Team: 2020-21 Detroit Red Wings

Initial Creation Date: Jun. 22, 2020

Published: Jul. 4, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Detroit might be the biggest loser of the recent draft. Instead of having the biggest chance of getting a generational talent they fall 3 position only to get 4th overall. The good news is that this draft is depth but the player they'll get won't help them right away. Here is what I would do I was in Yzerman shoes.

First with the 4th overall draft I would choose Rossi. On previous agm's I've said Lafreniere, Byfield and Stuztle would already be picked, so Detroit will take the best player. I could be wrong though as Yzerman has proved he can surprise people just like last year when he took Seider. It's hard to go against him, maybe he knows a thing or two about players that make him do his choice, but I think Rossi is going to Detroit.

Next up the rfa. Mantha, Bertuzzi, Fabbri are locks to get extansion except if Yzerman receives a offer he can't refuse so the first two signs long term contract. For Fabbri I think the best option would be a bridge contract. He got a good bounce-back season last year but it's his first good season where he didn't got a major injury. The best thing would be to play it safe, a short contract take will take him to ufa and see where it takes it.

For the ufa I don't think many players will go to Detroit since they're in full rebuild and I expect this team to still finish in the bottom of the standings next season. One move they could make would be to add another goaltender. Howard will walk and Bernier did a good job considering the defense in front of him, but they could add another fridge starter to make a 1a-1b tandem. They choice would be Talbot why? I remember a article where he said he thinks he still could be a #1 goaltender. The best teams already got a goaltender in place and what better team then Detroit to prove if he's right or wrong. The only player they could consider signing if he becomes available is Krug. He's from Michigan and grew up as a Wings fan. However I don't think Boston let him go that easily, but if that's the case Detroit should be all over him.

I don't think they make any major trade as they'll likely hope for improvment from within the team. One full season of Mantha, Zadina will be a full time nhler, the arrival of Seider and better goaltending from Talbot instead of Howard and this team will be better then last year (it won't be too hard). Yzerman said he wouldn't trade picks for a short time solution and that's the way I also see things. The only way I would trade it would be for a young player that adresses the needs. If not just keeps your picks and let your players develop.