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Red Wings Sign Michal Postava To Entry-Level Contract

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According to a team announcement, the Detroit Red Wings have signed netminder Michal Postava to a two-year, entry-level contract. The deal will run through the 2026-27 NHL season, when Postava will become a restricted free agent.

Based on their transaction history for the last year, Detroit is attempting to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks regarding their goaltending situation. The team brought in veterans Cam Talbot and Jack Campbell last summer and acquired Petr Mrázek from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline.

Furthermore, Detroit has two of the higher-end goaltending prospects in the NHL, Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine, although the latter has yet to debut at the professional level. Given his age and relatively brief professional history in Czechia, Postava should be considered a prospect rather than immediate help.

He doesn’t project as high as other netminders in his age group, but Postava is coming off a quality season with HC Kometa Brno in Czechia’s highest league. The 23-year-old goalie managed a 23-18-0 record in 42 games with a .921 SV% and 2.39 GAA, including three shutouts.

He provided even better numbers in the postseason. In 17 playoff contests, Postava earned 10 wins with a .940 SV% and 1.97 GAA, backstopping Kometa Brno to their third league championship.

It’s unlikely that Postava will challenge for a spot on the active roster during training camp, meaning the expectation is that he’ll start the year with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. There, Postava will be paired with Cossa as the Griffins look to build on their competitive 2024-25 season.

Free Agent Focus: Detroit Red Wings

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Free agency is now under a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Red Wings.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Jonatan Berggren – After spending much of the 2023-24 season with Detroit’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, Berggren earned another full-time opportunity with the Red Wings in 2024-25. His scoring output was depressed compared to his performance in the 2022-23 season, as he scored 12 goals and 24 points in 75 games, averaging 12:59 of ice time per night. Still, Berggren’s biggest improvements came on the defensive side of the puck, where he achieved an on-ice save percentage of 91.1% at even strength, far and away the best output of his young career. He’ll earn a raise on his $825K salary this summer, but it shouldn’t be by much, especially if Detroit has begun considering him a bottom-six defensive forward.

F Elmer Söderblom – The 6’8′ Swede brought a lot of punch to Detroit’s lineup when he was recalled in late January of the 2024-25 campaign. Söderblom finished the year with four goals and 11 points in 26 games, with 43 hits while averaging 13:22 of ice time per night. Similarly to Berggren, Söderblom offered more defensive help to the Red Wings lineup than expected, and that could be where he finds his home on the team longer-term. Expect Detroit to retain Söderblom on a one-year deal with a slight bump on his $878K salary while staying below $1MM.

D Albert Johansson – Requiring waivers for another demotion to the AHL, the Red Wings chose to keep Johansson on their active roster out of training camp. It took some time for Johansson to play regularly, but after trading Olli Määttä to the then-named Utah Hockey Club, Detroit found more opportunity for ’AlJo’. Unfortunately, he’s put himself in a situation where the Red Wings could conceivably non-tender him this summer. Despite starting a majority of his shifts in the offensive zone, Johansson ranked as one of the worst players on the team in Expected +/- according to Hockey Reference, and on-ice goals % according to MoneyPuck.

Other RFAs: F Cross Hanas, D Antti Tuomisto, D Eemil Viro, G Gage Alexander

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Patrick Kane – Despite a visible and significant drop-off in foot speed, Kane continues to produce for Detroit. The 36-year-old three-time Stanley Cup champion and former-MVP ranked fourth on the team in points this season with 21 goals and 59 points in 72 games in a second-line role. General Manager Steve Yzerman has already expressed confidence that Kane will return to the Red Wings for the 2025-26 season, although no contract has been agreed to yet. If Kane decides to remain in Detroit, his upcoming contract should resemble this year’s deal, which includes a base salary of $4MM and the potential to earn an additional $2.5MM in performance bonuses. These bonuses are primarily dependent on the Red Wings qualifying for the postseason.

D Jeff Petry – What a difference a year can make. After finishing the 2023-24 season with three goals and 24 points in 73 games, Petry finished the 2024-25 campaign with one goal and eight points in 44 contests, even while averaging more ice time. Petry finished last place among Detroit blue liners (with 41 or more games played) in CorsiFor%, and second-to-last in Expected +/-. Despite earning a modest $2.34MM salary this past season thanks to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens retaining a portion of his salary, it’s unlikely Petry will wear a winged wheel on his jersey next year. He may have to settle for a one-year, league minimum on his new deal or earn his way from a professional tryout agreement.

G Alex Lyon – Petry wasn’t the only pending unrestricted free agent who had a significant drop-off in the 2024-25 season. After managing a 21-18-5 record in 43 starts in the 2023-24 campaign, Lyon posted a 14-9-1 record in 26 starts this past year, with an eight-point drop in his SV% and a 3.6 drop in his Goals Saved Above Average. After adding several netminders last offseason and another at the trade deadline, the Red Wings are in dire need of contracting their goaltending situation, making Lyon an obvious candidate to leave this summer.

Other UFAs: F Craig Smith, F Tyler Motte, D William Lagesson, F Timothy Gettinger, F Joe Snively, D Brogan Rafferty, G Jack Campbell

Projected Cap Space

Thankfully for Detroit, the Red Wings will have a healthy salary cap situation heading into the offseason. PuckPedia lists the Red Wings as having $21.337MM in cap space, while already having 10 forwards, five defensemen, and two netminders signed for next season. Assuming Detroit re-signs Kane on a similar deal, and giving Berggren and Söderblom a generous salary of $1MM, that’ll give the Red Wings more than $15MM to work with. There should be competition for open spots on the roster from Nate Danielson, Jesse Kiiskinen, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka during next year’s training camp, so Detroit has the financial flexibility to be aggressive this summer.

Contract info courtesy of PuckPedia.

Photo courtesy of Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images.

Red Wings Sign Jesse Kiiskinen To Entry-Level Contract

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The Red Wings announced they’ve signed winger Jesse Kiiskinen to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning next season. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Kiiskinen, a 2023 third-round pick by the Predators whom Detroit acquired in a prospect swap last summer, lands his rookie deal after a massive breakout season in his native Finland, as PHR’s Gabriel Foley outlined last month. The 19-year-old sniper potted a 14-30–44 scoring line in 46 games for HPK of the top-flight Liiga, leading the club in points. He scored the most points in the league among junior-aged players and also racked up six goals and an assist for Finland in seven World Juniors games, helping them to a silver medal while being named a top-three player on the team.

That massive breakout surely has Detroit thrilled about their return when they dealt similarly-touted defense prospect Andrew Gibson to Nashville. While loaning Kiiskinen back to HPK for next season is always an option even after signing him, that level of production stands to reason he’s more than ready to make the jump to AHL Grand Rapids in the fall and even be under outside consideration for an NHL recall late in the year.

Kiiskinen turns 20 in August, so he’s too old to be eligible for an entry-level slide. His contract will go into effect next season, regardless of how many NHL games he plays, and will hit RFA status in the summer of 2028.

Eemil Viro Set To Join SHL Malmö

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  • A report out of Sweden suggests that the Detroit Red Wings could lose one of their defensive prospects in a few days. The report indicates that defenseman Eemil Viro will join the SHL’s Malmö Redhawks for the 2025-26 campaign. Viro, the 70th overall selection of the 2020 NHL Draft, had spent the last three years with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, scoring three goals and 19 points in 142 games with a -17 rating.

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Liiga Forward Jesse Kiiskinen Offers Red Wings Upside

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The Detroit Red Wings acquired Finnish forward Jesse Kiiskinen and a second-round pick from the Nashville Predators ahead of last year’s draft, in a deal that sent shutdown defender Andrew Gibson back the other way. The Wings followed the deal up by flipping the second-round pick to the San Jose Sharks, as a sweetener to get the team to acquire NHL defenseman Jake Walman. Detroit acquired nothing of value in their ditching of Walman – and even then, their pre-draft swap of Kiiskinen and Gibson already appears to be paying dividends.

Kiiskinen was originally drafted by Nashville in the third-round of the 2023 NHL Draft, following a year where he ranked sixth in point-per-game scoring in Finland’s U20 league. He was a clear bet on frame – standing at six-foot-1 and 185-pounds in his draft year and playing a game centered around using a mix of speed and strength to create space. Kiiskinen played through his rookie season in the Liiga following his draft selection, but his early struggles quickly cast doubt on his upside. He scored just 10 points in 38 pro games – fewer points than most of his younger peers in the 2024 draft class. But Kiiskinen stepped up to the plate in Finland’s continental friendlies, and shined through a glimmer of hope with 16 points in seven games with the country’s U19 squad.

It was on the heels of those international performances that Nashville chose to trade the Finnish winger – surely hoping that they could bank on a few strong performances masking an otherwise quiet year. But, on top of their many blunders this year, Nashville was also forced to pay for their impatience with Kiiskinen – as he emerged as one of Finland’s top underage talents. The skillful winger broke out in full with 30 assists and 44 points in 46 Liiga games. That scoring stands as the most a U20 Liiga player has scored since Aleksi Heponiemi (46 points in 2018-19), Sebastian Aho (45 points, 2015-16), and Aleksander Barkov (48 points in 2012-13). In fact, 14 of the 15 names at the top of the Liiga’s U20 scoring leaderboards have gone on to play in the NHL. With this scoring output, Kiiskinen also joins peers like Teuvo Teravainen, Jani Nyman, Juuso Parssinen, and Kaapo Kakko.

Kiiskinen is still multiple steps – and an entry-level contract – away from contributing to the NHL; and the array of talent from his NHL peers ranges from superstar to healthy scratch. But there’s plenty to life from Kiiskinen’s season. He looked strong and in-control throughout the year, with quick feet and little hesitation to throw the body. He dominated possession through the neutral zone and on the outskirts of the offensive end, and used quick hands and cheeky passes to take advantage of tight lanes that opened in the defense. Kiiskinen also maintained his strong offense into international play, recording a team-leading six goals and seven points in seven games of the 2025 World Junior Championship. No other Finn managed more than three goals.

The Red Wings may not have a shiny new winger just yet, but they must be ecstatic about the upside Kiiskinen offers. He was a final cut for Finland’s World Championship squad, and will now entertain the possibility of returning to a top-end Liiga role or moving on to the AHL next season. If he pursues the latter, he’ll undoubtedly be following in the footsteps of top Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Ville Koivunen – who managed 56 points in 63 AHL games this year after scoring as many in 59 Liiga games last year. It’s a path that’s been trailed already, and one that could lead Kiiskinen to a quick NHL debut once he makes the decision to come over. While it’s certainly comparing apples to oranges, it’s hard not to be excited about that outcome – especially after acquiring it for a stout defender who scored just 24 points in 54 OHL games this season.

Photo courtesy of David Reginek-Imagn Images.

Red Wings Could Pursue Multiple Free Agent Forwards

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  • If Max Bultman of The Athletic is correct, the Detroit Red Wings will be on a few key forwards during this year’s free agency period. Bultman believes the Red Wings will take a run at Marner, Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson, and Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. In all seriousness, even though Detroit has the financial flexibility to pursue any free agent, Bennett is the only player whose age aligns with their timeline, making them tougher to compete against and filling both short- and long-term needs.

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Offseason Checklist: Detroit Red Wings

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The offseason has arrived for all but four clubs.  Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Detroit.

After losing out on the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs on a tie-breaker, the Detroit Red Wings finished five points worse in 2024-25. Detroit made a much-needed coaching change partway through the year, and competed for a postseason spot for some time, but their areas of need were too much to overcome. Fortunately, the problem areas are clear after watching even one Red Wings game, and they can all be addressed this offseason.

Concentrate The Defensive Core

The Red Wings entered the 2024-25 offseason with too many defenders. After sending defenseman Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks before the start of last summer’s free agency in one of the most lopsided trades in recent memory, and moving Olli Määttä to the then-named Utah Hockey Club, Detroit managed to pare their defensive core down to seven regulars, with William Lagesson as a sparsely used option.

They’ll enter the 2025-26 offseason with a similar issue. That’s not to say Detroit doesn’t have good options; they do. Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, and prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka should all have spots locked down on next year’s roster, meaning they’ll only have two full-time roles for the trio of Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl, and Erik Gustafsson, who carry a combined cap hit of $10.15MM.

To make it easy, the Red Wings could buy out one of Chiarot or Holl, leaving a cap hit of $2.83MM or $2.27MM for the next two years, respectively. Despite having a down year offensively compared to his recent production, Detroit shouldn’t have any issues finding a trade partner for Gustafsson and his $2MM salary. By removing two of the three, Detroit would have the flexibility to keep one for the bottom-pairing, and add a top-four option on the free agent or trade market.

Find Even Strength Goals

After finishing the 2023-24 season with 179 goals for (8th) at even strength, the Red Wings’ 5-on-5 offense collapsed this year, falling to 28th place with 143. Winger Alex DeBrincat sat tied for 18th in the league with 22 even-strength goals, with their next highest being Lucas Raymond, tied for 57th with 16. The falloff becomes even more dramatic after them.

However, this issue can only be answered if there are options available. Fortunately for Detroit, there are. After hinting at a new contract for months, the Chicago Blackhawks still haven’t extended forward Ryan Donato, who finished 17th in the league with 23 even-strength goals. Donato’s track record may raise some concerns, but the Red Wings could provide a more competitive environment than Chicago.

The importance of even-strength scoring can’t be overlooked. 14 of this year’s 16 playoff contestants finished in the top half of the league in even-strength goals, with the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens being the only exceptions. Donato isn’t the only option either, but there will be more on that later.

Find Competent Penalty Killers

Detroit’s penalty kill was only 1.9 percentage points away from tying a record. No, it’s not a good record, as this year’s penalty kill was close to being the worst in NHL history with a 70.1% success rate.

To be fair, the team performed better with a man down after replacing Bob Boughner with Trent Yawney on December 26th, but not by much. Under Boughner and Derek Lalonde, the team averaged a 68.8% success rate on the kill, and 71.4% under Yawney and Todd McLellan.

Still, a 71.4% would have finished last in the league anyway, meaning the Red Wings will need different on-ice personnel to address the issue. The Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars, which had two of the top five penalty kill units this year, will have some cap constraints entering the offseason. This would provide a perfect avenue for Detroit to pursue left-shot defenseman Dmitry Orlov (after weeding out their defensive core) on the free-agent market, or offer the Stars some cap relief by acquiring freshly extended Sam Steel in a low-cost trade.

Trade For A Second-Line Center

Now it’s time for the area of need that has plagued the Red Wings for a few years. After signing Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher in back-to-back offseasons, and sparingly using top-10 draft selection Marco Kasper as a center this year, it’s apparent that Detroit still needs a legitimate second-line center.

For better or for worse, the Red Wings will use Dylan Larkin as their first-line center. There is a valid argument that his ceiling is that of an above-average second-line center, but with six years left on his extension and the unlikelihood of Detroit finding a better option, his role is likely secured for the foreseeable future.

There won’t be much for them to choose from on the free-agent market. Matt Duchene may become a target, given that he finished 37th in goals at even strength this season with 19, and the Stars are unlikely to re-sign him. The Red Wings may only need a one-to-two-year stopgap, too, assuming Kasper appropriates the role as his game matures.

Still, there appear to be better options on the trade market. Detroit should steer clear of Vancouver Canuck Elias Pettersson and his $11.6MM salary, and New York Ranger Mika Zibanejad and five years remaining on his deal. However, Jared McCann of the Seattle Kraken and Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks represent quality options the Red Wings could pursue via trade this offseason.

Photo courtesy of Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images.

Max Comtois Receiving NHL Interest

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A return to the NHL is on the horizon for winger Max Comtois. The 26-year-old has received “several NHL offers,” including from the Red Wings, after spending this season in Russia with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League, according to Daria Tuboltseva of RG.

The big-bodied Comtois (6’2″, 210 lbs) was a second-round pick of the Ducks in 2017. In a few years’ time, it looked like he was one of the league’s brighter young power forwards. After turning pro in 2018 and splitting his first two seasons between Anaheim and AHL San Diego, he landed a full-time role with the Ducks in the shortened 2021 season and did so with a bang. He managed to lead the league’s worst offensive club in scoring with a 16-17–33 scoring line in 55 games, averaging 15:28 per game while ranking fourth on the team in plus/minus (+3) and hits (93).

Injuries and shooting regression meant the following years haven’t been nearly as successful for Comtois. He hasn’t touched double-digit goals or the 20-point mark in a single season since and wasn’t extended a qualifying offer by the Ducks when he became a free agent in 2023. He didn’t even land an NHL contract that summer, settling for an AHL deal with the Chicago Wolves and only receiving an NHL contract at the 2024 trade deadline from the Hurricanes to make him eligible for recalls down the stretch (he did play one game for Carolina). He did well enough in the minors, finishing third on the Wolves in scoring with 44 points in 65 games (and 109 PIMs).

That wasn’t enough to put him back on NHL teams’ radars, though – aside from a failed PTO with the Golden Knights – and he headed overseas for the first time in his career. It was a prudent move for the Quebec native, who emerged as a star in the Russian capital. Alongside other former NHLers like Nikita Gusev, Cédric Paquette, and Jordan Weal, Comtois posted a 21-29–50 scoring line in 62 regular-season games before leading Dynamo with 13 points in 15 Gagarin Cup Playoff games.

“I’ve always said I want to return to the NHL, and this season I did everything possible to make that happen,” Comtois said (relayed by Tuboltseva). “Hockey had become just a job for me in North America, but here, it became my passion again.”

If he lands with Detroit or any other NHL team, it’ll presumably be on a two-way deal. There will be an opening for him to capture a bottom-six role with the Wings, with veterans Tyler Motte and Craig Smith headed for unrestricted free agency this summer.

Sam Gagner Confirms Retirement, Joins Senators’ Front Office

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Longtime NHL forward Sam Gagner has confirmed his retirement and will join the Senators as their director of player development, the team announced.

“Sam had an incredible career as a player and we look forward to launching his next chapter,” Ottawa general manager Steve Staios said. “A true character individual, Sam has contributed to the success of his organizations, both on and off the ice.”

Gagner, 35, last played in the league during the 2023-24 season when he appeared in 28 games for the Oilers, his third go-around with the team that drafted him sixth overall in 2007. He cracked the 1,000 game plateau a few years ago. He finished his career with 1,034 regular-season appearances but played just 11 postseason contests over 17 years in the NHL, only reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Flyers in 2016 and the Blue Jackets in 2017.

After tantalizing with 118 points in just 53 junior games with the OHL’s London Knights in his draft year, the 5’11” center never arrived as an elite scoring presence in the pros. He was still a consistent yet sometimes injury-prone 40-point scorer, especially early in his career with Edmonton. He averaged 17 goals and 50 points per 82 games over the first seven years of his career with the Oilers and averaged north of 17 minutes per game.

One season into a three-year, $14.4MM contract he signed with the Oilers as an RFA, Gagner was flipped to the Coyotes via the Lightning in the summer of 2014 after underwhelming with 37 points and a -29 rating in 67 games the year prior. So began the journeyman stage of Gagner’s career as his offensive production fluctuated wildly from year to year, even resulting in some time in the minors. Between 2014 and 2020, Gagner would suit up for the Flyers, Blue Jackets, Canucks, the Oilers for a second time, and the Red Wings in addition to his year in Arizona. During that run, he scored a career-high 50 points in 81 games with Columbus in the 2016-17 campaign.

Gagner got a modicum of stability to end his career, spending two full seasons with Detroit after they acquired him from Edmonton at the 2020 trade deadline. He spent the 2022-23 season with the Jets before signing his final NHL deal with the Oilers nearly two years ago. The versatile right-shot pivot finishes his career with 197 goals, 332 assists, 529 points, and a -139 rating, averaging 15:37 per game and a 45.6 FO%. He earned approximately $38.1MM in salary throughout his career, per PuckPedia.

While Gagner didn’t play in the NHL last season, he was still active on an AHL deal with the Senators’ affiliate in Belleville, giving some context for his joining the front office of a team he never suited up for in the majors. He recorded 10 assists in 19 games for the B-Sens, appearing in his last game on March 5.

Ottawa also announced they’ve hired Matt Turek to serve as Belleville’s GM while taking a player personnel role with the parent club. He arrives in Ottawa after spending the last decade with the Hamilton/Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL as a scout and, later, their GM. Senators majority owner Michael Andlauer also owns that club, and Turek also worked under Staios as a scout when the latter was Hamilton’s GM before succeeding him upon his departure.

Turek will take on most of the responsibilities vacated by former assistant GM Ryan Bowness, who the Senators told clubs earlier this month won’t be back with the team next season.

Image courtesy of Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.

A Look Into Detroit's Offseason Plans

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To the dismay of Red Wings fans, the Original Six team set another franchise record this season by missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. Max Bultman of The Athletic summarized the Detroit Red Wings’ offseason plans, identifying players they are likely to part ways with this summer.

In his list of ’possible farewells’, Bultman theorizes that Detroit will let Jeff Petry, Craig Smith, Tyler Motte, and Alex Lyon walk in free agency. Totalling a combined cap hit of more than $5MM, all four of the quartet could be easily replaced internally this offseason, allowing the Red Wings to pursue a higher-impact player.

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