With the 2025 NHL Draft now in the rear-view mirror, all attention shifts to the free agency period.
Red Wings 2025 NHL Draft Recap
NHL free agency will officially open Tuesday, July 1 (tomorrow) at noon. We all know the Red Wings are in need of a lot. Steve Yzerman shored up his goaltending with the John Gibson trade during the 2025 NHL Draft, so that’s an area of need that has been addressed for now. Detroit is still looking for impact players on both defense and offense. It’s widely believed that Yzerman is looking for trade partners to check off some boxes on his offseason “to do” list.
As always, nothing is official until deals are announced. We could get some trades today — the most recent was Nashville acquiring defenseman Nicolas Hague from Vegas in exchange for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons. Hague has signed a four-year contract with the Preds at $5.5 million AAV. Vegas is clearing up cap space, as they are making an aggressive push for star forward Mitch Marner.
The Red Wings could get a deal done with Patrick Kane as soon as today and avoid him hitting the open market. Yzerman also has Albert Johansson, Jonatan Berggren and Elmer Soderblom unsigned, all three are RFA. Qualifying offers will need to be done today. Detroit has approximately $18.4 million in cap space as of right now.
Vladislav Gavrikov is a free agent name out there that could be a fit for Detroit, though it’s believed the Rangers are making a heavy push for the Russian defender. Speaking of the Rangers, there’s still a chance that defenseman K’andre Miller gets traded, and Detroit would be a good landing spot for him. Nothing more than speculation and rumor at this point.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings have announced all the details for the 2025 Prospect Development Camp. That starts today and will go through Thursday at the BELFOR Training Center at Little Caesars Arena.
Development Camp Schedule and Details
Gonna be a busy week, and one that includes a holiday! We’ll do our best to bring you the latest happenings.
