Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! The Stanley Cup Final is officially done, as the Florida Panthers captured the holy grail. That now leads us to the offseason and the fun festivities to come. The NHL Draft is Friday and the free agency frenzy is this upcoming Monday. Let the fireworks begin. With the latest rumblings, things are moving quick with the new league year approaching. Today’s rumors focus on the Detroit Red Wings.
NHL Rumours
Rumour: Pierre Lebrun discusses the Red Wings in talks with Shayne Gostisbehere on a contract extension
Things are beginning to speed up, as the offseason is officially underway. For Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings, they have had quite the start. Yzerman made a minor move with the Nashville Predators, acquiring a second round pick. Also, the team parted ways with defenceman Jake Walman. It’s been busy for the Red Wings and right as free agency approaches.
The Red Wings enter free agency with $32 million in salary cap space. Although, key contracts are coming for Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. It remains to be seen whether Patrick Kane makes a return to the Motor City, but there is a player that the club is in talks with.
The Journey So Far
The latest NHL Rumours swirl around the defence for the Red Wings. For Gostisbehere, it has been quite the journey. He was a point producing sensation with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2017-18 season, as he went on to put up 65 points. Since then it has been a mixed bag of results.
Gostisbehere is a tremendous puck over and excels in transition. The biggest impact he has is pushing the play forward and getting the puck to the playmaking forwards. He had a few down seasons, but went on to display a 51 point year with the Arizona Coyotes during the 2021-22 season. He ended up being a great anchor for the Coyotes blue line and was everything as advertised for the Carolina Hurricanes.
The last three years, Gostisbehere had eclipsed the 40 point mark. He has been the perfect offensive defenceman and a great building piece on the power play. It is exactly what made him a perfect fit for the Red Wings.
He Fits in Detroit
Given the latest Rumours in the NHL, this fits the Red Wings like a glove. Gostisbehere fits like a glove in this Red Wings lineup. His ability to produce offence and impact the game offensively is essential. During the 2023-24 season, the Red Wings finished ninth in goals for and were great at finishing their chances. As for Gostisbehere, he was part of that.
Gostisbehere finished the season fourth in points in the Red Wings (56) and led all defenceman in that regard. Also, he was a huge part of the team’s ninth best power play. He went on to score two goals but had 27 assists, which was a career high on the man advantage.
He would give the Red Wings a boost on the back end. Also, he would be a player that can play in many situations and be a complimentary piece for Seider. It was a great gamble signing him for one year and now he could see himself land a long term extension.
Main Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
