Draft weekend is always fertile ground for moves of all sorts across the NHL. The stars of the weekend are, of course, the prospects enjoying the pinnacle of their careers to this point. However, that doesn’t stop players that celebrated their draft day long ago from stealing the spotlight every now and then….
The Detroit Red Wings are no strangers to grabbing headlines on the draft floor during Steve Yzerman’s tenure as general manager. There’s the famous clip of Moritz Seider reacting to going sixth overall in 2019, the maneuver to trade up and select goaltender Sebastian Cossa 15th overall in 2021, and the move that landed goalie Ville Husso in Detroit in exchange for a third round pick. Red Wings fans are well-trained at this point to stay on their toes when it comes to draft weekend.
In the aftermath of the 2025 draft, oh boy did Yzerman deliver.
Overview of Red Wings’ 2025 Draft Class
Despite falling back one spot in the draft lottery, falling from 12th to 13th overall, the Red Wings had a lot of good options available to them when they were on the clock. They ultimately made forward Carter Bear the pick, and that set the tone for what Detroit would do with the rest of the picks they made.
Related: Red Wings Draft Carter Bear 13th Overall
Bear is known for being a tenacious player that gives the opposition hell while also having great scoring touch. There are some concerns about him – as well as some questions about whether Detroit got the best player available in that spot – but there’s no denying that he fits in with Yzerman’s stated objective of making the Red Wings tougher to play against.
They followed that up by selecting Swedish winger Eddie Genborg, a player that is known for being the type of player you hate to play against and love to have on your team. He plays an unapologetically physical game, and he can score when he has the opportunity. Sound familiar?
The Red Wings added a goalie in the third round and a couple of other players that have NHL upside due to their soft skills, but there was a real focus on bringing a little nastiness into the organization with this draft. While Yzerman still has work to do to make the present roster tougher to play against, his picks in the draft show that he is serious about matching the physicality of teams like the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators.
Red Wings Acquire Goalie John Gibson
The Red Wings have been in the goalie market every year since Jimmy Howard retired in 2020. With Cam Talbot and Petr Mrázek under contract for next season, Yzerman decided to trade the latter along with a couple of draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for goalie John Gibson. The veteran of over 500 games, all with the Ducks, is has two seasons left on his contract at a salary cap hit of $6.4 million.
John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Gibson, who will be 32 years-of-age on July 14, immediately assumes the top spot on the Red Wings’ depth chart in goal. Despite his record over the last few seasons in Anaheim, he is the last goalie to take them to the playoffs, going as far as the Western Conference Final in 2017. That was obviouly a long time ago, and his play has slowly descended while the Ducks underwent a slow teardown, now under the direction of former Red Wings assistant general manager Pat Verbeek.
Gibson’s name has been in the rumor mill for a couple years now as it was reported back in the summer of 2023 that he requested a trade out of Anaheim, going as far as to say that he would not play another game for the Ducks. That led to ongoing trade talks, including with the Red Wings going back to last year, but nothing came to fruition. Gibson obviously played two more seasons with the Ducks, but now he has his fresh start in Detroit.
For what it’s worth, Gibson’s play in 2024-25 was his best since the turn of the decade.
Red Wings Looking to Make More Moves?
While speaking with the media, Yzerman mentioned that he tried to make moves on the first night of the draft, but nothing worked out. There was speculation that the Red Wings were in discussions with the New York Islanders about defenseman Noah Dobson before he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. Detroit may not have been able to beat the Candiens’ offer, but their interest in the defenseman does suggest that they are looking to give their blue line a makeover.
While they are expected to be in the mix for Aaron Ekblad and Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency, the Red Wings have also reportedly expressed their interest in Nicolas Hague of the Vegas Golden Knights as well as K’Andre Miller of the New York Rangers. This appears to be an effort to find a new partner for Seider on the team’s top pairing, as well as simply add talent to what was a mediocre top four defensive group last season.
There seems to be a clear emphasis this summer on becoming a tougher and more physical team, and to allow fewer goals against. While a move for a top-six forward is still on the table, the Red Wings may opt for a more calculated approach up front. Without any elite options available to them, they can maintain financial flexibility for next summer by filling out their depth chart with savvy veterans on one or two-year contracts. This would also allow them to maintain the flexibility to promote some of their prospects that are knocking on the door.
Yzerman did mention that he still expects to come to terms with Patrick Kane on a new contract. After acquiring Gibson, the Red Wings are projected to have roughly $19 million in cap space with three or four roster spots to fill. Based on his contract last season, Kane is projected sign a similar one-year contract in the range of $4 million, with bonuses that can be tacked on later. That theoretically leaves them with about $15 million to fill out their roster, including ironing out contracts for notable restricted free agents Albert Johansson, Jonatan Berggren and Elmer Söderblom.
With a clear desire to end their playoff drought in what will be the franchise’s centennial season, the Red Wings have the financial flexibility to make a big splash if the opportunity presents itself. This makes them a team to keep an eye on over the next few days and weeks as the NHL offseason enters its next phase.
