The Red Wings appear to be buying out the remainder of Frans Nielsen’s contract. Detroit gained an additional buyout window after the Adam Erne signing; they utilized this timeframe to buy out the last year of Nielsen’s contract. Frans Nielsen will join Justin Abdelkader on the buyout list through 2022-23.
With the #Red Wings settling their Arb case with Adam Erne 4 days ago, the club had access to a second buyout window.
As a result, Detroit has opted to buyout 37 year old forward Frans Nielsen.
Buyout Breakdown:
2021-22: $4,250,000
2022-23: $500,000https://t.co/PuBFpDdokW pic.twitter.com/vuFFa24fUe— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) August 19, 2021
Nielsen was originally signed in the 2015-16 offseason to a six-year, $31.5M contract. He played for the New York Islanders from 2006-2015 before testing the free agency market with the Red Wings. His buyout will carry through the 2022-23 season with a $4.5M cap hit in 2021-22 and a $500K hit in 2022-23.
Nielsen played 319 games with the Red Wings, amassing 48 goals and 124 points. Last season, he played just 29 games for the Red Wings, delivering six points on the season.
At 37 years of age, Nielsen’s presence as a defensively-oriented depth veteran may offer an enticing budget signing to a team. Ultimately, it will all depend on what the two-way center decides to do from here.
