Welcome to NHL Rumours and the Detroit Red Wings offseason needs are aplenty, and there’s one major need that will immediately bring about improvement for the on-ice product. Detroit must find a top-line left winger and stop this issue from being a revolving door. While a current name like Alex DeBrincat can fill the void, he’s best suited for the second line alongside Patrick Kane, who expressed his interest in returning.
NHL Rumours and Detroit Red Wings Must Find a Top-Line Winger in Offseason
Rumour: Max Bultman touched on this in a recent offseason checklist. Bultman wrote that it’s “worthwhile to search for a proven answer on the top line next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, or, at a minimum, a flier on a player who has the potential to become one.”
Analysis: For a team that’s looking to stop collapsing so often in March, finding a top-line left winger is non-negotiable. General manager Steve Yzerman is also well aware that inconsistent scoring and lack of production at 5-on-5 were major issues for the Red Wings.
Credit Image: © Anthony Nesmith/Cal Sport Media
How bad did it get for the Red Wings at 5-on-5? Detroit scored on a shooting percentage of just 7.5 and put up just 143 goals. Compared to the rest of the NHL, the Red Wings’ shooting percentage at 5-on-5 was 1.2 percent lower, and their actual goals scored rested at 25 below the league average.
They scored just 43 times on high-danger chances, converting 6.5 percent of those chances into goals. Compare those numbers with the other 31 teams, and the Wings sat 17 goals and 2.3 percent below the rest of the NHL. If they can keep DeBrincat on the second line, re-sign Patrick Kane, and acquire a first-line left winger, those awful numbers won’t look as bad.
Steve Yzerman opens his Red Wings season-ending press conference addressing what this team needs to do to improve.
“The most obvious would be need better players. We need to improve in particular areas, goal scoring, particularly five-on-five,” he said.
Yzerman said it’s on… pic.twitter.com/SzV797apG8
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) April 23, 2026
One Major Roadblock is Haunting the Red Wings
Unfortunately for the Red Wings, they won’t fill that void in free agency. The available left wingers are either too old to be part of the long-term plan, or they’re restricted free agents. Jason Robertson, for example, would only come to Detroit via a blockbuster trade. He’s one option the Wings must consider, but Yzerman has to understand that he will lose an NHL-ready prospect and another first-round pick.
Alexis Lafreniere is another one who could get moved. Lafreniere has finished his age-24 season, and will have one more year before a modified no-trade clause kicks in. He also carries a team-friendly cap hit of just $7.45 million and is signed through 2031-32. Like Robertson, Lafreniere will come at a steep price, but his age, the modest salary and contract length could sway Yzerman.
Elias Pettersson is currently with a Vancouver Canucks team that could end up rebuilding from scratch. They traded away several key assets, fired Patrik Allvin, and have the best odds to land the top pick and draft Gavin McKenna. Pettersson could be the priciest name on this list, both in a trade package and his $11.6 million cap hit. He could be risky since his production hasn’t been the same since 2023-24. Still, a change in scenery to a team that has a few cornerstones could revitalize his career.
Red Wings Can’t Afford to Promote a Prospect to the Top Line
Emmitt Finnie saw a lot of time playing alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond this season. But his high-energy play, so-so production, and love for landing body checks makes him a better lower-liner than first-line winger. Finnie is a great “next man up” if injuries strike. Yet if the Wings want a battle-tested, proven left winger, they won’t roll with Finnie come October.
Other potential prospects include Michael Brandsegg-Nygard while Carter Bear and Eddie Genborg could factor in as dark horses. Still, Finnie, two years removed from his draft year, gave the Wings 30 points. Not a bad number, but neither Brandsegg-Nygard, Bear, nor Genborg are surefire talents to skate with Larkin and Raymond on the first line. Putting them there is a massive risk.
Therefore, the only logical option is for Steve Yzerman to part ways with a big-name prospect, another early draft pick, and even a player who could use a change of scenery. Someone like J.T. Compher or Michael Rasmussen.
If Yzerman concedes and makes that trade, the Red Wings outlook will point further north than it has in years. Then, he can start working on that bottom six. We’ll see if Yzerman buckles down and makes a big move this summer.
Main Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
