Detroit Red Wings: July Review

The month of July saw new additions to the Detroit Red Wings roster and some other intriguing storylines as well.

July had an active start for the Red Wings on the first day of the month. The free agency window opened right on Canada Day and provided lots of interesting signings across the league. For the Red Wings, the team welcomed three new players to the organization and one was welcomed back.

The biggest signing of the opening day of free agency for the organization was the three-year deal made with Trevor Daley. It was possibly one of the best signings across the entire league as the two-time Stanley Cup winner joins the Wings after two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Former Western Michigan hockey player Luke Witkowski also was another acquisition the Red Wings made. Witkowski can play in both offensive and defensive roles.

Other additions included forward Turner Elson and former Red Wings prospect Tom McCollum. Both players are expected to find a majority of their playing timing in the minor leagues.

Tatar Signs Long-Term Deal

Forward Tomas Tatar reached an agreement with the Red Wings on a four-year deal worth $21.2 million. This was a bit of a surprise as it had initially appeared Tatar would be signed to a short term deal.

Xavier Ouellet was re-signed for two more years in another key re-signing in July for the Wings.

Martin Frk was inked to a one-year contract as he looks to keep his dream alive of making the Red Wings first team roster.

Prospect Camp

The middle part of the month featured the Red Wings development camp which brings all the prospects together. It was a time for the coaching staff to get their first glimpses of the new signings and draft picks up close.

A couple of players that drew attention were 2017 draft pick Keith Petruzzelli and 2016 first-round pick Dennis Cholowski. Michael Rasmussen and Gustav Lindstrom have also garnered attention following the camp.

All-in-all, it appears the Wings have a solid group of young players coming up through the ranks in the coming years.

Other Notable News

Little Caesars Arena will feature quite a large scoreboard.

A giant Little Caesar will also make an appearance on the roof of the arena. The internet was not very pleased with the decision. Read more here.

Next: Top 5 Pavel Datsyuk Shootout Goals

That’s all for July. Only one more month of the offseason awaits us.