Reports: Top Talent Gutted And Frustrated At Not Making Detroit Red Wings Roster

The Detroit Red Wings will keep relying on veteran players as they aim to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in seven years. Patrick Kane, 35, wrapped up the 2023-24 NHL season with 20 goals and 27 assists in 50 games for the Red Wings, following hip resurfacing surgery. The team signed him to a one-year, $ 4 million deal in the offseason. However, it’s important to note that the younger players on the Red Wings’ roster performed well and will need to maintain that level of play.

THE SHOW GOES ON IN HOCKEYTOWN!

The #RedWings have signed Patrick Kane to a one-year contract extension. pic.twitter.com/U4mNlHc7Bm

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 1, 2024

At just 21 years old, left-winger Lucas Raymond topped the Red Wings with 72 points during the 2023-24 season, outpacing captain Dylan Larkin by three points, despite Larkin playing 68 games at age 27. The team added 26-year-old Alex DeBrincat to help share the scoring burden with Larkin. In his first year with the Red Wings, DeBrincat netted 27 goals and contributed 40 assists over 82 games. Had he not experienced a seven-game goal drought, it’s possible the Red Wings could have made the playoffs.

DeBrincat wasn’t the only player facing challenges during the 2023-24 season after moving from the Chicago Blackhawks. Young forward Jonatan Berggren expressed his frustration over limited NHL playing time in an interview with Swedish site HockeyNews.se. This frustration is understandable, given that Berggren has worked hard to demonstrate why the Red Wings selected him 33rd overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.

“Of course I’m disappointed,” he stated. “Everyone wants to play in the NHL. I felt I contributed when I got my time on the ice and did what I could. Beyond that, it’s out of my control; it’s business.” In the 2023-24 AHL season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Berggren played 53 games, scoring 24 goals and adding 32 assists, totaling 56 points—19 more than the next highest scorer on the team.

Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde seems to share Berggren’s perspective. “He performed well in a tough situation last year,” Lalonde remarked. “I won’t say anyone can play their way out of the AHL; it’s a fantastic league. But he has certainly proven—or rather earned—this opportunity to be in the NHL.” The challenge for Lalonde and the coaching staff now lies in finding a spot for Berggren on the 2024-25 roster.

Berggren is among several Red Wings players currently without a contract. Key players like defenseman Moritz Seider and right-winger Lucas Raymond also need to be re-signed. General manager Steve Yzerman faces the task of accommodating these contracts under the $88millionsalarycapforthe2023-24season,withtheteamcurrentlyhaving$ 17.648 million available.

As the 2023-24 NHL season approaches, Jonatan Berggren and his representatives need to work on securing a contract extension with the Red Wings. The Uppsala, Sweden native likely feels he has done everything possible to secure a spot on the roster. With less than a full season of games over two years with the team, it’s clear why he was chosen 33rd overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.