It's no secret that the Detroit Red Wings took on their share of bloated contracts during the tenure of former GM Ken Holland, who has since taken over the job for the Edmonton Oilers.
Among the more regrettable deals he signed were the contracts for underperforming forwards Justin Abdelkader and Frans Nielsen.
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The offseason has officially begun, and while Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has said that the team will be “relatively conservative” in their free-agency approach, one move towards the future would be a buyout of Nielsen.
With only four goals and five assists this past season prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, Nielsen's usefulness to the team in no way matches the bloated deal he signed in 2016 after leaving the New York Islanders.
Not only would a roster spot for a younger forward become available, but it would also carry some immediate savings towards the salary cap.
Let's take a look at how the numbers break down, courtesy of Cap Friendly:
