Red Wings To Make Decisions Regarding Several Free Agents

The Detroit Red Wings should be poised to be buyers this offseason. With $21 million in cap space, they should be able to achieve their goals if Yzerman is smart.

One major fork in the road will be to address the free agent situation in Detroit, which looks like quite a challenge.

He has in total six RFAs and UFAs, whom he could sign, trade, or let walk during the postseason.

Jonatan Berggren played well enough in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins to earn a spot in the NHL lineup. While his production declined, scoring 24 points (12-12) in 75 games, he brushed up on the defensive side of the puck. Averaging only 12:59 TOI a night, with an on-ice save percentage of 91.1%. Berggren's contract expires at RFA status, and he will need a new contract and a qualifying offer. His previous AAV was $825K.

The towering Swedish forward, standing 6'8", was recalled in January and brought size and physicality to the Red Wings lineup. Soderblom wasn't a huge offensive contributor, scoring only 11 points (4-7) with 43 hits in 26 games, and could be a fixture on the team's bottom-six. Soderblom's new deal could top his previous $878K AAV, while staying below $1 M.

Instead of losing Johansson to waivers, as he requires them for demotion, the team decided to keep him in the NHL. After the trade of Olli Maata, he found himself as a regular in the lineup and has unfortunately found himself on the negative side of free agency, as he performed below expectations in the lineup. The 24-year-old's $775K contract will expire, and he may not be tendered a qualifying offer.

While Kane's speed has decreased lately, whether due to age or accumulation of past injuries, Showtime has figured out how to stay productive on the ice.

This season, he scored a total of 59 points (21-38)in 72 games, on the team's 2nd line. His $4 million contract will expire at the end of the season, and he could have many suitors in free agency. Yzerman will have to make good on the notion he'll return to Hockeytown in 2025-26 by securing him with a new deal.

Petry has tanked as far as production goes, scoring only 8 points (1-7)in 44 points this season, after scoring 24 last year..Petry's decline in production goes hand in hand with a decline in his CF% and last in XG +/-.

While the Red Wings are only paying $2.34 million of his salary, with the Montreal Canadiens retaining the rest, he will likely have to accept a league-minimum deal elsewhere after this year.

Alex Lyon showed promise in Florida and helped give the Panthers an extra push into the postseason. However, he's failed to flash that brilliance we've seen in Florida, as his 14-9-1 record in 26 starts came with a disappointing .896 save percentage.

Lyon is a UFA and will have to find work elsewhere in the NHL, as the team will look to improve on their goaltending situation, and with the acquisition of Petr Mrazek in March, the writing is on the wall.