Detroit Red Wings, Adam Erne Avoid Arbitration
The Detroit Red Wings have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with Adam Erne, avoiding arbitration. The two sides had a hearing scheduled for August 21, but, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, will enter into a two-year contract that carries an average annual value of $2.1MM.
Erne, 26, is coming off the best offensive season of his career, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in just 45 games. The physical forward played a bigger role on the Red Wings, even getting some powerplay time, and rewarded the club with a pretty strong year all things considered. While he is likely never going to be a full-time top-six option on a contending team, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman obviously sees him as a valuable piece to the puzzle at the moment.
The key here is that the deal buys out just one year of unrestricted free agency, continuing the Detroit model of not committing long-term deals to anyone in the current group. No one on the team is signed past the 2023-24 season, with only Jakub Vrana and Michael Rasmussen even inked that long. The Red Wings are maintaining cap flexibility as they build up the prospect base, and this latest deal for Erne is just another one that could potentially be traded down the line.
If the team fails to take a step forward by the 2023 trade deadline, they’ll have Erne, Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, Pius Suter, and others to deal as rentals. If there is a big improvement by the young core and the team is contending for the playoffs, a player like Erne can be retained as a relatively inexpensive bottom-six option.
Red Wings Sign Sebastian Cossa To Entry-Level Deal
The Detroit Red Wings traded up in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft to select goaltender Sebastian Cossa and now they aren’t wasting any time getting him under contract. The team has announced that Cossa has inked his three-year entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The Red Wings and Cossa is a pairing that seemed destined by fate. For a long time, it seemed as though Swedish standout Jesper Wallstedt was locked in as the top goaltender of the 2021 draft class and could possibly even be a top-ten pick. It also was predictable that Detroit would select a top goalie this year, the missing piece in their deep and talented pipeline. With the Red Wings struggling through another difficult season, the team was going to end up with a draft slot that allowed them to take Wallstedt if they wanted. Yet, as the season wore on and Cossa followed up a strong 2019-20 season in the WHL with even better numbers in 2020-21, he began to close the gap with Wallstedt. With two potential first-round goalies, this also lowered Wallstedt’s own draft stock and meant that Detroit did not need to use their No. 6 overall pick to land a goalie if they could move back or find another selection. After adding another first-round pick in the Anthony Mantha trade, many expected that the Red Wings would be able to use that late selection to take Wallstedt or, if he had already been selected, Cossa. Instead, Detroit traded No. 23, No. 48, and No. 138 to swap with the Dallas Stars at No. 15. But instead of taking Wallstedt, as many had long expected, the Red Wings selected Cossa, whose meteoric rise was responsible for either goalie still being there in the first place. (Wallstedt would be selected five picks later, as the Minnesota Wild moved up to get him as well.)
While Detroit was clearly happy to get their man in Cossa and have now committed to him with an entry-level deal, expect the impressive prospect to return to junior next season. Even though Cossa’s .941 save percentage and 1.57 GAA for the Edmonton Oil Kings last season was nothing short of spectacular and suggests that he may not have much development left to do at the junior level, the performance came in a very small sample size. The 6’6″ netminder needs to get back to a starter’s schedule and show that he can play at that level consistently. The pros are no place for an 18-year-old goalie, especially one with only 52 games of major junior experience. The Red Wings and Cossa can be excited about the future while remaining patient in the present.
Red Wings Extend Affiliation Agreement With Toledo
- The Red Wings are keeping their ECHL affiliate with Toledo as the Walleye recently announced that they’ve extended their affiliation agreement for three more seasons. The two organizations have partnered up for the last 11 years with 19 players moving on from there to play in at least one NHL game. Ten of those saw action with Detroit at some point over the years including Petr Mrazek, Luke Glendening, and Nick Jensen.
Dylan Larkin Expected To Be Healthy By Training Camp
It is easy to forget that Detroit Red Wings Dylan Larkin suffered a season-ending injury this past season. The upper-body injury occurred late in the season, courtesy of a cross check to the neck by fellow captain Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars, with the Red Wings well out of contention and Larkin himself not even playing too well. Yet, with a new season right around the corner and Detroit and its best player looking forward to taking a step in their rebuild this year, Larkin’s injury has come back into focus.
Nearly three-and-half months since Larkin was felled by what appears to be a neck or back injury, the talented forward is still recovering. According to The Athletic’s Max Bultman, Larkin only returned to skating last month and was cleared to resume shooting last week. He has not yet been cleared for contact with training camp arriving in six weeks. Fortunately, Larkin believes he will be ready by then. The savvy young forward has been taking his rehab in stride and tells Bultman that he is feeling great and is confident in his recovery. With plenty of time left to keep progressing at a healthy rate, Larkin expects to be back at full strength for training camp.
Larkin did admit to Bultman that he was not as measured with his off-season training last year, believing that he may have overworked himself during the extended break in preparation for the 2020-21 season. This could have explained Larkin’s injury and extensive recovery period. It also may have contributed to a career low in goal-scoring, both total and per-game. Larkin notched just nine goals in 44 games last year. He totaled just 23 points as well. This is a far cry from the expectation for the skilled center, who recorded 189 points in 229 games over the three season’s prior, including 32 goals and 73 points in 2018-19. The Red Wings hope that a healthy, rested, and re-focused Larkin can get back to that elite scoring pace this season.
Jakub Vrana, Detroit Red Wings Avoid Arbitration
It was getting close to the wire, but the Detroit Red Wings and Jakub Vrana won’t need their arbitration hearing tomorrow after all. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the two sides have agreed upon a three-year contract, avoiding the rest of the arbitration process. The deal will carry an average annual value of $5.25MM and CapFriendly reports the deal breaks down as follows:
2021-22: $4.75MM
2022-23: $5.25MM
2023-24: $5.75MM
Vrana had filed for $5.7MM. while the Red Wings had countered with $3.65MM, but neither one of those would have represented a three-year contract. With this new deal, Vrana will actually be giving up one year of unrestricted free agency, something that can’t be awarded through arbitration.
For $5.25MM, he gets a healthy raise from the $3.35MM cap hit he carried over the last two seasons. He will tie Frans Nielsen as the team’s second-highest-paid forward, just below Dylan Larkin‘s $6.1MM. That represents his place in the lineup, as Vrana is arguably the team’s most exciting forward heading into this season after lighting it up following a midseason trade. Acquired from the Washington Capitals as part of a package for Anthony Mantha, Vrana scored eight goals and 11 points in 11 games down the stretch.
That kind of production hasn’t been common in Detroit recently, but it actually shouldn’t be all that surprising from the 25-year-old Czech. In the 2019-20 season, he had 25 goals and 52 points in 69 games for the Capitals. His playoff performance left something to be desired though, which likely factored into the decision to move him for a bigger Mantha. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Vrana outproduce Mantha during the regular season at least, and he now comes in at a cheaper price tag. The big forward in Washington is on a four-year deal that carries a $5.7MM cap hit.
With the Red Wings in the early stages of a rebuild still, it will be interesting to see if Vrana even plays out this deal in Detroit. Though he’s not old by any means, he is quite a few years older than the rest of the talent that GM Steve Yzerman is collecting. There’s certainly no guarantee that the Red Wings will be competitive by the time Vrana’s entering the final year of this deal, meaning he could become a rental down the road. For now, he’ll be getting a huge opportunity in the team’s top-six to play big minutes and show what his offensive ceiling really is.
Now that Vrana has settled, Neal Pionk is next on the arbitration list. His hearing is scheduled for Friday.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Arbitration Breakdown: Jakub Vrana
While most of the players who had early arbitration dates have settled in recent days, that hasn’t been the case yet for the Red Wings and Jakub Vrana. They have until the start of the hearing on Wednesday to reach an agreement; once the hearing starts, they will have to go through the process and wait for the award.
Filings
Team: $3.65MM
Player: $5.7MM
Midpoint: $4.675MM
(via Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman)
The Numbers
It was a tale of two seasons for Vrana. He spent the majority of the year with Washington and while his numbers weren’t underwhelming with them, he did take a step back from his career-best 52 points in 2019-20. But his fortunes changed upon being traded to Detroit. The 25-year-old took off, notching eight goals and three assists in 11 games and in the process, brought his per-game averages close to what they were the year before. Overall, the platform year was decent.
Of course, 11 games is a particularly small sample size which adds a wrinkle to these talks. Vrana logged considerably more minutes with the Red Wings than he ever had a chance to with the Capitals but it’s hard to make any substantive conclusions based on his performance over the span of a few weeks when they were playing out the stretch.
Vrana’s track record isn’t the deepest either as only his last three seasons have yielded above-average production and two of those came in shortened years. While that shouldn’t hurt him much in a hearing, it’s worth noting that over his five-year career, he has played in fewer than 300 regular season contests which is a bit on the low side for a fifth-year player in the top six.
2020-21 Stats: 50 GP, 19-17-36, +10 rating, 10 PIMS, 100 shots, 15:00 ATOI
Career Stats: 295 GP, 84-84-168, +37 rating, 69 PIMS, 613 shots, 13:49 ATOI
Potential Comparables
Comparable contracts are restricted to those signed within restricted free agency which means UFA deals and entry-level pacts are ineligible to be used. The contracts below fit within those parameters. Player salaries (or current-year equivalents) also fall within the parameters of the submitted numbers by both sides. Career stats listed are as of the time of signing.
Oliver Bjorkstrand (Blue Jackets) – Similar to Vrana, Bjorkstrand signed his contract after three seasons of top-six performance with a limited track record before that. The situation is a little different in that Bjorkstrand’s platform year was by far his best. That likely sets this one at the high end of what Vrana could realistically command in a hearing.
Contract (2021): Five years, $5.4MM AAV, 6.63 CH%
Platform Stats: 49 GP, 21-15-36, +8 rating, 12 PIMS, 162 shots, 17:56 ATOI
Career Stats: 246 GP, 65-68-133, +30 rating, 35 PIMS, 566 shots, 14:28 ATOI
Boone Jenner (Blue Jackets) – Now let’s look at the other end of the spectrum. While Jenner has settled into more of a checking role in recent years, his current four-year deal was signed post-bridge like Vrana is currently in. In terms of a role, both players were in and out of the middle six at times and the career point totals are similar although Vrana has played fewer games. This choice was a guess at what comparable Detroit was using for their number.
Contract (2018): Four years, $3.75MM AAV, 4.72 CH%
Platform Stats: 75 GP, 13-19-32, +1 rating, 39 PIMS, 187 shots, 16:28 ATOI
Career Stats: 342 GP, 86-75-161, +1 rating, 225 PIMS, 833 shots, 16:01 ATOI
Conor Garland (Canucks) – Let’s look at a recent deal handed out to a top-six winger post-bridge deal. Garland doesn’t have close to as long of a track record as Vrana but their production over the past two seasons is fairly close and the fact the platforms are directly comparable certainly helps. Recent performance counts for a lot in this process so this is one that Vrana’s camp will want to use.
Contract (2021): Five years, $4.95MM AAV, 6.07 CH%
Platform Stats: 49 GP, 12-27-39, -3 rating, 26 PIMS, 135 shots, 17:55 ATOI
Career Stats: 164 GP, 47-49-96, -1 rating, 58 PIMS, 411 shots, 14:53 ATOI
Kevin Labanc (Sharks) – One year after signing a highly team-friendly deal, Labanc inked a four-year deal that raised some eyebrows but there are some comparables here. The roles were largely the same (mostly top six but dropped down at times), three years of top-six production, and a contract signed post-bridge.
Contract (2020): Four years, $4.725MM AAV, 5.80 CH%
Platform Stats: 70 GP, 14-19-33, -33 rating, 38 PIMS, 176 shots, 16:04 ATOI
Career Stats: 284 GP, 50-99-149, -31 rating, 128 PIMS, 532 shots, 14:33 ATOI
Elias Lindholm (Flames) – While it took Lindholm a bit of time to become a legitimate top-six piece, the Flames signed him after acquiring him from Carolina to this current deal (one that has worked out quite well so far). Vrana’s best statistical seasons were better than Lindholm’s but the latter had the longer track record.
Contract (2018): Six years, $4.85MM AAV, 6.10 CH%
Platform Stats: 81 GP, 16-28-44, -8 rating, 18 PIMS, 153 shots, 17:54 ATOI
Career Stats: 374 GP, 64-124-188, -70 rating, 76 PIMS, 720 shots, 17:09 ATOI
Projection
Worth noting is that Detroit gets to elect the term of the contract since Vrana was the one to file. With the winger being two years from UFA eligibility, it stands to reason that the Red Wings will elect the one-year term while Vrana’s camp likely filed a two-year proposal.
The comparable contracts seem to be more in Vrana’s favor with the deals hovering around the $5MM and 6.0 CH% range. That should be the point where a long-term checks in which would put it a little below the $5.7MM AAV (6.99 CH%) of the player he was traded for in Anthony Mantha. I’d peg a long-term deal that buys out at least two UFA years a little above Garland’s deal which would put the AAV around $5.05MM (6.2 CH%) and a little above the midpoint of the two filings. If they wind up settling for a one-year pact that would keep Vrana RFA-eligible next summer, that could move the needle a little below the midpoint in the $4.6MM range. Either way, he’s looking at a nice raise for next season compared to the $3MM salary he had in 2020-21.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Chase Pearson
The Detroit Red Wings have signed Chase Pearson to a one-year contract, keeping the young restricted free agent in the organization. Pearson was actually eligible for salary arbitration this summer, but was not among the 17 players who filed a few days ago. The financial details of the contract have not yet been released.
Pearson, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Red Wings in 2015, and played three seasons at the University of Maine before turning pro. In his two-plus years with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, Pearson has recorded 46 points in 97 games. That includes a very strong 2020-21 campaign, where Pearson was one of the most reliable players on the squad, scoring 22 points in 28 games.
Without an NHL appearance to his name, Pearson will have to continue to work hard in the minor leagues and wait for his opportunity with the Red Wings. It’s hard to ask for a better situation if you want to prove yourself, as Detroit will likely be testing minor league talent at the NHL level all season long. Given the fact that he’s still waiver-exempt, Pearson could get a chance as an injury replacement this season, bouncing up and down between the two levels without being at risk.
Red Wings Intend To Use Luke Witkowski On Both Defense And The Wing
- The Red Wings will use veteran Luke Witkowski on both the wing and on defense with AHL Grand Rapids, GM Steve Yzerman told reporters (video link). The veteran, who primarily plays on the back end, has played both positions over the last few seasons and had a sparing role with AHL Syracuse in 2020-21 but should be called upon to play more regularly next season.
Red Wings Re-Sign Tyler Bertuzzi
The Red Wings have taken care of one of their top restricted free agents, announcing that they’ve signed winger Tyler Bertuzzi to a two-year contract. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal carries a $4.75MM AAV and will pay him $4.25MM next season and $5.25MM in 2022-23.
The 26-year-old was limited to just nine games last season due to a back injury that required surgery at the end of April. Bertuzzi was still productive in his short stint, however, as he still notched five goals and two assists in those contests. Prior to 2020-21, he had two straight seasons of 21 goals and had established himself as an important part of their top line.
Despite the limited action, Bertuzzi still landed a nice raise on the $3.5MM salary he made last season. Part of the reason for that is that the contract buys out his first year of UFA eligibility while also covering his final year of arbitration eligibility. It’s a deal that doesn’t carry much risk for either side as it’s a short-term commitment for Detroit while allowing Bertuzzi a couple of seasons to show he can stay healthy and that the back injury is behind him before entering the UFA market at the age of 28.
GM Steve Yzerman still has plenty of work to do with his restricted free agents as defenseman Filip Hronek plus wingers Adam Erne and Jakub Vrana are still in need of new contracts. Hronek isn’t arbitration-eligible but has been a consistent point producer over his three NHL seasons, Erne is coming off a career-high in goals with 11, and Vrana made an immediate impact after being acquired at the trade deadline and will be eligible for arbitration for the first time after scoring 68 goals over the past three seasons.
Detroit Red Wings Acquire Mitchell Stephens
The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded away one of their young depth players, sending Mitchell Stephens to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick.
With the signing of Alex Barre-Boulet, the Lightning were inching closer to the 50-contract limit with a few more restricted free agents left to deal with. Given that Stephens wasn’t likely to get much playing time now that Barre-Boulet and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare are under contract, a trade to his old manager in Detroit makes sense. It was Yzerman controlling the Lightning when Stephens was selected 33rd overall in 2015.
Now 24, Stephens was a semi-regular presence in the Lightning lineup in 2019-20, playing 38 games during the regular season. He also suited up for seven postseason games, coming in and out of the lineup whenever necessary. He even played 24 minutes in the epic five-overtime game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a career-high that will likely go unbroken for a while.
The benefit here for Stephens is obvious. He goes from an organization that is loaded with players like him, fighting for ice time, to one that needs all the NHL talent it can get. The young forward will have a chance to really establish himself in Detroit as they slowly rebuild through the draft. A player like Stephens is worth that sixth-round pick for Yzerman, even if all he gets is a couple of seasons while the rebuild continues. The Red Wings have plenty of picks to spare, and Stephens already has several years of minor league development invested in him.