Key departures
Petr Mrazek, G: Traded to the Ducks for Gibson. Mrazek's second stint with the Red Wings was limited to five games late in the season after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on March 7, but his .902 save percentage led the team's five goaltenders. … Jeff Petry, D: Signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers on July 1. He had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 44 games last season. … Alex Lyon, G: Signed a two-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres on July 1. Lyon started 69 games over the past two seasons with Detroit, going 35-27-6 with a 2.96 GAA and .901 save percentage. However, with Gibson and Talbot in place and prospects like Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine on the way, Lyon was expendable.
On the cusp
Nate Danielson, F: Detroit's first-round pick (No. 9) in the 2023 NHL Draft, Danielson got off to a slow start in his first full AHL season. He finished with 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games with Grand Rapids, and had a goal in three playoff games. He's expected to start the season in the AHL, but he could be one of the first forwards recalled. … Axel Sandin-Pellikka, D: Another first-round pick (No. 17) from 2023, Sandin-Pellikka turned 20 in March, but he has already played 107 games in the Swedish Hockey League, the highest professional league in the country, and has 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists). He helped Skelleftea AIK to a championship in 2024 and needs more experience on North American ice, but Sandin-Pellikka is considered Detroit's best defenseman prospect. … Carter Mazur, F: A third-round pick (No. 70) in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Red Wings thought Mazur was ready for the NHL last season. Unfortunately, his March 6 debut ended after two shifts when he dislocated his elbow. He's healthy again and will compete for a spot in the bottom six.
What they still need
A first-line forward. Van Riemsdyk isn't at the level the Red Wings need to play alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the top line. They could move Marco Kasper back to that spot, but that would mean needing a second-line center to play between Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat On defense, Detroit would like to find someone more experienced to play alongside Simon Edvinsson on the second pair. Albert Johansson was impressive as a rookie, but playing there could be asking too much.
They said it
"A lot of guys we were hoping to talk to either signed -- or got traded in the case of Mitch Marner -- before July 1. There's not much you can do about that. Everyone has cap space now, so there just weren't as many high-end free agents available this year. That means we're going to have to take a step forward internally." -- general manager Steve Yzerman
EDGE stat to watch
The Red Wings were tied for fourth in midrange goals (88) last season and had two of the top 10 players in the category: Raymond was tied for fourth (17), and DeBrincat was tied for ninth (15). Detroit was tied with the Vegas Golden Knights for the NHL lead in power-play percentage (30.2 percent) from the time of their coaching change (hired Todd McLellan on Dec. 26) through the end of the season, and DeBrincat was tied with Larkin for the Red Wings lead in power-play goals (13) last season. Raymond's success was driven by his strong offensive time percentage (45.6 percent; 89th percentile), particularly on the power play (64.9 percent; 97th percentile). -- Chris Meaney
