The highest wage cap for a team in the 2024-25 season has been raised to $88 million, with a salary floor of $65 million. At the time of writing, the Detroit Red Wings have around $17.6 million in salary cap space. What do the Red Wings still need to do to prepare their roster for the 2024-25 NHL season? At some point, the “Yzerplan” must lead to a Stanley Cup playoff appearance. With the number of players who have left the Red Wings in free agency, this remains an issue.
I previously stated that the Red Wings roster for the 2024-25 NHL season would appear different. The organization most recently avoided arbitration with center Joe Veleno by agreeing to a two-year contract deal. Veleno, a 23-year-old Red Wing, has improved his scoring each season he has played for the organization. Veleno played 80 games for the Red Wings in 2023-24, scoring 12 goals and adding 16 assists.
Patrick Kane also agreed to a one-year contract for $4 million. Kane had a successful comeback season after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery on June 1, 2023. In 50 games with the Red Wings during the 2023-24 season, the 35-year-old scored 20 goals and assisted 27 times. These 20 goals were the fourth most for the Red Wings this season. Kane’s initial decision to join the Red Wings was motivated by his relationship with Alex DeBrincat. During the 2023-24 season, DeBrincat played in 82 games for the Red Wings and scored 27 goals and 40 assists.
If DeBrincat had not gone on a scoring drought near the end of the season, the Red Wings would most likely have made the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is the underlying issue with the Red Wings’ roster lately. They are more difficult to play against every night, with a concentration on playing a 200-foot game, but their high-end scoring talent has been limited. The Red Wings scored 278 goals during the 2023-24 season, ranking seventh in the league.
Players include DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and Jonatan Berggren. Berggren is a member of the Red Wings’ top-ranked prospect system and could make it to the NHL sooner rather than later. The Red Wings recently offered a qualifying offer to a 23-year-old from Uppsala, Sweden, among others. Berggren’s ability to score in the AHL might help the Red Wings return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, assuming the two sides can reach an agreement on a deal.
This isn’t the only guy signed to help the Red Wings score in the 2024-25 season. Vladimir Tarasenko agreed to a two-year contract worth $4.75 million per year. Tarasenko’s scoring has dropped considerably at 32 years old, with 23 goals and 32 assists in 76 games during the 2023-24 season. Tarasenko played for the Florida Panthers, which won the Stanley Cup in 2023-24.
“I liked the way the team played last year,” Tarasenko stated during an introductory Zoom call. “I determined with the family that this was the greatest option for us moving ahead. We are very excited about it. This is a new phase for us. We can’t wait to go to Detroit, settle in, and begin training camp. The Red Wings will begin training camp on Monday, September 25th. This is when the Red Wings’ coaching staff will decide how to fill out the rest of the roster.
The Red Wings recently issued qualifying offers to defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Raymond. These two will be the Red Wings’ franchise cornerstones in the future, should they sign contract extensions. Both players have expressed a desire to continue with the Red Wings, with Seider stating that he and another young defenseman Simon Edvinsson would be a “pretty cool pair for Red Wings fans.” At this point in his growth, Edvinsson will almost certainly join the Red Wings full-time.
