There aren’t many free agent defencemen in their mid-to-late twenties who’d bring much value to the Detroit Red Wings defensive rotation. But the Red Wings group of defencemen need a younger name with some edge who’s not named Moritz Seider. While the 2026 free agent class lacks true game-changers, there are three players Steve Yzerman would be smart to target.
3 Defencemen Who Would Bolster the Red Wings Defensive Rotation
Credit Image: © Kirthmon F. Dozier,/Detroit Free Press via ZUMA Press Wire
All three blueliners listed below would play a different role on the Wings if they landed in Detroit. Obviously, Yzerman couldn’t sign all of them. But the point is, each would fill a pressing need. That could be an experienced name in the top four, someone to fill a fifth or sixth spot, or even a sturdy seventh defenceman.
1 – Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks
Before the 2026 trade deadline, Max Bultman of the Athletic noted the need for a top-four defenceman in Detroit. While Steve Yzerman acquired Justin Faulk, he was up and down during his limited sample size with the Red Wings. Faulk will also be in his age-34 season in 2026-27, so Yzerman may go with a younger talent still firmly entrenched in his prime while Faulk could slowly cede second-pairing minutes.
Mario Ferrero grew up with the San Jose Sharks, and it’d be a shocker if general manager Mike Grier didn’t try to extend him. Until he signs the dotted line, there’s a chance he’ll play in another uniform in 2026-27. Ferraro would cost some money, but he’s in the thick of his prime heading into his age-28 season, and he’s transformed into one of the game’s most reliable high-impact defencemen.
Few are more willing to sacrifice the body than Ferraro. He’s landed at least 125 blocked shots since the 2021-22 season, and has logged triple digits in body checks since 2019-20. He’s recorded over 1,300 minutes on the penalty kill throughout his time in San Jose, and Ferraro is comfortable taking most of his starts in the defensive zone.
Ferraro would come to town with a chip on his shoulder. Like the Red Wings, he knows what it’s like to play for a team that’s facing a long Stanley Cup Playoff drought. Given his edge and added motivation he’d attain to push a historically good franchise like the Red Wings over the top, few blueliners in the free agent class would benefit the Wings more than Ferraro.
2 – Andrew Peeke, Boston Bruins
Andrew Peeke has shown he can handle bottom-end second-pairing or high-end third-pairing minutes. In Detroit, his ideal role would be in the third pairing. Like Mario Ferraro, Peeke is also starving to make a few playoff runs, having appeared in just 12 postseason matchups.
If he landed in the Red Wings defensive rotation, Peeke would have two primary jobs, land body checks and get in front of pucks. Peeke would end up on the shortlist if Steve Yzerman looked to bolster the lower end of his defensive rotation with a reliable veteran.
His 47.4 Corsi For percentage was his highest since 2019-20, when he appeared in 22 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’d also help fix what’s still a leaky penalty-kill unit in Hockeytown, having seen nearly 183 minutes at 4-on-5 with the Bruins in 2025-26.
3 – Logan Stanley, Buffalo Sabres
In March, Ansar Khan of MLive listed Logan Stanley as a potential trade piece for the Wings. Khan wrote, “Even though he shoots left, this 6’7″ defender experiencing his best season might be the Red Wings’ most realistic trade target. He’ll be moved if the Jets can’t re-sign him this week.” If Stanley tests the free agent market following his playoff run with the Buffalo Sabres, Yzerman could very well bring him in.
Few players in the NHL boast a physical presence like Stanley. His tall 231-lb frame would be an excellent consolation to the recently-departed Elmer Soderblom, who’s now with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Unlike Soderblom, who played primarily lower-line minutes with the Wings forwards, Stanley would likely factor in as a seventh defenceman. He’d bring an extra edge to the Wings if they faced off against a more physical opponent. In short, he would fill a role Travis Hamonic performed horribly in with the Red Wings.
Not only is Stanley yet another blueliner on this list who can land hits and block shots, he can have a sneaky-good presence in the offensive zone. Stanley ended the season with an 11.1 on-ice shooting percentage at even strength. During his 17-game sample size with the Sabres, Stanley even posted a Corsi For of 51.4 despite just 34.1 percent of his faceoffs occurring in the offensive zone.
Like those hidden gems the Red Wings could sign at forward, they don’t need to add a bona fide star to the defensive rotation. Not like this free agency class has many, anyway. Still, there’s enough talent here to solve that major issue of grit the Red Wings defensive rotation and their forward group didn’t have last season.
Main Photo Credit: Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
