Detroit Red Wings: Grading the 2023 offseason moves

The “Good” moves from the Detroit Red Wings offseason.

Yzerman pulled off a draft day trade with old friend and former Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland. The Red Wings acquired forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin from Edmonton for future considerations.

Yzerman subsequently put Kailer Yamamoto on waivers, who has underperformed as a former first-round pick. But in Klim Kostin, the Red Wings get a young player (24 years old)  who is a big body with a touch of scoring as well (11 goals in 57 games in 2022-23).

Kostin signed a two-year contract worth four million dollars total with the Red Wings once traded to the team and is expected to compete for a spot in the bottom six of the forwards this year.

Only giving up “future considerations” makes this deal even sweeter for the Red Wings.

The Red Wings signed seven-year veteran JT Compher to a five-year, $25.5 million contract, looking for him to give the bottom six forwards an anchor at center. Compher comes to Detroit off a career year in Colorado, putting up 17 goals and 35 assists for a total of 52 points while also playing all 82 regular season games.

Signing a player that is 28 years old adds a certain level of veteran leadership and winning mentality (Compher won the 2022 Stanley Cup with Colorado) while also fitting into the timeframe of a “rebuilding” Red Wings team.

Alex Lyon signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract with the Red Wings. Being younger than fellow free agent signee James Reimer makes him a more reasonable option in the backup role. Along with having a better 2022-23 season, albeit a smaller sample size.

The worst-case scenario is that Lyon ends up in the AHL for the season (he played 23 games in the AHL last season), and the best-case scenario is that he pushes Reimer for the backup job and eventually takes it over.

The Red Wings add a defenseman in Shayne Gostisbehere, that can carve out a role on one of the power play units and is an offensive defenseman (put up a total of 41 points in 2022-23) on a one-year contract worth $4.125 million. This signing could have the potential to be another underrated signing if Gostisbehere can help out the Red Wings’ power play this season.

The former desert dog, Christian Fischer, signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract this offseason. Seen as a gritty, edgy player, Fischer could fill the role that Adam Erne had with the Wings the past few seasons on the penalty kill as well. He can also put the puck in the back of the net when needed too, scoring 13 times last season. Fischer is expected to compete for a bottom-six spot in the lineup.