The Detroit Red Wings have several needs this offseason, but upgrading their forward group is one of them.
Detroit needs to find more scoring and just add more depth to its roster. NHL analyst Todd Matthews of Octopus Thrower of FanSided urges the Red Wings to make a move on Kaapo Kakko of the Seattle Kraken.
“The Kraken can’t mess up rebuilding their core, so they may look to trade Kakko’s signing rights if they don’t feel he can repeat,” Matthews wrote. “Enter Steve Yzerman, who should pull off an easy trade for Kakko. Plus, Detroit’s top six is pretty much ready to roll next season, meaning Kakko is likely a 13-14-minute player should he end up in Hockeytown.
“Replacing Jonatan Berggren with Kakko would allow the Wings to sign the winger at a lower rate, and put him on a bridge deal,” Matthews added. “Should Kakko prove he can finally be a consistent player in this league, then he’ll get a true extension.”
Kakko would be a top-six forward with the Red Wings as he looked to revive his career with the Kraken. Kakko was selected second overall in the 2019 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers, but he struggled to produce.
After being traded to the Kraken midseason, Kakko recorded 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 49 games with Seattle. He would be a logical replacement for Berggren, as Matthews writes, and could play on Detroit’s top line with Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin.
Kraken Hopeful to Re-Sign Pending RFA Kakko
Kakko fit in nicely with the Kraken, but is an RFA and could be at risk of an offer sheet.
However, during the season, Ron Francis, who is now the Kraken’s President of Hockey Operations, says the goal is to re-sign Kakko.
“We’ll get a deal done with him after the season,” Francis said of Kakko.
Kakko, meanwhile, said after the season he hadn’t thought about his contract. Instead, he says his focus was playing games and making sure he fit in well with the Kraken after being traded.
“I’ve just been playing and thinking about the games,” Kakko said at locker clean-out day. “Those things can come during the summer.”
Kakko has skated in 379 career games, recording 71 goals and 90 assists for 161 points in his NHL career.
Red Wings Have Clear Need in Offseason
Detroit enters the offseason with a clear need to add skill to its forward group.
The Red Wings struggled to score at times, and Detroit could upgrade its forward group. NHL insider Max Bultman of The Athletic says the Red Wings’ top need is upgrading their top-six.
“The Red Wings came close to snapping that streak in each of the last two seasons but ultimately came up just short,” Bultman wrote. “Now, they enter this offseason with some clearly defined needs to make a better run at it in 2025-26. Detroit needs a top-six winger. Ideally, a top-four defenseman, and some more heaviness as they look to get harder to play against. If they can add the right depth forward to create a better-defined identity in their bottom six, all the better.”
Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs in nine years, as the Red Wings will be aggressive this offseason.
Detroit enters the offseason with just over $21.3 million in cap space.
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