3 free agents the Red Wings can sign away from Utah in 2024 NHL free agency
The Detroit Red Wings have 31 other teams to sign away pending unrestricted free agents from, and even Utah has some talent.
There is no shortage of quality free agents hitting the market when NHL free agency begins in July, so Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman must look hard into those from each individual team to see if they can help his group finally return to the playoffs. It doesn’t have to be a free agent class full of game-changers, and it’s something the Utah team offers.
The three players listed in this slideshow are not those you would think of providing value to the Wings since they are primarily bottom-pairing assets on the blue line or lower-liners. But that doesn’t mean they contain no value, as you are about to discover.
Two are even part-timers, but when the Arizona Coyotes listed them on the lineup card this year, they proved their worth, especially the first player mentioned. The second player discussed is more of a consolation prize, but Player No. 3 would make for the ultimate value investment.
Josh Brown, D
The Red Wings can use defense, and Josh Brown would be a sneaky good talent. I initially ran the idea of Brown factoring in as a potentially good fit in a previous article, but today, I want to dive into further detail regarding the blueliner.
Brown isn’t a big scorer, recording just 10 points and three goals, but he’s clearing the net, blocking shots, and generally making the goaltender’s job easier, even in Arizona. If the Wings had a no-frills, part-time defenseman like Brown this past season, they would have snuck past the Washington Capitals for that last playoff spot.
In free agency, there will be several players out there with the same ability as Brown, and they will likely have more upside and could even log more ice time and serve as full-time starters. But Brown would make a great consolation as he can give the Wings more than a half-season on the bottom-pairing and short-handed minutes.
Despite his poor possession quality at even strength, Brown was on the ice for more goals for than allowed, and his on-ice goals for of 36 sat 11 higher than his xGF. Overall, Brown wouldn’t cost much to bring in, and he is a very underrated blueliner.
Travis Dermott, D
If Josh Brown wasn’t available, the Red Wings could also roll with someone like Travis Dermott, who put together a respectable but not as solid of a 2023-24 season as Brown. Dermott still gave the team formerly known as the Coyotes more than one block and one hit per game, so he’s a physical, fearless player who would also have the potential to keep the net clear.
Like Brown, Dermott is a part-timer who saw action in 50 games this season, but he registered more ice time at 17:17 per contest and put up two goals and seven points in the process. Also, like Brown, Dermott skated on the penalty kill, but his overall results weren’t as encouraging, with an on-ice goals allowed rate of 22 and an on-ice save percentage of 83.5.
He was also on the ice for just 22 goals for at even strength, while the Coyotes allowed 37 in the same situation. His possession quality wasn’t as bad as Brown’s, but when you look at actual advanced statistics, Brown performed better.
Dermott’s xGF at even strength sat at 27.7 in 2023-24, and his xGA was 33.9. While the numbers speak for themselves, Dermott would still make a serviceable consolation in free agency behind Brown if the Wings needed one more blueliner and happened to see him available from Utah’s roster.
Liam O’Brien, F
No, we aren’t listing a trio of blueliners, but Liam O’Brien is a good, physical forward who would serve as a glue guy if the Wings needed one. Like Josh Brown and Travis Dermott, O’Brien isn’t a points producer, and his 6.8 shooting percentage over his past three seasons in the desert mirrors that of some defensemen, but few in this season’s free agency class will bring home such an intimidation factor.
O’Brien compiled 373 penalty minutes in his previous 170 games, so the Red Wings would get someone looking to stand up for star players if anyone tries to bait them into a skirmish. With 571 hits in that same frame, O’Brien is finishing roughly 3.35 body checks per outing.
No, he doesn’t bring much more than a hard-hitting mentality, and he’s rarely pitching in on special teams. But depending on which voids Steve Yzerman must fill this offseason, O’Brien will bring immense value when the playoff race heats up starting in the second half of the season.
More like Brown than Dermott, O’Brien would also help in the defensive zone, evidenced by his on-ice save percentage of 92.3 and 1:1 goals for to goals allowed ratio, all at even strength. His possession quality sat at minus-3, but with 27 goals for and allowed when on the ice, he outplayed his xGF of 26.1 and xGA of 29.1.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)