The Detroit Red Wings enter the offseason looking to add pieces to get them over the hump and into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
However, such changes will require some sacrifice, namely, moving on from underperforming players in favor of others who can push the Red Wings into the Eastern Conference playoff conversation.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three Detroit Red Wings forwards who may not survive the 2025 offseason.
Andrew Copp
Andrew Copp was largely a depth forward for the Red Wings this season. He played a solid role in the team’s middle six but wasn’t quite as influential as the club would have hoped.
He produced 10 goals and 23 points in 56 this year, making his production underwhelming. While Copp wasn’t expected to register one hundred points this season, the team hoped, at least, he could come closer to 20 goals and 40 points.
Copp’s production seems disappointing, considering he’s got two more years on his contract at $5.63 million per season. As a result, the Red Wings may be looking to move on from Copp and utilize his cap space to attract another middle-six forward who can deliver more of an offensive upside.
J.T. Compher
J.T. Compher joined the Red Wings after a successful stint with the Colorado Avalanche that saw him win a Stanley Cup there. The team hoped he could bring his leadership qualities to a growing team that needed veteran guidance.
While Compher has delivered on those intangibles, his production has declined since joining the team. In his last year in Colorado, Compher scored 17 goals and 52 points in 82 games. He followed that up with 19 goals and 48 points in his first year in Detroit.
This season, Compher notched just 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games. His declining production is concerning, particularly as he’s got three more years at $5.1 million per season.
The Detroit Red Wings may consider moving on from Compher to better allocate that cap space to re-sign RFAs like Elmer Soderblom, Jonatan Berggren, and Albert Johansson.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Vladimir Tarasenko has been a giant elephant in the room this season. The hope was that Tarasenko could boost the Red Wings top six, potentially climbing into the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
However, Tarasenko’s first year in Motown was disappointing, to say the least. He scored just 11 goals in 80 games, making his $4.75 million cap hit look expensive.
Tarasenko has one more year left on his contract. That situation could motivate the Red Wings to keep him for one more season and then let him walk in free agency. But it remains to be seen if the Wings will be patient enough to pay over $4 million for 10 goals or so.
As such, Tarasenko could be a cap casualty. The Red Wings have other concerns to address and roughly $70 million committed for next season. However, that does not include pending RFAs and other positional needs that may warrant additional contracts.
Red Wings fans should expect a relatively eventful offseason as the club looks to reconfigure its lineup ahead of next season.