Toronto Maple Leafs: Every Pending UFA in the Atlantic Division

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings were expected to have a fire sale leading up to this year’s trade deadline. While they did manage to move players out, they still have a number of UFAs who could potentially hit the market.

Sam Gagne

Sam Gagne is one of three Red Wings who could be exposed to other organizations. After 13 years in the NHL, his offense has dried up significantly. He’s no longer the dynamic center who played on the 2006-07 London Knights team that also included Patrick Kane, Sergei Kostitsyn, and goaltender Steve Mason.

Johan Franzén and Kyle Brodziak

The other two forwards on the Wings are Johan Franzén and Kyle Brodziak. Both players are still on the books but are listed on the LTIR which means that their contracts don’t count against the cap. The Mule hasn’t played a game since October of 2015. He played just two games and was unable to return to action.

Brodziak played a little more recently. His last games were played in the 2018-19 season where he dressed for 70 matches. Both players have been effectively retired already but once their contracts run out it will officially close the books on their NHL careers.

Jonathan Ericsson

The Detroit blue line has the potential to lose players off the roster. Jonathan Ericsson has worked his way down the depth charts in Detroit and is certainly in danger of a pay cut next season. He’s on his last year of a six-year $25.5 million dollar contract that pays him $4.25 million annually. It’s hard to imagine a team will be willing to match those figures for Ericsson this offseason.

Trevor Daley

Trevor Daley is in a very similar position as Ericsson. Daley hasn’t been able to play as competitively as he once had. His possession numbers have plummeted all the way to an even-strength Corsi rating of 40.1 this season which is -6.0 relative to his team. It’s the worst he’s ever done after 13 years in the NHL.

Cody Goloubef

Cody Goloubef is the Red Wings’ only other UFA defender. He was claimed off waivers by Detroit from the Senators three days before the trade deadline. He played just 24 games for the Sens and two for the Wings. Goloubef played the reoccurring role of “extra body”, watching many of this season’s games in the press box.

Jimmy Howard

Jimmy Howard, the goaltender who has spent his entire in Motor City, is about to see his contract come due.

He’s been stopping pucks for the Wings for 14 years. Howard was on a one year contract with an AAV of $5.1 million this year and he could very well be looking at a similar length deal for next season.

Detroit currently also has former Leafs tender Jonathan Bernier on the books until after next season.