Headlines

  • Ducks Nearing Deal To Acquire Chris Kreider From Rangers
  • Blue Jackets Expected To Pursue Mitch Marner
  • Stars Reportedly Open To Trading Jason Robertson
  • Canadiens’ Lane Hutson Wins 2025 Calder Trophy
  • Capitals’ T.J. Oshie Announces Retirement From NHL
  • Full 2025 NHL Draft Order
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Analyzing Detroit’s Options At Defense

September 5, 2023 at 3:32 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 5 Comments

Much like they did last summer, the Detroit Red Wings put some money into their defensive core in an attempt to get this team back into the postseason. In free agency, the organization brought in Shayne Gostisbehere and Justin Holl and acquired Jeff Petry at a discount a few months later in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens.

According to CapFriendly, the team currently projects to have eight defensemen on their opening night roster, with prospects Simon Edvinsson and William Wallinder waiting in the wings. Edvinsson won’t be ready for the beginning of the season due to an offseason shoulder surgery, but the Red Wings are getting into a territory where they will have to thin out their defensive core at some point.

In the most likely scenario, the team will start with a top pairing of Jake Walman and Moritz Seider, a duo that finished the 2022-23 season on a high note. The second defensive pair will probably feature Gostisbehere and Petry, and the final pair will consist of Holl and Olli Maatta. Aside from Seider, it does not scream of a defensive unit well-built to get this team into the playoffs, but a strong showing from key players could conceivably turn the tide.

Unfortunately for the team, after committing to a four-year, $19MM contract with him last offseason, it does not appear that Ben Chiarot will crack the opening night lineup for this team. Last season, Detroit made an attempt to pair Chiarot with Seider on the top defensive pairing, an experiment that would not work out well for the club. Although a $4.75MM cap hit is an expensive sunk cost for most teams to eat, the Red Wings’ available cap space makes it much more palatable.

Last season, in his first year wearing the ’Winged Wheel’, Chiarot would score five goals and 14 assists in 76 games played, posting a horrendous -31 rating. Given the lack of depth on the roster, Chariot was able to average more than 20 minutes of ice time per night, which does not appear to be a scenario that Detroit can let happen again.

Complicating the issue with Chiarot is that last year, the Red Wings dolled out a three-year extension for Walman, a two-year extension for Maatta, and gave Holl a three-year contract this offseason. Assuming that the team does ink Seider to a long-term extension next summer, that will give Detroit six defensemen signed until the 2024-25 NHL season. In all likelihood, the team will sit Chiarot for much of this year, use a buyout next offseason, and only be on the hook for an average of $1.58MM the next four seasons.

Next, if the team allows Gostisbehere to walk at the conclusion of his one-year deal, this should create a solid opening for Edvinsson and Wallinder to make the opening night lineup for the 2024-25 NHL season, giving the team some more flexibility moving forward.

At that time, the team could create a projected solid long-term top duo of Edvinsson and Seider, allowing Wallinder to play with Petry for one year before his contract expires, and carry an above-average bottom-pairing of Walman and Holl. It is only conjecture at this point, but there may be a pathway to an impressive defensive core, even after several confusing signings from General Manager Steve Yzerman over the last two summers.

 

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email

Detroit Red Wings| Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

Summer Synopsis: Los Angeles Kings
Main
Boston Bruins Sign Danton Heinen To PTO
View Comments (5)

Comments

  1. User 318310488

    2 years ago

    Still don’t understand Yzerman unloading Hronek. Head scratcher.

    Reply
    • HappyBirdSeeds

      2 years ago

      Now we have lice.

      Reply
    • Babo1975

      2 years ago

      BirdSeedB — heard about the pedophilic charge .. saying you can’t help it because it’s in your DNA and your DNA is inside you — So clever!!

      Reply
  2. Johnny Z

    2 years ago

    Y needs to unload Chiarot, even if it means retaining half of his salary.

    Reply
    • Grocery stick

      2 years ago

      They’ll need to attach someone to move Chiarot, even with salary retained. If he plays like past season I can’t think of any team that would actually pay him to play in the NHL regularly. Tanking teams would look for an asset to eat the contract. For non-tanking teams he’s a 9th defender. You don’t acquire a 9th defender for more than league minimum. Buyout looks like the way to go here unless he’s bouncing back big time.

      2
      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Ducks Nearing Deal To Acquire Chris Kreider From Rangers

    Blue Jackets Expected To Pursue Mitch Marner

    Stars Reportedly Open To Trading Jason Robertson

    Canadiens’ Lane Hutson Wins 2025 Calder Trophy

    Capitals’ T.J. Oshie Announces Retirement From NHL

    Full 2025 NHL Draft Order

    Islanders Continue To Lean Toward Matthew Schaefer At First Overall

    Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Uncertain For Game 3

    Teams Not Expecting Sam Bennett To Reach Free Agency

    Ducks May Offer Record-Breaking AAV For Mitch Marner

    Recent

    Ducks Nearing Deal To Acquire Chris Kreider From Rangers

    Free Agent Focus: New York Islanders

    Red Wings Sign Michal Postava To Entry-Level Contract

    Oilers’ Jake Walman Fined Twice For Game 3 Incidents

    Atlantic Notes: Marchand, Peterka, Giroux

    Flames Sign Adam Klapka To Two-Year Contract

    Blue Jackets Expected To Pursue Mitch Marner

    Max Pacioretty Interested In Extension With Maple Leafs

    Minor Transactions: 6/10/25

    Stars Reportedly Open To Trading Jason Robertson

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
    • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Order 2025
    • Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version