Over the course of the Detroit Red Wings’ teardown and rebuild, they have parted ways with a number of players whose names and faces are still etched in the minds of fans to this day. While it’s never fun to say goodbye – especially when the players heading out the door have been within the organization since they were drafted – those moves are necessary to pave the way for the future.
The Red Wings find themselves in a spot where their teardown is complete, and are now trying to establish their core while surrounding them with useful veterans up and down the lineup. Detroit has a healthy chunk of cap space to play with this summer and should have a few roster spots to fill, even after taking care of their own pending free agents. Much attention has gone towards the big-ticket items they could target on the free agent market, but they won’t fill all of their needs by adding star power – they will need to fill out their depth as well.
When it comes to adding depth, there is some value in familiarity. How many times throughout NHL history has a player joined a team to fill out the lineup and then that player never seems to fit in? When the player coming in is already familiar with the city, the rink, the fans and even some of the players on the team, there’s an immediate comfort level that is hard to replicate.
With that in mind, here are three players that could return to Detroit this summer after departing earlier in the team’s rebuild.
Pius Suter
Pius Suter, who last played with the Red Wings back in 2023, is coming off of arguably the most successful of his five seasons in the NHL. In his second season with the Vancouver Canucks, the Swiss forward had 25 goals and 46 points in 81 games, with his goal and point totals being career-highs. He even received a fifth place vote for the Selke Trophy this season, which recognizes the league’s top defensive forward.
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Suter joined the Red Wings on a two-year deal during the 2021 offseason in hopes that he would stabilize the team’s second line from the center position. While that never materialized, he did have a solid, if unceremonious stay in Detroit. He had 60 points in 161 games and finished out his stint with the Red Wings on the team’s fourth line. He was a bit overcompensated for his role, but he was a solid contributor when called upon, especially on the defensive side of things.
Suter would be joining the Red Wings to give them options up and down their lineup. Even going back to his time in Detroit, he has proven himself to be a good, if unspectacular player that is a positive player on the defensive side of the puck. Even though they would be “new” teammates with the Red Wings, he has familiarity with Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane (assuming he re-signs with the Red Wings) going back to his time as their center during his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks. Suter would be a good addition to the Red Wings’ forward group, depending on the contract the 29-year-old seeks.
Gustav Nyquist
Believe it or not, it has been six years since the Red Wings traded Gustav Nyquist to the San Jose Sharks. Since then, he has bounced around the midwest/southeast regions, spending time in Columbus, Minnesota, Nashville, and then Minnesota again to close out the 2024-25 season. He showed the first significant sign of slowing down this season, totaling just 11 goals and 28 points across 79 games split between the Nashville Predators and the Minnesota Wild.
Nyquist was, of course, drafted and developed by the Red Wings, going 121st overall in the 2008 draft. In the American Hockey League, he was a part of the Grand Rapids Griffins’ franchise-first Calder Cup championship in 2013. He played with Dylan Larkin during the latter’s rookie season, which was also the last season the Red Wings made the playoffs. He wore the winged wheel 481 times and recorded 295 points. Oh, and he even had a Kentucky Derby-winning horse named after him.
Nyquist would not be joining the Red Wings to be the player he was the last time he played home games at Little Caesars Arena. He would join the team to be a reliable veteran in the bottom six that can contribute in spot situations on special teams. While his dropoff in production this past season should not be ignored, it is worth noting that he had 75 points in 81 games with the Predators the season prior. If the Red Wings and Nyquist do reunite, he likely replaces Jonatan Berggren if the organization moves on from Beggren this summer.
Anthony Mantha
There was a time when the deal that sent Anthony Mantha to the Washington Capitals at the 2021 trade deadline was seen as the biggest move of the Red Wings’ rebuild. The trade yielded winger Jakub Vrána and a pair of draft picks, and the early returns on Vrána were such that fans were sure that the trade would turn out to be the jet fuel the team’s rebuild needed. Fast forward to today and Vrána fizzled out of Detroit two years ago while Mantha is coming off of a (mostly) lost season due to injury.
Mantha was the Red Wings’ top pick in the 2013 draft, going 20th overall. He featured in 302 games with the Red Wings from 2016 to 2021, establishing chemistry and a friendship with Larkin on and off the ice. Mantha’s best offensive season to date was the 2018-19 campaign where he had 25 goals and 48 points while skating on Larkin’s line.
Mantha has since settled into being a middle six forward with size and offensive upside. He showed well for himself during his brief stint with the Calgary Flames last season, recording seven points in 13 games while skating on the team’s second line on the opposite wing of Jonathan Huberdeau. If he can stay healthy, Mantha would provide depth scoring and an option for the second power play in Detroit. If center prospect Nate Danielson can force his way onto the NHL roster next season, Mantha and him could establish a sneaky-good third line.
What Will the Red Wings Do?
The Red Wings currently project to have $21.3 million in cap space this summer. That is enough money to re-sign the players they wish to keep while also having enough to try to lure new faces to Detroit.
The mark of a successful offseason won’t be how many brand-name players the Red Wings add to their roster. Instead, it’ll be determined by how many holes and needs within their roster they are able to address. The players listed above won’t solve all the team’s problems on their own, but they would address specific areas of need while also having the added bonus of being familiar with the team, the city and its fans.
Depending on contract terms and moves elsewhere, there may be no place like home/Detroit for these players.
