The Detroit Red Wings have made several moves this off-season. They were busy in a year when there was not a ton of speculation that the team was going to be on the hunt. But, the Red Wings were able to go out and secure several new faces.
Perhaps the biggest move of the summer was the Detroit Red Wings trade to acquire Alex DeBrincat, injecting some much-needed offense into the top six as the Michigan native comes to Detroit to play for his home team.
But, another addition from this off-season might wind up being the underrated move or the victory of the off-season, looking back. Adding in Shayne Gostisbehere on the one-year deal that he signed is going to prove to be valuable for the Red Wings.
It’s one of those moves that may not have seemed like anything crazy at the time but could wind up being a good one if things do unfold as the Red Wings are hoping they do. The left-handed shooting defenseman will bring upside and be a nice piece of the puzzle here in Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings signing Shayne Gostisbehere is a win-win move.
Gostisbehere signed a one-year, $4.125 million contract to play for the Red Wings in 2023-24, fresh off of a nearly two-year stint with the Arizona Coyotes. He was traded at the deadline in 2022-23, being shipped off to Carolina, helping their defense core for the remainder of the season. But now, he’ll find himself in Detroit, looking to help the team compete.
Nicknamed “Ghost,” Gostisbehere has been an offensive threat on the blueline wherever he goes. He debuted with the Philadelphia Flyers, piecing together a few solid seasons there. He tapped into the offense last season once again, playing his way into the trade market before being dealt to the Hurricanes.
The Red Wings are now hoping that Gostisbehere can inject some offense into their team’s defense core. He may not be as highly touted as Mike Green, but Ghost could be someone that the Red Wings are hoping for a similar offensive performance out of.
If he can post a 10-goal+ season and be a playmaker from the point, there will be even more to like with the defender. He’s got a chance ahead of him to really settle in and be one of the team’s better additions this off-season.
The 30-year-old defender can play off-hand if need be and is someone the Red Wings are going to deploy all over the defense core as they mix and match pairings. Gostisbehere could be playing his way toward an extension in Detroit, too.
If things go poorly for the Red Wings, but Gostisbehere finds some offense, he could become trade bait very well. Either way, things should work out well for the Red Wings when it comes to the signing of Gostisbehere.