The Detroit Red Wings offseason is going to be an interesting one. The team will find themselves with plenty to do, between finding a new coach, going through the draft process, and having a successful free agency period. They need to find a few players that fit what the team needs and avoid the players who are overrated or provide false hope.
With Steve Yzerman perched in his general manager chair, running this thing, the Detroit Red Wings are certainly in good hands. He's had plenty of success with free agency in the past, finding the right guys out there for the job. Herb Brooks said in Miracle On Ice, “I'm not looking for the best players. I'm looking for the right ones.”
This quote rings true for the Red Wings and what they have been able to do in recent years. From rental players to acquisitions that have remained around, the team has brought in players in the offseason who have benefited the team's roster in multiple ways.
But as the Red Wings front office starts to work through the free-agent class, weigh out the options, and see which players best fit the team's needs, they have to figure out who will fit with this rebuild. While this could change based on who the team hires as the new coach, there will be players that the Red Wings should aim to avoid, that is certain.
The Detroit Red Wings need to avoid certain players in the free-agent class.
With plenty of talent out there, the Detroit Red Wings have to do their due diligence and cross off the players who will not gel well with the team they are constructing for the 2022-23 season. That said, let's look at four players that the Red Wings should avoid in free agency this summer.
First up, we'll look at two forwards the team can cross off their list.
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The Detroit Red Wings could use that aggressive presence on the ice, kind of like the type of grit that Bertuzzi has shown at times or even Givani Smith when he shows that enforcer type of play. A gritty player who can also score is always welcome on contenders, but Nazem Kadri is someone the Red Wings should steer clear of altogether.
While he is coming off a stellar season with the Colorado Avalanche, the Red Wings need to be smart. Kadri posted career-highs with 28 goals and 59 assists for 87 total points over 71 games played. He eclipsed his career-bests in 2021-22, but like Forsberg, the Red Wings need to steer clear.
Kadri is already on the wrong side of 30, and a multi-year deal would not be wise for the Red Wings in their current state. The 31-year-old forward is coming off a six-year, $27 million contract, with an annual value of $4.5 million.
If the Red Wings were going to spend money on someone like Kadri, I think it would be better served on a younger veteran. Someone who's been in the league but only has a few years of experience would suffice. To me, someone like Andrew Copp comes to mind, he may not be as much of a gritty player or as offensive, but the ties to Detroit and his breakout performance are intriguing.
The bottom line is that the Red Wings should avoid signing Kadri, choosing other options instead. Next, we'll move to a big-name defenseman the team needs to steer clear of.
