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Elliotte Friedman Reveals Nikolaj Ehlers Refused to Even Meet One Specific Original Six Team

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 1:58 PM ET

Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Carolina Hurricanes after a few days of free agency, and now, it's been revealed that he refused to even meet with the Red Wings.

NHL free agency is still ongoing, but with very few names out there, there's little to keep an eye on, with the top name available on the market officially signing in recent days.

As rumoured, Nikolaj Ehlers ended up signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, departing the Winnipeg Jets after a very successful stint with the team, joining a team that could soon be considered the deepest team in the National Hockey League.

Now, a new report has revealed the interest that teams around the league had in Ehlers, with Elliotte Friedman reporting that there was one team that Ehlers completely refused to meet with.

That team was the Detroit Red Wings, who have yet to improve in any significant capacity this off-season, and with Steve Yzerman and the team looking to end their Stanley Cup Playoffs drought, the team showed interest in Ehlers.

Unfortunately for Detroit, the veteran winger wouldn't even take a meeting with them, and despite all the waiting that had to be done, Ehlers ended up landing with the team that most expected him too from the beginning of free agency.

Ultimately, when comparing the two situations, there's no doubt that Ehlers made the right decision by signing with Carolina, as he's likely set to play alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis on the top line, but this is yet another example of the position Detroit find themselves in, with the team desperately needing to make a big splash at some point soon after missing out on another top option.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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