3 Red Wings Entering Their Final Year With The Team

The Detroit Red Wings had to do more this offseason and have the means to do so. There are more contracts ending next offseason, so that will definitely be a time to make some real changes, especially to the defense. With that being said, these are three players that are expected to be entering the final year with the Red Wings.

Ben Chiarot

Ben Chiarot hasn't lived up to the contract he signed with the Red Wings. He's still an NHL-level defenseman, but he has to get too many minutes with the weak Red Wings defense and should be the fourth or fifth defenseman at best on a team, not on the top pairing. He has no offense, poor underlying analytics, and doesn't even log a ton of minutes on the penalty kill, playing less than two minutes per game last season. What he is on the Red Wings to do, he should be doing much better. This is the last year of his deal and then he will walk in free agency.

Erik Gustafsson

Erik Gustafsson had a very underwhelming season in 2024-25, but he is under contract for this coming season as well. Unless there is a major turnaround, the Red Wings will be swift to get rid of the veteran next offseason. Nobody is going to be choosing Gustafsson if he is available at the trade deadline either as he finished last season with two goals, 18 points, a -19, and just over 16 minutes of average time on ice per game. The Red Wing will be finding upgrades next offseason or even during the season.

Jonatan Berggren

Jonatan Berggren has time and time again not been given a proper opportunity with the Red Wings and they have seemingly wasted his developmental years in the NHL. He is projected to play on the fourth line this season, which will hurt him even more. He had a strong showing in the NHL as a rookie in 2022-23 and then hasn't been given the opportunity to perform again like he had and the Red Wings are still out of a playoff spot. He is now 25 years old and on a one-year deal where he is a RFA after the season. I think Detroit will end up trading him to a team that will make more use of him.