On the eve of free agency, the Red Wings have come to terms with Jonathan Ericsson, meaning they will return five of their top 7 defensemen from last season. Ruslan Salei will not be offered a contract, and Brian Rafalski has opted out of the last year of his 5 year, $30M contract for retirement. Ericsson was taken by the Wings at 291st overall, the last pick in the 2002 draft. Ericsson’s will be under contract with the Wings for three seasons, at a cap hit of $3.25M.
OTD: Plane crash kills entire KHL team that included several former Red Wings
Today marks the 9th anniversary, which ultimately claimed 44 of the 45 lives on board. Among those lost included former Detroit Red Wings defenseman and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon, defenseman Ruslan Salei, and goaltending prospect Stefan Liv. The team was on its way to Minsk, Belarus for the beginning of the KHL’s 2011-12 Season. In what … Read more