The 2017 NHL Entry Draft might be the worst draft in Detroit Red Wings history.
Then-general manager Ken Holland had 11 picks in the draft. Two of those 11 picks made the NHL. The two that made the cut - Michael Rasmussen and Gustav Lindstrom - played a combined 628 games between the two of them.
Now, nearly a decade later, Lindstrom is out of the NHL. 454 of those 628 games belong to Michael Rasmsusen. In that time, he's gone from a promising net-front presence to the single most frustrating player on the Red Wings.
Two seasons ago, it seemed like Rasmussen was on the upswing. He celebrated a career-high 33 points in 75 games and earned himself a four-year contract extension. Now, in 2026, Rasmussen looks to be a prime candidate for a contract buyout.
What in the world happened?
Rasmussen hasn't lived up to his draft status
Rasmussen, a former top-10 pick, is the poster child of wasted potential. After earning a nice extension, the center's play fell off a cliff.
Season | Goals | Points | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|
2023-24 | 13 | 33 | 15:11 |
2024-25 | 11 | 21 | 13:25 |
2025-26 | 6 | 14 | 12:39 |
His production last season - 14 points in 64 games - is his lowest point pace in his career. At this point, it seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Rasmussen isn't getting key minutes, which is impacting his production, thus justifying his lack of key minutes.
The most frustrating part about Rasmussen is that he's been given every opportunity possible to succeed. Throughout his career, the team has deployed him up and down the lineup, on wing and at center, giving him any chance he needs to thrive. He has thus far squandered any opportunity that he otherwise had to make a name for himself on the lineup.
Now, Rasmussen is deployed as a checking winger on the fourth line alongside J.T. Compher and James van Riemsdyk. The entire bottom-six is a mess and part of that blame falls upon Rasmussen for his lack of effort.
Red Wings left with difficult choice
With that said, what's to be done with Rasmussen? There appear to be three options available for the team. They can either play out his contract and hope he bounces back from his abysmal season, seek a trade with another team or they can buy out his contract. The first option is the most likely. The second - a trade - seems difficult, as Rasmussen's value is at the lowest in his career.
The third, however, is the most intriguing.
Rasmussen's buyout hit comes in at $766,667 per season for four years. This would be a seamless replacement of the Justin Abdelkader buyout, which comes off the books at the start of next season. While it would be frustrating to continue paying a player to not play for the Red Wings, at this point, it's hard to see what Rasmussen brings to the table.
He isn't an aggressive forechecker. He doesn't offer much other than low-event hockey. The team's offense craters whenever he's on the ice. He isn't physical or gritty or even speedy. He is, in the words of head coach Todd McLellan, a "jersey" on the ice.
Rasmussen is probably a great guy off the ice. He's just not a good hockey player for the Red Wings. At this point, the breakup between the two parties is long overdue.
Final Grade: F
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