our list. Despite his offensive performance in recent years, he has bounced around in recent years, playing for five different teams since 2016.
One of those teams is Detroit, who initially signed him in the summer of 2016 after he was bought out by Minnesota. He fared relatively well as he posted 38 points in 48 games before being dealt to Florida as a rental player at the trade deadline. It wouldn’t be surprising to see if that was the idea they have in mind here as well although Vanek would certainly prefer to have a little bit more stability and security after moving around as much as he has lately.
These moves would likely represent the bulk of Detroit’s offseason spending in free agency. While the team has a little over $20.5MM in cap space per CapFriendly, these three veterans would likely eat up half of that or more and they still have some notable restricted free agents to re-sign, headlined by center Dylan Larkin.
Kenny Holland loves veterans more than VFW Halls.
As long as he gets Larkin Mantha and AA extended he did his job this offseason
I agree with you diller, do you think it’s gonna happen anytime soon?
Another question: will Zadina be in the lineup game 1 of regular season?
I think Larkin will happen soon but the other two will drag on throughout the offseason.
I also think Rasmussen deserves the last spot if it’s between him and Zadina but I’d much prefer they both make the team game 1
Wait they’re actually signing these guys? I thought it was just a nightmare I had.
Bringing back Green for a 2 year deal when he could have gotten 5 and way more money per year on the open market. And bringing in Bernier to replace mrazek which is a upgrade. And signing Tomas Vanek who had 56 points last year and having the best draft of any team is a nightmare for you I wish I was living your life man because that’s a damn good offseason to me
You’re insane if you really think a GM would be dumb enough to give Green a 5 year deal.
Zadina + Rasmussen + Hronek are better than Vanek + Filppula + Green.
All of those guys will make the team. They won’t end up singing filppula if they sign Vanek it’s one or the other. And Dennis Choloski will make the team too the odd man out will probably be Jensen(even though I like his game)
Let’s hope.
The Green signing makes some sense as it buys the Red Wings some more time to develop their defensive prospects instead of rushing them or hoping a bunch of career minor leaguers/third pairing guys can play 20+ minutes a game. Hopefully Holland is smart enough to move him when/if his value rises again.
If Vanek is a one year deal, then again, no issue. He’ll score some points, probably will find some time on the PP2, and will likely be flipped at the deadline again. Even if Vanek struggles, someone would likely give up some low-level prospect or late/conditional draft pick to provide some offense for them down the stretch.
I really wonder why Green would resign. I get he might like the city, but there’s no way he’s winning anything.
Green had 2 options in his mind once he was a free agent Detroit and Washington and once Washington resigned Carlson he knew he would take whatever Detroit offered even though he could get more years and more money per year elsewhere
I’m sure there would’ve been a lot of other teams who aren’t going to be awful though who would’ve signed him.