Three Biggest Needs of the Red Wings’ Offseason

I believe I speak in the majority here when I say Steve Yzerman and Todd McLellan are not the biggest problems with the Red Wings organization. At the very least, any big decisions about them shouldn’t be coming during this offseason specifically. But that doesn’t mean the staff around them should be safe.

Alex Tanguay and his penalty kill finished dead last during the 2024-25 season and only nine spots better this season. The power play was also noticeably worse down the stretch this season, dipping to 12th. I think looking for a replacement in the special teams department would be worth trying.

After that, I’d take a long glance at this team’s pro-scouting yet again. Bringing in Mason Appleton was another miss, Travis Hamonic was a disaster, and James Van Riemsdyk was adequate at best. Not to mention the logjam of bad contracts this team has crowding the bottom six. It’s been an issue for years, and with Yzerman claiming the team needs better players, the players that let them down are a result of poor scouting.

Finally, I do wonder about bringing in a new sports psychologist. I know that seems like focusing on a minor detail amidst major issues, but the consistent March collapses and poor performances down the stretch seem mental, at least to some extent.

Make Decisions about the Youth

While I’m sure Detroit would love to take the time to see what their picks end up as, it’s an easy way to tank their value if they don’t live up to their pedigree. With so many prospects ready to make the team and more on the way, Yzerman and company need to make some choices about who is going to stay.

Nate Danielson is the biggest one. If he’s going to play center next season, he’s likely going to be on the fourth line behind Andrew Copp, Marco Kasper, and Dylan Larkin. At that point, he may be better used as a trade asset. If he’s on the wing, it’s going to be hard for him to beat out Michael Brandsegg-Nygard for a top-nine spot.

With Sebastian Cossa having another poor end to the season and losing the starting spot in the playoffs with Grand Rapids, he may also be another trade piece on the market. Really, any of Detroit’s goalie prospects should be at least made available due to the sheer bulk of them.

Then the list of other prospects who may never get an NHL look comes into question. Lombardi, Wallinder, Mazur, Becher, Buium, and Johansson all seem to be too low on the depth chart to be seriously considered for this team. If the coaching staff sees it the same way, looking to recoup assets for them is probably the best course of action.

Trim the Fat

This team could use some addition by subtraction. I’ve written about it before, but Detroit has too many players they would be better off without. Clearing roster spots also makes those aforementioned choices about the youth a lot easier, giving them chances to crack the roster.

A handful of this team’s lackluster bottom-six players will be gone next year, naturally. Both David Perron and James Van Riemsdyk are veterans who are unlikely to come back. While that is a start, it certainly doesn’t cut deep enough.

I’d also seriously look into cutting at least one, possibly two other players from this bottom six. Ideally, Michael Rasmussen, due to how long he’s been on the team, and J.T. Compher, due to the cap hit. But frankly, even Mason Appleton is someone I would be seriously looking to move off of.

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