Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Dylan McIlrath

Minor Transactions: 04/07/19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the regular season ending Saturday, many teams, especially those who didn’t go to the playoffs, have decided to assign some of their younger players to the AHL to continue to get some playing time. Playoff teams could be adding to their rosters for the upcoming playoff run. Stay tuned to see transactions throughout the day.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced they have recalled defenseman Jake Bean from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. Bean, the team’s first-round pick in 2016, has had an impressive season in his first full season in the AHL and has been recalled several times by the Hurricanes despite having played in just two games. Bean has 13 goals and 31 assists this year with Charlotte. He will likely fill in for Calvin de Haan, who has already missed a week with an upper-body injury.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned several of their young players to join the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, including forwards Joey Anderson, Nathan Bastian, Michael McLeod and Brett Seney. Anderson has played in 34 games for New Jersey, having scored four goals and seven points. Bastian has spent most of his season with Binghamton where he has played 56 games this season, tallying 17 goals for them, while McLeod has appeared in 52 games with 31 points with Binghamton. Seney has spent more of his season with New Jersey, having scored five goals in 51 games for the NHL squad.
  • CapFriendly is reporting that the Nashville Predators have recalled forward Zac Rinaldo from his conditioning stint with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Rinaldo was assigned in Milwaukee on Apr. 2 despite undergoing what was considered to be season-ending shoulder surgery in February. He hasn’t appeared in a game since Jan. 1. He played three games for Milwaukee.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they have assigned four players to return to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The team will send forwards Trent Frederic, Anton Blidh and Zach Senyshyn as well as defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to their former team. Frederic played 15 games for Boston, but didn’t register a point. Blidh played in one game, while Senyshyn played in two games, registering one goal. Lauzon played in 16 games for Boston.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned defenseman Adam Clendening to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The 26-year-old has spent all but four games with Cleveland, putting up four goals and 36 points in 43 games.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced a flurry of moves today as they have assigned eight players to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, including forwards Christoffer Ehn, Martin Frk, Matt Puempel and Dominic Turgeon, defensemen Jake Chelios, Joe Hicketts, Filip Hronek and Dylan McIlrath. The team also assigned goaltender Kaden Fulcher to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.
  • The New York Rangers have assigned several players to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, according to the AHL transactions page. The team has returned forward Vinni Lettieri and defensemen John Gilmour and Ryan Lindgren. The 24-year-old Lettieri played 27 games for the Rangers this season, but was dominant in Hartford, posting 23 goals and 46 points in 44 games. Gilmour has also dominated in Hartford, putting up 20 goals in 66 games, while Lindgren added needed physicality for Hartford in 63 games as well.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have returned forward Corban Knight and defenseman Mark Friedman to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Knight, who was injured for much of the season, has only played in four games for Phantoms this season, putting up six points. Friedman, who made his NHL debut Saturday, has played 71 games for Lehigh Valley this season.
  • The Washington Capitals announced they have assigned forward Nathan Walker to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The 25-year-old Walker has appeared in three games for the Capitals, but will return to Hershey wher he played 54 games this season, posting 14 goals and 34 points.
  • With an injury to goaltender Corey Crawford Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled Kevin Lankinen from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. He wasn’t needed, however, and the team announced they have returned the young goaltender to the IceHogs. The 23-year-old fared well in his rookie season with Rockford, putting up a .911 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA in 18 appearances.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned defenseman Andreas Englund to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Englund played three games for Ottawa this season.
  • Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jaycob Megna cleared waivers Sunday and assigned to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The 26-year-old Megna played 28 games for the Ducks while playing 35 for the Gulls.

Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Detroit Red Wings.

By every metric, the Detroit Red Wings should be total sellers at the deadline and they have a laundry list of notable UFA’s to move. Yet, the team claims they would prefer to re-sign starting goaltender Jimmy Howard, top-six forward Gustav Nyquist, and dependable defenseman Nick Jensen. There is also word that veterans Thomas Vanek and Niklas Kronwall are happy in Detroit and unwilling to waive their No-Trade Clauses. That doesn’t leave much on the table.

In most cases, these rumors could be dismissed as the team simply trying to up the offers on their available rentals. But not in Detroit. The fatal flaw of the current Red Wings franchise and GM Ken Holland is total, unapologetic loyalty to long-time players. If a team says they won’t move someone or will only do so for a first-round pick, this is the one team worth believing. It could be a quiet deadline in Detroit.

Record

23-28-7, seventh in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$5.06MM in full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: DET 1st, DET 2nd, NYI 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, BUF 5th, CLB 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th
2020: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th

Trade Chips

Of course, the aforementioned players are the top trade chips that the team has. Howard and Nyquist are having great years and are surely drawing plenty of attention. Will Detroit get the first-round pick they desire to move either? That remains to be seen. Jensen and Kronwall could both step in as a solid bottom-pair addition for a contender, while Vanek would fill his frequent role as a capable depth addition to any forward corps. The fact remains that if any of these players want to stay in Detroit beyond this season, the Red Wings are unlikely to move them, extension in place or not.

So looking elsewhere, Luke Witkowski is a UFA that the Red Wings don’t seem as attached to. The market may be limited for the versatile skater, but if a team wants to take a shot, Detroit will be willing to move on. Recently waived and demoted, Martin Frk is in need of a change of scenery. Frk is a restricted free agent this summer and any number of teams might like to get a look at how he fits in their system down the stretch. The one-dimensional forward is more valuable now that he has cleared waivers and can be sent back and forth. Wade Megan, Dylan McIlrath, Brian Lashoff, and Harri Sateri are all free agents as well who could be targeted as deep depth additions.

The Jonathan Bernier signing looks like a mistake so far and the Red Wings seem eager to re-sign Howard rather than give Bernier the starting job. If another team is willing to take on the remaining two years of Bernier’s contract, Detroit would move him. Luke Glendening is another term player who could be on the move. He is still well-liked by the organization, but if the market is there they could move him. As always, if there was any way to move Justin Abdelkader or Danny DeKeyser, you would think Detroit would pull the trigger. Then again there’s that whole loyalty thing…

Five Players To Watch For: F Gustav Nyquist, D Nick Jensen, F Martin Frk, F Luke Glendening, G Harri Sateri

Team Needs

1) Cap Space: For several years now, the Red Wings have had one of the highest payrolls in the NHL, yet have been one of the league’s worst teams. That’s not a good mix. The flip side of wanting to re-sign top free agents, like Howard and Nyquist, is that you’re not opening up any more cap space. If Detroit wants to be players on the free agent market this summer, they need to try to move out some of their more cumbersome cap hits if possible.

2) Picks and Prospects: The Red Wings have a lot of good talent in the AHL and some others still at the junior and collegiate level. Adding picks, especially 2019 picks in a deep, talented draft class, is always helpful, though. However, there should room for some camp battles next season, particularly up front, so some pro-ready forward prospects would also be helpful.

Sixteen Players Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by 3 Comments

With the rosters coming into shape, some bigger names are starting to make their way to the waiver wire, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Today, 16 players were placed on waivers. After everyone cleared from Saturday’s list, will someone get claimed from today’s group?

F Pontus Aberg (Edmonton)
F Kenny Agostino (Montreal)
F Michael Chaput (Montreal)
F Adam Cracknell (Toronto)
F Josh Jooris (Toronto)
D Brett Kulak (Calgary)
F Curtis Lazar (Calgary)
D Vincent LoVerde (Toronto)
D Kurtis MacDermid (Los Angeles)
D Dylan McIlrath (Detroit)
G Mike McKenna (Ottawa)
F Chris Mueller (Toronto)
F Anthony Peluso (Calgary)
F Matt Puempel (Detroit)
D Jordan Subban (Toronto)
D Luke Witkowski (Detroit)

Kulak could be one of the more interesting players who could get claimed as the 24-year-old defenseman played 71 games for the Flames last season and has proven to be a solid third-line pairing defenseman for a team that might need some depth at that position. He was made expendable with the emergency of rookies Rasmus Andersson and Juuso Valimaki in Calgary.

Aberg was also an interesting player, who never gained any trust with management in Edmonton after the Oilers acquired him from Nashville at the trade deadline. One big problem for the scoring winger is that he doesn’t really play on any special teams positions, which keeps him from being a quality role player.

The 23-year-old Lazar is another interesting option if a team needs a depth winger. Unfortunately for the Flames, they never saw significant progression after the team traded a second-round pick (which turned out to be Alex Formenton) for Lazar, who only produced two goals and 12 points in 65 games last season. With their forward depth evident in training camp this year with players like Dillon Dube and Andrew Mangiapane playing well, Lazar was expendable.

Injury Notes: Red Wings, Bogosian, Beleskey, Peca

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Detroit Red Wings’ defense could look much different to begin the season than many expected. With top pair defenseman Mike Green already shut down and confirmed to be out for at least the team’s opener due to a viral infection, coach Jeff Blashill revealed today that banged-up blue liners Danny DeKeyser, Jonathan Ericsson, and Trevor Daley are all considered questionable to begin the season. As Ansar Khan of MLive.com points out, it could be a very young, inexperienced defensive corps to start the year in Detroit. Niklas Kronwall and Nick Jensen could be the only regulars healthy enough to play, joined perhaps by a veteran like Brian Lashoff or Dylan McIlrath. Outside of those options, rookies will likely make up the rest of the top six. 5’8″ Joe Hicketts, who got a brief look last season, leads the way, with 2016 first-rounder Dennis Cholowski, second-rounder the same year Filip Hronek, and Czech import Libor Sulak in the mix as well.

  • Injury news about Zach Bogosian usually isn’t good and unfortunately, this could be trending in that direction as well. Bogosian has been taking it easy in training camp, working his way back from major hip surgery, but the Athletic’s Joe Yerndon reports that he has still managed to get injured. According to head coach Phil Housley, Bogosian is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Even worse, Yerndon notes that it is a new injury, unrelated to his hip issues. Bogosian’s career has been marred by frequent injuries and an inability to bounce back quickly. The Sabres have to hope that this case is different, as Bogosian and Marco Scandella will be needed to lead a young defensive unit and groom top overall pick Rasmus Dahlin.
  • It didn’t take long for the New York Rangers to get clarification on Matt Beleskey’s status. After head coach David Quinn said yesterday that it was “too early to tell” the extent of Beleskey’s injury, suffered during a fight on Monday night, the Rangers released an update today. Beleskey will be out two to four weeks with a separated shoulder, the team determined. Since Beleskey was a likely training camp casualty anyway, the only change for the Rangers is that he cannot be placed on waiver while injured. Instead, he will be placed on the injured reserve with only a minor salary cap charge.
  • Montreal Canadiens’ free agent addition Matthew Peca is currently sidelined. The team revealed that he is dealing with a minor groin injury. No timeline has been established for his return. Peca’s NHL ability and role for the Habs is still unclear, so missing preseason action and potentially the start of the season is unfortunate. The former Tampa Bay Lightning prospect will have to hit the ground running upon his return.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/17

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Training camp is over for all the clubs around the NHL, and the season begins on Wednesday. By tomorrow evening, all teams must submit their cap-compliant 23-man roster, meaning there will be several cuts today. We’ll keep track of them all right here, as teams try to slip players through waivers or send them back to junior and European clubs.

Anaheim Ducks

F Giovanni Fiore – San Diego (AHL)
F Kalle Kossila – San Diego (AHL)
F Scott Sabourin – San Diego (AHL)
D Jacob Larsson – San Diego (AHL)

Boston Bruins

F Jordan Szwarz – Providence (AHL)
F Tommy Cross – Providence (AHL)
F Jakub Zboril – Providence (AHL)
F Peter Cehlarik – Providence (AHL)
F Danton Heinen – Providence (AHL)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson – Providence (AHL)
F Teddy Purcell – Released from PTO
G Malcolm Subban – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Calgary Flames

D Rasmus Andersson – Stockton (AHL)
G Jon Gillies – Stockton (AHL)
F Luke Gazdic – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Garnet Hathaway – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Carolina Hurricanes

F Lucas Wallmark – Charlotte (AHL)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Chicago Blachawks

F Vinnie Hinostroza – Rockford (AHL)
F Jordin Tootoo – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Tomas Jurco – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Jean-Francois Berube – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Colorado Avalanche

F Gabriel Bourque – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Dallas Stars

F Remi Elie – Texas (AHL)
F Roope Hintz – Texas (AHL)
F Jason Dickinson – Texas (AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Patrik Nemeth – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Detroit Red Wings

D Libor Sulak – Lahti (Finland)
F Matt Lorito – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Ben Street – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Brian Lashoff – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F David Booth – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Ryan Sproul – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Los Angeles Kings

F Brooks Laich – Released from PTO

Minnesota Wild

F Luke Kunin – Iowa (AHL)
D Ryan Murphy – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Montreal Canadiens

G Charlie Lindgren – Laval (AHL)
F Andreas Martinsen – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Byron Froese – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New Jersey Devils

F Brian Gibbons – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Brian Strait – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New York Islanders

F Devon Toews – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Stephen Gionta – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Steve Bernier – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Philadelphia Flyers

F Matt Read – Waivers for purpose of assignment

San Jose Sharks

F Brandon Bollig – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Brandon Mashinter – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Troy Grosenick – Waivers for purpose of assignment

St. Louis Blues

F Sammy Blais – San Antonio (AHL)
D Jake Walman – Chicago (AHL)
G Jordan Binnington – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Cory Conacher – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Carl Grundstrom – Frolunda (SHL)
F Miro Aaltonen – Toronto (AHL)
F Frederik Gauthier – Toronto (AHL)
F Andreas Johnsson – Toronto (AHL)
F Kasperi Kapanen – Toronto (AHL)
F Tobias Lindberg – Toronto (AHL)
F Trevor Moore – Toronto (AHL)
F Nikita Soshnikov – Toronto (AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov – Toronto (AHL)
F Mason Marchment – Toronto (AHL)
D Travis Dermott – Toronto (AHL)
D Justin Holl – Toronto (AHL)
D Andrew Nielsen – Toronto (AHL)
D Michael Paliotta – Toronto (AHL)
D Rinat Valiev – Toronto (AHL)
G Kasimir Kaskisuo – Toronto (AHL)
F Colin Greening – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Chris Mueller – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Kerby Rychel – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Ben Smith – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
D Vincent LoVerde – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
G Garret Sparks – Waivers for purpose of assignment.

Vancouver Canucks

D Andrey Pedan – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Vegas Golden Knights

F Teemu Pulkkinen – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Washington Capitals

F Anthony Peluso – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Winnipeg Jets

F Jack Roslovic – Manitoba (AHL)
F Brendan Lemieux – Manitoba (AHL)
F Michael Spacek – Manitoba (AHL)
F J.C. Lipon – Waivers for purpose of assignment.

Red Wings Notes: Playoff Push, Mrazek, Sproul, McIlrath

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Whether for good or bad, the Detroit Red Wings have continued on their pursuit for reaching the playoffs despite having one of the highest payrolls with the least production. After not reaching the playoffs, many believed it was time to rebuild the “great franchise,” but that is not the course it took as it made few moves to fix their aging, yet expensive roster and only added more veterans to it with the hopes that many of their veterans would bounce back this year.

MLive’s Ansar Khan took questions regarding the team path, pointing out that the Red Wings brass have no interest in a team rebuild and are going all-out to reach the playoffs again. His belief is the team has no confidence that their youth can outperform the veterans that are already on the team. The team may have little choice as they are even now over the cap and have very few tradeable contracts at present, but things may change if the Red Wings put up a second disappointing season next year.

  • Petr Mrazek should be especially motivated this season as he enters his contract year. Once considered to be their starting goaltender of the future, the 24-year-old has struggled over the last year and a half, according to Khan. He finished last year with a 3.04 GAA and a .901 save percentage, losing his job to veteran Jimmy Howard. He then was exposed to the expansion draft and not selected by Vegas. Khan believes if he doesn’t step up this year, the Red Wings will not make him a $4MM qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
  • The Red Wings, which have nine defensemen currently under contract, are likely to shed 24-year-old Ryan Sproul before the seasons begin, assuming there are no injuries. That should get them down to eight defenders and the general belief is that Luke Witkowski will be moved to play the forward position as a fourth-line wing or the 13th man. He would only play defense in emergencies.
  • Khan also writes that minor league defenseman Dylan McIlrath, acquired in March from the Florida Panthers, is not a likely candidate to make the Detroit roster. The former 2010 first-round pick has struggled to stay on an NHL roster long-term and while he brings a physical presence the team desperately needs, it’s more likely the team brought Witkowski in to play that same role. McIlrath has only played in 43 NHL games in his career.

2017 NHL Free Agency Tracker

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Stay with PHR for all of the free agency signings this off-season. As of noon ET on July 1st, unrestricted free agency is open, but not before many extensions earlier in June. This page serves to organize everything in one spot, and are linked to the PHR story that corresponds with the signing. All July signings will be separated by date while June signings are organized alphabetically by team. It will be updated as soon as stories post.

Please note that signings on this list start on June 12.

July 1st:

Read more

Detroit Red Wings Sign Brian Lashoff, Dylan McIlrath

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As CapFriendly reported yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings have signed two more AHL players, inking Brian Lashoff and Dylan McIlrath to two-year extensions. Both deals are two-way contracts worth the minimum of $650K at the NHL level. The pair are coming off a Calder Cup victory with the Grand Rapid Griffins, where they each logged big minutes.

McIlrath of course was an ill-fated 10th-overall pick of the New York Rangers, never able to amount to much more than his tough guy profile. This year saw him traded to the Florida Panthers and subsequently placed on waivers when he didn’t fit into their system either. He’d later be dealt to Detroit in the Thomas Vanek trade. The 25-year old has little upside and will likely be limited to AHL duty for the time being.

Lashoff on the other hand is an undrafted defenseman who had to grind his way through multiple minor-league seasons, including a stint in the ECHL before making his NHL debut in 2012-13. The 26-year old has settled back into an AHL role, but did see a few games in Detroit this season as a depth player. Lashoff has little offensive upside, but can relied upon in his own end and on the penalty kill. Both will be unrestricted free agents at the conclusion of the contracts.

Snapshots: Fabbri, Williams, Girardi, Ducks, Red Wings

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Blues will look to give Robby Fabbri a shot at playing center in training camp, NHL.com’s Lou Korac notes via Twitter.  The 21 year old played down the middle in junior but has exclusively played on the wing through the first two years of his NHL career.

Earlier today, it was revealed that center Patrik Berglund has been lost to shoulder surgery until December so there is a short-term opening down the middle.  Newcomer Brayden Schenn has spent time at that spot with the Flyers and the team has several other options but if Fabbri can make the switch, he would provide them another top six center option while also giving them some insurance behind veteran Paul Stastny who has one year left on his current contract.

Other news around the league:

  • Pending unrestricted free agent winger Justin Williams spoke with CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Jill Sorenson about his chances of re-signing with Washington. The veteran acknowledged that talks haven’t gone very far, saying “We haven’t had very in-depth discussions with Washington so far, so we’ll see”.  Williams put up 100 points over his two seasons with the Capitals and is slated to be one of the top scoring wingers to hit the open market on Saturday.
  • Tampa Bay has shown interest in soon-to-be UFA defenseman Dan Girardi, notes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Girardi was recently bought out by the Rangers but has had several teams express an interest in talking to him during the current interview period.  Smith adds that the team has yet to reach out to blueliners Karl Alzner and Cody Franson at this time.
  • The Ducks have re-signed goalie Kevin Boyle to a one year, two-way contract, TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link). The deal will carry an NHL salary of $675K.  Boyle split the season between Anaheim’s AHL and ECHL affiliates but put up an impressive .924 SV% in 19 AHL appearances in 2016-17.
  • Anaheim also re-upped defenseman Jaycob Megna to a two year, two-way deal per CapFriendly on Twitter. The 24 year old made his NHL debut with the Ducks this season but spent most of the season with AHL San Diego, collecting 27 points (5-22-27) in 62 games.
  • The Red Wings have re-signed defensemen Brian Lashoff and Dylan McIlrath to two year, two-way contracts, also per CapFriendly. Lashoff played in five games with Detroit – his first NHL action since 2014-15 – but spent the bulk of the year with AHL Grand Rapids, suiting up in 62 games.  McIlrath was acquired at the trade deadline from Florida as part of the Thomas Vanek trade.  The former first rounder has played in just 43 career NHL games and spent time in three different organizations last season.  He’ll likely reprise his role as a depth defender with Grand Rapids to start 2017-18.  Both contracts are worth the league minimum $650K at the NHL level and $275K at the minor league level.

Free Agent Focus: Detroit Red Wings

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The free agent period is now less than one week away from opening up and there are several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Detroit’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: Winger Tomas Tatar has been the Red Wings most consistent scorer over the past couple seasons and is due for a large raise as a result. Though he played with a shoulder injury for much of the season, Tatar still managed to pot 25 goals. The wrinkle with Tatar is that he could still be used as a trade chip should Detroit general manager Ken Holland seek a defensive upgrade. But this seems unlikely. Holland rarely pulls the trigger on deals, despite being known to say that he’s “working the phones.” Expect Tatar to re-sign for somewhere around the money Gustav Nyquist received, possibly getting more.

C Andreas Athanasiou: Another player rumored to be used as a trade chip, Athanasiou is a dynamic, game breaking forward who uses his speed and hands to generate scoring chances while creating highlight reel goals. Despite this, the Red Wings brass and coaching staff have chided Athanasiou for his lack of defensive play and this could pull back some of the dollars he could see. The Red Wings are in somewhat of a strange flux with their roster, and Athanasiou is one of the bright spots on the roster. He’ll see a bump from his entry-level deal, especially since Detroit will need to be more reliant upon him this year.

Other RFA’s: Xavier Ouellet, Robbie Russo, Martin Frk, Jake Paterson, Brian Lashoff

Key Unrestricted free agents: LW Drew Miller – Miller isn’t so much a “key” UFA player as he is an indication of what the Red Wings brass truly values. Miller, at best, is  a fringe fourth liner in the NHL. Though a “penalty kill specialist,” numbers revealed that the Red Wings penalty kill hardly missed Miller when he was sent down to AHL affiliate Grand Rapids last season. The point? The Red Wings must hand off ice time to younger, faster, more skilled players. Re-signing Miller reveals that the Red Wings still don’t trust their young players and worse, will yield very little in the way of production from Miller.

Other UFA’s: Joe Vitale, Ben Street, Dylan McIlrath, Mitch Callahan, Edward Pasquale

Projected Cap Space: Via CapFriendly, the Red Wings have close to $8MM ($7,902,955 to be exact). This money will be used to essentially re-sign everyone within the organization and leave maybe $2-$3MM for an unrestricted free agent. Though Dan Girardi is out there, it makes little sense for Detroit to throw large sums of money on a defenseman who is clearly declining. Saving the money and possibly trying to upgrade via trade would be Detroit’s best option.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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

scroll to top