The Detroit Red Wings were among the more active teams in free agency during the offseason, bringing aboard multiple new players including James van Riemsdyk, Mason Appleton, Ian Mitchell, and Jacob Bernard-Docker.
However, the Red Wings weren't able to land any of the more notable names which included Mitch Marner, Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand.
It was a tough reality that Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman acknowledged while addressing the early goings of their offseason on July 3.
"We didn’t even get a chance to talk to those guys (the top free agents)," he said. "They all signed with their clubs or were traded before free agency. Not much we can do about that."
Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights by the Toronto Maple Leafs immediately after signing an eight-year, $96 million contract. Additionally, the Florida Panthers managed to re-sign Ekblad, Bennett, and Marchand to new multi-year contracts.
Continuing with the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions was a difficult offer for Ekblad to turn down, especially given that he has been with the franchise since being selected first overall in the 2014 NHL Draft.
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Ekblad had been linked to the Red Wings in the days and weeks leading up to free agency, and he could have earned even more in Detroit than the $6.1 million cap hit he ultimately re-signed for in Florida.
NHL Insider James Mirtle, a senior writer for The Athletic, disclosed that the Red Wings were “pushing” to land a big-name free agent and could have offered Ekblad a more lucrative contract.
"I know Detroit was pushing for some of the top potential UFAs this summer, but as mentioned above, a lot of them didn’t end up even getting to market," he wrote in a recent column. "Aaron Ekblad, in particular, could have signed for a much thicker average annual value in Michigan than the $6.1 million he took with Florida."
Ekblad clearly felt that the appeal of playing for a Stanley Cup contender, combined with the familiarity of the only team he has ever played for, were important factors in his decision.
The Red Wings had ample salary cap space entering free agency, which was aided by the trade of Vladimir Tarasenko and his entire $4.75 million cap hit to the Minnesota Wild.
Currently, they still have approximately $12 million with which to work.
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