Inside the Article:
There are several players on the Detroit Red Wings who will soon be eligible to become unrestricted free agents, and it's the reality of the salary cap world that not everyone will be able to be back. But which pending free-agent players on the roster is GM Steve Yzerman interested in keeping?
Forward Pius Suter
While he didn't come close to matching his point total of last season, Pius Suter played a key role for the Red Wings on the penalty kill as well as in the faceoff dot. He's also just finished the final year of the two-year contract he signed after being lured away from the Chicago Blackhawks prior to the 2021-22 season. He would finish the year with 24 points (14G, 10A), while his cap hit the last two years was a reasonable $3.25 million.
“He’s a very valuable player because he’s smart,” head coach Derek Lalonde said of Suter. “He can play in all different situations. I know it’s a little thing, but just the security of having him (on the ice) after our power play, that next shift’s very important. He’s brought some stability. He’s a useful player.”
Forward Alex Chiasson
While he only came to Detroit in the second half of the season, he proved himself to be a valuable commodity on the power play unit, scoring five of his six goals with the man advantage. His defensive play (plus/minus rating of -8) wasn't anything to write home about; the Red Wings liked his presence with the man-advantage.
“He’s good at a lot of different things in front there,” teammate Michael Rasmussen said after the season. “He knows where to be for guys to find him off the flank. He’s really good at getting his stick down and low and finding the lane from the flank guy, just being hard right there. He’s good at screening the goalie. Really good at retrieving pucks.”
Wrapping It Up: Which free agents will return to Detroit?
Yzerman has several decisions to make in the coming months as to what his team will look like when they gather for training camp in northern Michigan in September.
Would you like to see one or both of Suter and Chiasson return for a second go-around with Detroit for next season?
