Following last season's disappointment, the Detroit Red Wings need some fresh faces on their roster. However, some of these newcomers may not be so new to Detroit fans.
Several notable former Red Wings are currently free agents and could address direct needs for the team. These are the top five reunion candidates for the Red Wings as they embark on this crucial offseason.
Andreas Athanasiou
One of the lone bright spots during the darkest days of the Detroit rebuild, Athanasiou was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft by the Red Wings. He donned the Winged Wheel from his debut in 2015 until he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2020.
Most known for his speed, Athanasiou always showed scoring potential, but he only reached 50-plus points once in Detroit, where he scored 30 goals and 54 points in 2018-19.
Athanasiou spent half a season in Edmonton and two with the Los Angeles Kings before playing with the Chicago Blackhawks for the last three years. He had 20 goals for Chicago in 2022-23, but has struggled with injuries since and spent most of last season in the American Hockey League (AHL).
At 31 years old, Athanasiou is a clear buy-low opportunity for the Red Wings. The forward will likely not cost much and could bring offense to a bottom forward group in desperate need of it.
The Wings have nothing to lose in this move. The worst-case scenario is that Athanasiou remains injury-prone or ends up in the AHL. Considering the low cost and potential reward, an Athanasiou reunion is worth the risk for Detroit.
Anthony Mantha
A fan-favorite in Detroit and a friend of Dylan Larkin’s, Mantha’s trade to the Washington Capitals in 2021 sent shockwaves across Red Wings Nation. Despite injuries, Mantha’s scoring ability (20-plus goals twice in Detroit) and physicality endeared him to fans and teammates alike.
At the time of the trade, Mantha seemed destined to flourish when given a better opportunity on a good team. That has not been the case, however.
He has reached 20 goals just once since leaving the Wings, when he had 23 in 2023-24 with the Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. That same season also marked the only time he had more than 30 points, finishing with 44.
Injuries have continued to be an issue for Mantha. Most recently, he suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss all but 13 games of his 2024-25 season with the Calgary Flames.
When healthy, Mantha continues to show the potential to score goals and points. Entering his age-31 season, though, it is fair to question whether that potential will ever become a reality.
Although there are clear concerns with Mantha, he is another cheap asset that fills the depth needs on the Red Wings and could easily outplay his contract if he stays healthy. His popularity would also bring a morale boost to the fans and the locker room, which Detroit could use dearly.
Gustav Nyquist
A fourth-round pick of the Red Wings in the 2008 NHL Draft, Nyquist has defied the odds and carved out a solid career for himself.
The Swede spent the first seven and a half years of his career in Detroit before being traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2019. He has since traveled across the league, playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild.
Nyquist has long been praised for his high-IQ play and propensity for providing scoring down the lineup. He is also just a year removed from the best season of his career, posting 23 goals and 75 points for the Preds.
In each of his stops, Nyquist has proven to be a winning player who is willing to do whatever the team asks of him. His 83 games of playoff experience would be a welcome addition to the young Red Wings.
The main concern for Nyquist is that 2025-26 will be his age-36 season, and his production declined significantly last season. He had just 28 points after his career-high 75 the year before. His struggles could easily be attributed to how everyone seemingly struggled in Nashville last year, but it is still worrisome for a player with his number of miles.
Of all the players on this list, Nyquist will probably be the most expensive, but still relatively cheap given his age and poor performance in 2024-25. If he can come in at a reasonable number, he would provide a needed boost to the latter half of Detroit's forwards.
Robby Fabbri
After spending last season with the Anaheim Ducks, Fabbri could return to Detroit after playing for the team from 2019 to 2024.
Fabbri’s Detroit tenure and entire NHL career can be summed up in one word: injuries. He constantly shows scoring and two-way talent, but he has had multiple severe injuries and has only played 60-plus games three times in his nine-year career. This has caused his career-high in points to be just 37, which was his rookie season of 2015-16 with the St. Louis Blues.
A Fabbri reunion seems highly unlikely as general manager Steve Yzerman seemed to signal he had moved on from the constant injuries when he traded the forward last offseason. Fabbri did not quiet any concerns in 2024-25 either, playing just 44 games and having only 16 points.
The only way Fabbri returns to Hockeytown is if Yzerman strikes out on other forward options, and/or the price of Fabbri is too good to pass up.
Jon Merrill
It is hard to believe that Merrill played just 36 games for the Red Wings because of his popularity and impact on and off the ice.
Spending the first half of the 2020-21 season in Detroit before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens, Merrill provided strong defense and positive vibes to one of the worst Wings teams in history.
The University of Michigan alum has maintained his status as the ultimate glue guy over his past four seasons with the Wild and continued to be strong in his own zone. Merrill’s career-high of 20 points shows he does not offer a lot offensively, but he makes up for it by excelling in every other area.
While he will not be a game-changer for the Wings by any means, Merrill would be a significant upgrade from Justin Holl, Jeff Petry, and Erik Gustafsson on the back end. He would also likely come in cheaper than any of those players.
Most importantly, it became clear last year that the Red Wings locker room lacked some leadership and positivity, especially when the team hit a rough stretch. Merrill would immediately help fix these issues and bring life to an at-times lifeless Detroit locker room.
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