Last season, William Lagesson spent a lot of game nights with the Detroit Red Wings the same way that you did.

He sat there and watched them play.

Serving as the eighth defenseman on the club’s roster, there were 40 games last season in which Lagesson was a healthy scratch. It’s entirely possible he could be filling that role again during the 2025-26 NHL season.

The Red Wings decided to sign the 31-year-old Swede to a two-year contract. It’s a one-way deal with an AAV of $775,000.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have signed defenseman William Lagesson to a two-year contract extension. pic.twitter.com/sHU9K0jCEJ

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 27, 2025

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman explained the role he forsees Lagesson filling for Detroit next season.

“I thought he played extremely well in (Grand Rapids) and in a limited role up here,” Yzerman said. “He’s a real good fit for us. He has shown an ability to come up and play here and has been outstanding for us on and off the ice, in the locker room, and in GR.”

Red Wings Could Still Add Rearguard

Currently, the Red Wings’ top-two defense pairings figure to look very familiar – Moritz Seider with Ben Chiarot and Simon Edvinsson with Albert Johansson. As it stands now, returnees Erik Gustafsson and Justin Holl and newcomer Jacob-Bernard Docker will duke it out for third-pairing minutes.

The Detroit brass has always preferred to carry eight blueliners on the NHL roster. If that is again the decision, it only makes sense that Lagesson will be that guy. There’s nothing to be gained from having a prospect like William Wallinder or Antti Tuomisto, and certainly not Axel Sandin Pellikka, sitting and watching. They need to be playing every night with the AHL Griffins.

That’s all assuming nothing changes within the club’s defensive personnel. As colleague Kevin Allen recently pointed out, there are a number of under-the-radar defensemen who could be had in the NHL trade market.

Nick Kypreos: Re Ryan McDonagh: The Lightning traded McDonagh away once, back in 2022; he may end up being on the move again – Sportsnet (Jul 15)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 18, 2025

Seattle’s Jamie Oleksiak is a big body who would add offensive upside while skating in a third pairing. The dream sequence would be the acquisition of reliable, steady veteran Ryan McDonagh from Tampa Bay. He’d be a calming presence and an ideal partner for Seider. And his first pass tends to border on the impeccable. It was Yzerman who made the original move to bring McDonagh to Tampa Bay.

Do we know if any of these moves are in the works? No.

Call it a feeling, a sense if you will. Just a nagging sensation that the Wings aren’t done yet when it comes to retooling the defense.