Detroit Red Wings Roster Projection

The Detroit Red Wings finished the 2024-25 NHL season in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with 86 points. The team improved its roster in free agency by acquiring goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks on the eve of free agency. Goaltender Petr Mrazek and two draft picks went to the Ducks in the deal. General manager of the Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, said during his post-free agency press conference that the team would look to improve via trade. This is despite the Red Wings having over $12 million in cap space.

Gibson will be the number one goalie for the Red Wings alongside veteran Cam Talbot. In 29 games played for the Ducks during the 2024-25 season, Gibson had a record of 11-11-2 with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage. The Red Wings continue to wait for the number of goalies that they have drafted to make their way to the big club. 2021 NHL draft pick Sebastian Cossa had a record of 21-15-6 in 41 games for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League with a 2.45 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.

The Red Wings did not get to meet with free agents such as Mitch Marner before the start of free agency, despite having an interest in doing so. I previously wrote that signing a player such as Marner would have answered the main question regarding the team’s lineup, that being, where does scoring come from moving forward? The Red Wings finished the 2024-25 season with 235 goals scored, which was the 22^nd most in the NHL.

James van Riemsdyk was signed by the Red Wings to a one-year, $1 million contract to make the team more difficult to play against. This is something that the Red Wings have struggled with in recent years. At 36 years old, van Riemsdyk will bring leadership to the Red Wings’ top six. Beyond that, van Riemsdyk will be a net-front presence that the Red Wings have been lacking. Over the last three seasons, van Riemsdyk has scored 39 goals, 33 of them coming in the slot.

“‘JVR’ is a bigger body who scored 19 goals last year and 18 or 19 in each of the last couple of seasons,” Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said Thursday. “He gives us a lot of flexibility up and down the lineup. If you check his usage in Columbus, that’s exactly what they did; he played up on the first line at times and moved up and down. He’s also a useful guy on the power play.” In 71 games played for the Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season, van Riemsdyk scored 16 goals and added 20 assists.

Defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker is another defenseman who will add grit to the Red Wings’ defense corps. Bernard-Docker signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings and will earn less than $1 million for the 2024-25 season. In 15 games played for the Buffalo Sabres, Bernard-Docker scored one goal and added three assists. Bernard-Docker was drafted by the Ottawa Senators with the 26^th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

The 2025-26 NHL season will begin on October 7th. The Detroit Red Wings have not made the Stanley Cup playoffs in 15 seasons. In that time, the Ken Holland general manager era started the rebuilding of the roster in earnest. I am writing this at the beginning of July, and the Red Wings roster can change in the months until the next NHL season begins. With that in mind, this is how I see the Red Wings’ roster as it stands today.

ITR 46: Offseason Chaos – Inside The Rink

Join Chris & Conrad as they get you up-to-date on NHL Free Agency and the trade bonanza!

1. ITR 46: Offseason Chaos 24:53
2. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening 37:46
3. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again 56:17
4. ITR 43: It's Winning Time 39:10
5. ITR 42: Ripe For Repeat? 29:05