While we're still approximately two months away from the start of Training Camp for the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season, there remain several free agents in all three position groups who are still waiting for a call for a contract.
Among the players that are hoping to land a new deal are several former Red Wings who suited up as recently as this past season, or who departed from the team in recent years.
Perhaps the most noteworthy figure that Red Wings fans are still well familiar with is Robby Fabbri, who played last season with the Anaheim Ducks after being traded by Detroit last July in exchange for goaltender Gage Alexander and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick; his three-year, $12 million contract that he signed in 2022 expired this offseason.
As has unfortunately been the case for much of his NHL career, injuries limited Fabbri's availability with the Ducks. He played in just 44 games, scoring eight goals with eight assists. In November, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, while he was later placed on Injured Reserve with an upper-body ailment in February.
Fabbri was an underrated addition to the Red Wings by GM Steve Yzerman during their rough 2019-20 season, acquired from the St. Louis Blues in November 2019 for checker Jacob de la Rose; his 14 goals were fourth-most on the team.
That's 2 PPG's for newly acquired Robby Fabbri. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/BHpfDQqyBf
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 9, 2019
He reached a pair of career-highs in 2023-24, his final season in Detroit, playing in 68 games and scoring 18 goals.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Among the other players who are still looking for their next contracts that played for the Red Wings this most recent season are forwards Tyler Motte and Craig Smith, the latter of which was acquired in March (along with Petr Mrazek) from Chicago in the Joe Veleno deal.
Motte, who was signed to a one-year contract, scored four goals with five assists in 55 games played, while Smith registered two assists in the 19 games he played after being acquired.
Daniel Sprong, who scored 18 goals for the Red Wings in 2023-24, was well traveled last season. He began the season with the Vancouver Canucks, but was traded after only nine games to the Seattle Kraken, where he had previously played before signing with Detroit. After being waived by the Kraken and playing in the American Hockey League, he was eventually traded to the New Jersey Devils.
Sprong ultimately played in only 30 combined NHL games in 2024-25, but scored only twice while adding five assists.
Luke Glendening, who is now 36 years old and played the first eight seasons of his NHL career with the Red Wings, has since split his time between the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. Last season in Tampa Bay, he scored four goals with three assists in 77 games.
Additional former Red Wings players that fans are still familiar with include Brendan Smith, Jakub Vrana, and Klim Kostin.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!