Red Wings: A Closer Look at the Cap After Nielsen’s Buyout

The signing of Adam Erne prior to his arbitration case has put the Detroit Red Wings roster in a terrific position prior to opening night.  With the recent buyout of Frans Nielsen, according to capfriendly.com, the Red Wings currently have 20 out of their 23 roster spots signed for the upcoming season.

Here is a look at the salaries of the projected opening night roster.

Goaltenders

The goaltending situation in Detroit looks like a strength for the upcoming season.  Recent first round selection Sebastian Cossa looks to be the goal of the future.  Thomas Greiss has one year remaining until he becomes an UFA.  Alex Nedeljkovic has two years remaining before he becomes an UFA.  This year, the goaltenders combined will have a cap hit of $3.6 million.

Thomas Greiss

2021-22 Salary: $3,600,000

2022-23: UFA

Alex Nedeljkovic

2021-22 Salary: $3,000,000

2022-23 Salary: $3,000,000

2023-24: UFA

Forwards

The Red Wings currently have 12 forwards signed for this season.  The salaries of the 12 signed players add up to a cap hit of just over $35.5 million.  The addition of Smith after he signs will push forward salaries to just under $37 million, with a million taken off with the buyout of Nielsen.

Dylan Larkin

2021-22 Salary: $6,100,000

2022-23 Salary: $6,100,000

2023-24: UFA

Frans Nielsen

2021-22 Buyout Salary: $4,250,000

2022-23 Buyout Salary: $500,000

Jakub Vrana

2021-22 Salary: $5,250,000

2022-23 Salary: $5,250,000

2023-24 Salary : $5,250,000

2024-25: UFA

Tyler Bertuzzi

2021-22 Salary: $4,750,000

2022-23 Salary: $4,750,000

2023-24: UFA

Pius Suter

2021-22 Salary: $3,250,000

2022-23 Salary: $3,250,000

2023-24: UFA

Robby Fabbri

2021-22 Salary: $2,950,000

2022-23: UFA

Adam Erne

2021-22 Salary: $2,100,000

2022-23 Salary: $2,100,000

2023-24: UFA

Vladislav Namestnikov

2021-22 Salary: $2,000,000

2022-23: UFA

Michael Rasmussen

2021-22 Salary: $1,460,000

2022-23 Salary: $1,460,000

2023-24 Salary: $1,460,000

2024-25: RFA

Filip Zadina

2021-22 Salary: $894,167

2022-23: RFA

Sam Gagner

2021-22 Salary: $850,000

2022-23: UFA

Mitchell Stephens

2021-22 Salary: $737,500

2022-23: RFA

Unsigned Players

The Detroit Red Wings have two unsigned players that are expected to play for Detroit this season.  Both Filip Hronek and Givani Smith remain unsigned entering the final half of August.  here is a look at what we can expect once both players sign.

Filip Hronek

Filip Hronek just completed his three-year entry-level contract.  The deal had an average annual cap hit of $714,166.  I believe he’ll sign a new deal in the range of $1.5-2.0 million annually prior to training camp.  His new deal will be either two or three years.

Givani Smith

Givani Smith also completed his three-year entry-level contract.  His deal also had an average annual cap hit of $714,166.  Expect him to sign a new deal in the $1.2-1.4 million range.  His new deal will also be in the two to three year range.

Final Thoughts

With 20 players signed and two players remaining un-signed, the Detroit Red Wings currently have the third lowest payroll in the NHL behind Buffalo and Ottawa.  The current projected cap hit is slightly over $62 million.  After Hronek and Smith are signed, the cap hit will be in the $66 million range.  This will leave Detroit General manager Steve Yzerman with just over $14 million in cap space.  This space will be required as the salary cap will remain stable for at least this season and an expected increase in the cap of $1 million is expected for the 2022-23 season.  Detroit will also have nine UFA’s and two RFA’s next summer.  Expect the Detroit roster to remain fluid until the prospects start to filter into the Red Wings roster.