The Detroit Red Wings were among the teams interested in landing Nikolaj Ehlers this offseason. However, the Wings never really had a shot at landing him.
According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the Red Wings wanted to bring Ehlers into the fold but didn’t have much of a chance. Friedman discussed this situation in the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, published on July 6.
In the podcast, he referred to Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman, stating:
“As Yzerman said, I don’t think Ehlers was a realistic option, I don’t think that was ever going to happen.”
Ehlers ended up signing with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes gave Ehlers a six-year, $51 million deal. That was enough to land the former Winnipeg Jets player in Carolina.
The Red Wings missed out on all of the big-ticket free agents this summer. Brock Boeser ended up re-signing with the Vancouver Canucks and Mitch Marner was part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.
That left the Wings looking for alternatives. As Friedman pointed out, the Red Wings would have to draw from the trade market to find the players they need. That’s what Yzerman did in landing John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks.
Beyond that, Detroit added players on cheap contracts like James van Riemsdyk, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and John Leonard. These signings have the potential to be savvy ones as the Red Wings look to compete for a playoff spot this upcoming season.
Red Wings Had Interest in Arvidsson, Marchment
Friedman also discussed the interest the Red Wings had in Viktor Arvidsson and Mason Marchment.
Firstly, Arvidsson had a connection to Todd McLellan from their days with the LA Kings. However, the Edmonton Oilers dealt Arvidsson to the Boston Bruins in a cap-clearing move.
Secondly, Mason Marchment was a desperate cap dump for the Dallas Stars. The Stars were tight up against the cap and needed to clear space to sign other players. So, Marchment was dealt to the Seattle Kraken.
Judging from Friedman’s comments, the Red Wings have been looking to beef up their scoring. But the club has come up short in landing high-profile players who could have an immediate impact.
Yzerman Has of Summer to Figure Something Out
Steve Yzerman has the rest of the summer to figure out what else may be out there for the Red Wings. The initial wave of free agents is essentially over.
But as teams begin sorting through their lineup options for next season, other players may become available.
For instance, the Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers, and Dallas Stars are all over the cap at the moment. The Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks have less than $1 million in cap space.
All of these teams could be compelled to move a player or two to remain cap compliant by the time training camp rolls around.
So, it seems that it will be a matter of playing the waiting game for Yzerman and the Red Wings. A good opportunity to land the type of player he wants could be lurking around.
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