By this time last year, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman already had his end-of-free agency press conference. This time around, it's been radio silence, save for a brief chat with the press at the end of Day 1.
The question, then, is simple: what gives?
What does Steve Yzerman have in the works right now? There are certainly quite a few free agents the Red Wings can still add to the roster, but it's clear that Yzerman is waiting on something. Some believe it to be a pending Dylan Larkin trade, while others wonder if it has anything to do with a certain unrestricted free agent that the Red Wings could keep around through 2026-27.
Red Wings waiting on the fate of Patrick Kane
The biggest name on Yzerman's to-do list, besides the obvious one, is unrestricted free agent Patrick Kane. This is the longest time Kane's taken since joining the Red Wings to sign an extension. Some NHL insiders believe the Red Wings are already out of the running on the Kane sweepstakes, while others believe the American legend is still weighing his options.
Fortunately, it appears as if Yzerman has a contingency plan with the potential departure of Kane, replicating his scoring in the aggregate with newly-signed Viktor Arvidsson and young forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. Whether that result comes in as a roaring success or unremarkable flop will depend on how the team performs overall, but it's clear Yzerman isn't afraid to move on if he has to.
That said, the lack of communication from the Yzerman camp suggests that they're still trying to iron out a contract with Kane. Could the star winger be on the hunt for more term with his next deal? While it's true that he ended the season fifth in scoring among all Red Wings players, his defensive deficiencies and occasional boneheaded plays hurt the team at quite a few intervals.
There's also the elephant in the room that Yzerman still has to fully address:
Dylan Larkin trade will affect direction of franchise
The fate of Dylan Larkin is the biggest determining factor on where the Red Wings go from here. If they receive immediate NHL help, they'll be back in the race for the playoffs just like they were last season. If they acquire future assets, there's a chance they consider trading players like Alex DeBrincat and Justin Faulk.
Will the Red Wings retool, rebuild or focus on immediate contention? It's hard to say without a definitive picture on Larkin's return. That said, if a deal isn't done by the time the press conference happens, it's likely everyone gets more clarity on the situation from Yzerman and co.
If Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press is right and Larkin refuses to budge on his small trade list, there's even a chance Larkin plays on the opening night roster.
In two-plus months since requesting trade from Red Wings, Dylan Larkin has not expanded his list (he has no-trade clause) from Florida, Minnesota, Vegas. No offers from those teams have intrigued Wings. They want value-now players for a 1C with very favorable contract.
July 7, 2026FollowAdd us as a preferred source on Google