The Detroit Red Wings are going to have plenty of cap space to work with when the 2020 offseason officially gets underway following the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs tournament.
And one of the positions that the team will be looking to add to is between the pipes.
Long-tenured goaltender Jimmy Howard, who unfortunately suffered through his worst NHL season in 2019-20, isn’t expected to return next season. And while Jonathan Bernier showed management that he’s capable of handling the starting duties, GM Steve Yzerman is expected to look to the outside to bolster the team’s crease.
There will be plenty of goaltenders to choose from in the free-agent market, but another avenue that could be considered would be via trade. Two interesting and intriguing options both happen to suit up for the Pittsburgh Penguins – Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry. Both are set to become restricted free-agents, and while Murray was largely Pittsburgh’s starter during their two most recent Stanley Cup runs, his recent sub-par regular season performances could mean his future in the NHL lies elsewhere.
St. Louis Blues backup Jake Allen, slated to be an unrestricted free agent after next season, would be another potential option, having been made expendable by Jordan Binnington’s Stanley Cup run last year.
As we await the development of prospect Filip Larsson, Detroit will need a viable body in net. While Calvin Pickard is under contract for another season, he isn’t expected to compete for the full-time backup position.
We’re going to trust the Yzer-plan, whatever it ends up being!
