With the massive salary cap increases that the NHL has seen lately, and the further increases slated for the coming years, there are many NHL teams poised to have a ton of open space in the near future. However, few teams are poised to have as much of a blank slate as the Detroit Red Wings, who are under 10 months away from having just two defensemen under contract, with at least five spots to fill.
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Detroit’s defensive group is set for a massive facelift a year from now, and it’s not hyperbole to say that how they fill out their backend between now and the start of the 2026-27 season will have massive implications on their future playoff, and even Stanley Cup aspirations. Detroit has been one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL for several years running, landing in the bottom-10 for just about any defensive advanced stat metric (Corsi Against, Shots Against, Goals Against, Save Percentage, etc.).
While making improvements in the crease could have a big impact on the team’s overall defensive ceiling, how they fill out their defense corps will go a long way in raising their defensive floor. Let’s take a look at their current cap sheet on the back end, some players who could fill out the depth chart, and a few possible trade/free agent targets in the coming summers.
Current Cap Sheet on Defense
Moritz Seider
Moritz Seider is on contract for 6 more full seasons at $8.55M, which started at 9.72% of the salary cap. While Detroit couldn’t get him signed for maximum term, this contract has already aged quite well, sitting at 8.95% of this year’s cap, and it is set to be 8.22% by next summer. While Seider continued to play some of the most difficult minutes in the league, his defensive results were much more impressive in the 2024-25 season than the year before. If he caps out as a high-end defensive defender who plays brutal minutes each night and can contribute 40-50 points a year, that is a steal for $8.55M each year.
Albert Johansson
Albert Johansson had a successful rookie year in the NHL, playing some good defensive hockey, mostly in a depth role. While he showed some offensive potential, the points really didn’t add up with just nine points in 61 games. He doesn’t need to do much more in the coming years to hold down a depth role for Detroit, and his cap hit of $1.125M for this year and next is more than palatable given the two-way upside he could grow into.
That’s it.
Pieces of the Future
Simon Edvinsson
Simon Edvinsson was excellent in his first full NHL season last year, immediately establishing himself as a top-four defender for Detroit. He managed to score 31 points as well, with none of them coming in his measly 32 power play minutes across 75 games. Edvinsson did manage to earn a more serious role killing penalties for Detroit, averaging nearly two minutes a night on the penalty kill.
Edvinsson’s Entry Level Contract (ELC) is set to expire following this coming season, making him a Restricted Free Agent (RFA). With the cap rocketing up, many teams have been trying to lock down their young players to big money and term in hopes that the deals will look favorable in the new rising cap NHL. However, Edvinsson has a lot to gain by waiting until next offseason before extending, growing his sample size of quality top-four play by as much as double, all while likely earning more of a chance on the man advantage.
Even if he plays roughly as well as he did last year but adds some extra power play time in (and the points that are likely to go with that), then I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the highest paid player on this team in one year’s time.
Axel Sandin Pellikka
Axel Sandin Pellikka (ASP) is one of Detroit’s most promising prospects, with a growing track record of success both internationally and in the SHL. As a right shot defender, ASP holds the inherent value of the position he plays, but he is far from just a warm body on the right side. Sandin Pellikka has excellent skill with the puck, a seeing eye shot from the point, and a more mature defensive game than a lot of people give him credit for.
I think it’s reasonable to expect Detroit to develop ASP in Grand Rapids for most of the coming season, it would certainly be consistent with their recent development history. He would likely benefit from getting some real reps in and having the privilege of failing at the AHL level and then still getting put out there because he’ll be the most talented defender they have. If ASP jumps straight to the NHL this Fall, you better believe the leash will be short. I think one season spent mostly in the AHL would be great for his development, but also, it would line up his NHL arrival with this massive exodus of contracts.
Anton Johansson
Anton Johansson skates well for a 6-foot-4 defender, and has some NHL potential as a depth defender who plays with a physical edge. He can charge down the boards off the blue line or get shots on net through traffic, but I don’t anticipate he would score much at the NHL level. He is certainly someone to watch in the coming years as Detroit rebuilds their defensive group.
William Wallinder
William Wallinder has been on the radar for Red Wings fans for quite some time, but once Edvinsson made the jump to the NHL, it finally became more clear what Wallinder could be in North America. He was a big part of the Griffins’ attempt to fill the Edvinsson-shaped hole in their lineup, and his mobility/length combo was a pivotal piece of that. He isn’t likely to create a ton of offense in Detroit, but I could see him being a steady third pairing defender for them, one capable of playing his off-side when needed.
Shai Buium
Shai Buium is a fascinating player, with the size and skill that gets teams excited about a defender. However, he isn’t the most agile skater, and he doesn’t use his large frame to his advantage enough for my liking. There’s legit NHL-level offensive upside in his game, but I’m not sure if he’ll be able to keep up with the pace of play. Regardless, he’s certainly on the radar after his excellent collegiate career.
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Targets From Outside of the System
Rasmus Andersson
It feels like Red Wings fans have been talking about trading for Rasmus Andersson for years now, but he appears to be actually on the trade block in Calgary now so he deserves a mention. I’m not sure how he would fit on the right side with Seider and ASP (especially cap-wise considering he only has this next season left on his deal), but I’m not against it in theory. He would likely be a good, if overpaid, second pairing defender who brings a lot of leadership to the locker room.
Surplus From Anaheim Ducks
While the Ducks have had an enviable amount of young talent in recent years, they are having trouble fitting the jigsaw pieces together, especially on the defensive end. That could be a really positive thing for the team that pries a talented young piece out of Anaheim, with players like Pavel Mintyukov, Tyson Hinds, Jackson LaCombe, Tristan Luneau, and Olen Zellweger all jockeying for minutes. While the acquisition cost would be rightfully high, I would love to see the Red Wings take a swing on Mintyukov who could theoretically fill out their future top-four and had a bumpy sophomore season.
Jake Walman
Tell me if you’ve heard this before but the Red Wings trading Jake Walman away to the San Jose Sharks made no sense. It made no sense at the time and it made even less sense when the Sharks flipped him to Edmonton for a first round pick. Walman has maintained his career breakout he saw with Detroit just a few short seasons ago, and would still be a nice short-to-medium term fit for the Red Wings, just maybe negotiate with Steve Yzerman for a no-trade clause this time.
Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar Become Free Agents in 2027
Obviously this is a pipe dream and has a chance of occurring that is near zero. However, imagine with me that Detroit doesn’t spend a lot to fill out their defensive group next summer, opting rather to carve out a massive $15-20M of their cap to throw at either of the league’s two most impactful defenders when they become free agents in the summer of 2027. While it’s highly, highly unlikely, adding a player with the level of star power these two can provide would immediately make Detroit a force to be reckoned with in the East.
Detroit is a Blank Slate on Defense
The Red Wings have done a poor job of filling out their defensive depth in recent years, signing depth players for too much money and term while trading away some of their most valuable defenders. Luckily for them, they have another chance to make some savvy moves and set up their defensive group for the next decade.
We know Seider and Edvinsson are essentially locks to play huge minutes for the next 5+ years, and ASP is likely to join that group, but that leaves a lot of wiggle room to make one of the league’s worst defensive teams at very least passable defensively. They have some good depth options in their own system, but to really elevate their defensive ceiling, Detroit will need to look for some outside help. I, for one, am going to be watching their cap sheet closely over the next 12 months to see what path they take.