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The Detroit Red Wings are one of the few teams in the National Hockey League right now with legitimate cap space. In fact, only one team in the entire league has more available space than them. Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has around $30.2 million to work with this summer.
From the looks of it, Detroit's former captain turned general manager is prepared to spend. The Red Wings are linked to top free agents J.T. Compher, Ryan O'Reilly, and Alex Killorn, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
Yzerman's interest in Alex Killorn is no surprise. Killorn played a big role for the Tampa Bay Lightning when Yzerman ran the team as their general manager. This past season saw the 34-year-old score 27 goals and 64 points in a full 82-game season.
The Red Wings' interest in O'Reilly isn't a major surprise, either. Yzerman has worked extensively with St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong since returning to Detroit. In fact, he has made more trades with the Blues as Detroit's general manager than any other team in the league.
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O'Reilly starred with the Blues for four seasons, including a Stanley Cup championship in 2019. The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner scored 16 goals and 30 points with the Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs this past season.
The interest in Compher certainly may rattle older Red Wings fans. Compher, 28, has spent his entire career in a Colorado Avalanche jersey. Colorado and Detroit engaged in one of the NHL's more infamous feuds in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
However, the former Michigan Wolverine is coming off a career year. He scored 17 goals and a career-high 52 points for the defending champion Avalanche. Compher tests the market as Colorado is unable to afford his demands on the open market.
All three forwards fill a need for the Red Wings, providing depth in their top six. Detroit could certainly land all three players and still have some cap space to work with. Let's see what Yzerman has up his sleeves.
