5 Offseason Targets Linked To Red Wings

Saturday, May 02, 2026 , , , , ,
Seattle Kraken forward Bobby McMann celebrates goal during 2026 game.

Steve Yzerman did not mince words at his season-ending media availability last week.

"We need better players," the Detroit Red Wings GM said. "We need to improve specifically in certain areas. We can talk about goal scoring. We need to improve in that area, particularly five-on-five."

Ten consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance will sharpen a man's language, and Yzerman was not sugar-coating what he saw in his own roster.

Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast that people will be shocked if Detroit does not pull off a significant trade or signing this summer, and the Red Wings enter the offseason with the tools to make that happen.

They are projected to carry nearly $33 million in cap space for 2026-27 and possess one of the better prospect pools in the NHL, giving Yzerman real currency both in free agency and on the trade market.

Max Bultman of The Athletic laid out a board of targets across both avenues.

The Free Agent Board

Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres is the name at the top of almost every list.

The 30-year-old power forward posted a five-on-five scoring rate this season that would have led the Red Wings outright.

The questions are: Will Buffalo let him walk just as the Sabres have returned to playoff relevance, and are the Red Wings willing to pay top-of-market money for a player entering his thirties?

If Tuch hits the open market on July 1, those questions become urgent.

Mason Marchment is another name worth watching, a 31-year-old winger who was traded from Seattle to Columbus midseason and produced at a strong five-on-five rate after the move.

He brings an edge to his game that most of Detroit's current roster lacks and would slot naturally into a second-line role.

Bobby McMann is a third option that fits Yzerman's physicality mandate.

The 6-foot-2 forward put up 29 goals and 46 points across 78 games split between Toronto and Seattle this season, led with 165 hits, and plays the kind of hard, heavy style that the Red Wings have been missing up and down their lineup.

The Trade Market

Bultman identified Mavrik Bourque of the Dallas Stars as one of the more intriguing under-the-radar names.

Dallas has an extremely tight cap situation and faces the looming challenge of extending Jason Robertson this summer, which could force the Stars to move Bourque even though they would prefer to keep him.

The 24-year-old pending RFA put up 41 points with 20 goals and 79 hits this season, can play center or wing, and his five-on-five metrics across the board are solid.

Detroit has the prospect depth to make the kind of offer that would appeal to a Dallas organization with the second-worst prospect pool in the league, per The Athletic's rankings.

Robertson himself has been discussed in Detroit circles and elsewhere as a potential trade target if the Stars cannot make the contract math work.

The most ambitious name on the board is Elias Pettersson of Vancouver, who carries an $11.6 million cap hit and a full no-movement clause but whose talent, if recaptured from two disappointing seasons, would be a franchise-altering addition for Detroit.

Bultman notes that Pettersson's Olympic experience playing alongside Lucas Raymond could put the Red Wings on his radar if he decides to explore a change of scenery.

Photo Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

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