Though it was not unexpected, the Detroit Red Wings were not a good hockey team during the 2019-20 season.
When Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman took over for Ken Holland, he made it very clear that this was going to be a rebuild and that it would take some time to see through.
During the coming offseason, Yzerman will have some important decisions to make, including which players with expiring contracts that he will try to re-sign.
According to Max Bultman of The Athletic, there are 5 current Red Wings who will likely be sent packing before the 2020-21 season. As you can see below, Bultman also included the likelihood that each of the 5 players will return.
From The Athletic:
Jimmy Howard (UFA): Howard’s had an incredible run in Detroit, and it would be excruciating to see it to end the way it did this season, when he went 2-23-2 with a 4.20 goals-against average and a save percentage below .890. But those numbers are also the reason it’s tough to see the Red Wings bringing him back, especially with Jonathan Bernier the presumed starter going into next season.
It’s fair to keep the door cracked, because if the Red Wings aren’t able to find someone in free agency, Howard still performed better than Calvin Pickard did in limited action this year. But it doesn’t look likely.
Likelihood to return: 20 percent
Brendan Perlini (RFA): On one hand, Perlini didn’t get a great chance to utilize his talent in Detroit. He was consistently deployed in a down lineup role, away from most of Detroit’s most skilled players, and on other occasions was scratched as the year went on. From that standpoint, it’s fair to say he has more to offer than he showed this year. On the other hand, the fact Detroit didn’t give him those chances suggests the fit just is not there.
Likelihood to return: 15 percent
Jonathan Ericsson, Trevor Daley and Cody Goloubef (UFA)
Feels strange to lump Goloubef in here, with two decorated NHL veterans likely on their way out of Detroit (and possibly the NHL), but he nonetheless is likely to depart after being a late-season waiver addition. The focus here, though, should be on Ericsson and Daley.
Ericsson, for all the heat he took publicly, had a remarkable career for a former ninth-round pick. He has managed to play 680 NHL games and log meaningful minutes on some high-level teams. Daley is in the 1,000-game club with two Stanley Cups to his name. Both have had excellent careers. But in their late 30s with declining play, no longer fit.
Likelihood to return: 1 percent
Nation, do you agree with Bultman?
