With the dust settling on the busy part of the 2025 NHL offseason, the Detroit Red Wings and general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman stayed the course for the most part with retaining their own restricted free agents (RFAs), as well as bringing back a couple of pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). Yzerman did make two trades that will hopefully be beneficial in a big way for the 2025-26 season, as he looks to get the organization back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. What kind of grades do these handful of moves get at this stage?
Trades
Acquired goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks for goaltender Petr Mrazek, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick
Yzerman’s biggest move thus far in the offseason has been the addition of veteran goaltender John Gibson. It had long been rumored and talked about that he could be on his way out of Anaheim, and two good friends, Yzerman and Ducks GM Pat Verbeek, got together to make another deal between the two teams they run. The biggest question mark is how reliable and healthy Gibson will be. He has not played 50 or more games in the net since the 2022-23 season, playing only 29 last season and 46 during the 2023-24 season.
Related: Expectations for New Red Wings Goaltender John Gibson
If Gibson can stay healthy, he may not be relied upon to play 60 games. With Cam Talbot returning with the Red Wings, the two veterans will likely create a 1A/1B duo in the crease. With Gibson under contract for two more seasons, he will help serve as both a reliable netminder and one who will hold down the fort until Sebastian Cossa or even Trey Augustine are ready to make an impact at the NHL level. With what the Red Wings gave up for Gibson, Mrazek was likely not going to be a long-term answer in Detroit after being traded back at the 2025 Trade Deadline.
Giving up two extra picks, led by the 2027 second-round pick, does hurt a bit. But, Yzerman did get a fourth-round pick back for the 2026 Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a draft day trade, and if things work out as hoped, the 2027 second-rounder will not be high in the round.
Grade: A-
Traded RW Vladimir Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild for Future Considerations
After signing with the Red Wings during last offseason, the hope was that Vladimir Tarasenko could bring some secondary scoring to the forward grouping. After the first of two years on the contract he signed with the Red Wings (at a $4.5 million a year cap hit), it was clear that things were not clicking for the veteran forward. He tallied only 33 points in 80 games played last season. Being able to send him to the Wild, while not having to attach more assets or retaining any of his salary, the move is a win-win for Yzerman and the Red Wings, even if they have not used that extra cap space to this point.
Grade: A+
Re-Signings
RW Jonatan Berggren (RFA) – One year, $1.825 million
Jonatan Berggren continues to struggle to find consistency at the NHL level. There have been spurts where he shows signs of being a player who can be a top-six forward with offensive upside, and then there are times when he seems to shy away from shooting the puck or is misfiring. Under head coach Todd McLellan, he did seem to play a bit better, but he will still be fighting for ice time this season. A cap hit just shy of $2 million was a bit of a surprise, but Berggren will be out to prove that he has value going forward on yet another one-year contract with the Red Wings. With players like Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Carter Mazur, among others, looking to make a push for the NHL lineup in the coming seasons, this season will be a make-or-break one for the 25-year-old Berggren.
Grade: A-
D Albert Johansson (RFA) – Two years, $2.25 million
Making the NHL lineup at the beginning of last season, Albert Johansson struggled under former head coach Derek Lalonde. After McLellan took over, it seemed like the 24-year-old defenseman started to finally settle in and created a strong second-pairing alongside Simon Edvinsson for the second half of the season. The offensive numbers do not jump off the screen (nine points in 61 games), but he has shown flashes of being capable of chipping in and has become reliable on the defensive end of the ice as well. Getting him signed for just over $2 million over two seasons is great value for a player who could very easily develop into a long-term top-four option for the organization.
Grade: A
RW Patrick Kane – One year, $3 million base salary (up to $7 million with incentives)
In his first full season with the Red Wings, Patrick Kane continued to defy the notion that his hip surgery would slow his production down. In 72 games, he racked up 21 goals and 38 assists. He was a force again on the power play, scoring 12 of his 21 goals on the man advantage. There was mutual interest between Kane and the organization to get a deal done to keep him in Detroit beyond last season, and even though it took longer than some may have expected, “Showtime” will don a winged wheel uniform for the 2025-26 season.
The base salary of $3 million on top of the incentives he has included in the deal could push it to a total of $7 million, but with the cap space the team has (currently just north of $12 million), that will be no issue. The biggest question is if he can continue to produce at the rate he has since putting on a Red Wings jersey and stay healthy. At this point in his career, his defensive play will clearly not be what people will watch him for or what the organization is paying him to do. Getting Kane back for at least one more season to go alongside Alex DeBrincat and presumably, Marco Kasper, on the second line will help immensely with offensive production.
Grade: A
D William Lagesson – Two years, $1.55 million
A player who is being brought back for depth, William Lagesson, will likely be looked to as an experienced veteran in the locker room for the Grand Rapids Griffins (the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate). The 29-year-old did make a handful of appearances in a Red Wings jersey last season, playing in seven games. Having him in Grand Rapids to help mentor players like Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Shai Buium, among other young players that the Griffins will likely have on the roster this upcoming season, will prove to be valuable. He has also proven he can come up and play at the NHL level when needed.
Grade: A
LW Elmer Soderblom (RFA) – Two years, $2.25 million
A player who has shown flashes when healthy and in the lineup for the Red Wings, Elmer Soderblom, is entering a big season. He has shown that he can play up and down the lineup, and when given the chance to play in the top six last season, he did a good job doing so. The biggest question is if he can roll the momentum and play he had at times last season into more consistent play this upcoming season. Either way, keeping him in Detroit for just over $1 million a season for the next two seasons is not a bad move for the organization.
Grade: A
D Antti Tuomisto (RFA) – One year, $813,750
A younger player in the Red Wings’ system who has yet to make the next jump in their game, Antti Tuomisto has shown progress over the two seasons he has played North American hockey, but has not been able to stand out as expected. The 2019 second-round pick spent last season with the Griffins, and he did look solid, though, and will be given another chance to continue his development and prove that he should stick with the organization. The worst-case scenario is that Tuomisto becomes a career AHLer who fills in as a depth piece for the foreseeable future. Either way, keeping a player around who is familiar with the systems and organization while giving him a shot is never a bad signing.
Grade: A
Organizational Depth Free Agent Signings
LW John Leonard (One year, $775,000): Leonard brings plenty of experience to the Griffins’ lineup for this upcoming season, spending most of his career in the AHL. He has not played an NHL game since the 2023-24 season, with the Arizona Coyotes, but brings plenty of offensive firepower to the Griffins lineup, tallying 61 points with the Charlotte Checkers before adding another 14 in the playoffs. He could be a key piece for the Griffins’ offense this season and help show the ropes to players like Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and other younger players.
D Ian Mitchell (One year, $775,000): Like Leonard, Mitchell has spent most of his career in the AHL but is a sound defenseman who will help solidify the back end of the ice for the Griffins this upcoming season. He does have some offense to his game, but he will be more of a defensive defenseman after tallying 27 points for the Providence Bruins last season.
G Michal Postava (Two years, $1.9 million): At 23 years old, Postava comes to the North American game after a solid 2024-25 season in Czechia, where he tallied a 23-18 record along with a strong 2.39 goals-against average (GAA), and a .921 save percentage (SV%). He has the upside to potentially play for the Griffins this season, and worst-case scenario, play with the Toledo Walleye (ECHL). The Red Wings’ netminding depth at the minor league level is a bit bare, with only Cossa and Carter Gylander currently signed, so this signing has plenty of need and upside to it.
Depth signings grade: A
NHL Level Free Agent Signings
C Mason Appleton – Two years, $5.8 million
Mason Appleton brings more veteran experience to the Red Wings’ lineup, albeit most likely playing a bottom-six role in the forward grouping this upcoming season. He plays a strong two-way game and is a very responsible defensive player. The signing is an interesting one, though, seeing that the roster as constructed currently already has players who fit the same playing style he plays, including Michael Rasmussen and JT Compher. Each of these players can play on the penalty kill while also adding offensive production to the bottom half of the lineup, so it will be interesting to see who ends up playing where come the beginning of the season.
Appleton does bring playoff experience, having played in 32 playoff games in his career, and was a solid offensive producer for the Winnipeg Jets last season, putting up 22 points while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time a game. If he can help contribute in the secondary scoring department while playing on the penalty kill as well, it will be a solid signing. That said, the bottom six seems to be loaded with players who all play the same style of game, which could be a good thing or counterproductive. Only time will tell.
Grade: B–
D Jacob Bernard-Docker – One year, $875,000
While many were hoping Yzerman would go big game hunting for a defenseman, he was unable to do so. He ended up signing Jacob Bernard-Docker, a 25-year-old who has not been able to truly find his footing with either team he has played for in his career (he was part of the Josh Norris trade from Ottawa to Buffalo this past season). Bernard-Docker is not a player who should be taken lightly, though. He has shown flashes of being a solid defenseman and should help improve the Red Wings’ third-pairing.
Bernard-Docker has the upside to become an even stronger asset from the backend of the ice if he can put his game together, and the Red Wings are not taking a huge risk with the contract they signed him to. If things work out positively, he can turn a solid season into a bigger contract at the end of this upcoming season, and it would benefit the Red Wings in a big way. The offensive numbers may not stick out the most, tallying only eight points in 40 games last season, but he should still be an overall upgrade from what was on the ice for the bottom pairing last season for the Red Wings.
Grade: A–
LW James van Riemsdyk – One year, $1 million
After failing to acquire James van Riemsdyk at the trade deadline in 2023, Yzerman got him this time around, signing the 36-year-old veteran to a one-year contract. Coming off a solid season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he totaled 36 points in 71 games played, van Riemsdyk will likely be a replacement for the departed Tarasenko.
On a cheap contract, van Riemsdyk should be able to come in and provide secondary scoring for the Red Wings. If he can produce more than Tarasenko did last season, it would be a major improvement for the organization, on top of having to pay him only a fraction of the money they did to Tarasenko. He may not put up massive numbers, but adding some secondary offense will go a long way for a team that needs it. The only knock on the deal is that it likely takes a spot from a younger player like Carter Mazur.
Grade: B+
Final Word
While Yzerman did not go out and grab the flashy, big-named players that some fans hoped he would, he did a solid job of adding depth to the roster and organization as a whole. The biggest downside to not being able to add a player or two who will be massive offensive producers is that the Red Wings are staying the course, which led to them missing the playoffs again last season. Adding more firepower would have been nice for an organization hoping to make the jump to being a playoff team. Overall, the offseason to this point has been more of the same, but there is still plenty of time left before opening night for more moves to happen, and as we all know, Yzerman keeps things close to the vest when it comes to moves or the chances of one happening. So time will only tell if things are set heading into the 2025-26 season.
