- David Pagnotta reports Detroit has expressed interest in free agent winger Eeli Tolvanen
- The Red Wings still want a top-six winger after Patrick Kane signed back in Chicago
- Read below for what Tolvanen brings and why a deal may not be close
The Detroit Red Wings still need a top-six winger, and one free agent keeps coming up.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said on the latest DFO Rundown that Detroit has expressed interest in Eeli Tolvanen.
That hole got bigger when Patrick Kane signed back home with the Blackhawks. Detroit has plenty else on its plate, from a general manager search to Dylan Larkin’s trade request, but the front office is still looking to add up front.
Pagnotta has been tracking Tolvanen’s market for weeks. Here is where it stands:
Tolvanen is one of the better wingers still on the board, and one of the youngest. He went 30th overall to Nashville in 2017, never stuck there, and found a real role after the Kraken claimed him off waivers.
The production has been steady rather than loud. He put up 12 goals and 36 points in 78 games last season, and since the start of 2023-24 he has 51 goals and 112 points across 240 games. He also plays a heavier game than most middle-six wingers, which is exactly what Detroit has been short on.
The money works. Detroit sits with close to $20 million in cap space before it re-signs Simon Edvinsson, so a short-term deal for Tolvanen would barely register. He could slide into the top six and take some weight off young winger Emmitt Finnie.
A deal is not close, though. The Red Wings are still hunting for a GM, and whoever lands the job may want to steer the roster a different direction. Other names remain on the market too.
Tolvanen looked back on his season and where things go next in his exit interview with Seattle:
He is a winger Detroit likes, not one it has signed. The cap room and the opening are both there. Whoever runs the Red Wings next just has to make the call.
