Patience is a virtue, and even more so if you are a Detroit Red Wings fan these days. March 2024 was not kind to Hockeytown as the team struggled through a seven-game losing streak that jeopardized their chances of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. General manager Steve Yzerman was tasked with an uphill battle when he took over the role from his predecessor, former Detroit and current Oilers GM Ken Holland, in 2019. The organization needed a massive overhaul, burdened with long-term contracts from underperforming players. This was no cakewalk for the Red Wings legend, as the rebuild has shown slow but moderate success.
When you factor in the lack of lottery luck for the Red Wings, you begin to envision a picture of how long and difficult this road has been. Over the years, Yzerman has shown he’s not afraid to dip his toes into the free-agent pool, and this writer wanted to take a look at how his moves have helped shape this team for the future. Here are some of his top free-agent signings with grades and what their future looks like in the Motor City as the club looks to return to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
David Perron – Left Wing
David Perron signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract to join the Red Wings during the summer of 2022 — bringing that much sought-after playoff experience to help mentor a young and upcoming team. The 6-foot left winger was just two years removed from hoisting the Cup with the St. Louis Blues and provided some key depth scoring for the Red Wings, posting 41 goals in 158 games.
Perron provided a physical presence that the team was sorely lacking, and his retaliation on Artem Zub earlier in the 2023-24 season, even though he wasn’t the culprit, will go down in Red Wings lore. I feel he came in and did exactly what he was expected to do. In other words, he was a solid signing who brings valuable experience to the dressing room.
Grade: B–
Ben Chiarot – Left Defense
This could be one of the more polarizing players that Yzerman has signed. At times, his energy and physicality combine to make him a very effective NHL defenseman. Then there are the other times. Chiarot and his defensive partner, Jeff Petry, were the scapegoats for a team that struggled in their own end. Streaky is a kind way of putting it, as Chiarot hasn’t been the same player week in and week out. The Hamilton, Ontario native was brought in to provide tough second-pairing minutes while also adding that highly coveted veteran leadership. He also joined the organization during the summer of 2022 but for a much longer term of four years and $19 million. His first season in Motown did not go as planned, as he finished with a career-worst minus-31, but his second season with the team saw some “steady” improvement in that department.
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Chiarot doesn’t bring much to the table offensively, but again, that’s not in his tool bag. He’s on the books for one more year at $4.75 million, so he won’t be an easy contract to move. I have no doubt his name was brought up at recent trade deadlines as Yzerman looked to shed some salary with players who don’t fit Detroit’s timeline to compete, and having said that, I’m starting to wonder if it was a signing that he’s beginning to second guess. The scuffle in practice with emerging star forward Lucas Raymond probably didn’t do him many favors with Red Wings brass — although it was good to see Chiarot stick up for the youngster in the following game against the Arizona Coyotes.
Grade: C
Shayne Gostisbehere – Left Defense
The “Ghost Bear” can be considered a successful signing from an offensive standpoint. He gave Detroit a high-end quarterback to lead the top power play and posted 56 points in 81 games in his only season with the Red Wings. The Florida native signed a one-year contract for $4.125 million and left after the 2023-24 campaign. He tied for the worst plus/minus on the team at minus-16 and was playing for his fourth club in five seasons.
Grade: B-
Justin Holl – Right Defense
This signing was a tough pill for Detroit fans to swallow and is easily the most questionable move to date that Yzerman has made. While searching for a right-handed defenseman this offseason, he went bargain bin shopping and overpaid for the 6-foot-4 defenseman, signing him to a three-year deal at $3.4 million annually. It’s not a good look when that player played only 38 out of a possible 82 games in 2023-24.
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You can’t afford to have that amount of money sitting in the press box on a nightly basis. What’s even more concerning is that shortly after, Yzerman traded for Petry, who also struggled mightily on the back end. There wasn’t a fit for Holl in Detroit, and with his deal, he was very difficult to move.
Grade: D–
Andrew Copp – Center
This signing brought optimism, at the time, that the Red Wings had finally landed that second-line center they had been so desperately searching for. During the summer of 2022, Yzerman inked the Ann Arbor, Michigan native to a five-year, $28.125 million deal, which raised eyebrows in Detroit when you consider that he has not been known to favor agreements with term. Andrew Copp was coming off an impressive playoff run with the New York Rangers after getting traded from the Winnipeg Jets. Between both teams, he compiled 21 goals and 32 assists in 72 games. In 20 playoff games, he posted six goals and eight assists. Solid move, right? Well, not exactly. He didn’t seem to be the same player in his first season with Detroit, posting nine goals to go along with 33 assists while playing in all 82 games. 2023-24 got off to another slow start, as he has struggled at both ends of the ice. The 2013 fourth-round pick has moved up and down the lineup, but the addition of J.T. Compher has forced him into a bottom-six role.
Paying a bottom-six forward that kind of money is not ideal, especially when you consider that his offensive output has continued to decline for the second straight season. Copp has registered 98 points in 217 games, and it’s safe to assume that’s not what the organization envisioned for him when he signed that big deal.
Grade: D
Daniel Sprong – Left Wing
Twenty-seven-year-old Daniel Sprong signed a one-year deal with Detroit for $2 million and provided exactly what was expected. The second-round pick has shown throughout his career that he thrives in a limited role. He was a spark plug for the Red Wings with 18 goals and 25 assists in 76 games, but he averaged only 12 minutes of ice time. That is excellent production for only $2 million per. But he became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and departed in free agency.
Grade: B-
Patrick Kane – Right Wing
Patrick Kane, a.k.a “Showtime,” was a surprise in-season signing that paid dividends right off the bat. It’s almost worrisome to think where this team would be without him. Many believe he had a positive impact on the emergence of Raymond in 2023-24. Kane has produced at a high rate for the Red Wings, especially when you consider the offseason hip surgery he went through in 2023. His highlight reel goals kept Detroit in the thick of the wild card race, and Yzerman re-signed him to a one-year contract for 2024-25. He was later signed to a one-year extension for 2025-26.
Grade: A-
J.T. Compher – Center
Compher has been a pleasant surprise in his first two seasons with Detroit. The Illinois native signed a five-year, $5.1 million deal, and the organization views him as an integral part of the rebuild. He has thrived as the team’s second-line center, a role that Copp had been projected to take when he came to the club. With 19 goals and 29 assists in his first season, he finished just four points shy of the career-high 52 he set with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022-23. His two-way game was part of the appeal for Yzerman, and his attitude and grit have lived up to the expectations. He’s been a very solid, if not spectacular, signing.
Grade: B
Christian Fischer – Center, Right Wing
Christian Fischer instantly became a fan favorite in Detroit with his feisty play and ability to score timely goals. He signed a one-year, $1.125 million deal in 2023, and Yzerman brought him back on a one-year contract, as he thrived in a bottom-six role for the club. The second-round pick proved his value on a line with Copp and Rasmussen that caused nightmares defensively for opposing teams. I had Kirk Maltby vibes when I watch him play.
Grade: B
Ville Husso – Goaltender
The summer of 2022 saw Detroit looking for a veteran goalie to bridge the gap to prized prospect Sebastian Cossa. Husso signed a three-year deal for $14.25 million. The Finnish netminder found moderate success with the St. Louis Blues during the 2022-23 season, going 25-7-6 with a .919 save percentage (SV%). Yzerman had hoped he could continue that in Detroit, but that wasn’t the case for the Red Wings. In 84 games with the Red Wings, he posted a modest 36-32-11 record with an .892 save percentage (SV%). They traded him to the Anaheim Ducks in Feb. 2025.
Grade: D
Alex Lyon – Goaltender
Yzerman brought Lyon in during the 2023 offseason with a two-year deal worth $975,000 annually. The Red Wings thought they had acquired goalie depth between the AHL and NHL levels. Little did everyone know he would be called upon to carry the load for the majority of the 2023-24 season and keep Detroit in the playoff hunt. Lyon did just that, but the cracks in his armor started to show, as Detroit turned to James Reimer down the stretch.
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There was no way he could maintain that pace, as he had never started more than 14 games in a season before 2023-24. What you see is what you get with Lyon, and he’s a decent goalie on a team-friendly deal.
Grade: B
James Reimer – Goaltender
Reimer is a similar goalie to Lyon, except their fortunes have been reversed. A capable backup at times, he struggled early on for the Red Wings and sat for long periods while Lyon had the hot hand. He, too, was acquired to be the backup to Husso and showed signs of life for Detroit as Husso continued to struggle with injuries. Reimer came in on a one-year deal at $1.5 million and left after one season.
Grade: C-
