The Detroit Red Wings have had a busy last few days. The club was active during the 2025 NHL Draft, selecting future roster players while landing a bona fide starting goaltender in John Gibson.
Then, the club rocked the boat by making several signings on Day 1 of NHL free agency on Tuesday. So, it’s worth taking a look at how these signings fit into the Red Wings’ lineup and the holes that remain moving forward.
James van Riemsdyk brings offense, but is it enough?
The Detroit Red Wings brought in James van Riemsdyk (JVR) on a one-year, $1 million deal. This signing would have been a huge one had it happened roughly 10 years ago. Fast forward to today, and JVR isn’t quite the offensive force he once was.
As a depth piece, I could totally see this deal being a solid move. But as a top-six option, I’m not so sure. Daily Faceoff has placed JVR on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. No offense to JVR, but he won’t cut it there.
JVR is better suited on the third line. He is a strong netfront presence and should provide a solid alternative on the second power play unit.
But this situation also means that the Wings will need another top-six forward. That won’t be easy to solve, but with over $15 million in cap space, the Wings could make things interesting by going after one of the remaining top free agent targets like Nikolaj Ehlers.
More depth needed on blue line
The Red Wings signed Ian Mitchell to a one-year, $775K contract and Jacob Bernard-Docker to a one-year, $875K pact.
Both Mitchell and Bernard-Docker were RFAs who did not receive qualifying offers. They’re both depth defenseman with some upside as Mitchell is still 26 and Bernard-Docker 25.
Daily Faceoff inserted Bernard-Docker in the bottom defense pairing with Erik Gustafsson. That situation moves Justin Holl out of the picture. But is that enough to add enough depth on the blue line?
Holl is an expensive seventh defenseman at $3.4 million. It’s unlikely anyone is willing to take Holl’s contract, so the Wings are pretty much stuck with him for the final year of his deal. However, the Wings could use another experienced blueliner who could be penciled in as a sixth-seventh defenseman, especially on a cheap contract.
There are plenty of options out there. For instance, recently bought out Marc-Edouard Valsic could be compelled to join the club on a league-minimum deal. Other players like Travis Hamonic or Tyson Barrie could be PTO candidates. T.J. Brodie, also recently bought out, could be a depth option.
All in all, the Wings could use another vet on the blue line on an affordable one-year deal to provide some insurance moving forward.
Goaltending
The Red Wings appear set this season with Gibson as the starter and Cam Talbot as the backup. But the Wings could use a third-string goaltender to serve as insurance. Last year’s backup, Alex Lyon, signed with the Buffalo Sabres.
So, that leaves an opening for an experienced NHL netminder who could move up and down the organization. Someone like Cal Petersen or Alexandar Georgiev could provide decent depth, even if they play predominantly in the AHL.
It’s also worth pointing out that injuries play a huge factor during the season. So, having a reliable third-string goaltender is something worth looking into before the end of the NHL free agency season.