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Red Wings Rumors

Red Wings Hire Michael Leighton As Goaltending Coach

July 7, 2025 at 12:23 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 5 Comments

Former NHL netminder is joining Todd McLellan’s staff in Detroit and will serve as the Red Wings’ goaltending coach, according to a press release from the team.

It’s Leighton’s first NHL job and just his second coaching job. The 44-year-old ended his playing career in 2019 before serving as the goalie coach for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires from February 2022 through the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

He succeeds Alex Westlund, whom general manager Steve Yzerman said had been relieved of his duties in April. Westlund was Detroit’s goalie coach for the last three seasons and also held the role for the United States at the 2024 World Championship. Detroit had the only documented goalie coach vacancy in the league, so it’s unlikely he’ll find another NHL job for this season.

Leighton joins McLellan’s staff ahead of his first full season behind Detroit’s bench as head coach. He serves alongside assistants Alex Tanguay and Trent Yawney and video coordinator Jeff Weintraub.

The Ontario native was a No. 3 option for most of his NHL/AHL career but famously stepped into playoff action for the Flyers in 2010, leading them to the Stanley Cup Final. He surrendered the championship-winning goal to Patrick Kane, with whom he’ll now be in the same organization. The Ontario native posted a 37-43-14 record, four shutouts, a 2.97 GAA, and a .900 SV% in 110 NHL regular-season games for the Blackhawks, Predators, Flyers, and Hurricanes from 2002 to 2017.

Detroit Red Wings Michael Leighton

5 comments

Pradel Unsure Of Where He'll Play Next Season

July 5, 2025 at 10:28 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

  • Red Wings prospect Michal Pradel is undecided about where he’ll play next season, notes Dennik Sport’s Matej Derak (Twitter link). The goaltender was the 75th pick in last month’s draft and can choose between returning to USHL Tri-City or moving on to WHL Regina.  Pradel had a 2.41 GAA and a .899 SV% in 14 games with Tri-City after joining them in January and at this point, college hockey is not an option as he still has a year of high school remaining.

AHL| Boston Bruins| Detroit Red Wings| Montreal Canadiens| Ottawa Senators Joonas Korpisalo| Josh Jacobs| Michal Pradel| Philippe Daoust| Xavier Simoneau

2 comments

Christian Fischer Announces Retirement

July 4, 2025 at 9:31 am CDT | by Gabriel Foley 8 Comments

Detroit Red Wings forward Christian Fischer has announced his retirement from the NHL at the age of 28 through an interview with Max Bultman of The Athletic. Fischer entered unrestricted free agency on July 1st, after completing a one-year, $1.125MM contract with Detroit and Columbus this season. He shared with Bultman that, while he’s been happy to have the career he has, he feels now is the right time to move on:

Over the last couple years, I think I just look at my life and what makes me happy, and being around family and kind of my life in Scottsdale… in the end, I’m very thankful for the career I had, but just personally I think I know it’s time for a new chapter in my life

Fischer’s decision to call it quits seems to come surprisingly early into his career. He remained an impactful fourth-line forward through stops in Detroit and Columbus last season. His stat line was hit by just seven points in 46 games – but Fischer scored 19 points just last season, and 27 points in the year before. He’s a burly checking-forward who would have certainly piqued interest from around the NHL, even if only for a one-year, league-minimum contract.

Instead, Fischer will make the choice to close the door on his own. He’s played through 523 games in the NHL and earned an estimated $7.84MM in career earnings over the course of nine seasons. But in speaking with Bultman, Fischer added that the money was never the reason he played the game – nor what would have motivated him to return next season. He instead emphasized the relationships he formed and the dream that he reached by playing in the NHL.

If you told me that when I was 10 years old, ‘you’re going to play 500 games in the NHL,’ I would be the happiest kid you’ve ever seen.”

Fischer’s career kicked off when he was selected 32nd overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 NHL Draft. His draft pick came on the heels of a strong season with the USA U18 National Team Development Program. He followed the draft with one year in the OHL, where he stacked up an impressive 40 goals and 90 points in 66 games. That was enough to spur Fischer towards the pros, and after one strong season in the AHL – 47 points in 57 games – he’d receive a promotion to the major leagues that wouldn’t get reversed.

Fischer went on to spend six seasons as a dutiful member of Arizona’s bottom-six, before moving to fill the same role for two years in Detroit. His career year stands as the 2017-18 season, when he notched a career-high 15 goals and 33 points in 79 games played. Many of Fischer’s other seasons saw him score fewer than 20, or even 10, points – though he did rebound with 13 goals and 26 points in 80 games of the 2022-23 season: final year in Arizona.

Fischer will conclude his professional hockey career with a satisfied resume for a former second-round pick. He’ll also have a Gold Medal from each of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the World U18 Championship; both earned during his time at the NTDP. The Chicago native will continue his days on with family and friends in Scottsdale, Arizona – where he could get caught up in a wave of a growing hockey market in the coming years.

Arizona Coyotes| Detroit Red Wings| NHL| Retirement Christian Fischer

8 comments

Red Wings Sign Mason Appleton To Two-Year Deal

July 2, 2025 at 3:29 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 8 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Mason Appleton to a two-year, $5.8MM contract per PuckPedia. PuckPedia adds that Appleton will be due $3MM of salary in the first year of the deal, and $2.8MM in the second year. The deal will move Appleton away from his second stint with the Winnipeg Jets, which spanned the last four seasons.

Appleton has emerged as a reliable utility forward over the course of his seven years in the NHL. He contributed 10 goals, 22 points, 22 penalty minutes, and a plus-seven through 71 games with the Jets this season, while operating out of a bottom-six role. He took a quiet step down in both minutes and impact this season, after posting a career-high 14 goals, 36 points, and plus-16 while also recording a career-high 16 minutes of average ice time last year. Even with that dock, Appleton has found strong footing in an everyday lineup role after missing half of the 2022-23 season with a wrist injury that required surgery.

At 29 years old, Appleton seems well glued to a hardy bottom-six role. He has recorded 57 goals, 138 points, a plus-35, and 124 penalty minutes through 400 career games in the NHL. Appleton also adds a notable amount of hits and blocked shots each year. Looking at all seven years of his pro career, Appleton has averaged 28 points, a plus-seven, 31 blocked shots, and 83 hits per 82 games played. He will offer stout depth behind Red Wings newcomer James van Riemsdyk, though may need to compete for a nightly role with Jonatan Berggren or Elmer Soderblom.

Detroit Red Wings| Transactions Mason Appleton

8 comments

Red Wings Re-Sign Elmer Soderblom To Two-Year Contract

July 2, 2025 at 12:18 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

RFA winger Elmer Soderblom is returning to the Red Wings on a two-year contract, according to a team announcement. The deal is worth $2.25MM for a cap hit of $1.125MM.

Soderblom, who turns 24 on Saturday, appeared in 26 games for the Wings last season after not seeing any NHL action in 2023-24. He scored four goals and 11 points while averaging 13:22 per contest, finishing at a 10.5% clip and recording 43 hits.

The hulking 6’8″ winger, drafted back in 2019 in the sixth round, has been a middle-six fixture in the AHL for the Grand Rapids Griffins for the past three seasons, including a 5-12–17 scoring line in 38 games there this season. The Wings evidently liked what they saw from Soderblom down the stretch in the NHL last year enough to not only give him a one-way contract but a seven-figure commitment annually.

Soderblom will be expected to crack the opening night roster for the second time in his career after making the team unexpectedly in 2022-23. He should factor into a consistent bottom-six role for Detroit next year and is almost a certainty to set a new career high in games played. The Wings have a full 23-player roster but still boast over $14MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Detroit Red Wings| Transactions Elmer Soderblom

4 comments

East Notes: Primeau, Lettieri, Leonard

July 2, 2025 at 8:10 am CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Hurricanes RFA goaltender Cayden Primeau signed a one-year, league minimum deal yesterday, according to a team release.

Primeau saw his signing rights transferred from Montreal to Carolina on Monday in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick. The 25-year-old bounced between the NHL and AHL for his first four professional seasons coming out of Northeastern University, but won a full-time roster spot with the Habs in 2023-24, in part due to their unwillingness to expose him to waivers.

He looked good in a three-goalie rotation with Sam Montembeault and Jake Allen that year but struggled mightily as Montembeault’s full-time No. 2 to begin last season. He posted an .836 SV% and sky-high 4.70 GAA with a 2-3-1 record in seven starts and four relief appearances before being waived in December, clearing and heading to AHL Laval.

Primeau got things back on track with a .926 SV% and 2.00 GAA in 25 games with Laval. The Canes hope he can carry that momentum into 2025-26 as he serves as the No. 3 behind the returning NHL tandem of Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov, assuming he clears waivers again in the fall.

Here are a couple of other league minimum signings from yesterday:

  • The Maple Leafs brought in veteran depth center Vinni Lettieri, per PuckPedia. While a one-way deal, that’s presumably to guarantee him more compensation. They’re hoping he clears waivers and can be an impact player for AHL Toronto after they lost some important pieces like Nicholas Abruzzese and Alex Steeves yesterday. The 30-year-old spent last year with the Bruins organization, recording five points in 26 NHL games and 48 points in 46 AHL games.
  • The Red Wings announced a one-year, one-way league minimum deal for winger John Leonard yesterday. He joins their July 1 haul that also included James van Riemsdyk, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Ian Mitchell. It’s the 26-year-old’s first NHL contract in a year – he spent last season on an AHL deal with Charlotte, leading the Calder Cup runner-ups in scoring with 36 goals, 25 assists, and 61 points in 72 games.

Carolina Hurricanes| Detroit Red Wings| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions Cayden Primeau| John Leonard| Vinni Lettieri

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Alex Delvecchio Passes Away At Age 93

July 1, 2025 at 4:45 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 9 Comments

In sorrowful news, the Detroit Red Wings announced that longtime captain and Hall of Famer, Alex Delvecchio, has passed away at the age of 93.

As one of the most legendary players of his era, Delvecchio began his career from a modest upbringing. He originally joined the Red Wings organization in the 1950-51 NHL season after an impressive run with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. He would never don another team’s uniform.

Becoming a focal point of the “Production Line” with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, Delvecchio helped the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup championships in 1952, 1954, and 1955. The 1955 campaign was the last time the Stanley Cup would be in Detroit until the 1996-97 NHL season.

Despite more than five decades having passed since his last game in the NHL, Delvecchio still shows up on many of the Red Wings’ all-time boards. He remains third in games played (1,550), third in goals (456), fourth in assists (825), and third in points (1,281). Before longtime captain Nicklas Lidstrom played his 1,551st game with Detroit during the 2011-12 campaign, Delvecchio had played the most games in NHL history for one team.

Retiring after the 1973-74 season, Delvecchio was quickly named to the NHL’s Hall of Fame in the 1977 class alongside Tim Horton. After concluding his playing career, he served for several years as the head coach and General Manager of Detroit before leaving hockey entirely in 1977. He was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in 2017.

It is with deep sorrow that we share of Delvecchio’s passing, and his invaluable contribution to one of the sport’s most iconic franchises. We at PHR offer our condolences to Delvecchio’s family and loved ones.

Detroit Red Wings| Hall of Fame| Newsstand| RIP Alex Delvecchio

9 comments

Red Wings Sign James van Riemsdyk, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Ian Mitchell

July 1, 2025 at 1:20 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 19 Comments

The Red Wings announced they’ve signed defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Ian Mitchell to one-year deals worth $875K and $775K, respectively. They’re also signing veteran James van Riemsdyk, per Frank Seravalli. It’s a one-year deal worth $1MM plus $750,000 in potential performance bonuses, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.

After a failed trade that nearly brought van Riemsdyk to Detroit a few years ago, he lands with the Red Wings on a low-risk deal. He’s coming off a similar one-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring 16 goals and 36 points in 71 games with a -4 rating. Still, it’s challenging to see how van Riemsdyk fits into Detroit’s everyday lineup.

He could become the immediate replacement for Vladimir Tarasenko, who was dealt in a cost-clearing trade to the Minnesota Wild yesterday. Given his age and last year’s scoring performance, the Red Wings should avoid giving van Riemsdyk top-six minutes. Furthermore, his 87.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength from last season indicates that van Riemsdyk may lack sufficient defensive capabilities to justify a role in the bottom-six.

Ultimately, Detroit could position van Riemsdyk alongside Jonatan Berggren and Elmer Söderblom, who were two of Detroit’s better defensive-minded forwards last season. That way, van Riemsdyk could focus on adding tertiary scoring to the Red Wings’ lineup while his linemates make up for his defensive shortcomings.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings have added a few depth defenseman in Bernard-Docker and Mitchell. The former is coming off a split season between the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres, scoring two goals and eight points in 40 games played. He’s known for blocking shots and maintaining impressive defensive metrics in a lower-utilized role.

Mitchell is likely bound for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, and will be called upon if Detroit has injury troubles on the blue line. He split his time between the Boston Bruins and AHL’s Providence Bruins last season, scoring four goals and 27 points in 47 games with a +11 rating with the latter.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

Detroit Red Wings| Transactions Ian Mitchell| Jacob Bernard-Docker| James van Riemsdyk

19 comments

Red Wings Sign Patrick Kane To One-Year Contract

June 30, 2025 at 7:22 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 2 Comments

According to a team announcement, the Detroit Red Wings have signed veteran forward Patrick Kane to a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season. Detroit shared that Kane will earn $3MM base salary, while PuckPedia reported his potential performance bonuses:

  • $2.5MM after 10 games played
  • $250K after 30 games played
  • $250K after 50 games played
  • $500K for reaching the postseason
  • $250K for Round One win
  • $250K for Round Two win

Although his base salary has decreased by $1MM, Kane has the opportunity to earn a slight raise on his new deal with Detroit. The Red Wings signed Kane to a one-year, $4MM contract a year ago to the day, with an additional $2.5MM available in performance bonuses. Unfortunately for Kane, he only earned $1.75MM of those bonuses. Still, by the time Kane reaches 30 games played in the upcoming season, he’ll have matched last year’s total.

Kane became an obvious re-sign candidate during the end-of-season press availability for the Red Wings. General Manager Steve Yzerman stated his intention to re-sign Kane, and the 18-year veteran felt the same way.

Since coming to Detroit early in the 2023-24 campaign, Kane has been a valuable secondary scorer for the Red Wings. Despite undergoing hip resurfacing surgery, Kane has scored 41 goals and 106 points in 122 games donning the ’Winged Wheel’, averaging 18:09 of ice time per night.

Kane’s recovery from hip resurfacing surgery has been fairly remarkable. He was in visible pain toward the end of his tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks, and he finally underwent surgery after concluding his time with the New York Rangers. The same surgery ended Nicklas Bäckström’s career prematurely, just before Kane had his. However, Kane has returned stronger, maintaining his production levels.

Furthermore, Kane’s speed hasn’t appeared affected by the surgery, either. To be fair, ’Father Time’ has zapped much of the speed from his Hart Memorial days, but it’s decreased only slightly since. According to NHL EDGE data, Kane finished in the 81st percentile of the league in 18-20 mph bursts pre-surgery, and 76th percentile post-surgery. He may not have the best edge work anymore, but Kane has been playing like he’s got much more left in the tank.

Max Bultman of The Athletic was the first to report that the Red Wings were finalizing a new deal with Kane. 

Detroit Red Wings| Newsstand| Transactions Patrick Kane

2 comments

Detroit Red Wings Sign Jonatan Berggren To One-Year Contract

June 30, 2025 at 3:44 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

The Detroit Red Wings are making quick work of getting some of their depth players back for next season. According to a team announcement, the Red Wings have signed forward Jonatan Berggren to a one-year, $1.825MM contract for the 2025-26 NHL season.

Berggren has been an interesting depth scorer for the Red Wings over the last three years. By all available evidence, Detroit is still trying to determine what exactly they have in the young Swede.

He got off to a hot start in his professional career, scoring 21 goals and 64 points in 70 games for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in 2021-22. In the early stages of their rebuild, Berggren was recalled to help the fledgling Red Wings in 2022-23. Typically in a third-line role, Berggren had a quality year as a tertiary scorer, putting up 15 goals and 28 points in 67 games. He had some prominent defensive shortcomings, but that’s to be expected of a young winger.

Interestingly enough, Berggren didn’t earn a spot on the roster out of training camp the following September. He put together another quality year with AHL Grand Rapids, scoring 24 goals and 56 points in 53 games. Despite his success in the AHL, Detroit used Berggren only 12 times during the 2023-24 season, and rumors about trade availability began to circulate.

The rumors persisted until last September, when the Red Wings signed Berggren to a one-year contract worth $825K. Nearly replicating his performance from two years ago, Berggren scored 12 goals and 24 points in 75 games, averaging 12:59 of ice time per game. Despite his -13 rating, the Uppsala, Sweden native showed serious improvements in his defense, achieving a 91.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Given the short-term, low-risk contract, Detroit likely wants Berggren to remain in a similar role next year. If he can replicate his defensive output and score 30 or more points next season, he’ll be a valuable bottom-six scorer for the Red Wings.

Detroit Red Wings| Transactions Jonatan Berggren

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