NHL Rumors: 3 Detroit Red Wings Not Expected Back Next Season

The Detroit Red Wings continue to rebuild as the organization would love to once again become Stanley Cup Playoff contenders. General manager Steve Yzerman has his work cut out for him but has been making huge strides these last few seasons finding talent through the NHL Entry Draft. With the lottery going on Tuesday to give the Red Wings another shot at the #1 overall selection, Yzerman is going to be busy these next few weeks with personnel decisions. Let's take a look at three Red Wings who are likely finished in Detroit:

Tyler Bertuzzi

This season we saw a ton of trade rumors surrounding Tyler Bertuzzi and that's expected to continue as we head into the summer months. The 27-year-old is a pesky forward who loves to get in the face of opponents and he can other light the lamp. Bertuzzi scored 30 goals in 68 games and finished with a career-high 62 points. He's signed through next season at $4.75 million and is someone the Red Wings are expected to listen to trade offers on. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings are all teams who were interested at points throughout this season. It will have to be a huge package heading to Motown for Yzerman to give up on the 30-goal scorer. 

Marc Staal

Pretty simple one here, the Red Wings aren't expected to re-sign Marc Staal. The 35-year-old is coming off a season where he made $2 million against the salary cap and produced 16 points in 71 games. Staal isn't flashy but he's capable defensively and while his best days are behind him, he's going to catch on with another team as a depth defenseman. Look for the one-year offers to start rolling in for the veteran blueline on July 13 when he'll become an unrestricted free agent. Perhaps joining his brother Jordan in Carolina becomes an option worth considering.

Thomas Greiss

It surprised a few people when the Red Wings didn't move Thomas Greiss at some point last season. The pending unrestricted free-agent netminder will hit the open market this summer and isn't expected back in Detroit. The team will turn to Alex Nedeljkovic in hopes the 26-year-old can develop into an elite goaltender. Look for Yzerman to wonder the open market for a veteran backup on the cheap. As for Greiss, he appeared in 31 games this season, recording an .891 save percentage. At 36 years old he'll be in tough to sign another NHL contract but we should see him catch on somewhere to compete for a backup position come training camp next season.

Photo credit:  Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports