The Detroit Red Wings are sitting pretty to begin the 2025-26 season. After embarrassingly dropping their season opener to the Montreal Canadiens, they have won five straight games. Emmitt Finnie and Axel Sandin-Pellikka have solidified their place as essential pieces of the Red Wings roster puzzle.
However, you can never have too much depth. The Red Wings know this, as reports indicate their desire to move on from at least one forward and several defenders. Regardless of what is happening with those players, a new rumor has surfaced regarding a player of interest to them. That player is Mattias Janmark of the Edmonton Oilers.
Red Wings Linked to Speedy, Gritty, Swedish Forward
Eklund of HockeyBuzz has linked the Swedish winger to the team that (seemingly) loves Swedish players more than most, the Red Wings. In a recent article, Eklund revealed what he knows about the connection.
“They (Red Wings) have looked very strong early, but remain thin down the middle behind Dylan Larkin,” Eklund wrote on October 21st. “And they’ve always had a soft spot for hard-nosed Swedish players.”
“Tonight, an Edmonton source informed me there have been talks — very recent talks, in fact.”
Janmark, 32, was initially drafted 79th overall in 2013 by the Red Wings. The 6-foot-2, 205 lb forward never played for the team, despite being drafted by them. Janmark played for the Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, and Vegas Golden Knights before joining the Oilers.
Oilers Looking to Move Mattias Janmark?
GettyMattias Janmark
Since the beginning of August, reports of the Oilers seeking to move Janmark have been circulating. Oilers Now host and insider Bob Stauffer has more than hinted at the veteran winger being a cap casualty for the team.
“I think there’s one or two contracts they could move. We’ll see,” Stauffer said during the August 7th episode. “People ask me about Janmark. I think Janmark’s a useful player. Henrique’s got a no movement clause, so (that’s) probably not happening.”
“I just could foresee a scenario that when push comes to shove, in a perfect world, the Oilers accrued (cap space) during the season, and then add a useful top nine forward, a little bit of size.”
If there is a deal to be made between the Red Wings and the Oilers, it likely won’t include a top-nine forward with size, as Stauffer alludes to. With Detroit coming out of the gate with a strong start, there is no reason to make that kind of deal with them.
However, Janmark has an incredibly manageable cap hit of $1.45 million for this season and next.
Does Janmark Make Sense for the Red Wings?
GettyNew rumor links Detroit Red Wings to an Oilers player.
When it comes to centers, Dylan Larkin and Marco Kasper are doing very well as the one-two punch. However, things get less certain with the bottom of their lineup.
They currently have JT Compher and Andrew Copp as the third and fourth-line centers. Last season, Janmark spent a good chunk of time as the fourth-line center for the Oilers.
In the very least, he’s a speedy, gritty forward who fits the mold of a bottom-six forward much better than Jonatan Berggren. If there is actual interest, it would open the door for the Red Wings to send out Copp or Compher as part of a trade to acquire a top-six forward upgrade.
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